Contemporary World Cinema

TIFF [1999]

Tim Roth

The U.N. of movies. The TIFF's most electic mix.

With entries as varied as the indie comedy "Happy, Texas" to "Julien Donkey Boy" (from "Kids" and "Gummo" creator Harmony Korine). From Mike Figgis' Strindberg adaptation "Miss Julie" to Greg Araki's "Jules Et Jim" homage "Splendor", Audrey Wells' just-released "Guinevere" to the third offering from the Danish manifesto "Dogme 95" (Canada offered its own variation with Carl Bessai's "Johnny").

Co-correspondent Lidia Ferrari's Pick:

"The War Zone", a harrowing domestic drama (based on a novel by Alexander Stuart) in the most bleak and uncompromising U.K. "kitchen sink" tradition, and the directorial debut of versatile actor Tim Roth. Sharing much in tone with Gary Oldman's "Nil By Mouth" BESIDES the presence of Ray Winstone, Roth's film delivers on his intentions to react against, quote, "the kind of filmmaking that I'm seeing all the time where you really are given all the answers".

Turkey Of The Fest Nominee #2:

"The Big Brass Ring": Take an unproduced script by Orson Welles, update the subject matter to reflect the contemporary political circus, and cast accomplished performers like William Hurt, Miranda Richardson, and Nigel Hawthorne and you can't go wrong, right? Ordinarily, "no", but…"The Big Brass Ring" confirms William Goldman's homily that "no one in Hollywood knows anything". Director George Hickenlooper, who gave us one of the all time greatest documentaries with "Hearts Of Darkness", drops the ball in the fiction court with this overwrought unintentional laugh-riot that plays like the most absurd night time soap you'd never admit to having watched. Now airing on America's "Showtime", you may want to heed the warning of my complete review.

Galas or No Admission Unless Your Last Name Is Wilson, Baldwin, or Arquette

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