Because we both find it hard to sit for many hours at a time in a theatre, and we hadn’t seen each other in a while and wanted to do some other things together while she was here, Gaye and I only saw four films at the festival, but three out of the four were enjoyed immensely by both of us.

On Friday, February 29th, we went to see “All Hat”, starring Luke Kirby, Lisa Ray (of Deepa Mehta’s “Water”, who is unbelievably gorgeous), Keith Carradine, Rachel Leigh Cook, Ernie Hudson and Graham Greene at The Screening Room. 

Before each feature film, a short film by a local filmmaker was shown and before “All Hat”, the short film “Heliocentric” by director Steven Keating rolled.  “Heliocentric”, is described on the festival website – www.kingcanfilmfest.com – as being about “a man who feels imprisoned by his faith and the conflicts that arise between religion and science.”  I didn’t get that from watching it but perhaps if I saw it again now that I know, I would!

“All Hat”, which showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, was filmed in Alliston, Hamilton and Fort Erie, Ontario and it showed off the autumn beauty of that region in all its glory.  It was a very decent film that definitely looked Canadian and although it sported an engaging, talented cast, was certainly not the stuff of mainstream box office success.  Producer Jennifer Jonas was the special guest of the evening and she offered the audience little insight into the making of it.

“All Hat” as described on www.imdb.com:

An ex-con returns to his rural Ontario roots and outwits a corrupt and wealthy thoroughbred owner trying to take over a slew of local farms. Ray Dokes, a charming ex-ballplayer, returns from jail to discover the rural landscape of his childhood transformed by urban development. A film noir reminiscent of the stories of Elmore Leonard, ALL HAT is adapted from the novel by Brad Smith; Smith also penned the screenplay. Determined to stay out of trouble, Ray heads to the farm of his old friend Pete Culpepper, a crusty Texas cowboy who trains losing racehorses and whose debts are growing faster than his corn. Sonny Stanton, gambling addict and spoiled heir to a thoroughbred dynasty, is in the process of buying up an entire concession of farmland to build a casino and golfing resort, and the only one brave enough to stand in the way of Sonny is Etta Parr, Ray's old flame, who might be willing to forgive Ray if it wasn't for her pride and common sense. The situation is a minefield, one Ray is determined to avoid. He hooks up with Chrissie, a sexy, sassy and talented jockey and steers clear of Sonny. But when a ten-million-dollar thoroughbred goes missing from the Stanton Stables, Sonny pushes things too far and forces the sale of the community's remaining farms. Ray reacts by coming up with a plan to stop Sonny in his tracks and right a few wrongs in the process. The scheme is unlikely and audacious; the players are as unpredictable as nitroglycerin. One false move and Ray will land back in jail. And the smart money is against him.

After “All Hat” ended, Gaye and I walked over to the Empire theatre to watch Canadian “It” girl and Oscar nominee, Ellen Page, star in Bruce McDonald’s, “The Tracey Fragments.” 

James Wilkes’ short film “Desmond Coy”, about “a young man who wakes up bound and gagged in a bathtub at the hands of a sadist”, opened that screening and I was surprised to see Kingston’s Laura Burns (who I met years ago when she starred in Theatre 5’s production of “Amadeus”) in it. 

“Desmond Coy”, the 2008 Local Shorts Award Recipient, was a very cool short and although we were really looking forward to “The Tracey Fragments”, sadly, we hated it.  There is no denying Ellen Page’s talent but we are seriously worried about her psyche (after doing “Hard Candy” as well) and why she would choose to act in a story that is so grim, dark and bleak that there isn’t a glimmer of hope or redemption in it.  That, together with the facts that the supporting cast of actors were so remarkably inferior in talent to Page, and that the film was very artily edited to show numerous split screen frames at the same time, simply gave us a headache.  It was very hard to watch and while I understand what the editors (one of them, Gareth Scales, was on hand that evening for the Q&A that we decided to skip) were trying to achieve with their stunt, I just don’t think it really worked.  I can’t understand why “The Tracey Fragments” is nominated for 6 Genie Awards including one for Best Motion Picture.  Frankly, that just scares me.  “The Tracey Fragments” is one of the most depressing films I have ever seen.

However, KCFF’s Elan Mastai writes (and others may agree with him):
Nominated for six Genie awards, director Bruce McDonald’s (Hard Core Logo) latest is a visually dazzling drama about a teenage girl searching for her missing little brother — and herself. When we meet Tracey Berkowitz (Oscar and Genie-nominee Ellen Page, Juno), she’s naked on a city bus, wrapped in a shower curtain. Her increasingly fragmented mind is vividly brought to life in possibly the most audacious use of split-screen imagery ever attempted. The result is not just technically innovative, but an emotionally complex, darkly comic evocation of the anxious teenage mind. The film was adapted by Genie-nominee Maureen Medved from her acclaimed novel.
Fortunately, things turned around for us on Saturday, March 1st, when we went to see “Emotional Arithmetic” starring Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Max Von Sydow, Gabriel Byrne and Roy Dupuis at the Empire.  I was excited about seeing this one because when I met Gabriel Byrne in Montreal in October 2006, he was working on this project. 

Beforehand, the short film “RobbinSong”, directed by Tracey Ma, Cara Ingham & Jenny Gibbs aired.  It was the story of an elderly man named George Robbins who suffered from Alzheimer’s and the effect his struggle had on his family.  While it was a very touching little film, it was technically weak, particularly in the way it was lit.

“Emotional Arithmetic” (two resounding thumbs up!) was a stunningly beautiful, intellectually powerful and emotionally resonant story that was told to perfection by its superb cast.  Director Paolo Barzman, who was scheduled, was unable to attend the screening’s Q&A because he was in a car accident the night before and was suffering with back pain.  However, editor, Arthur Tarnowski, graciously answered the audience’s questions and made many of us smile by telling us what a nice woman Susan Sarandon is and how she bought each member of the crew a personal gift at the end of the shoot among other privileged tidbits. 

Emotional Arithmetic tells the story of three people, who formed a life-long bond while housed at a detention camp during World War II, that are reunited some 35 years later after being separated. Jakob Bronski, a young Jewish man, befriended two youngsters, Melanie and Christopher, while they were interred by the Nazis at Drancy. Their separation inflicts deep emotional wounds that grossly impact their lives in different ways in the years leading up to their life-altering reunion.  Now a beautiful woman in her 50's, Melanie Lansing Winters, wife of David Winters, balances her precarious emotional state with an innate sharp, deprecating wit. Jakob, now a senior citizen, is a heroic dissident and veteran of a Soviet psychiatric hospital.  Melanie’s childhood friend, Christopher Lewis, an Irish entomologist who has long carried a torch for her, is haunted by the eternal question survivors ask themselves - "Why was I saved?"  Melanie invites Jakob to stay with her at her home in Canada.  Christopher accompanies Jakob there.  With Melanie's marriage to David in shambles due to his compulsive infidelity, the pair's presence in the Winters' home revitalizes Melanie, but arouses unexpected reserves of jealousy in David, who is estranged from his and Melanie's grown son, Benjamin, a father himself to a young son, Timmy.  On a balmy autumn evening, the past explodes into the present in an unexpected and tender love story.  – imdb.com edited by Christine Bode

The last film we saw was the final one of the festival, screened for free to everyone, at the Empire on Sunday, March 2nd at 7:00 pm.  “Shake Hands With The Devil”, features Roy Dupuis in a career defining role as General Romeo Dallaire, James Gallanders as Major Brent Beardsley and Deborah Kara Unger as journalist Emma Baker.

My favourite short film, “Burgeon and Fade”, directed by Audrey Cummings preceded “Shake Hands With The Devil”.  “During a party, the insecurities of a middle-aged Mom threaten the close relationship she has with her daughter whose burgeoning beauty has managed to swivel every head in the room.”  Made in Toronto, this short was definitely above average. 

“Shake Hands With The Devil” is based on the autobiography of the same name by General Romeo Dallaire about his experiences in Rwanda during the 1994 Hutu genocide of the Tsutis and how his request for more aid went ignored by the United Nations and the United States government.  The movie was filmed in Rwanda in the locations where the actual events occurred and as it was all based on fact, was amazingly moving and incredibly powerful.  Definitely not a feel good movie, but as important as “Schindler’s List” and every other film made about genocide.

Director, Roger Spottiswoode (who directed such films as “Turner & Hooch”, “Air America”, and “Tomorrow Never Dies”) actor James Gallanders and director of photography, Miroslaw Baszak, were all there to take part in a compelling Q&A after the screening during which Spottiswoode divulged that the film hasn’t been shown anywhere but Canada as US and European distributors haven’t been brave enough to pick it up yet.  Nominated for 12 Genies, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay, had this film been released in the US, it might have garnered Academy Award nominations as well, if not wins.

Now that I know what kinds of films the Kingston Canadian Film Festival has to offer, I intend to be a proud supporter and enthusiastic attendee for many years to come!  Next year, I will make an effort to see even more great Canadian films.