Crix mull Toronto fest's levels, lows

'Shame'Woody Harrelson was notable being an LAPD cop in Rampart. "Your Sister's Sister" Variety's senior film experts weigh in around the breakthroughs and disappointments from the 2011 Toronto Film Festival, which unspooled a selection strong on racy relationship drama, weak on politics and sometimes excessively just a few its stars.Peter Debruge: Under per week into North America's greatest film fest, things all of a sudden got cold in Toronto. The knit tops arrived on the scene, the purchasers went home and also the last couple of nights of gala tests put a definite chill on everyone's enthusiasm. Frankly, the ultimate stretch continues to be something of the disappointment for any festival that began out so strong, packing the kind of "Moneyball," "The Descendants" and "Shame" into its opening weekend.How did this happen? Tell any Toronto native you are around for that festival, and also the question always returns exactly the same: "So, perhaps you have seen any stars?" That virtually describes the fest's most questionable options, including fancy late-week premieres of these disappointments as "Trespass" (which stars Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage), "Purple and Daisy" (with Saoirse Ronan and James Gandolfini) and "Winnie," by which Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard reveal the unsung love story between your Mandelas.Justin Chang: Using its fabulous clothes and amusing old-age prosthetics, "Winnie" was one love story If only have been left unsung (that goes double for Jennifer Hudson's closing number). Between might Luc Besson's "The Woman,Inch Let me propose a festival moratorium on banal, well-meaning political biopics rather, it'd happen to be nice to possess some movies with a soupcon of actual politics.The possible lack of political emergency was particularly glaring considering the tenth anniversary of 9/11, to start dating ? that cuts especially deep with this September festival. Toronto duly commemorated the big event by showing a sober, rather self-serving tribute clip before tests on Sept. 11. But movies speak even louder than PR gestures, and when the 2010 selection is any suggestion, tales of terrorism and retaliation aren't weighing too heavily on present day filmmakers, who generally appear thinking about having sex, not war. Terence Davies' "The Dark Blue Ocean" and Mia Hansen-Love's "Goodbye First Love" superbly explore the ravages of turned away romance, as well as in their own, frequently fearlessly explicit ways, Sarah Polley's "Take This Waltz," David Cronenberg's "A Harmful Method" and Steve McQueen's "Shame" all test the limitations of forbidden desire.PD: "Shame" tests the limitations, okay, though I did not interact with it the way in which many experts at Venice, Telluride and Toronto did. It's fascinating that Michael Fassbender does the autumn-fest trifecta with both "Shame" and "Method": Within the latter, he plays Carl Jung, whereas "Shame" requires a decidedly non-psychoanalytic method of sex addiction. Rather than explaining, McQueen examines the smoothness through oblique angles, lengthy takes and unspoken moments. It's agonizing by design, though I'd have loved a little more insight or story make it possible for an association using the character.I discovered the approach I needed in another film, Oren Moverman's "Rampart," which signifies an enormous advance for that director of "The Messenger." With several compelling story lines along with a well-established feeling of its characters' backstories, "Rampart" takes us in to the gnarly mind of the corrupt LAPD officer, performed by Woodsy Harrelson, who experiences the film half-cocked with earthworm-thick veins throbbing both in temples. I loved the complexness churning behind his tinted shades -- a pleasant contrast using the zen-like inscrutability from the fest's other great L.A.-set thriller, "Drive."JC: I'll avoid gushing a lot more than I curently have about "Shame," though I'll state that your issues with McQueen's film -- its avoidance of easy identification and embrace of ambiguity -- are virtually the alternative from the problems I'd together with your fest fave, "The Descendants." Not too I do not admire Alexander Payne's bittersweet dramedy it is the smoothest picture of his career and most likely as funny a movie about losing a spouse/parent as anybody has available. However I like my movies about dying to visit lower with a little more sting, especially from the director who's done his best product (for me personally, "Election") within the key of callous satire.For "Rampart," as i did not respond as vigorously while you did, I am entirely agreement about Woodsy Harrelson's terrific performance, and between this and "The Messenger," Moverman is clearly a large talent. Similarly satisfying were the confirmations of early promise from filmmakers like Julia Loktev together with her accomplished and intelligent "The Loneliest Planet" Lynn Shelton together with her terrifically behaved "Your Sister's Sister" (acquired by IFC within this steady although not spectacular sales year) and Polley with "Take This Waltz."PD: No film affected me more at Toronto than "Take This Waltz." Stylistically, the film is nearly off-investing in its sunny cuteness, but, like a portrait of the lady struggling with grass-is-eco-friendly syndrome, it's wrenching through the finish. "Waltz," that was produced in Montreal, assisted overturn a lengthy-standing prejudice I have held against Canadian films in Toronto. Formerly, the bar appeared to become lower for local fare (Cronenberg and Guy Maddin making reliable exceptions), but this season, four of the greatest movies I saw were homegrown.Jean-Marc Vallee's "Coffee shop p Flore" constitutes a stylish companion piece to "Waltz" for the reason that it handles a lady visiting terms using the fact her ex-husband's true soulmate is another person. Ingrid Veninger's brave little indie "I'm a Good Person/I'm a Bad Person" (hidden away within the fest's Vanguard section) shows keen understanding of the contradiction between being creatively provocative along with a responsible parent simultaneously. And Philippe Falardeau's inspiring "Monsieur Lazhar" -- a good Algerian refugee who helps a grade-school class deal with their teacher's suicide -- strikes me like a no-brainer for everyone as Canada's foreign-language Oscar submission.JC: It had been also an excellent fest for British company directors -- not only McQueen but additionally Andrea Arnold, whose "Wuthering Levels" reps a bold departure in the classical tradition of literary adaptation, and Davies, who with "The Dark Blue Ocean" shipped an exquisitely motion picture, almost Proustian illustration of stated tradition. Incidentally, both films were co-funded through the now-shuttered U.K. Film Council, a significant participant on "The King's Speech" (which made an essential stay in Toronto this past year on the way to Oscar glory). At the minimum, the UKFC is unquestionably heading out on the high note.Peter, you pointed out the fest's sometimes excessive fuss over galas and stars. Among my most satisfying Toronto encounters was the entire antithesis of individuals things: Argentinian helmer Pablo Giorgelli's pitch-perfect, star-free road movie "Las acacias." Champion of the year's Camera d'Or at Cannes, it is a small movie having a huge heart, also it finishes on some quiet hope and renewal that, divorce lawyer atlanta, should chafe about this festival too. Contact Justin Chang at justin.chang@variety.com