So the TIFF 2006 is finally over…

I closed my festival films yesterday by watching “Mainline”, which I thought was one of the best movie productions of Iran in recent years… What impressed me the most was the acting of the leading lady, Baran Kosari, as a heroin addict…

The film is not based on a true story but on reality… Apparently the director, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, who had a post-discussion after the film, did a thorough research on the issue of addiction in Iran amongst the younger generation… The film was mostly black and white, which according to the director, was reflecting the mood she got after her exposure to addicts… I strongly recommend watching it yourself… It’s a pretty disturbing movie but very well made…

THE END

S

Charles Aznavour: The Farewell Tour
Hummingbird Centre – Toronto
September 15, 2006

The show was FAB… The fact that an 82 year old guy sings live for two hours (with no intermission) and still shines like a star on the stage is impressive…

Here come some comments from some of my concert companions:

“Missed my dad!”

“Pretty darn amazing… thought of my 60’s era parents a lot – they should have been there instead of me… the guy behind me kept humming (or was it hissing?!) all the songs in French, like a dubbed voiceover for the English songs… sheesh.”

“Never did I imagine that I would go to a performance of a singer from my parents’ generation and enjoy it so thoroughly.”

S

Tonight the French legend, Charles Aznavour, will perform his Farewell Concert at the Hummingbird Centre… After six decades in the spotlight, the French chanteur and acteur is taking his final bow; and it’s ONE show only.

I’m as lucky and excited as one can be to see him at his final show tonight…

Will keep you posted on how the show went… Stay tuned…

S

– I went to a very nice Italian movie last night called “Golden Door”. Sebby will like it I’d reckon; it’s about a Sicilian family!!!

– Was there a lot of arguing in the movie? Was Mamma making pasta and smacking the son on the back of the head?

– hehe… Well yes, sort of…

– Therefore it was like a camera being in the Distefano household!!!

– hehe… You are FUNNY 🙂

Just came back from watching “Golden Door” (“Nuovomondo”)… It was all worth it to wake up at 6:00am this morning to collect the tickets from the box office at 7:00am!!!

This production of Italy and France is about a Sicilian family at the turn the 20th century, almost killing themselves to move to America, what they call “the new world”… The movie depicted the struggles of simple villagers and their distorted vision of what America had to offer to immigrants… The Italian director, Emanuele Crialese, who was also present today, did a great job in directing the old Sicilian ladies and kids and was proud to be at the Toronto International Film Festival, screening his film for the first time in North America (woohoo, premiere!)… Charlotte Gainsbourg (as Lucia), one of my favorite actresses and one of the main reasons for me going to this film, was stunning…

Watching the film at the Elgin (Visa Screening Room) was an added bonus… I just love this old theatre… It’s so full of character and opulent charisma…

More to come…

S

Today I finally ‘inaugurated’ my TIFF viewing with “Half Moon”… The film was beautiful… Not just the screenplay, but also the set design, the costumes, the music… The acting of each and every one of the actors and actresses was stunning…The Kurdish director, Bahman Ghobadi, who was also present at the theatre today once again proved his great ability in movie direction… In his introductory comments, he insisted that “Half Moon” is not trying to make a political statement, but is an underground reality…

I won’t make anymore comments, but just recommend that you see it yourself, either in its final TIFF screening on Sept. 16 at the Varsity Cinema or later on DVD…

More to come…

S

Dear Tori Amos Fans:

The Goddess is back again…

Get ready for her classics, rarities, remixes, and previously unreleased music, which finally came together for A Piano: The Collection.

This five-disc boxed set will be available September 26 at regular retail outlets. To pre-order Click here now! That’s exactly what I’m gonna do, depending on my bank account!

Enjoy…

S

If you are like me and tend to do everything in the last minute, then check out the Best Bets for the last-minute tickets and find out which screenings on the following day will have same-day tickets available…

Purchase tickets for any of these Best Bets beginning at 7:00 AM on the day of the screening; online, at the box office or by calling (416) 968 – FILM.

Happy Festivaling 🙂

S

So it’s finally here…

TIFF 2006 started today… I was in the Yorkville area earlier this evening and the whole atmosphere around the Manulife Centre was definitely affected by the festival’s comings and goings… People lining up for tickets, some wearing press badges, and some hoping (in vain, perhaps?!) to get their hands on that little stub… The city is bustling with the ‘festival types’ (you know who you are!)…

I just found out that most restaurants in the area are already booked up for the whole ten days (not that that’s something new for this time of the year!)… The Avenue restaurant at Four Seasons has added a martini to its menu for 50 bucks… What the heck?!! Anyway, this year the TIFF will screen 352 films – 261 of those films are features, and 91 are short films… Tonight’s gala showings were “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen” and a Canadian film, “Fido“…

More to come…

S

Let’s make this short but informative:

• Tickets go on sale beginning tomorrow, Wednesday September 6, 2006 at 7:00 AM.
• A second batch of popular Gala tickets will also be released tomorrow, September 6, 2006.

Good luck…

S