TIFF 2013 - Don Jon and Gravity

Things are starting to get quieter at the festival as we get into midweek.  I had two screenings Wednesday and there wasn't a Q&A, or even an intro to be had by the filmmakers.  Still some good viewing though.

Don Jon was written and directed by Joseph Gordon Levitt (his debut) and he also stars in the film as the titular character, a New Jersey boy who cares about his family, friends, church and most importantly his porn habit.  He's basically a better acting version of one of the folks on the MTV series Jersey Shore.  Scarlett Johansson shows up as his potential true love and soon enough he's trying to make changes to make her happy, from taking classes at community college to giving up his porn habit (he's unsuccessful).  Tony Danza and Glenne Headly are entertaining as his parents and Brie Larson gets exactly one scene with dialogue as his sister (though her facial expressions throughout provide laughs). And Julianne Moore is wonderful as always as a fellow student who forms a connection with Jon as the movie progresses.

It's fine but not great.  A total middle of the road movie.  Grade? B

Seeing Gravity in IMAX is definitely the way to go.  The movie opened up at the Venice film festival and had it's gala here over the weekend to mostly positive reviews and I have to add mine to it.  Two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) are stranded in space with a few long shot options for survival when debris from a satellite wipes out the rest of their crew and most of their equipment.

It is a beautiful movie to look at, and there has been much discussion and well deserved accolade about how they created many of the shots in the film.  It's also just a really good story that kept me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath throughout.  Bullock's performance was fantastic (even with the space suit between her and the audience) and provided the heart of the movie and the action sequences were stunning.

Movie Grade: A

Unfortunately logistically, the screening was yet another example of the organizational mess at the Scotiabank theatre this festival.  The 14 screens at the theatre have been completely taken over by TIFF and have been host to all of the press and industry screenings during the day and public screenings in the evenings.  It just wasn't designed to run at full capacity in every theatre for every screening.  Bathroom facilities have been inadequate and lines have been a bit of a mess.  Tonight for example there was a group of people ahead of me in line that were quite disgruntled because they arrived 2 hours early for the screening and were waiting upstairs after asking repeatedly where the line for the movie was only to be finally directed to the right place outside and discover that they had to join the end of a line that had just formed.  At the time I kind of thought to myself that they were worrying over nothing since we'd all get a seat and we weren't that far back in the line for entrance.  Well, apparently the showing for the movie was actually oversold (I have never seen that before at TIFF) and after a 30 minute delay with people milling at the door and them trying to bring in extra chairs Cameron Bailey finally announced to the crowd that they were going to start the screening for us lucky people in our seats and have to figure out an alternative screening for ticket holders who didn't get in (I would have been so pissed to be one of those people).  Finally, on our way out of the theatre which is either by way of a giant staircase or escalator the TIFF staff kept the exit forced to just two doors a blocking off about 8 other possible doors leading to an almost disaster at the bottom of the escalator where I almost had to crawl onto the back of the man in front of me instead of getting trampled.  I know I'm not the only one to express concerns with the Scotia issues this year and I hope they work out the kinks before next TIFF rolls around.