If you’ve been reading this blog through the week, you’ve heard the Coast contributors who’ve been attending the AFF complain (loudly) about the review embargo imposed upon us by the distributors, who are hoping to save reviews for when their films get a theatrical release. Well, both the movies I saw tonight, Cafe de flore and Starbuck, are under this draconian rule, which is too bad.
It’s too bad because otherwise I’d be talking about director of Cafe de flore, Jean-Marc Valée , how this film represents a quantum leap in his cinematic storytelling abilities, how it deftly weaves music (Pink Floyd and Sigur Ros play big parts in the film) into a multi-flashback structure to create something very fresh. I’d be going on about how this is the best film of the festival, and how it might be the best Canadian movie I’ve seen in years.
I’d also be mentioning how Starbuck is a sentimental and hilarious comedy of the sort that Hollywood used to be good at making, and will likely feel it necessary to remake in English, starring Vince Vaughn or Adam Sandler.
And I would close by mentioning that taken as a set, these films are indicative of a film industry in Quebec that is head and shoulders above anywhere else in the country.
But, unfortunately, I can’t really get into any of that.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2011.