TIFF Report - Enduring Love, Saint Ralph
Volunteering at the Film Fest means free passes to festival screenings, but it also means that with all that dead time between films you are able to watch the movies on your shift. Enduring Love -the new film by director Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Changing Lanes) starring Samantha Morton, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Craig and Saint Ralph, a Canadian film from director Michael McGowan starring Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly and new comer Adam Butcher as the 14 year old Ralph were two such films I was able to watch during my most recent volunteer shifts. Enduring Love, a dark pyschological thriller, and Saint Ralph, what I would call a feel good dramadey, were both pleasant surprises for me at this years festival.
Enduring Love.
During a picnic with his girlfriend Claire, Joe and a group of 5 strangers attempt to save a young boy trapped in a hot air ballon after it crashes to the ground in the field near them. During the attempted rescue the ballon takes flight and four of the men are able to drop safely to the ground but one waits too long and falls to his death after releasing his grip from the ballon. This is where Joe meets Jed, who begins to pop up after the event, following Joe in his daily life and cryptically assuming that their relationship is deeper, convinced Joe is aware of this as well. As the death begins to further affect Joe's waking and slumber moments Jed becomes increasingly intense in his assumptions of his and Joe's relationship - much to the unpleasant surpise of Joe. Things begin to fall apart in Joe's life and Jed's presence becomes consuming, threatening, and eventually ends in tragedy itself. I can't give it all away now, can I?
Enduring Love as a movie is dark, intelligent and works because of the strength of its actors. Daniel Craig (Sylvia, Road to Perdition) is strikingly strong as Joe with this role for sure leading to a stronger name for him in the industry (he currently has four movies in some form of production right now). Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Human Nature) is able to overcome the laughable loser charm that he has been stuck with since Spike in Notting Hill, turning in a seriously dark and deluded performance, and Samantha Morton (Minority Report, In America) is her natural amazing self. This movie is very serious about being a powerful film, with Michell not shying away from death (showing the man's death from the fall from the ballon - think waist in upper chest with spilling out internal organs and a brutal double stabbing) or uncomfortable moments (a kiss between the two male leads is nothing to feel comfortable about, not on a homophobic level but a seriously disturbing exchange of tongues). The writing is on in this movie, and the direction and cinematography is sleek and consuming - pulling you into the experiences of the characters. Don't be fooled by the Notting Hill credit of Michell's and Ifans', this movie seperates itself far from any charming "love" tale and puts you into a dangerous, obsessive tragedy of love and death.
So, with that said, on from the Brits to the Canadians to make me feel warm and smile.
Saint Ralph
Saint Ralph is an endearing little movie about a 14 year old boy in 1954 Canada who goes to school in a strict Catholic environment but is rebellious in all attempts in school. With a father lost in the war he suddenly has to prepare for another parent's death when his seriously ill mother falls into a coma and he is told that only a "miracle" will save her. With the prospect of losing his mother and being alone in life Ralph decides that it is up to him to perform this miracle, and the miracle of choice is running in and winning the Boston Marathon. With a staff of priests against him, a student body that mocks him and a friend who doesn't understand him, Ralph takes it upon himself to lead a life of purity, prayer and faith, and save his mother and win the Boston Marathon with no experience, little athletic ability but huge motivation.
Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the 3 packs of starburst I ate earlier but I enjoyed this movie. I'm not one who falls for the heart warming tales often but this film was actually quite funny and able to draw you into the journey Ralph takes. Adam Butcher plays a great Ralph, whose unquenched carnal desires with pool jet sprays and other socially akward events do all they can to make you really enjoy watching Ralph and his coming of age. Campbell Scott stars as the priest who has his classes reading Philosphy instead Catholic Religion studies - much to the dismay of Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinset), the head of the school and the nemisis of Ralph throughout the movie. This movie still struggles with the directing and photography, a classic Canadian trait, and some of its supporting cast's acting (mostly the students around Ralph) but still manages to have you waving your homemade Ralph pennant throughout the entire movie. I like to smile sometimes, though don't tell anyone - I don't want to loose my hipster scene points - and this one made me smile and want to hug and hi-five the unknown stanger beside me.
