"The Little Death" (Josh Lawson, Australia)

Not many comedies leave me grinning from ear to ear but this wonderful, edgy Aussie sex comedy did just that.  The film follows the stories of a bunch of different couples as they explore phone sex, fetishes, and even a rape fantasy (I know, right?)

It all sounds terribly sordid but the script and acting is so delightful that you can't help cheering.  In fact, there is one extended scene involving two deaf people and a phone sex call that is one of the funniest, most romantic things I've seen in years.  Those 20 minutes alone make the entire ticket price worth it.  Luckily, the rest of the film is just as hilarious.

I loved this comedy.  Loved it.  A must-see if it makes it into North American theaters.

"The Duke Of Burgundy" (UK, Peter Strickland)

This one's a bit hard to describe which is only a good thing.  The film starts by showing us a relationship between a cold, dominant professor and her quiet, submissive maid.  As things get really kinky, we're let in on more of their relationship and realize its not all what it seems.

What makes this gorgeous, 70s throwback is how utterly unexpected it is.  What starts as sexploitation turns into a hilarious, totally relatable scenes of two people trying to maneuver and negotiate their kinky fantasies.  What's even better is the director's choice to only include women in the cast, making it not about a gay relationship but a human relationship.

This is a wonderful film - sexy, funny, and gorgeous to watch.  Its just about 15 minutes too long....

"Luna" (UK, Dave McKean)

A couple still grieving the loss of their newborn spend a weekend at their friends cottage by the ocean.  Grief, anger, and old wounds all get filtered through Dave McKean's fantastical vision.

For anyone like me who's adored the Sandman comics (or has Vincent as a partner), Dave McKean is a bit of an icon.  And he's crafted a wonderfully human and magical little film.  Its far from perfect - the direction is a bit heavy-handed and the acting occasionally melodramatic - but its made up for with so much gorgeous imagery and moments.

One line from a grieving character sums its up just perfectly: "We must move on.... Otherwise we wouldn't be able to tango in the middle of an early Monday morning."

"Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet" (Various countries, Roger Allers)

A jailed poet is released from his mountain prison and wanders through the village towards the boat that he thinks is taking him home.  As he does, he shares wonderful poems and allegories along the way with all the people he sees.  These little vignettes are accompanied by stunning hand-drawn animation from around the world and songs by artists like Damian Rice and Glen Hansard.

Having not read The Prophet before, its hard to say who the target audience for this film is.  The stunning poetic visions look like moving watercolor and oil paintings at times but the beautiful words get lost in the images and music.  Way too much for a child to comprehend.  But then the main story tying everything together was just too dull for me to care.

I imagine the people giving a standing ovation as I left the theatre are the target audience.  They must have read the book.

"Nightcrawler" (USA, Dan Gilroy)

No, not that superhero.  This one's about a morally devoid thief and wannabe businessman, played gloriously by Jake Gyllenhaal.  He realizes his true calling after witnessing "nightcrawler" journalists filming a terrible accident and then selling the video to the morning news.  As he gets better and better footage, the lines between filming the accidents and crimes and causing them begins to blur.

Gyllenhaal's chilling performance makes this great movie.  His wide-eyed sociopath rivals Christian Bale's American Psycho (and also makes for an even better film.)  He's driven, hilarious, and terrifying.  Without him, it'd be hard to buy the film, but with him I think this will be one of the best Hollywood films this year.  Excellent - hilarious and chilling.

"Magical Girl" (Spain, Carlos Vermut)

Good people can do some terrible things when they're desperate.  An unemployed father trying to buy his dying daughter her one last wish.  An unstable woman trying to hide her mistakes from her husband any way she can.  And a reformed ex-con trying to protect a woman he loves.

All these are woven together slowly and methodically, with the director giving us enough time at the beginning to sympathize with the characters before he lets the narrative take hold.  In this slow burn of a film the moments of shock and horror are juxtaposed with flashes of absurd humour.

Given how little violence there is in most of the film, the gasps from the audience were frequent and delicious.  There were way too many empty seats for the world premiere of this shocking and darkly funny film.

After this excellent movie, I'm pretty sure I'm completely in love with Spanish cinema.  Be afraid of what I might do to protect it.....

Getting ready for TIFF 2014...

I've been told that my pretentious, uninformed mini-reviews of film at TIFF should be available to more than just my Facebook friends.  So here we are!  First movie tonight at 10 pm.  See you then.