Not sure if I wrote about the only TIFF film that I managed to see, which was the Blake Lively film, All I See Is You. About a blind woman, who lost her eyesight in her early days and is now late 20s-early 30s and married and living with her adoring husband. They are very much connected and in love. She is offered the chance at an operation to try and regain her eyesight and takes it. Her husband, played by Jason Clarke, knowing she has never seen him when she does asks “How do I look?” and her immediate response is “Different”. From there you see that she sheds her frumpy wear that he had her in, and you see that he is very conscious of his looks and station (he obviously married above his number – borrowing from She’s Out of Your League). He’s a 4, she’s an 8 and it can obviously never work! So she begins to spread her wings, and he tries to hang on. Things happen and the relationship strains and bends in ways it did not before. He yearns for the olden days, pre-sight for her. Then it becomes a tale of just what does the other person know, and how will it get resolved. Lively is paid to look pretty. She isn’t a great actor. The premise for her is good and it is worth a look on Netflix. I don’t see this having a long run in the theatres.
October 12th, 2016
On Netflix I watched My Old Lady last night which was a TIFF film a couple years back with Kevin Kline who I had not seen in ages, along with Maggie Smith and Kristen Scott-Thomas. A New Yorker (Kline) inherits a luxurious and stately apartment in Paris, from his departed father, and he goes to check it out for a quick flip sale. He finds an old woman already living there and learns about the Parisian concept of paying a tenant for their life and taking ownership fully and clearly when they die. Smith is in her 90s and they start off with a rather cold reception to one another. Time passes and more is revealed as Kline imparts more of his failed life and troubles, and we learn more about Smith and the daughter (Thomas) who takes care of her. There are some great scenes of Paris and Notre Dame. There are some good observations about family and parents too. There is interesting twists and turns that lead to a satisfying conclusion. I am glad that I watched this, and think that Kline shows good range of emotion here. The cast is solid and there are some good lines. This was better than the other Maggie Smith effort set in Britain, Lady In The Van, also from TIFF, and also on Netflix. This was slow moving to the point that I had to stop watching it.
Published
Mondays With Robbie 