Saturday, September 06, 2008 Toronto just wants to have fun... POST A COMMENT "We could say we are living in quite difficult times with wars and economic problems, but I think filmmakers understand that audiences just need a break sometimes from that," said Toronto festival chief Cameron Bailey (via AP)... 'Bucking a trend that started way-back when American Beauty busted out of Toronto to win a (best picture) Oscar; followed closely by other high-brow flix like Crash, Capote, Sideways, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, to name a few... Toronto, quickly became known for its love affair with small artsy pix. Just last year they hosted -- 'the North American launches of several eventual Oscar winners -- Juno, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton and Atonement..' This year got a bad-case of amnesia, asking 'Oscar-who?' 'Going instead with (I-kid-you-not) -- Rocknrolla type comedies -- '30 comedies in total, including Zack and Miri Make a Porno starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, Anne Fontaine's La fille de Monaco, and the Coen brothers' dark comedy Burn After Reading. 'Sometimes it is just about having a good time,' says the NY Times. 'That was the message here on Thursday night, as the Toronto International Film Festival got going with a face-smashing, belly-laughing gangster caper from a director best known as Madonna’s husband...' No, really, Madonna's husband is now a festival darling? -- Is that the best we can come up with? 'Politics is in surprisingly short supply here, given the imminence of a United States election and the festival’s past record.' In fact during a panel discussion, the moderator fished for a political thought in connection with one of the more commercial films. The filmmaker scoffed at the message-driven fare of the past, saying the film is just meant to be enjoyable. “Change happens,” he added, “in very personal, subtle, minor ways more than it does in a big landscape.” Source: NY Times Labels: Art versus Commerce, directing, Film, Film Festivals posted by Henry Cruz at 2:15 PM 0 Comments: Post a Comment << Home     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 . June 2008 . July 2008 . August 2008 . September 2008 .