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Reviews
Felicia's Journey (1999)
A trip worth taking
Atom Egoyan has again created another striking work of art with his adaptation of the William Trevor novel, "Felicia's Journey". The director of such great films as: "Exotica", "The Sweet Hereafter" and "Speaking Parts" has ventured from his Canadian world to that of the British Isles. He does so effortlessly and again confronts an amazing story told in only the way he can.
The film has the air of confidence from a film maker who has now truly found his rhythm and the ability to bring it to a mass audience. He again starts with a dark theme and manages to keep his world secretive until the final frames keeping the audience riveted. His amazing talent continues with the ability to elicit amazing performances from both established actors like Bob Hoskins and new faces like Elaine Cassidy as well as his ever lovely and talented wife, Arsinee Khanjian.
Hoskins has one of this year's best performances. The chilling Mr. Hildich would have been muddled by a lesser actor, turned into a poor man's Hannibal Lecter. But Hoskins makes the character grow with the film, he only gets more menacing as the film progresses...but never too menacing that you can't feel for him. Cassidy is equally skilled in bringing young Felicia to life. A young woman who is lonely and confused, but determined to see her dreams fulfilled. Also a special mention should be given to Claire Benedict who plays Miss Calligary...a missionary who never quite knows when to quit...even for her own good.
The story does unfold in a series of flashbacks, so those with short attention spans may need to avoid this film. But in doing so, they would rob themselves of an amazing story.
A key element to the film is Mychael Danna's musical score for the film. Music is used much more as a key player in the film than Egoyan has used in the past. It works greatly to his advantage.
This film was the opening night to the 24th Toronto International Film Festival...it was an incredible way to begin the fest. It certainly will be remembered by me for many years to come. Thank you Mr. Egoyan.
Splendor (1999)
The Screwball Comedy that wasn't...
Director Gregg Araki introduced his new film recently at the 24th Toronto Internation Film Fest to a packed house and wetted our appetites with promises of a clever, modern homage to the great screwball comedies of the 1930's & 1940's. Films like: "It Happened One Night", "The Awful Truth", "The Lady Eve" and "Brining Up Baby".
The film is a departure from the man who brought us such films as: "Doom Generation" and "Totally F***ed Up". A kinder, gentler Araki was being shown.
The film follows the adventures of Veronica (Kathleen Robertson). A young woman who has had the misfortune to fall for two very different guys: the kind, intellectual Abel (Jonathan Schaech) and the rocker on eleven, Zed (Matt Keeslar). Instead of making her mind up about which one to date, she decides to try to convince them both to allow her to date them both. Things only get more complicated when both guys decide to move in with her.
The film does follow the basic outline of a screwball, but it lacks the heart of one. The actors all bring in admirable, yet unremarkable performances. However, this is not entirely their fault. Araki fails to deliver on the most basic element of the classic romantic comedy, the banter. The old films thrived on the perpetual motion of the dialogue to continuously engage the audience, with "Splendor" we just get a round of kinky Truth or Dare. Of course that brings up another subject, sex. This is 1999, and people have sex. They did in the 30's too. They just weren't allowed to show it or talk about it in the movies. The writers had to be resourseful, knowing just how far they could skate. I don't think it's prudish to expect the same for a modern incarnation. Again, this gets back to the dialogue. They had to skirt around the issue, but those writers always knew how to let the audience know without coming out and saying it or doing it.
Perhaps, I'm stuck in the past. But I think that if you set your sights and the audience's up that high, you had better be able to deliver the goods. Maybe if Araki had watched "The Awful Truth" (a film that he did an introduction to at the same festival the day after his film screened) before he made "Splendor", he and the audience would have been better off. He's still rather new at the game, and maybe his next film will be a little more like Sturges and a little less like a TV Sitcom.
Illuminata (1998)
The Play's the Thing...
This film shines from the loving direction that Tuturro lavishes upon Brandon Cole's screenplay. The entire cast is delightful, with Katherine Borowitz's loving and tormented Rachel and Christopher Walken's sexually aggressive Bevalaqua truly standing out. It was great to see a film about the theatre done so passionately, after the dull and trite "Shakespeare in Love".
I was mesmerized by the performances. Tuturro, Borowitz and Sewell moved so seamlessly in and out of characters that you often felt that you were in "Illuminata".
This film reminded me with an equally remarkable film, Louis Malle's "Vanya on 42nd Street". I'm going to have fire up the laser disc player on that one tonight.
If you are a fan of the theatre or works on the theatre, then "Illuminata" is certainly going to work its magic on you.