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Day 2 of TIFF 2007 - "My Winnipeg"Day two of TIFF, and the last day of the festival that I have to work my 9-5 on top of watching movies. Now I can enjoy myself. Tonight I saw Guy Maddin's new film, "My Winnipeg". The screening was in the beautiful Winter Garden Theatre; a theatre I'd never been in. After waiting the standard hour or so in line to go in, I went into the theatre to find that six or seven rows of maybe 40-50 seats each, in the middle of the theatre (the best place to sit) were tagged off as "reserved". That accounted for maybe a third of the seats in the theatre, and I was forced to sit off to the side. I understand reserving a row or two for film buyers so that films can be seen in the best way possible by someone who can give the filmmakers their investment back. Why does Don McKellar need a seat saved for him though? He can stand in line for the hour or so like everyone else does. It was my second screening in a row where I had to sit off to the side, only for Don McKellar to show up 10-15 minutes later and get a seat in the centre section of the theatre. Does anyone remember in 2001 when the dudes from "Versus" would be in every line you were in, doing martial arts demonstrations to keep themselves and the line entertained? I wonder if Don knows karate. "My Winnipeg" Guy Maddin is Canada's filmmaking treasure. I don't always love his films, but they're always at interesting. I'm tempted to say "Until now" but enjoyed "My Winnipeg" enough that I won't. Though produced for the Documentary Channel, "My Winnipeg" isn't quite a documentary. Maddin edits together documentary footage along with dramatic footage, often both in the same frame, making a film that has documentary elements, but which is mostly a dreamlike study on his growing up in Winnipeg. Maddin has often been accused of being stylistically samey, but this is now his third film in a row about his childhood in Winnipeg (following "Coward Bends the Knee" and "Brand Upon the Brain"), and it seems as though his choice of subject matter is now fair game for such criticisms. At this screening, Maddin stood to the side of the screen and did a live narration for the film, which was really charming, but in the end felt a bit like compensation for the film's short-comings. Running at only 80 minutes, the film doesn't sustain its short runtime, and would be a much more enjoyable film if it were cut down to 45 minutes or so. Great moments are infrequent at this length unfortunately, and are surrounded by a lot of repetition. If you're a fan of Maddin's, obviously check it out. It's not a bad film. It's really enjoyable for the most part, but just way too insignificant, considering his recent work. -Jeff. Posted on 09/08/07 by: Jeff. Post a Comment
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