TIFF 2006 Day 9 - part 2
Chacun Sa Nuit
How high is Belgium’s suicide rate? Not so high that you can’t get a film crew together apparently, but really, it must be higher than other countries. How many therapists do they have per person? And where must they import them from?
CHACUN SA NUIT, which mean ‘everyone has his night’ is the story of four late-teen friends who have a band, and Lucie, the sister of one of them. Lucie is the ultimate groupie; a free spirit, and a serial lover of the band members. The three ‘other’ band members have their suspicions about her relationship with her brother too…
Pierre, the brother, another free spirit, has a natural charisma and a pretty insatiable appetite that complicates things; everybody wants Pierre. After Pierre goes missing one night however, he is soon found dead, and the police open an investigation into his murder. When the investigation stalls, Lucie takes it on herself, and will do whatever it takes to get people to open up.
Based on a true story, CHACUN SA NUIT, is morbidly fascinating and sad, the classic too-bright-a-light-to-last-very-long tale that searches into the dark corners of motivation and desire. It is worth noting that this film had a very small budget for wardrobe.
What is it about Belgium that makes life so terrible there? Because I cannot believe it’s just the movies. I mean, the beer is great, and one could argue ‘maybe it HAS to be great’, but I’m more inclined to think that there must be SOMETHING bearable about Belgian life for the beer to be so lovingly made. And then there are the wonderful frites, served with a selection of flavoured mayonaisses, and delicious Liège waffles. Maybe anyone who is the least bit happy in Belgium is cooking or brewing, because they certainly aren’t writing or directing the films.
(more pictures: [1] [2] [3] [4] [poster])
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt
THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT comes to us from China and director Ann Hui. Ye Rutang is a sixities-ish woman living alone in a Shanghai apartment. She feels scorn for neighbours; they reciprocate her feelings. Ye’s nephew Kuan-kuan arrives for a visit, and is soon rankled by her stingy ways: there’s an air conditioner, but she’s not turning it on for him. How to get back at Auntie? Kuan-kuan fakes his own kidnapping and demands a ransom. Kuan-kuan is not the least of Ye’s troubles however; there are con artists around every turn in this tragicomic film, including Chow Yun-Fat playing a character who sees Ye’s loneliness as his ticket to her lifetime savings. A smart film that seems to wander a bit in its last quarter, AUNT would easily be worth a trip to an art house cinema should it find distribution here.