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Layton the Uptake
The ads have been running in NOW for over a month, and yet every time we see them we can’t help but chuckle aloud while pointing to the goofy cartoon of Mr. Olivia Chow. Why a turtleneck and beret? Is there some band of evil conservatives trying to paint Layton as a baguette drinking, wine eating John Kerry type? Layton, who may or mayn’t have invented the municipal bike lock, has invented the party chairman accessory du jour – the selfless/vanity film festival. Note how while deflecting attention from himself in the ‘welcome letter,’ Jack’s face simultaneously looks out knowingly on the right. Sayeth the stache – “Recently we have seen the re-emergence of film as a vital and essential medium for making us think about important social and political issues. Good point, Jack, if a little late.
In honour of said recent advancements, the fest will screen Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Leonard Cohen, a 1965 classic that TOist loves, despite the JL Film Fest’s criticism: The film was made by the Canadian National Film Board, and as such has a dated, now-quite-funny voice-over about Cohen. Dated? What’s dated about a film that treats Cohen like a scientific specimen roaming the wilds of downtown Montreal?
Jack’s fest runs from the 15th to the 17th at the Bloor. But if Being Caribou isn’t your cuppa tea, you could always check out Stephen Harper’s Spaghetti Western Film Fest, which commences next never.