America The Beautiful
Directed by Darryl Roberts
USA 2009
105 minutes
America The Beautiful is the result of director Darryl Roberts’ two year investigation into Americans’ obsession with physical perfection. In a world where models, movie stars and celebrities present a warped portrait of beauty, indeed perfection, it’s no surprise that $12.4 billion was spent in one year alone (2004), on cosmetic surgery. Mr Roberts questions whether corporate profits justify a nation’s psychosis in this highly-acclaimed examination of our society’s obsession with youth, beauty and the quest for perfection. This fundraising screening is sponsored by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Eating Disorders Coalition. The film contains mature content and brief, graphic scenes of surgery. General admission $10.00.
Students $7.00. (Feb 4)

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Directed by Werner Herzog
USA 2009
122 minutes
Rated 18A (coarse language, substance abuse)
BL:POCNO combines the intense, visionary talents of director Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) with the manic and fearless acting talents of Nicolas Cage. Mr Cage plays New Orleans Police Detective Terence McDonagh, who suffers horrible back pains from an injury incurred during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Terence’s homicide investigations become clouded by a haze of prescription painkillers and cocaine, or whatever other available drugs he can shakedown on the streets. Herzog often points the camera over Terence’s shoulder, taking us along for the ride. And what a ride—it’s like watching someone surf naked along a flooded storm sewer as we witness one man’s personal havoc, and a city’s devastation. As TIFF programmer Colin Geddes noted, by the growing number of memorable quotes alone, the film has established cult status. For the adventurous filmgoer, these two hours traffic are recommended. (Jan 29-Feb 1)

Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Spain 2009
128 minutes
Rated 14A (sexual content, coarse language)
Let’s start with the New York Times’ AO Scott’s brilliant description of Broken Embraces as “exuberant melancholy,” with a performance by Penelope Cruz that he compares to Anna Magnani and Joan Crawford. He leads an army of reviewers, and filmgoers in awe of Almodovar and his beautiful muse, Penelope Cruz. Like an onion, the plot consists of layer upon layer of stories coexisting. Harry Caine (Lluis Homar) is a writer/director, blinded in a car accident, who, years ago, was part of a lovers’ triangle with Lena (Ms Cruz) and a film producer. With a story too complex (but not confusing) to condense here, Broken Embraces is a beautiful piece of cinema that draws comparisons to such Hollywood heavyweights as the films of Hitchcock, Sirk and Nicholas Ray. And Almodovar has the confidence and creative cheek to rework a scene from his own Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Broken Embraces is full of enough romance, sex, jealousy, melodrama, revenge, deceit and desire, that it warrants multiple viewings. Highly Recommended. Spanish with subtitles. (Feb 5-14)

Collapse
Directed by Chris Smith
USA 2009
82 minutes
Rated PG (violence, language may offend)
Collapse puts filmmaker Chris Smith together with former LA drug cop Michael Ruppert in an abandoned meat-packing plant, with chilling results. Ruppert has turned his skills toward investigative journalism, exposing various forms of corruption (government and otherwise) and exploring the connections between oil, agriculture, energy, government and, of course, money. What we have here is a willingness to communicate. Mr Ruppert is well-trained, well-connected, well-traveled and well-spoken on issues that include the recent “collapse” of Wall Street and his favourite issue of peak oil. Best known for his self-published newsletter, From The Wilderness, Mr Ruppert’s no-nonsense style reflects his views that we are witnessing the beginning of the collapse of industrial civilization. (Feb 23-25)

An Education
Directed by Lone Scherfig
UK 2009
100 minutes
Rated PG (mature theme)
A personal favourite from TIFF ‘09, An Education combines the talents of novelist/screenwriter Nick Hornby (adapting Lynn Barber’s memoir), Danish director Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners), and a remarkable cast that includes Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, Rosamund Pike, Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, Dominic Cooper and newcomer Carey Mulligan, who leads with talent to spare. Ms Mulligan stars as Jenny, a smart and gifted 16-year-old filled with curiosity and a hunger for the knowledge of life that lies outside her textbooks and the drab grey that fills her rain-soaked life in the London ‘burb of Twickenham in 1961. Cue the entrance of intriguing, older, Jaguar-driving David (Sarsgaard), who turns on the charm by opening any door of experience that a young girl could imagine. The dinners, nightclubs, galleries, and travel are perfectly intoxicating for Jenny, who fully embraces this new life. But how will Jenny cope with the morning after effect that comes with these intoxicating times? An Education is Highly Recommended. (Dec 26-Jan 7)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Directed by Wes Anderson
USA 2009
87 minutes
Rated PG (violence)
This tale, based on the book by British author Roald Dahl, involves the wily (and fantasic) Mr Fox (George Clooney), who despite the protestations of his wife, Mrs Fox (Meryl Streep), continues in his wily ways, scheming to steal from the mean (I mean really mean) neighbouring farmers Boggis, Bean, and Bunce. As in any Wes Anderson film, characters question their existence in general, but question life within their families even more. It also features the voices of Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. Thanks to the stop-motion animation of director Mark Gustafson and director of photography, Tristan Oliver, The Fantastic Mr. Fox is an enthralling animated wonder. Great entertainment for adults and older kids (say, 8 yrs and older). (Feb 19-22)

Good Hair
Directed by Jeff Stilson
USA 2009
95 minutes
Rated PG (language may Offend)
It began when comedian Chris Rock’s daughter expressed her wish to have “good hair”. This led Mr Rock and director Jeff Stilson to investigate the multi-billion $ hair product and treatment industries. Good Hair examines the hair-straightening process, weaves, wigs, the Indian hair exporting industry and cultural issues in African-American communities. It ranges in location and subject from hair salons to trade shows and in interviews, from Maya Angelou to Nia Long and Rev. Al Sharpton. Good Hair is insightful, engaging and always entertaining, thanks to Chris Rock’s easy-going style and quick wit. (Feb 2, 3)

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Directed by Terry Gilliam
Canada/UK 2009
122 minutes
Rated PG (mature theme, language may offend)
Hold on, you’re in for quite the ride, as Eastern mysticism tangos with busker showmanship in a world of day-glo hallucinatory visions. Terry Gilliam, Monty Python alumnae and the director of such fantastical films as Brazil, The Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys, is at the top of his game with his latest work. Christopher Plummer stars as the mystic, Dr Parnassus, who centuries ago wagered his soul with the Devil-like Mr Nick (Tom Waits!) in exchange for immortality. Living a horse-drawn anomaly as a carnival sideshow on the streets of contemporary London, Dr P and his troupe rescue a young man, Tony (Heath Ledger), dangling from the end of a rope. Tony quickly falls in with Dr P and his merry pranksters, eager to fight off Mr Nick’s unwanted advances towards Valentina, Dr P’s daughter. Heath Ledger’s tragic death occurred during filming and Mr Gilliam skillfully (and respectfully) completed his scenes with the help of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, and thankfully, it works. The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is fantastic, outrageous, flawed, magical, imaginative and most memorable. While not for all tastes, it is Highly Recommended.
(Dec 26-Jan 14)

Me and Orson Welles
Directed by Richard Linklater
UK 2009
107 minutes
Rated PG (mature theme, coarse language)
From his debut film, Slacker, to Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise and A Scanner Darkly, Richard Linklater has proven to be a gifted director with a wide range of skills and thematic interests. So it was no surprise when he chose to do a portrait of the young genius that was Orson Welles. The film opens with handsome, young Richard (Zac Efron) cast to play Lucius to Welles’ Brutus, in the groundbreaking 1937 production of Julius Caesar. Claire Danes stars as Welles’ assistant Sonja, caught between Richard’s eager advances and serving her boss. But this film is less about “Me” and more about “Orson Welles,” as he is embodied by British actor Christian McKay. His portrait is so complete that one soon forgets that it is not Orson Welles on screen. What better praise could one bestow upon a thespian. Recommended.
(Jan 15-21)

New Moon
Directed by Chris Weitz
USA 2009
130 minutes
Rated PG (frightening scenes)
In this, the second adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling books, Edward abandons Bella to visit Aro (Michael Sheen), Jane (Dakota Fanning) and the Volturi coven of Vampires, in Italy. Disconsolate, Bella turns to her friend Jacob Black, who hides his own hair-raising truths. You don’t really need us to tell you more, do you? Really. (Feb 14-18)

New York, I Love You
Various Directors
USA 2009
103 minutes
Rated 14A (sexual content, coarse language)
New York follows Paris (Paris, je t’aime) as the second location for the Cities of Love series, that features 11 short narratives, all drawn together by their connections to life in the Big Apple. The directors are: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner, Randall Balsmeyer, Shekhar Kapur. Following the Cities in Love form, New York, I Love You features flirtatious sidewalk cigarette smokers (Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q. and Robin Wright Penn with Chris Cooper), subway-riding lovers in transit (Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper), diamond dealing (Natalie Portman) and artists in Chinatown herbalist shops. As the song says, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, New York... I Love You. (Jan 22-27)

Precious
Directed by Lee Daniels
USA 2009
109 minutes
Rated 14A (disturbing content, coarse language)
From its discovery at the Sundance Film Festival in January ‘09, the bell-ringing endorsement of Oprah, a further media push at TIFF, and onwards to its late autumn release, 2009 has been a Precious year indeed. Claireece “Precious” Jones is an illiterate, obese, 15-year-old, pregnant girl (for the second time!), who is failing Grade 9 at her school in Harlem. She has created a lush fantasy world in her mind where she frequently escapes the torments and abuses of her daily life. With the help of a caring teacher, Ms Rain (Pauls Patton), Precious begins to see glimpses of hope and the possibility for redemption. In an audacious debut as Precious, Gabourey Sidibe is truly magnetic, assisted by with strong supporting perfs by Mo’nique, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz. This date may be subject to change. Please confirm. (Feb 5-11)

The Princess Bride
Directed by Rob Reiner
USA 1987
98 minutes
Rated PG
Here’s an alternative choice for a Valentine’s Day film. Hey, it’s got a princess, evil spells, swashbuckling, poison drinks, a bedtime story, a friendly giant and more swashbuckling. If that’s not enough, how about this for romantic dialogue, “Westley: Hear this now, I will always come for you. Buttercup: But how can you be sure? Westley: This is true love — you think this happens every day?” “Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn’t you wait for me? Buttercup: Well... you were dead. Westley: Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while. Buttercup: I will never doubt again. Westley: There will never be a need.” That’s sweet. Did anyone notice that Family Day follows Valentine’s Day? Was that planned? Will the maternity ward be busy come November? (Feb 14, 15 - Matinees Only - All Seats $5.00)

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Directed by Rebecca Miller
USA 2009
99 minutes
Rated 14A (sexual content, coarse language, substance abuse)
The daughter of legendary American playwright Arthur Miller, Rebecca has carved her own place in the world of arts, first as an actor, then director and now she has adapted her own novel and in the process attracted a stellar ensemble of American actors. Pippa (Robin Wright Penn) is the embodiment attractiveness and respectability, living with her older, recently-retired husband Herb (Alan Arkin). Having traded Manhattan for the (exclusive) ‘burbs, Pippa finds herself questioning how she ended up “here”. The cast (Maria Bello, Keanu Reeves, Blake Lively, Winona Ryder and Julianne Moore) helps Ms Miller paint her portrait of a woman awakening from the shadows of a life lived in others’ expectations. This is a dramatic exploration of life’s foibles and a comedic view of belated self-discovery. (Feb 12,13 & 16-18)

The Road
Directed by John Hillcoat
USA 2009
111 minutes
Rated 14A (violence, disturbing content, coarse language)
Hollywood is awash in post-apocalyptic movies. There have been floods, meteors, viruses and all kinds of disasters that always flirt with a sense of camp. But none of those flimsy plots were adapted from the writings of Cormac McCarthy. Mr McCarthy’s physically sparse novel is dense with human emotion, so intense as to be unforgettable. One can almost see the pages turn onscreen in this adaptation by Australian director John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) who remains faithful to the book (with the exception of a short series of flashbacks). Viggo Mortensen is known merely as The Man, who, with his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), cautiously makes his way towards the coast, where The Man believes they may find signs of hope or some promise of safety. Their road is cold, desolate and fraught with many threats, as small bands of marauding men search for anything (or anyone) that will help them survive. McCarthy’s vision does leave us with a glimmer of hope—for anyone not put off by such intense content, The Road is recommended. (Jan 15-21)

A Serious Man
Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
USA 2009
105 minutes
Rated 14A (coarse language)
Those cinematic chameleons the Coen Bros have performed another shape-shifting feat. Following such diverse fare as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink and more recently, No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading, they now take us to Minnesota (their childhood home), 1967, to witness the emotional and existential burdens of physics prof Larry Gopnik. Striving to be a good husband, provider, teacher and a serious man, Larry is beset by a Job-like list of life-crushing woes: his wife cites the obsequious Sy Abelman in her demands for a divorce; strange hurdles cross his path toward a tenured teaching position; his teenage children are sullen and/or remote; and the wife of his gun-toting (anti-Semite?) neighbour insists on nude sunbathing whenever he’s adjusting the rooftop TV antennae (to quell his son’s fixation with the show, F Troop). Being a righteous Jew, Larry seeks the advice of his rabbi, only to be thwarted there as well. Whew, Poor schmuck! Dense with minute detail and complex humour, A Serious Man proves that the Coen comic engine is firing on all pistons. (Jan 8-14)

Where the Wild Things Are
Directed by Spike Jonze
USA 2009
100 minutes
Rated PG (frightening scenes)
In this highly anticipated adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic 1963 picture book, Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers take us along with nine-year-old Max into a magical world where... well, you know who lives there, don’t you? Mr Jonze’s exploration of sorrowful childhood emotions may reflect a degree of his own melancholy, with a sense of sadness too strong for some young ones. But older kids and adults should be enthralled by the all-star voice talent and the sheer exuberance of those big, furry, lovable wild things. Come share some smiles, maybe a tear and lots of hugs with Max and his wild things. (ALL SEATS $5.00 - Matinees Only - Dec 27-30)

The World’s Best Commercials 2009
90 minutes
Rated TBA
For the past however many years, we have presented the “Best Ads” collection during the first two months of the year. Yes, the advertising world is just like the movies (hmmm, funny that?) in judging and awarding winners in the various categories of the genre. And while advertising seems to be everywhere, from billboards, magazines, pop-ups and of coarse (sic), television, this collection offers-up the best international collection available. And with so much TV programming now available without ads, this collection provides a great opportunity to watch without interruption. And unlike those movie award programs, the World’s Best Commercials comes totally free of the red carpets, designer gowns and cheesy acceptance speeches. Smart. Funny. New and Improved! (Feb 19-25)

The Young Victoria
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee
UK/Canada 2009
105 minutes
Rated PG (mature theme)
Jean-Marc Vallee’s (C.R.A.Z.Y.) latest film is an unapologetically romantic portrait of the young monarch in the years leading to her coronation. She is surrounded by schemers and self-interested parties, including her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany). But as the young Victoria’s romance for Prince Albert grows, she gains the self-confidence to take charge and step into the role of ruler. As Prince Albert, Rupert Friend strikes a fine balance between one of regal privilege and a smitten young man. But the film belongs to Emily Blunt, who deftly strides into the leading lady role as the young Queen-to-be. To members of Ms Blunt’s ever-growing fan base, and those looking for intrigue and romance in the history of the British Royalty, The Young Victoria is Highly Recommended.
(Jan 22-Feb 4)