2024 - Tower Heist

I don't have a heck of a lot to say about this film - it boasts a hell of a cast, sadly they've very under-used in a film that promises a lot of fun and it just kind of.... bland.  As far as heist films go this is pretty underwhelming - even the heist itself is kind of boring - and the scale we'd expect to see on a television show these days, hardly worthy of a big blockbuster action comedy.  I don't mean to crap on this film, I didn't hate it by any means - I was just hoping for something a little more entertaining.  Alas.

1397 - I'm Still Here

So I guess today was my Affleck brother double feature. This film was directed by Ben's brother Casey whom you probably well know is a fantastic actor in his own right.
Most people have some kind of knowledge that Joaquin Phoenix retired from acting for a hip-hop career and has been getting his ass handed to him ever since. The first question you're going to ask is - was it all a hoax? I don't know. The film isn't about that - it plays it straight. Inside the TIFF guide it says something to the liking of "this film doesn't provide the answers to what's going on with Phoenix, mostly because it's still going on". And that's true. And it's fine. In truth, it doesn't matter if it's a hoax, because whether it is or not this is the biggest career suicide I have ever seen. It's amazing in that regard. The film feels like it's real and authentic, probably because Phoenix is so goddamn candid, you can't imagine that someone would want to come off as this much of a douche bag unless they actually were. This is an examination of one of the most self-inflated-ego-centric people I've ever witnessed. Someone who believes that because they're famous, and that they want to change career paths that people should automatically embrace them in their new path, regardless or not if they're any good at it. Sean Combs appears in the film and he's fantastic, whether he's playing along, or this is the real him - he's great. I can't imagine that this film isn't intended to be a bit comedic. There are moments that are just downright hysteric where you can't believe what you're seeing, including a moment which I'm sure everyone else will ruin, but I won't, where one of his assistants gets back at him for treating him like shit.
In truth I've never cared much for Joaquin Phoenix as an actor. I didn't not like him, but him being in a film was never a draw for me either. But as a character study of a man on a collision course with himself, he's ridiculously entertaining. I'm sure that we're going to see a lot more of him now that this film is coming out, but I can't imagine him having a career after this. If he does, awesome, but it'll be interesting to see, in ten years, if he's still here...

1393 - Gerry

I have got a stack of films on my desk that is embarrassingly high. I have a bad habit of going on sprees where I buy a shitload of films, and they never get watched. So now I've taken to making a stack of films I own that I haven't watched, and I'm not allowed to watch anything else until I get through the stack. I picked this up back in the winter when the Blockbuster on Spadina closed down. I knew what I was going into when I watched this film, in fact I think I was expecting a little bit more Samuel Beckett. It's gorgeous, for sure. And Damon and Affleck carry the entire thing well. There are some wonderful stand out sequences, including one with Affleck stuck up on a rock. It's easy to look at this and say that nothing happens, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. I have my theories about the ending, but I won't spoil anything here. If you like films that are a bit non-traditional you'll probably enjoy this one, otherwise you might want to avoid it.