Toyoda’s first movie is about a rather psychotic almost mute character whose whole world revolves around killing Yakuzas which he regards as needless (and probably is right, don’t know). The movie is something like an expressive experiment, an uncontrolled brush over a fresh canvas, a rather premature work to be more precise. It is overstyled, and it seems that the director is attempting at making his presence known, trying to achieve cult and cool cinematic status, but does not really manage to do show. Mind you, the theme itself (the Yakuza) is definitely japanese and definitely sensitive, and something a greek, or European for that matter, crowd cannot relate to. Nonetheless the deranged, determined anti-social killer (carries knifes in his bag, what do you expect?) , the coward and skeptical Yakuza and the not so naïve but hopeful girl who wants to see the sunrise at the Fiji islands for the great summer of love (New Year of 2000)., do not posses the gravita or quality Toyoda would like for his film to surpass average. In fact, even the soundtrack is not as good as it is in his next films.
Contrary to the other two movies, I have seen before (9 Souls and Blue Spring), in his debut, Toyoda tries to focus on individuals, rather than focusing on a group people with an underlying connection (prisoners and schoolmates respectively), finding it hard however (with awkward silent close-ups, stiff dialogues), and in fact getting himself in a
rather messy and sticky situation with his character left out hanging out dry. Pornstar is unbalanced and enigmatic at places, while he construction and development of both characters and sequences seem unjustified plenty of times. On the other hand, it is very bold (not only as far as the theme is concerned, but also on the attempt itself despite the result) as well as anxious at offering Toyoda’s individual insight and hate towards the Yakuza, but unfortunately the result is not convincing. Thankfully his next films showed great vision and his own talented cinematic signature. Toyoda also manages to offer a haunting protagonist, in the likes of (top of my head now) Tony
Would my impression have been any greater had I not seen any of his other movies? Probable. Would have though it to be a promising debut? Among many things, I am not a director scout, so I can’t say for sure. After all the movie is not as bad as I make it out here, has a couple of worthy scenes, and it is definitely worth watching. Furtheremore, it seems that Pornstar is very nervous, Toyoda having some personal issues with Yakuza possibly, but having seen the film, I am now convinced of his title as the ‘uncompromised’. In Pornstar, the lack of change is amazing; at times as you watch the movie you expect some character development, like the protagonist breaking down in tears, or his relationship with the high-flyer wanna be but cowardly Yakuza becoming more intense or personal, or the protagonist expressing himself in a way different than symbolic rain of daggers, or anything really, but no. Toyoda just leaves you waiting for that to happen, but he won’t compromise. Once his story and characters are set, nothing is going to question that; even close to the end when the protagonist saves a kid form a tough situation with an adult, he stabs in the leg without hesitation (Izo like) when the kid tells him he is a young Yakuza. The bloodbath at the end is only natural.
As mentioned before, despite its drawbacks, its worth watching, but I am pretty sure that the early screening in the absence of the director himself had its own significance, probably indicating that he has put this film behind me (not that he should feel ashamed about it).
Next up was Tzameti 13, an over the top advertised film, which apparently was the first to be selected for the festival schedule, and it before watching it I though it would be either great or terrible. Thankfully it was the first. I am finding it hard to start describing the film, but here it goes. Young Georgian builder in Fraance, through a series of circumstances and chances, assumes a false identity and gets himself in a high rolling gambling sick game of Russian roulette. An extremely intense thriller, powerful and psychologically intelligent, extremely violent not to the senses (not a single drop of blood is shown) but to the perception, with the black and white photography is ideal for the unreal environment and sinister play out. In fact it offers the backdrop for the terrible contrast between players (the people with numbers on their shirts, guns in their hands, and muzzles on the back of their heads) and the gambler, the sanity and madness, between what things are, and what they should be. 
The mystery and the suspense pins you down, and when the core of the plot is essentially revealed, it’s too late. You are shocked and scared at the unfolding reality, like Sebastien, all your senses race to understand what’s happening, to predict the next few frames, only to find yourself listening to the terrible and ordering voice of le maître de cérémonie (Pacal Bongard is the name to the unforgettable voice) as he orders the players to take place, lift their weapons, roll the barrel, aim, and wait for the light to turn on for them to fire, commanding players, gamblers and audience alike. And then light bulb flashes and you hear the guns click and some fire; your brain rushing to answer the obvious question posed: would you have what it takes to pull the trigger had you been in Sebastien’s place, as you become one with the tragic hero. This unlikely player is the only oasis offered in the surrounding decadence and sickness, which however does not leave him unhurt. He himself, as he goes through the rounds and survives, collects scars of fear and terror not only at the prospect of dying but also at the prospect and realization of killing, his demise to animal status, ripped of nay humanity, slowly realizing why the person whom he took his place overdosed when he received his invitation.
Despite his bad number (13) and inexperience in the game he survives, bodily that is, because he is still terrified and shocked. However, his good luck dries up on the train back home when he runs into the brother of his final opponent; he is shot and left bleeding in the empty train carriage as it leaves the station. The preceding close ups are extremely dramatic and potent, as is the entire scene in its entirety offering an amazing and memorable sequence. In fact, the entire film offers amazing shots and lasting expressions of fear and terror, bring back memories of The Deer Hunter, perhaps even better and greater thanks to the photography. Additionally, the directing is effective, brilliantly masterminded, terribly mature and even poetic at times, creating a movie that redefines the suspense thriller genre, forcing Hitchcock back to directors school (OK, that is a bit too much, but I just had to put it down!). And to think that this is Gela Babluani’s first movie (coming back to talking about debuts).
A movie that keeps you intense and awe and suspension from the start to the end, and is definitely impressive and a classic in the makings, hugely supported by outstanding performances both by the protagonist and the supporting acts, amazingly playing out the theatre of the irrational. Even though it does mess you up a lot, it does offer closure, though the hero’s death, a tragic one, but also a fitting one. Although not obvious, the theme of destiny and the inability to control fate and the theme of causability are brilliantly interweaved in the movie, as a series of coincidences that lead Sebastien to the game, as the players encourage their players to focus, as if it has anything to do with where the bullet is in the barrel, a great demonstration of the sickness and perversion of obsessive gambling, as well as Sebastien choices that although lead him close to death a number of times, eventually he escapes only to meet his destiny at the end.
A definite must-see, an amazing film, genius and original, but never resting on such merits, but instead going on and enriching the result in all aspects, making a complete gem and all that cinema is mean to be about. By the way, did I mention that an English remake is in the plans?
As I wrote my notes, and thinking that compared to Red Road, Tzameti 13 has the advantage of being exciting (basically me digesting thrillers to dramas easier), I was also worried that I would have to give tonight’s Blackberry award to Toyoda’s Pornstar. Thankfully I wont have to. Then again I am wooing over the 6 euros I gave for The Lost and the fact that I could have rushed to Danaos to see Do Over from Taiwan.
Again, I am finding it difficult to find words. I am split between rubbish and crap. I think trash could be appropriate. The movie is apparently based on a pulp novel (apparently meant to be good), and although I have no problems with the genre (in fact I can enjoy a pulp book any time of the day but not that I am fan either), I am pretty sure any adaptation should follow extreme stylistic approaches, simply because pulp fiction (the genre, not the movie) seems to have a long lasting grudge with anything remotely good when it comes to plot. The Lost offers almost no style at all, resembling a bad fusion of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer (and the summer after that, and the summer after that, and basically every time you decide to go 
camping!). It is a shame, because it started really promising (the psycho protagonist Ray walks into the woods, runs into a naked girl coming out of a cabinet toilet naked, only to shoot her and her friend at night, all that in about 5 or 6 minutes), making it a possible candidate for the non-asian slasher-splatter of the festival. After that however, it keeps on getting worse and worse, with terrible acting all across the board (except for Senter who seems to give his best effort at impersonating a rather difficult character), even worse and posy directing and photography (crap, crap, crap), an incoherent story and unstructured scripting. However the worse is kept for the end; everybody was expecting a blood rampage at the end (just to get our money’s worth, you know), and so it appeared with Ray totaling flipping and shooting almost everything that moves. Unfortunately, it is done in extremely bad taste as it tries to shock you, but instead manages to disgust you, as Ray throws his fits all around the place. Of course in part, I guess that the movie is either likeable depending on whether you can enjoy the character of Ray or not, but personally I found him annoying and extremely stupid. Take a tinny bit of Norman Bates from Psycho, a piece of hillbilly version of Patrick Bateman (excellent performance by Christian Bale) from American Psycho (great book, great movie, a thousand times better than this one) and a really bad version of Alex de Large from Clockwork Orange, and you get Ray Pye, personally, a very bad result cinematically. Anyways, it was bound to happen, and it did. I got my bad movie for the festival…
Well, I am tired, totally isolated from my friends and work for the past days, but heck, now that I am started I have to finish. So I have to go on, to make up my mind for tomorrow. Tata!
Didn’t like:
- Again my seating. I am seriously getting a seating map for next year just to make myself clear at the ticketboxes!!!
- People with invitations not showing up; the best two rows in Tzameti 13 were essentially empty, while others had to be at the terrace sides to see the movie. Nice going guys, we thank you for supporting the arts!
Liked:
- Tzameti 13 a lot. The festival is proving strong!!
- Increasingly some songs on my updated mp3 playlist (some Massive Attack remixes, Θανάσης Παπακωνσταντίνου and others).
- My getting some progress with my thesis.
Blackberry award for the night:
Definitely The Lost. If only the reels were (lost) as well…
Best movie of the night:
Tzameti 13 is Fight Club of 2006, if not better in some ways.
Blackberry award for the festival so far:
Tezuka, you lucky bastard!! It took something as terrible The Lost to loose your crown. Still, I am pleased that an asian movie is not taking this one.
Best movie of the festival so far:
Had this been most popular, more festive, or most promising, or most exciting movie award, Tzameti 13 would get it. But it is best movie, and
Schedule pamphlet status at the time of writing:
Moody, but nonetheless rewarding.
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