By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
DISCLAIMER: Bruised is screening as a work-in-progress at TIFF ’20
Halle Berry makes her directorial debut with Bruised. It follows disgraced MMA fighter Jackie “Justice” (Halle Berry) who has been struggling to get by after losing an important match years ago. Since then, she’s been living with her Manager-Bboyfriend Desi (Adan Canto). One night, Desi tricks Jackie into an underground fight and her passion for the sport reignites. That same night, her six-year-old son whom she abandoned years ago, is left at her doorstep. This sends Jackie on a redemption path both to prove herself both in the ring, and as a mother to Manny.
Bruised follows the classic Athlete/Fighter redemption archetype, told through a new lens. While this has been explored before with a central female character, typically see these stories with men in the lead. Berry is well aware that a woman can pack a punch too. Early, she throws us right into the ring in Jackie’s enraged world. Her short-temper is shown in the opening scene where she attacks a teenager because he films her while she’s changing. Jackie’s brute force is shown also to us immediately. In the underground match, we see just how violent and ruthless she can be when faced with a worthy competitor.
At the center of everything is Berry’s performance. She does an excellent job channeling Jackie’s pent-up rage, but also showing her weaknesses. It’s clear in the First Act that Jackie is ready to fire after her previous match. Also, there is tenderness to her when she is paired with Manny. Those quiet moments between mother and son allow Berry to show her range. It’s also an honest depiction of the female personality, that a duality of tough and gentle can co-exist.
Berry has surrounded herself with strong talent. Toronto’s own, and TIFF ’19 Rising Star Shamier Anderson is great as Jackie’s newly-minted Manager with an agenda. Canto turns-in a strong performance as Jackie’s supportive, yet abusive Manager-Boyfriend. However, the most memorable performance from the Supporting Cast comes from TIFF ’20 Rising Star Sheila Atim. She commands the screen as Jackie’s ‘zen’ Trainer.
Berry sets her Film amidst the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey, taking us into Jackie‘s heart and soul. She shoots the training and fight scenes with passion and intensity. The Film’s blockbuster fight scenes are its brightest moments. While the story veers often to other competing plot lines surrounding her family and love, which ultimately fail to come to full fruition and get resolved, we wanted more training and fights and that always should have been the central focus. A bit more judicious editing and a shorter run time would benefit this work-in-progress.
Bruised screens at TIFF ’20:
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
In the woods of the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, there are truffles buried in the Earth. The culinary delight is beloved by many, but few know how they reach our tables. The Truffle Hunters profiles a group of individuals who deal in the Truffle trade, from buying and selling, to the men and their dogs who find them.
The Truffle Hunters is a delight from start to finish. In a year that has literally been a dystopic nightmare for so many, it is genuinely refreshing to watch a wholesome, feel good movie primarily about men who look for truffles with their dogs. I was smiling and laughing throughout the Film, especially during the ridiculous sequences of back alley truffle dealing (yes, it is a thing and yes, it looks just as wild as you imagine it does). Somehow, these moments are not even the most outrageous and unbelievable scenes in the Movie. My experience with truffles is limited, but seeing them discussed at length here was both educational and enlightening. Directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw could have approached the Film and its topic as being inconsequential and silly, but they give these individuals a voice to share their passion of choice. And even though I am a cat person, it was absolutely wonderful watching these older men interacting with their dogs.
Speaking of dogs, there are two scenes that are shot from their point of view – and I am literally shrieking with joy just thinking about them. The camera is mounted on the dog’s head and we feel their joy as they get to run through the forest foraging for truffles. It is an intriguing Cinematography choice from Dweck and Kershaw that could have gone horribly wrong, but ends up working marvelously. When was the last time you can remember watching a film scene where a dog’s snout bounces in and out of the frame? Or when you last saw a camera shaking-off whatever was on it? I cannot recall a dog’s POV being utilized like this before, but it really complements the Film and literally makes the act of digging for truffles feel even more authentically-realized here. Now I just hope all dog-related productions learn from this Film and add in more POV footage from their angle.
THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
Fri, Sep 18
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) is a bit of a tough Dad. He loves his family, but he has a hard time showing it. When his son Jadin (Reid Miller) ‘comes out’ as gay, Joe is begrudgingly supportive of his decision but not at all subtle with his embarrassment. After Jadin faces an onslaught of relentless bullying at school, Joe decides to walk and speak to groups across America to raise awareness about bullying and the effects it can have on others.
Good Joe Bell is a movie with its heart in the right place. It is based on an emotional true story and addresses an important topic that is sadly more relevant than ever. And Wahlberg, while not exactly the best candidate for the lead role, has rarely ever played a character like this before. He digs a bit deeper than usual, beyond being the brash jerk who yells and swears off the cuff, and has a few moments of true introspection. You can see and feel the genuine emotional range in his patchy bearded face. It is not his best work, but his soulful turn here continues his trend of trying to stretch beyond the Bostonian wise-ass archetype he can play in his sleep. Miller is very effective as Jadin, but he takes a back seat to Wahlberg’s redemption tale far too often (which may or may not have been the best narrative choice). And even though he does not have much to do, it was positively delightful to see Gary Sinise for a bit part in the Film’s Last Act.
But having good intentions does not save Good Joe Bell from being a complete mess. The Film employs a flashback structure that works in some instances, but does more harm than good by jumbling-up the timeline. The narrative gaps are practically endless, with crucial information removed from the Film entirely in favour of a zippy running time. Worse, its initial framing device to explain the plot is abandoned less than half way into the Film. Instead of addressing it properly, the pivot is treated as a barely consequential twist. Supporting Characters exist but have literally no bearing on what happens (and barely any explanation of who they are). Motivations are thin, and the Film has a bad habit of not properly showing or telling.
All of these elements and more make Good Joe Bell a crushing disappointment, especially when taking into consideration the wonderful talent behind the camera – which includes the Oscar-winning Screenwriters of Brokeback Mountain, Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana. There is a great film buried somewhere deep within Good Joe Bell, and it is a disservice to this important story for this to be the final product.
GOOD JOE BELL screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
Mon, Sept 14
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:15pm
Fri, Sep 18
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm
Sat, Sep 19
TIFF Bell Lightbox
8:00pm
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Two living legends came together virtually on Thursday evening as part of TIFF ’20’s stellar In Conversation series – Oscar winners Barry Levinson and Denzel Washington. The event was delayed slightly, but the pair made-up for it by speaking for just under an hour with veteran film journalist Scott Feinberg about their histories in Film, directing and where the industry is heading.
And despite not having worked together, the pair have a personal connection to new Film Malcolm & Marie, the upcoming Film bought earlier this week by Netflix. The Film was shot for 16 days during the pandemic, is written and directed by Barry’s son Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and stars Denzel’s son John David Washington – as well as reuniting him with Euphoria star Zendaya. It is already on the top of our Must-See List!
On getting into the Film business:
DENZEL: “It was the only grade I could pass! I did a Musical first, and I found out that I couldn’t sing. One has to recognize one’s limitations. But it [acting] just chose me.”
BARRY: “I had no thoughts of ever, ever being in this business. It wouldn’t even occur to me. I didn’t even know anybody that was connected remotely with the business. Other than the fact that I loved films, and I would talk about them and I was fascinated by them, but it was never an ambition of mine. It wasn’t even on my radar in any way. So I kind of stumbled into it actually.”
On directorial debuts:
BARRY (on DINER): “He [legendary filmmaker Mel Brooks] was extraordinary. I used to talk about these diner guys that I knew, my friends. And he said to me one day, ‘You should write a film about them’. And he referenced Fellini’s I Vitelloni, which I hadn’t seen. So he gave me that encouragement, and that thought. And ultimately it stuck.”
DENZEL (on ANTWONE FISHER): “My producing partner Todd Black thought I would be a good Director. I didn’t believe him, so I procrastinated for about ten years, until he backed me into a corner – we had the budget, the money, the Script, we had everything. And I finally said…in fact, I was in Toronto for the Festival and Peter Rice, who was running Searchlight then, he got me to sign a napkin saying that I promised to direct. He still has it somewhere! So I was a reluctant Director, I still don’t think I know that much about it, but I’m learning more about it. And I’ve learned from the best.”
On collaborating with actors:
BARRY: “I think what happens is that there’s a moment in time and it continues through a movie, there’s a growth as it goes along. Because you are both learning. If you are locked-in, that this is it and that is that, that’s one way to go. But the other is sometimes you discover things as you go along that you can add to the character. And then it becomes richer than either one of you had envisioned.”
DENZEL: “I’ve been on movies where it was just the Director’s movie. And the Movie is bigger than that. The Movie has a life of its own and you bring all these talented people together and let them do what they do best. Now the Director is going to get the credit or the blame for it ultimately and has to steer the ship, but I want the best around me. I want to see them do great. We’re all in it together.”
On directing advice:
DENZEL (on talking to Director Joel Coen): “I said what about stealing? And he said oh, everybody steals. But steal from somebody good, steal from the best. There’s no new ideas, they’ve all been done before. So if you’re going to steal, steal from the best.”
On box office:
BARRY (when discussing Rain Man): “There is no gestation period where someone is telling somebody else and the numbers start to rise. It’s a difficult thing now to get that kind of momentum…I don’t think you get that opportunity anymore. And on the other hand, it’s hard to make those kinds of films now, and survive in the marketplace. So most of them get killed before they ever move along. It’s a different era in that regard.”
On TV:
BARRY: “There’s no question – the streamers and the HBO, that’s not going to go away. It is probably only going to continue to increase as time goes along. And of course, there will still be a theatrical component, but what that content is going to be I don’t know. But the more daring storytelling is going to turn up mostly in the streamer world. It is unfortunate, because the idea of an audience to see something is incredible… Everything keeps evolving and you have to find a way to be able to do the work that you care about. And that’s all you can do. You just have to find a way to tell the story that you feel passionate about.”
On Chadwick Boseman:
DENZEL: “A gentle man. A very gentle soul. A great talent, obviously, thrust into this position. I remember going to see Black Panther. I was in New York and I went backstage, after the show. It was a red carpet and I didn’t want to go out there, so I went backstage. And I saw Chad, and I saw Ryan Coogler and then I went to watch the Movie. I remember shedding a tear because I was like man, these young guys are just gone. Like they’ve taken over. You know sooner or later you’re not going to make it all around the track and you got to get off to watch the young boys run. And watching that movie, that’s what I felt like. And like, who knew he didn’t have much life left? But he didn’t get cheated. We did. I pray for his poor wife and his family, they got cheated. But he lived a full life.”
(Photo credit: TIFF)
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Beans (Kiawentiio) wants to fit in. The 12-year-old Mohawk girl just applied to an elite middle school and she is being bullied by some older teens in her Indigenous community. While she struggles to find her place, two Mohawk communities begin a standoff with Quebec authorities over the expansion of a golf course into a neighbouring forest and burial ground, thrusting Beans into a world of racism and violence she has never experienced before.
In her first narrative Feature, Co-Writer/Director Tracey Deer has crafted a powerful coming-of-age story that centres around the Oka Crisis in 1990 Quebec. Deer does not shy away from the intensity of the situation, frequently thrusting her Cast right into the middle of her depiction. Her attention to detail is impeccable, and the way she merges actual news footage from the event with the Film’s recreations is superb. Beans is filled with scenes that are tragic and genuinely heartbreaking to watch, each one emphasizing the despicable racism these Indigenous communities were subjected to because they wanted to fight for their land rights. Deer does not even pretend to sugar coat any of it. Everything presented in Beans feels very real and very authentic, and so closely mirrors the actual news footage from 1990, not to mention from the present day, that it becomes downright frightening to comprehend.
For how great the Film looks and how awful it will make you feel to know that something like this happened (and is STILL happening), it would all be for nothing without Beans herself. We get to see the world through her eyes – and the young Kiawentiio is absolutely spectacular in the Leading Role. She captures the optimistic spirit of a typical 12-year-old and expertly conveys the trauma she has to endure because of the standoff. I think some of the tonal whiplash the Film goes through puts her at a disadvantage in some instances (and a particular extended moment in the Third Act drags the Film out needlessly), but she handles nearly everything with grace and an expert precision that extends beyond her years as an actor. First-time actors Violah Beauvais – as Beans’ younger sister Ruby – and Paulina Alexis – as Beans’ friend April – are cast perfectly and complement Kiawentiio’s beautiful performance. If anyone can even come close to matching her, it is Rainbow Dickerson as Beans’ mother Lily. Her vivid emotions are devastating to watch in action, and I doubt I will forget any of those visceral expressions any time soon.
BEANS screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
Sun, Sep 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
12:00pm and 12:30pm
Tue, Sept 15
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Pieces of a Woman is an intimate portrait of a couple who experience the greatest loss. Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Shawn (Shia LaBeouf) are passionately in love and eagerly expecting the birth of their daughter. When the night arrives, they learn their Midwife is busy with another client and a different one is sent. Unfortunately, complications arise with their home birth and the couple is sent spiralling into heart-wrenching tragedy.
Director Kornél Mundruczó shoots this outstanding Film with unflinching honesty. He is known for putting his characters under immense pressure. His use of long, continuous takes in pivotal scenes creates a real authenticity, us watching as scenes unfold in real-time and the result is both agonizing and gut-wrenching for the viewer.
The Film’s opening sequence lasts for 30 minutes. It consists of long takes following Martha, Shawn and their Midwife (Molly Parker) around their house — spanning from her first contractions to her delivery. This scene perfectly shows the love which Martha and Shawn share, and their desire to welcome their baby girl. We are immersed into the pressure cooker that becomes their house and in witnessing Martha‘s extreme difficulty, we get the unsettling sense that something isn’t right. Under Mundruczó’s masterful direction, this scene becomes a sweeping emotional journey and the sets the stage for what are some truly powerful performances.
Kirby is magnificent as a woman grappling with grief, while her body and family constantly remind her of what she lost. She commands each scene with powerful actions and controlled expressions. Most impressive, she finds that delicate balance in Martha’s newly hardened heart and her vulnerability. LaBeouf gives one of the greatest performances of his career. He is at his best drowning in Shawn’s grief and is desperate for Martha‘s love and affection again. While often we see this from a woman’s perspective, the Film gives us a genuine snapshot of what it might be like for a man.
Kirby and LaBeouf even though their characters are so different, have a palpable chemistry that makes us fall in love with them. They’re portraying a couple who are facing the biggest challenge in their relationship. Thanks to their strong chemistry we are invested in their love and are devastated when we see it crumbling. They are joined by a talented Supporting Cast. Parker is great portraying the anxiety of a Mmidwife during the home birth and expresses her unspoken guilt so well in the Third Act, within the courtroom. Ellen Burstyn is superb as Martha’s overbearing mother, always making her presence felt but especially in a confrontation between her and Kirby.
Pieces of a Woman is difficult watch, but it’s one that will change you after seeing it. Screenwriter Kata Wéber has written a beautiful, heartbreaking Script that’s about surviving after the most horrifying loss. She does this by allowing us to check-in with her characters once a month, fall to spring. This shows us the changes happening within and outside them as we watch them grow in their own ways. Time heals the pain and the Film captures this process so beautifully. And Wéber reminds us that a woman is comprised of infinite pieces which only she is able to break and rebuild again.
Pieces of a Woman screens at TIFF ’20:
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Alex (Félix Lefebvre) is out sailing off the coast of Normandy when his boat capsizes. By chance, David (Benjamin Voisin) happens to be sailing by and offers to help him. There is an instant spark between them, and David quickly offers Alex a job to work at his mother’s nautical store in town. But as their friendship grows into something deeper and more intimate, it becomes clear that they both have their own expectations of the relationship.
When I read the initial descriptions of François Ozon‘s Summer of 85, it immediately evoked memories of discovering the Oscar-winning Call Me By Your Name back at TIFF ’17. Much like that film, Summer of 85 is filled with gorgeous, sundrenched visuals of European vistas and the handsome young men who inhabit them during the 1980s. The nostalgia for this carefree era practically pulses through the Film’s veins. The colours are washed out and dreamlike, with pastels highlighting nearly every frame of the Film’s breezy 100-minute running time. The chemistry between leads Lefebvre and Voisin feels dreamlike as well, palpable and vivid in every way. The young actors only have a handful of credits to their names, but the strength and emotion they bring to these characters suggest wisdom well beyond their years of acting.
And the way the Film uses Rod Stewart’s “Sailing” in two key scenes is haunting and beautiful. It becomes practically transcendent.
Saying all that, Summer of 85 is far from perfect. The Film’s story is a jumbled mess, with a constantly pivoting tonal structure that never feels satisfied. It is meant to feel dreamlike, mysterious and above all else, nostalgic, but ends up feeling bewildering and completely inorganic much too often. Young love is in itself, a wild and chaotic experience – but the Film does not even feel like it properly taps into that. Worse, the motivations and characterizations are minimal and non-existent for most of the Supporting Characters. They seem to exist simply to move the Plot along from point to point (which is particularly odd for one central character who should be substantially more important to the plot than they actually are). Even the motivations for Alex and David are simplistic at best and never fully drawn-out. I am not sure if this is all intentional or not, but it takes away from so many of the great things the Film has going for itself. It is still enjoyable to watch, but there was potential for it be so much better.
SUMMER OF 85 screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Cole (Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things) has been expelled from his Detroit school for fighting. With nowhere else to go, his mother drives him to stay with his Dad, Harp (Idris Elba), for the summer in North Philadelphia. Cole does not really know him, and is not aware that Harp spends his time caring for the horses with other local cowboys at the stables down the street. With few options available, Cole starts working at the stables during the day and spends his nights hanging out with his drug-dealing friend Smush (Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome).
My central issue with Concrete Cowboy is how exhausting and longwinded it feels. Does Staub want to focus on Harp, his fellow riders and the urban cowboy subculture they are a part of, or does he want to focus on the strained relationship between Harp and Cole? Or should the focus be on Cole and Smush’s friendship and the dangerous path it is leading towards? The Film never seems content enough to settle on one through line, and spends far too much of its 111-minute running time jumping between all three of these Subplots and the assortment of intriguing but underdeveloped characters that populate them. Worse, Staub shoots the Film with handheld, digital cameras and no tripods. So no matter what is happening in the scene, the camera is always shaking and never steady. It is certainly an eclectic choice for a Film like this, but it makes watching it an increasingly frustrating experience.
Concrete Cowboy is an admirable debut feature from Co-Writer/Director Ricky Staub. He tells a story about a subculture few of us were aware of previously, and he strives for authenticity in every frame. The story is personal and his direction reflects that. Elba is not the lead here, but he is just as rock solid and dependable as he always is – and he looks wicked riding a horse (is there anything he cannot do?). McLaughlin holds his own against him and does a great job as the Film’s Lead. He digs down deep into Cole’s psyche, playing into his confused, emotionally fragile state with ease. He is keenly aware of the expectations the audience has of him as a Child Actor in one of their favourite Netflix series and is all too pleased to subvert and flip them around entirely.
As the Credits roll, we are treated to brief talking head clips from the real life cowboys starring in the Film discussing the challenges that urban development and gentrification have created for them. The clips are far too short, but their words are fascinating and illuminating. I found myself immediately much more interested in what was happening, and then really disappointed when they ended so quickly. Why this was not the immediate and only focus of the Film?
CONCRETE COWBOY screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
Sun, Sep 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm
Mon, Sep 14
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm
Sat, Sep 19
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm
By Mr. Will Wong
She’s been nominated for Oscars, juggling Writer, Producer and Director caps and TIFF was fortunate enough to have Ava DuVernay appear virtually for an In Conversation With… tonight with TIFF‘s Artistic Director and Co-Head, Cameron Bailey. DuVernay reflected on her career path which has included many firsts including being the first ever black female Director to be nominated for an Oscar with 2014’s Selma.
On the success of Netflix Documentary 13th which looks at the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery:
“Though you’d think it would be Selma and A Wrinkle in Time, most people know me internationally for 13th as those two didn’t get a wide release.”.
On the impact of Netflix‘s When They See Us. Bailey let DuVernay know that No. 1-ranked Tennis Player Naomi Osaka has been wearing masks donning the names of black people whose deaths have been named in protests against racial injustice. She was inspired by the DuVernay-created, written and directed Mini-Series.
“Did she do that really? This is a story of Black Criminalization. The idea black people are inherently criminal. It doesn’t matter that Cameron Bailey is the Maestro to one of the biggest Film Festivals in the world. He’s a black man and he will be suspected for whatever’s gone wrong within a two mile radius. This is ingrained in our systems. When you can find a story that allows you to interrogate this – like this particular story – about five boys and how young they were and their story was catapulted to the top of the news in the U.S. What did they do? Are you sure? Should they stop resisting? Where were their parents? All those questions make the victim accountable for a crime against them. As much as Trisha Meili (the victim) was traumatized, these boys and all their families were traumatized. When you convict one person, we see the tentacles of that accusation on a family and a generation. Making a five-hour Movie was an adventure, but a forum I really embraced because it allowed us to tell this story from boys to men and how the system applied to every stage of their lives.”.
Bailey asks DuVernay how she feels about this age of using image and video as evidence.
“We’re able to use it to further our cause, but it’s always been used as that. You saw white folks who’d go to lynchings and see bodies hanging as entertainment. Martin Luther King – and I wish I had time to name the rest – all the people who made Selma and the Civil Rights Movement happen. They all did it before cameras so that it could be talked about by following generations.”.
“Images bear witness to tell the story to change the story. We have to make sure it’ts not used as propaganda and is used for truth-telling and protection. I look forward to using image in a fashion not to state that we matter, as much as I’m an advocate and participant in the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m resentful we even have to say the words. Images help that conversation be had. Hopefully, we can keep looking at these things and get to a time when it’s not needed.”.
On balancing real-life trauma with her own vision:
“Asking people to relive a tough time in their life is difficult. But to be able to get them to participate, say their truth, see the Script, be on-set and look at Editing Room material – to be involved in a progressive way – helps them to recreate the process so it’s not so traumatic when they see it on screen and so they feel it’s part of their story.”.
On casting Toronto’s Stephan James in Selma:
“A friend of mine had seen him as a side character in something else. We couldn’t find his agent or the kid. Aisha Coley (Casting Director) found the kid and the agent, and the agent didn’t call back. We are down to the wire to cast this and we needed to see him. We say it’s for Selma and it’s Canada and they don’t know what that is! We get him on tape, off to Atlanta and he’s spectacular and sublime. He’s beautiful and eager and gave a great performance. I just see him and go ‘My little Stephan!’.”.
On creating a creative space:
“I’m always welcoming you into my space, ‘Come on in, this is my space!’. I expect everyone to treat the space with respect and others with respect. This is space we’re sharing, it’s like our home while we’re shooting. These are Mama’s rules and stay within rules you’ll be just fine. I believe in just being welcoming to people and being kind from Actors to Crew to Executives.”.
On “safe spaces”:
“We’ve progressed from 5, 10 years ago. You put the onus of nervousness on them. You didn’t do anything. We need to change our perspective on these things and not see yourself as a victim, but a victor. I went into a meeting where I was the only one like me and asked, ‘How many women, how many black people, are there any indigenous people?’. These are questions I need to know if i want to participate. Put the onus on those people who keep things looking one way and not on us.”.
In addition to producing a Netflix Series with Football star Colin Kaepernick which will be shooting in the next 4-5 months, DuVernay has series of Warner Bros. projects to come. Her Series Queen Sugar is now shooting with Crew and Cast having moved back to new Orleans.
(Photo credit: TIFF)
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
It is World War II and WAAF officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) has jumped aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress as a last minute addition. The all-male crew are hesitant to let her stay, but she has orders to fly with them and keep her classified cargo safe. They force her to ride in a ball turret below deck, isolated on her own – and her mind may be playing tricks on her with the things she is seeing in the shadows.
I want to say more, but I fear that would spoil some of the outrageous and preposterous thrills that Co-Writer/Director Roseanne Liang has in store for Moretz and the rest of the crew. Liang plays with genre conventions throughout Shadow in the Cloud’s zippy 83-minute running time, never seeming keen to stay categorized in one box for too long. It morphs wickedly from a white-knuckle claustrophobic Thriller to a full-blown wartime action picture at the drop of a bullet, and then sprinkles in some Horror elements on top for good measure. The CGI is spotty in far too many cases and the genre mashup does not always work as intended (a MacGuffin reveal is a bizarre swing that left me bewildered), but the Film is wildly-entertaining in the many instances when it does.
As long as you prepare for multiple genre swaps, Shadow in the Cloud is quite a bit of fun. While I wish the Film was not being hit with a minor controversy over its writing credits, I feel the bigger disservice is that Covid has robbed us of the experience of seeing Shadow in the Cloud at its proper haunt, Ryerson with a Midnight Madness audience. I know in my bones that they would have eaten this Film up, and I chuckled when it became obvious what and where the reactions might have been. Hopefully, it gets to play to a big crowd like that another day.
Nick Robinson (Love, Simon and Jurassic World) has a blast as a gunner on the ship, but Moretz is the one who takes hold of the screen and never wavers. She is simply marvelous in the scenes in the ball turret, really selling the anguish, fear and determination her character is going through. She is vividly-expressive in these scenes (which take up a substantial portion of the Film’s first half), and she carries them into the absolute chaos of the Film’s second half. Her wonderful balancing act more than makes up for some of the plot contrivances and the minimal character development.
SHADOW IN THE CLOUD screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:
Sat, Sep 12
Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView
11:59pm
Sun, Sep 13
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm
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