Pneumatised!

MM,

After about a day and a half of deliberating, I finally decided on the 5 movies I’m going to see this year (with input from Nathan though as he’s going with me to all the movies).

Before I get to that list though, here is the full list of movies I wanted to see out of the 335 movies at the Festival.

The Myth (Jackie Chan’s new flick; a Gala this year)
Drawing Restraint 9 (part of the Drawing Restraint Project, see http://www.kanazawa21.jp/barney/e/ for more information)
Duelist
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Great Yokai War
Lie With Me
3 Times
Everlasting Regret
Seven Swords
Nanook of the North (will be an interesting experience; movie is a silent film but accompanied by live Inuit Throat Singers)
Eve and the Fire Horse (I have a feeling the child actors are what makes this movie work; it is directed by Julia Kwan, a Chinese Canadian director, and the movie is her first feature film having only done short films previously)
Sunflower (probably a marvelously filmed drama; the time period of the movie should be interesting alone)
October 17, 1961 (about the Algerian War of Independence)
Shanghai Dreams (apparently did extremely well at the Cannes this year; the movie is produced by Jackie Chan’s production company)
Dreaming of Space
Viva Cuba
Mother of Mine
The President’s Last Bang (a controversial Korean film about the assassination of the Korean President in 1979)
Dreaming Lhasa
Dam Street
7 Virgins (reminds me of Boyz in the Hood which starred Cuba Gooding Jr., except this features Spanish teens)
The Masseur
Water (this movie is the opening Gala this year; I have to see the other two films, Fire and Earth, first)
Wallace and Grommit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (okay, I heard lots about these two characters and am curious to see them on screen; another Gala movie)
Revolver (if you like actor Jason Statham or director Guy Ritchie, you’ll probably want to see it; also a Gala movie)

There were a few documentaries I thought might be interesting to watch:

The Giant Buddhas (a documentary surrounding the destroyed giant Buddha statues)
Into Great Silence (a documentary on Carthusian monastery life)
Short Cuts Programme 5: Genre Redux (9 short films that “reinvent genre designations”)
Wavelengths Programme 4 (features the short films Aerial, Half-moon for Margaret,
and India; it seems to be filmed as sort of an enlightenment view of the world around us)

There are always movies at the film festival that are sure to be released soon. That was the case with some of the movies above and seeing as I can wait for some of these, I decided to not waste an expensive Film Festival ticket on them. These were Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is being released September 23, not too long after the closing of the Film Festival and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is said to be released in October. Revolver is likely to be released but there is no date yet. Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit will be released in October as well.

Now, for the final list.

The Myth (as it’s a Gala, we’re hoping to get tickets to the second showing)
Duelist
Drawing Restraint 9
The Great Yokai War
Nanook of the North

The Myth is slated to be released in China soon after the Film Festival, but there is as yet no North American release date. For that reason and because I can’t wait to see this new Jackie Chan flick, I decided I wanted to see it at the Festival (plus there’s a rumour Jackie Chan is coming to Toronto, so maybe he’ll show up at both screenings, who knows).

There were many good movies on the list above that I still want to see, so I’m hoping they do really well at the Festival anyway and maybe I’ll get to see them later. I’d really like to see Eve and the Fire Horse and Sunflower, so here’s hoping they wow the audience. There were also some movies I sort of wanted to see but weren’t sure about that I have not mentioned.

Anyway, those were my selections. Anyone interested in the Film Festival should definitely check some of the movies out.

I’m still waiting to pick up my movie tickets. Then I’ll know for sure what movies I’m seeing.

(For movie descriptions and more information, please go to the Toronto International Film Festival website. You can order single tickets online starting September 7.)

BB,
Cassandrah
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