TIFF '08 Adds 'Blindness,' Bruce MacDonald's Zombie Movie, Egoyan's 'Adoration'

A few more additions to the Toronto International Film Festival have been announced and none that will surprise anyone. The first being Fernando Meirelles' apocalyptic pandemic parable, "Blindness," which debuted earlier this year at Cannes and Bruce McDonald's horror zombie film, "Pontypool," which we may or may not have reported when we met him at the NY debut of "The Tracey Fragements.'

Canadian films added to the fest (naturally) include, Warren Sonoda's "Coopers' Camera" and Justin Simms' "Down to the Dirt" and Atom Egoyan's "Adoration," but the cerebral Armenian/Canuck is Canadian royalty and they'd save a spot to screen his wet farts if it came down to it (the film is about a youth who reinvents himself in "cyberspace," it premiered at Cannes '08 and it stars Scott Speedman).

McDonald's film stars stars Stephen McHattie from "300," Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" and chronicles a deadly virus that has spread across a small Ontario town. TIFF '08 has been leaning heavily on Cannes retreads, but the inclusion of films by Spike Lee and Guy Ritchie are giving the fete some glow.
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Review: 'Tracey Fragments' Is, Well, Fragmented, But At Times Beautiful

"The Tracey Fragments" is going to be polarizing in the blogosphere, we can feel it. Not so much for the splintered film techniques (more on that later), but more because of hot-button topic actress Ellen Page whose role in "Juno," seemed to provoke a lot of ire of many a blogger and armchair critic who evidently hates teen girls that deign to speak in pop-cultural tones.

No Diablo Cody isn't with her this time, but instead of playing a 17-18 year old smarmy kid, Page now plays a melodramatic 15 year old with a sarcastic streak - just not as pronounced and not as obnoxiously clever (it's a different role, not in a different universe, mind you, but knee-jerk reactions claiming the two characters/performances are the same are sure to come).

Page plays Tracey Berkowitz who comes from a broken home and we quickly learn that her little autistic-like brother has gone missing. Her neglectful parents play the blame game and the story then jumps around in time to illustrate her misfit status at school, running away from home in search of her brother, pining for the elusive, aloof cute hipster boy, and going to see her clueless transgendered shrink (who is some nice comic relief).

But the biggest story about 'Tracey' is its incredibly and purposefully fragmented presentation. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald - once the toast of Canada and without nary at hit in years -, nearly the entire film is shot in a jarring Mondrian-like multiple split screens intended to convey the protagonist's young fragile psyche. Two cameras were running during most of the film and multiple takes of the same scene are often running out of synch with one another while memories, other sequences, and metaphorical tableauxs play out in other frames simultaneously.

Its not as obnoxious as it sounds, but the technique can be both effective and grating at times and will likely make or break the film for audiences. The performances are strong, the visuals are striking and romantic, the music (Broken Social Scene) is typically evocative yet subtle, and in spite of the dark premise, it's a lot more funny and playful than it ought to be (there's a rock n' roll-like trailer in the middle of the film that introduces Tracey's uncontrollable teen crush which is pretty great). It also boasts one of the most painful "sex" scenes to watch that we've seen in a while that is simultaneously beautiful and sad.

Overall the "fragmented" conceit works and it doesn't. Thankfully, McDonald's experimental drama only last 77 minutes so it doesn't overstay it's welcome. And while it's not completely the return to form we were hoping from this filmmaker, it is a strong indicator that he's back and willing to take creative risks at any cost. [-B]

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What About The Voice Of Geddy Lee? Fact Checkin Cuz Tells Us It Helped Spawn 'The Tracey Fragements'

So last night we attended a screening of "The Tracey Fragments," at a Diesel event where director Bruce McDonald and Broken Social Scene-r Brendan Canning were at for a Q&A after the film (Canning's stripped down version of the Social Scene wrote the film's score; the soundtrack of which came out yesterday via ITunes).

More on the film in a review tomorrow, but the Q&A yielded some interesting tidbits: Namely that Rush's high alto wailing singer Geddy Lee might be the person to thank for the film. It was Lee who first sent McDonald the 'Fragments book as a gift and after he read it, he was inspired to make into a film.

But being that Canadian filmmakers are generally broke, the canny McDonald sent author Maureen Medved a pair as his cowboy boots as his way of saying he wanted the rights to the book. Charmed, she agreed and even penned the screenplay for the film (her first and she "wasn't precious about adapting her own material," the director said)

The movie stars Ellen Page, but anyone who thinks they scored the star to capitalize off of "Juno," would be wrong. 'Tracey' was shot way before that phenom-film hit and it was Page's performance in "Hard Candy" that impressed director - that and her love for Patti Smith.

"I was impressed that someone so young would be into her. That pretty much secured her the part," McDonald recalled of the casting meeting.

When asked how Broken Social Scene became involved in the film's score Canning was to the point. "Bruce called and we said yes" (the band and director have a friendship that dates back a few years and projects now). When asked what their scoring process was Canning said it wasn't rocket science. "We watched it, toured, gestated on it, watched it again and tried to compose for it."

He joked that people aren't exactly ringing their phone off the hook with score requests (young filmmakers take note!) "Yeah, we were up for "There Will Be Blood," it was either us or Jonny Greenwood," he joked. "We take take the offers we like, were good at bleakness so we tend to get offers in that vein."

And as for the film's talked-about experimental editing approach - a fragmented, Mondrian-like splitscreen technique that at times sometimes jarring, effective and obnoxious?

McDonald said that it was an indeed an "cubist-like" experiment to see if they could make the film stand out from other indies and to try and convey that splintered psyche of the protagonist. The author Medved fucking hated it at first. "She wouldn't take my calls. She was shocked and horrified at first," he laughed.

Like a lot of McDonald projects, the editing was rock n' roll at the end of the day t. "People add their parts, it's construction and deconstruction. It was like a rehearsal jam with lots of fucking around."

"The Tracey Fragements" opens up this Friday, May 9 in limited release. Oh yeah, McDonald told us that he's working on a horror film next. By that point, we were too drunk to ask details.
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Preview: New Broken Social Scene Track From Ellen Page's 'Tracey Fragments'

As we mentioned yesterday, this new track, "Horses," is a cover of the Patti Smith classic by Broken Social Scene (or a condensed version of the every-changing band) featuring Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin , Damon Richardson [formerly of Danko Jones] and Liz Powell from Montreal indie trio Land of Talk on vox.

The track comes from the upcoming soundtrack to Bruce McDonald's indie film, "The Tracey Fragments," (starring Ellen Page) due May 13 on Lakeshore records and features four new Social Scene songs (they composed the entire score to the film), plus one old track from the compilation Bee Hives. Just like her musical sway over, "Juno," Page's affection for Patti Smith's "Horses" made it a major motif in the film (*Lakeshore changed their date).

Liz Powell also appears on the BSS track "Needle In The Head," and will be featured on two tracks from Brendan Canning's self-titled Broken Social Scene series solo album that comes out June 22 on Arts & Crafts), including the first single, "Hit The Wall."

"The Tracey Fragments" came out in Canada late last fall and comes out in the U.S. May 9 via ThinkFilm. Someone hit us up with screening info already.
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Exclusive: 'Tracey Fragments' Soundtrack Due May 13, Features New Broken Social Scene Songs, Fembots And The Deadly Snakes

Ellen Page's latest film, the Canadian production, "The Tracey Fragments," is finally coming out in the U.S. on May 9 via ThinkFilm and the movie has a soundtrack hitting shelves April 29 May 13 (Lakeshore goofed on their date).

As we previously reported months ago and reminded just again recently when the U.S. release was announced, Broken Social Scene composed the score for their friend, director Bruce McDonald (director of the classic pseudo rockumentary "Hard Core Logo"; the filmmaker also recently shot a documentary for Brendan Canning's self-titled Broken Social Scene series solo album that comes out June 22 on Arts & Crafts) .

Though BSS have done multiple scores before ("Snow Cake," "Half Nelson," MacDonald's "The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess,") none of them have ever been released until now (*the exception being, 'Nelson' but that was primarily previously released material). We were hoping a full-on score disc would finally happen come out and our wishes have been answered. The Social Scene contribute four new pieces of music to the disc including a cover of Patti Smiths "Horses" featuring Land of Talk's Liz Powell on vocals (or at least it's sort of BSS, it's Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin and Damon Richardson [formerly of Danko Jones] is the backing band on that track with Powell; the fifth BSS song "hHallmark" is from Bee Hives).

Just like her musical influence over "Juno" (it was she who hipped director Jason Reitman to the Moldy Peaches) Page’s enthusiasm for Patti Smith's Horses turned the title song into one of the film’s major metaphors (Powell and BSS covered the track because Smith’s original was too cost-prohibitive.)

“There’s that genre of teenage angst film, and this is kind of an explosion of that genre,” McDonald told the CBC last October describing what makes the film unique. “Maybe the genre makes people feel slightly at home. They say: ‘I know this, it’s sort of familiar.’ But the dream is very different this time.”

Page shot 'Fragments', after "X-Men 3" and before she became the indie in-demand indie IT girl she is today, but McDonald sees that as fortuitous. "I’m thrilled because it’s going to lead people to our film. She’s going to be on the cover of magazines and talk shows, and then there’s this other thing she did, our crazy art film," he said.

“Getting Broken Social Scene to do the score, getting Ellen Page to be in it — these are very calculated decisions to say: We know this is kind of crazy experimental, but at the same time, we don’t want anyone to feel stupid.”

The 11 track soundtrack disc also features Vancouver singer/songwriter Rose Melberg, Toronto outré rockabilly punks Slim Twig and Neko Case-associates the Deadly Snakes, Montreal punk outfit, Duchess Says, and T.O indie-pop duo, Fembots. The film also features tracks by Patti Smith and pottymouth electro-rocker Peaches. You don't want to spoil it for yourself too much, but take note, most of "The Tracey Fragments" is already up on YouTube in chunks. One such segment is below.

There's also an ad-hoc "The Tracey Fragments" myspace page up which has the aforementioned cover of "Horses," one track by Drugstore and another uncredited track called, "17" which sounds like another Social song, but both tracks aren't on the CD (the real myspace page is here). Additionally, we're told that the Land of Talk singer Powell guests on two tracks of Canning's aforementioned Social Scene solo album including the first single, "Hit The Wall."

"The Tracey Fragments" tracklist
01. Horses - Broken Social Scene
02. Ccut Upp - Duchess Says
03. Don't Wanna Be Your Man - Fembots
04. Each New Day - Rose Melberg
05. Drop In The Mercury - Broken Social Scene
06. Who's Gonna Know Your Name (666) - Fembots
07. Gate Hearing! - Slim Twig
08. Oh Lord, My Heart - Deadly Snakes
09. Hhallmark - Broken Social Scene
10. Gone Or Missing - Broken Social Scene
11. Needle In The Head - Broken Social Scene

Download: Broken Social Scene "Da Da Dada" (from Feel Good Lost and the "Half Nelson" soundtrack)
Watch: "Tracey Fragments" trailer

Watch: "Tracey Fragments" scene

Watch: "Snow Cake" Trailer (scored by Broken Social Scene)

PS, Jeffery Wells says much of the film is displayed in "Mondrian-like split screens" and McDonald said he shot it in a way which returns to his film school roots, so it could really be something semi-experimental. Dying to see this, someone shoot us a press contact, we can't seem to find.

"Part of the promotion for the Canadian release, the distributor released all of the original footage as downloadable torrent files and encouraged people to re-edit the footage into whatever they saw fit...this is believed to be the first theatrically-released film to make its footage available in such a fashion....entries ranged from music videos to a complete re-edit of the film in linear order, without split screens."
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Bruce McDonald Shooting Brendan Canning Documentary For Social Scene Solo Album

Broken Social Scene and Bruce McDonald are bff's. McDonald has used the Canadian indie-rock collective's music in many of his films including his most recent, "The Tracey Fragments" starring Ellen Page.

To add to the Canuck lovefest, the Canadian filmmaker is currently directing a documentary about Social Scene founding member Brendan Canning for the release of the bassist/guitarist/singer's Broken Social Scene Presents series album (a self-titled solo effort, likely Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning) which is due June 10 22 on Arts & Crafts according to a publicist for the label (*the label bumped the release a bit).

Apparently McDonald has been following Canning around, filming the recording process which will be shown on IFC in Canada (and hopefully the U.S., though we kind of doubt it). A veteran of the local scene, Canning has a rich indie-rock history to draw from having spent time in various groups including hHead, By Divine Right (with Feist), Len, BSS and his BSS-offshoot Valley of the Giants.

A Broken Social Scene oral-history book written by Toronto Eye music writer Stuart Berman which includes all the members of the band plus Hayden, K-OS, Scott Kannberg from Pavement and Gordon Moakes from Bloc Party should see the light of day via House of Anansi publishing in early '09.

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