[TIFF Review] The Smashing Machine, Frankenstein, Scarlet, Ballad of a Small Player, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
On the sixth to eighth days of the Toronto International Film Festival, I watched five films. Three of these were significant Netflix productions for the year: Frankenstein, Ballad of a Small Player, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
The Smashing Machine
The film centers on the early athletic career of wrestling and mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson). Although it's a movie about a wrestling and MMA athlete, it doesn't focus on intense ring fights like typical boxing films. Instead, it dedicates more time to Mark's struggles outside the ring, and his relationships with his wife Dawn (Emily Blunt) and peers, depicting a rugged life full of both joy and sorrow. While Dwayne Johnson maintains his muscular physique, his portrayal feels completely fresh. Watching his performance, I pondered what made it so different. Was it the character's gentle tone? His hair? Later, when the character shaves his head, his silhouette becomes familiar, yet he still looks different. Was it the eye makeup? Perhaps what truly sets it apart is his gaze; in his eyes, we see the boxer's weariness, disappointment, and forced optimism—arguably his most poignant and moving performance to date. Combined with several classic songs from decades past, the film truly allows the audience to feel the helplessness of life. Emily Blunt's performance is equally stellar, her emotionally fluctuating portrayal creating a strong contrast and reflection against Dwayne Johnson's more measured performance.
Frankenstein
At the beginning of the film, a ship is trapped in the icy ocean. The crew rescues an injured man nearby, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who is being pursued and attacked by a beast-like monster. At this point, the film resembles a typical monster movie, focusing on the characters' struggle against the creature's attacks. Later, the man tells the captain his story with the monster, revealing the creature is his experiment, a life he created. The film remains an ordinary monster movie up to this point. While the art direction, set design, and costumes are top-notch, and Oscar Isaac perfectly embodies the arrogant Victor Frankenstein, the overall impression is somewhat unexceptional.
Things begin to get interesting in the middle of the film when it shifts perspective to the monster's (Jacob Elordi) experience. This character is no longer a ferocious beast to us, but a newborn creature exploring the world and discovering itself. To him, he feels abandoned and punished by his creator, forced to survive on his own. Due to his experiences and physique, he dares not connect with ordinary people and can only scrape by. Later, he reunites with Victor Frankenstein and begins to contemplate the meaning of life. Jacob Elordi's portrayal of the monster, with his handsome features obscured by costumes and special effects makeup, requires him to convey this new life created by humans through his eyes and body language. His performance imbues the film with soul.
Scarlet
This year's film festival features at least three films related to Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. One is a modern adaptation starring Riz Ahmed, another is Hamnet, which won the audience award, and this one is an animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda. The protagonist is changed to a female character, Scarlet, and the story incorporates more fantastical elements. Scarlet enters a purgatory-like space and encounters a male nurse from the future.
The film blends 2D character animation with 3D backgrounds. The desolate landscapes of purgatory and the vast, ocean-like sky are depicted with exquisite detail and beauty. However, the film's message about resolving hatred with love, conveyed through its music and Scarlet's story, feels too contrived. Compared to this narrative, the reviewer would have preferred to see how Scarlet might resolve conflicts in the real world after the film's ending, which seems like a more interesting story.
Ballad of a Small Player
The film centers on a gambler (Colin Farrell) descending into ruin in Macau. Almost the entire movie focuses on his character with little else in terms of plot. The film employs numerous narrative and visual techniques to enhance the portrayal of this character, and Colin Farrell truly embodies the character's tender and wild facets. Unfortunately, the film truly lacks plot, and the character himself doesn't offer much depth, making the middle section rather tedious. The film boasts an ensemble cast including Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton, Venice Best Actress winner Deanie Ip, Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor winner Anthony Wong, two-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings, and Fala Chen, but their roles are limited, failing to leave a lasting impression. Fortunately, the film makes good use of Macau's varied scenery, creating a sense of opulence, tranquility, solemnity, and exotic charm, which is perhaps the film's most memorable aspect.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
This film is the third installment in the Knives Out series. Compared to the first two, this installment's plot is darker and more serious, yet it still contains humorous moments and offers satire on current society and religion. Like its predecessors, this film features a cast of renowned actors. Among them, Josh O'Connor's portrayal of a young pastor is the most pivotal character, serving as the soul of this installment, much like Ana de Armas's role in the first film. His performance is the most outstanding and moving in the entire movie, showing his goodness while also revealing a dark past. Glenn Close's performance is also notable, with ample opportunity to shine. As with previous installments, the film is full of twists and turns, making it highly entertaining. A mid-movie surprise even alters one's perception of the entire film, with the story's development remaining uncertain until the very end.
Photo: TIFF