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Film Friday: Monday on Tuesday
Does it ever feel like Paul Rudd should be more famous than he is? Most people probably sort-of recognize him and think, “Oh yeah, that guy… he was good in… that film,” but put no more thought into it. But generally, as “that guy” in “that film” he is very good, indeed! Plus he loves Super Nintendo! And, if the clip we recently saw of Role Models is anything to go by, he totally hates the stupid way they name coffee sizes in Starbucks—and yes, you may consider that a tired thing to complain about, but man, it still riles us. And actually! We guess Starbucks is just something that he likes to moan about in movies—see this.
Anyway, Role Models looks to be all sorts of forgettable nonsense, which would raise the question of why we made it the lead film, but reliable figures including Jason Anderson, writing for the Toronto Star, call it “relentlessly funny” and say that it “lacks the meanness and misanthropy that mars many comedies of its ilk.”
Which works as an acceptable sort of segue into the next film of the week, Synecdoche, New York. We skipped this at TIFF this year not only because it was long, but also because we’ve never managed to gel with Charlie Kaufman’s hateful characters. Only Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind manages anything close to warmth, and that’s arguably the work of Michel Gondry, who could smother with his strange, perhaps misguided sweetness (see: Be Kind, Rewind). So the thought of a film not only written but directed by Kaufman—a pure dose of the man—did not excite us. It’s had some mixed reviews, but we’re going to pick out Peter Howell, also writing for the Star, because he says, “There is not much art in a toilet bowl.” As opposed to a urinal, we suppose?
Also on release this week: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (it was Pyjamas, originally, if you like the UK spelling more); I’ve Loved You So Long; The World Unseen; Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (shudder); and Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma.
There are lots of festivals closing this weekend, so if you haven’t had a chance to catch them yet be sure to head out: The Toronto International Latin Film Festival closes tomorrow night, while the Brazilian Film Festival, Diaspora Film Festival, Moving Images Film Festival, and Regent Park Film Festival all end on Sunday. As for the rest of the week, if you haven’t already had your fill of Israeli and Palestinian films in the festivals which just happened, there’s the Voice Forward Film Festival which begins on Wednesday, plus the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival. Finally, the Reel Asian Film Festival officially opens on Wednesday night with a screening of The Drummer, but (confusingly) starts showing films on Tuesday with a screening of Monday (seriously).