TIFF - part une

It's October, and TIFF is long gone, but it is my custom to write reviews of the films I've seen. This year, I watched ten films with my gal pal Pam. We both had busy schedules this year, and had to squeeze our films into 4 days, which meant one 14-hour day of films. Despite the frenetic pace of it, I wouldn't miss TIFF and have dreams of watching 50 films once I am retired.

This year, our TIFF started off with West is West, a sequel to a film called East is East that came out in 2000. Pam hadn't seen East is East, so we rented it in preparation. In East is East, viewers are introduced to George Khan, a Muslim Pakistani fellow living in the UK who runs a fish & chips shop with his English wife. He very much expects his children to comply with his way of thinking and as such, sets out to arrange a marriage for his eldest son, only to be shamed publicly when his son runs out during the ceremony and doesn't return. In East is East, we watch George struggle to try and have some control over his family. His children see themselves as Brits, and reject their father's way of thinking.

In West is West, the Khan family is back, and the focus is on the youngest boy, Sajid. In East is East, Sajid was shown to be a bit of a shy fellow who wore a hooded parka for comfort. In this film he is ten years older, and is getting bullied at school frequently, causing him to skip classes and get into trouble. Mr. Khan won't settle for this and decides to take Sajid to Pakistan to teach him a few lessons. Upon doing so, it is revealed that Mr. Khan has a first wife and family that he abandoned some three decades ago. George battles with his share of ghosts, trying to reconcile himself with his past actions. Sajid feels out of place, and balks at his new surroundings, until his father puts him in the hands of a wise fellow who teaches Sajid some life lessons. Like East is East, this film deftly deals with discovery of cultural identity and the challenges faced by the Khan children who have grown up in a western society, but whose roots lay in the east. This film is filled with dry, witty moments. It's definitely worth watching.

Let Me In was the second film of the day. I admit I chose this film because Julian Schnabel's latest, Miral, was sold out. The girl next to me in line suggested Let Me In. This film is based on the Swedish novel Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Linquist and on the eponymous Swedish film adaptation made in 2008. This film is about a 12-year-old boy named Owen who is often bullied at school. Played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, Owen is a rather quiet and brooding boy, whose parents have split up. He spends a lot of time on his own, and first encounters Abby outside of his apartment. The two strike up a kinship quickly, despite the fact that Abby is not your average kid. She tries to make this apparent to Owen, but she is drawn to him, and he to her. This movie is in theatres now, and is worth the watch. It's not the type of vampire movie that has become de rigeur of late (read: the Twilight saga). My pal Dan watched this one with us and had seen the original, which he preferred. This is worth a watch. The story is compelling, and these kids are strong actors.

I Am Slave was one of the highlights of TIFF for me. This film was beautifully made, perfect in pacing, well-acted and utterly compelling.  Wunmi Mosaku plays Malia brilliantly. Young Malia grows up in Sudan, and is exceptionally close to her family. Her father is a champion wrestler who loves his daughter dearly. Malia's world is torn apart when she is kidnapped and sold as a slave in Khartoum. She does domestic work for an Arab family who do not allow her to have any contact with the outside world. She is treated harshly, and this treatment continues when she is sent to London to work for a relative of the family that has enslaved her. She is without a passport, and without anyway to reach out to her family or the outside world. Adding to the gravity of this film is the fact that is based on the life of Mende Nazer, who was enslaved in the UK.

While I am talking about TIFF highlights, I'll mention Sarah's Key. This was another beautiful film, starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Julia Jarmond), who I quite like. A little told tale of the Holocaust, this film focuses on the French government rounding up Jewish inhabitants and sending them off to camps. The tale begins with Sarah Starzynski (played by Mélusine Mayance), a young girl who decides to lock her little brother into a closet in order to protect him when the French authorities come round to collect her family and send them away. Little Sarah does not realize the gravity of the situation, or that in protecting her brother, she is sealing his fate. She and her parents are taken to a camp. In a haunting scene, her father breaks down as he comes to understand what will happen to his son locked in the closet. Little Sarah becomes determined to escape and save her brother. We follow her story in flashbacks as Julia (Kristin Scott Thomas), a journalist tries to uncover the story of French Jews who were sent to camps. As the story continues, we see the tie between the apartment that has bee in Julia's husband's family and young Sarah.  Sarah's Key is somber story, but absolutely compelling. It is a must-see.

Six more mini reviews to come.