TIFF Movie Review – Short Cuts Canada: Anatomy of Assistance, Method, We Wanted More & A Grand Canal (2013)

As much as feature films and documentaries are staples of the Toronto International Film Festival line-up so is the Short Cuts Canada program; 39 short films will be showcased from 15 returning filmmakers who will be competing for the YouTube Award for Best Canadian Short Film which includes a $10,000 cash prize.

Here are a trio of “short” reviews:

Anatomy of Assistance, 2013.

Directed by Corey Bowles.

Starring Keeya King, Clé Bennett, Shamier Anderson, Raven Dauda, Matthew Owen Murray, and Kingslee Christie.

When 15 year old Talia (Keeya King) is given money in recognition of being academically bright and financially underprivileged, her pride gets hurt and in the name of racial solidarity wastes the establishment donation on liquor.  The act of defiance leads to trouble with the law which escalates to a police officer over stepping her duty resulting in an action which could have major repercussions for the high school student.  

Better known for being a cast member of Trailer Park Boys, Corey Bowles has channelled the sardonic wit from the TV series to produce tale which explores what it is like to be poor and black.  The choice of musical score adds a whimsical tone to the proceedings while the actors play their roles seriously.  The opening shot of the envelope on the desk with name of Talia focuses squarely on the MacGuffin that sets the whole misadventure into motion.  As for the acting it all seems rather off the mark in particular Keeya King whose portray of racial indignation comes across as a false note.

Method, 2013.

Directed by Gregory Smith.

Starring Shawn Doyle, Daniel O’Shea, Matt Gordon, Katie Boland, Sarain Boylan, Priscilla Faia, and Shaun Austin-Olsen.

A piece of paper slaps against the face of a handcuffed suspect (Sarain Boylan) by an interrogator (Shawn Doyle) who appears to be more likely to experience a mental meltdown than the subject of his hostilities.  Patience is wearing thin from the powers literally behind the scene.  

Turns out that the whole moment is a cinematic charade and the struggling police officer is an actor fumbling his lines and the ability to immerse himself in his role.  Midst the frustration the performer goes out wearing his costume to get a cup of coffee where he gets mistaken for a police officer.  The incident followed by an event which may or may not happen serve as the creative spark needed to get things back on track. 

The subject matter is appropriate considering director Gregory Smith has made a career appearing in both movies and episodic television shows.  Stylized colour saturation is used for the “film” moments while a natural lighting is utilized for the “real” moments.  Shawn Doyle does a good job of bringing about the acting transformation while the rest of the cast seems to be on cruise control with their performances.        

We Wanted More, 2013.

Directed by Stephen Dunn.

Starring Christine Horne, Skyler Wexler, and Angela Asher.

An agent seems to be more excited than her client about embarking on a world tour.  The singer (Christine Horne) openly questions the choice of sacrificing the possibility of having a family for her career.  Nerves takeover as the performer loses her voice and possibility her mind in the process.

Somehow it seems like director Stephen Dunn is trying to emulate Darren Aronofsky who had has great success in articulating psychological turmoil with Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010).  The distress of leaving behind the ability to have a family with a man she loves manifests into a literal form forcing the singer to confront her fears and grief.  

The best shot is not one which has the potential to gross out a viewer but involves a hair dryer causing a lovers snapshot to blow away.  There is a lot of cinematic style which in the end works against the ability to give a believable voice to the dramatic catharsis.

A Grand Canal, 2013.

Directed by Johnny Ma.

Starring Johnny Ma, Mei Song Shun, Xiao Min du, Zhan Mei, Hong Sheng Wang, and Yun Feng Wang.

A ten year old boy remembers the tragedy that ensued when his father tried to save his fleet of boats.

A man sits at a wedding table reflecting on what had brought him there in the first place.  It turns out that an uncle of the groom who was attending the ceremony owes him money for off-loading a shipment.  A confrontation occurs between the two men with results in the ship captain ending up dead in a river.

There is a lot of narration and one wonders what would have happen if the images were allowed to tell more of the story.  The Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas) technique of placing the middle scene at the start the movie and returning to it later on is not a bad idea.   The acting feels rather flat and staged.  Unfortunately, there is no sense of bond established between the father and son so when the film crew appears allowing the child to give his murdered parent the ending he should of have had it is lacking in dramatic impact.  

Trevor Hogg