By: Henry J. Fromage –
Day 2 of TIFF saw me catch a couple of on the surface genre flicks with a bit more to offer dramatically than you’d expect.
405. I, the Executioner
This lively follow-up to cop action/comedy Veteran is exactly the amount of fun you’d want to in reuniting with Hwang Jung-min and his at times goofy but always ultimately effective squad. The criminal this time is a serial killing vigilante who murders criminals thought to be underpunished by the Korean legal system with the exact same modus operandi that they perpetrated on their victims. Korean cinema is known for fearlessly intermixing what could be clashing genres, and the gory violence here (much more than the original) really stretches the boundaries of the action/thriller and comedy/drama pairings here, but for me, it worked fine. Three Beers.
TIFF Special Drinking Game:
Take a Drink: whenever anyone is not able to open a car door
Take a Drink: for every annoying internet video/live feed
Take a Drink: whenever anyone eats
Do a Shot: for every smirk
406. The Cut
This boxing drama starring Orlando Bloom is focused on a part of boxing that comes before what’s usually dramatized- the weigh-in. He plays a former championship-level boxer who gets an unexpected chance at the crown once again, that is, if he can make weight. Since that entails losing around 30 pounds in less than a week, it’s no small task, and as he pursues shadier and more dangerous methods at the behest of a terrifying trainer specializing in “cuts” played by John Turturro, he risks losing not just this bout, but the support of his friends and wife (Caitrona Balfe). It starts out with some rank cliches, but as it progresses into the procedural aspects of the cut itself, and thanks to the all-around excellent performances, it gains a steady power and a well-earned payoff. Three Beers.
TIFF Special Drinking Game:
Take a Drink: binge and/or purge
Take a Drink: for every hallucination
Take a Drink: for every weigh in
Do a Shot: for actual boxing matches
