TIFF 2014: Big Game & Mirage capsule reviews
Big Game, Jalmari Helander's follow up to Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, is a wholly enjoyable sendback to the action-adventure movies that filled my childhood. During the first 10 minutes, I will admit I thought I was going to be in for a straight-to-DVD quality action movie with the initial setup and extremely exposition-heavy dialogue. Luckily, Helander cuts to the action pretty quick after that, and his vision became clear. Instead of attempting anything really serious, Helander knows exactly the movie he is making and throws logic out the window after the twenty minute mark. From there, things only got better.
By far the most fun I have had at the festival so far, Samuel Jackson (as the president of the United States) and Onni Tommila have a good bit of chemistry bouncing back at each other throughout the movie. While the sheer lack of plausibility might deter some, I recommend embracing the ludicrousness of the scenario Helander has presented. There is plenty of humour, explosions, twists and charm for all to enjoy. The POTUS even gets to throw in a "motherfucker" at one point... Can't go wrong there.
9/10
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Mirage, a complete change in pace from the previous night's movie, is Szabolcs Hajdu's arthouse western hybrid. Isaach De Bankolé is the film's hero, our stoic and mysterious drifter. Bankolé plays the part well and keeps you engaged as he uncovers the horrors of the slave camp he is held captive at. While the pacing is rather sluggish and the various images used to transition sequences left me more confused than intrigued to find out what was going to happen yet, the mood Hajdu creates and the cinematography kept my attention throughout the film's runtime.
The film has a variety of of quirky characters throughout, including the paranoid slave camp's owner, who helped create a number of unsettling (as well as occasionally humorous) scenarios. However, some narrative elements, like the use of "mirages" or hallucinations were underused, not quite becoming one of the film's motifs, but instead feeling like an unnecessary sidestep to draw out the film. The score, while it did help create a more oppressive atmosphere at times, was too often on the nose, creating a predictability of what's to come next instead of creating any suspense.
The film's climax and inevitable shootout is a highlight of the film, with the countless gunshots shattering the silence that is so pervasive throughout the film's earlier segments. Overall, an interesting, although not entirely successful concoction of genres.
6/10
By far the most fun I have had at the festival so far, Samuel Jackson (as the president of the United States) and Onni Tommila have a good bit of chemistry bouncing back at each other throughout the movie. While the sheer lack of plausibility might deter some, I recommend embracing the ludicrousness of the scenario Helander has presented. There is plenty of humour, explosions, twists and charm for all to enjoy. The POTUS even gets to throw in a "motherfucker" at one point... Can't go wrong there.
9/10
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Mirage, a complete change in pace from the previous night's movie, is Szabolcs Hajdu's arthouse western hybrid. Isaach De Bankolé is the film's hero, our stoic and mysterious drifter. Bankolé plays the part well and keeps you engaged as he uncovers the horrors of the slave camp he is held captive at. While the pacing is rather sluggish and the various images used to transition sequences left me more confused than intrigued to find out what was going to happen yet, the mood Hajdu creates and the cinematography kept my attention throughout the film's runtime.
The film has a variety of of quirky characters throughout, including the paranoid slave camp's owner, who helped create a number of unsettling (as well as occasionally humorous) scenarios. However, some narrative elements, like the use of "mirages" or hallucinations were underused, not quite becoming one of the film's motifs, but instead feeling like an unnecessary sidestep to draw out the film. The score, while it did help create a more oppressive atmosphere at times, was too often on the nose, creating a predictability of what's to come next instead of creating any suspense.
The film's climax and inevitable shootout is a highlight of the film, with the countless gunshots shattering the silence that is so pervasive throughout the film's earlier segments. Overall, an interesting, although not entirely successful concoction of genres.
6/10
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