September 14, 2011

TIFF Day Six

Your Sister’s Sister [US, Lynn Shelton, 4] Woman (Emily Blunt) with unacknowledged feelings for her dead ex's brother (Mark Duplass) sends him on a head-clearing retreat to her family cottage, where he gets unexpectedly close with her sister (Rosemarie Dewitt.) Witty, truthful comedy-drama of romantic manners keeps the stakes high without extreme characters or phony behavior.

My Worst Nightmare [France, Anne Fontaine, 3.5] Boorish tradesman defrosts demanding gallerist (Isabelle Huppert.) Use the fluffy dessert metaphor of your choice to describe this class-conscious romantic comedy.

If you're looking for the movie from my TIFF 2011 list to watch with your mom, My Worst Nightmare is probably the one. I mean, not that I know your mom.

Alps [Greece, Giorgios Lanthimos, 3.5] Secretive group consisting of two hospital workers, a gymnast, and her abusive coach aid the grieving by acting out scripted scenarios in which they substitute for the deceased. Variation on the director's previous film, Dogtooth, that isn't as resonant or mind-blowing.

Himizu [Japan, Sion Sono, 5] Junior high student with toxic parents who lives in the zone struck by the March tsunami and subsequent Fukushima disaster struggles to find an outlet for his existential fury. Epic, ambitious grapple with despair.

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