December 13, 2006
Canada’s Top Ten 2006
We already mentioned it in our news round-up but we thought we’d share with you this lovely picture of the assembled filmmakers and cast of Canada’s Top Ten films of 2006.
Held at the Revival nightclub on College St. (as last year) By the Toronto International Film Festival Group, the event was hosted by Sylvie Moreau and, (yes!) Dave Foley, who were actually excellent hosts that seemed to have a good understanding of the Canadian film industry (and what people think of it.) The top ten was released in alphabetical order as always and this year were:
Sarah Polley’s Away from Her; Congorama; Un Dimanché a Kigali; TIFF2006 opener The Journals of Knud Rasmussen; Manufactured Landscapes; Monkey Warfare; Radiant City; Sharkwater; Noël Mitrani’s superb Sur La Trace D’Igor Rizzi; and Trailer Park Boys: The Movie.
A lot of the controversy currently seems to be that Bon Cop Bad Cop was ignored. But then it is the opinion of an independent jury (Which this year included the likes of C.R.A.Z.Y. director Jean-Marc Vallée) And I guess, like this Torontoist, they just didn’t think it was that great, box office success not withstanding.
What is more a surprise to Torontoist is just how many of the films we didn’t like (but then, we tend to go against the pack; everyone loved Manufactured Landscapes other than us, for example) and that films such as Allan King’s awesome piece of cinema verité Empz 4 Life were ignored. We were super glad to see The Journals of Knud Rasmussen and Sur La Trace D’Igor Rizzi on there; Sur La Trace D’Igor Rizzi is our top pick for Canadian film of the year, honestly.
And don’t forget! Next year, not that far away now, between January 26th and February 4th all of the Canada’s Top Ten films will be screened (with introductions and Q&A’s from filmmakers when possible) as part of Cinematheque Ontario, and there are also three excellent panel discussions, such as Geoff Pevere on new Quebec cinema and a case study on the development of Monkey Warfare, which is sure to be interesting, because the film was hella low budget and filmed “guerrilla style”. Or should that be gorilla style, huh?
(P.S. We know gorillas are apes, not monkeys.)
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What about Manufactured Landscapes did all the Torontoist contributors not like?
I thought it was incredible.
Jerrold, too busy blogging no time for movies. ARRRGH.
Jerrold,
I'm abusing the "we" format of Torontoist; I don't know how the others felt but I specifically thought little of it. It wasn't as good as Michael Glawogger's Workingman's Death (which covered the same topics) and it wasn't as good as looking at Burtynsky's stills at your own leisure, and it also wasn't as good as watching a Peter Mettler film such as Picture of Light.
So... It was less than the sum of its parts, frankly.
I loved Manufactured Landscapes but the most significant effect it had on me is that I now see human beings behind every mass-produced, manufactured product I own. Watching the woman assembling the electrical transformers in hyperspeed was mesmerizing, and frankly surprising since I never thought about something so inane being assembled by the thousands all day long by a human being, and the (government-influenced?) pride taken in being able to do it well.
I haven't had a chance to see Manufactured Landscapes myself. The "editorial we" (to again cite The Big Lebowski) strikes again!
I agree it has its moments; the beginning is very strong but after that it didn't maintain the momentum and started to bore me, honestly.
Enough about ML - Everyone go see Sur la Trace D'Igor Rizzi!