By: Henry J. Fromage –
Day 1 of TIFF was full of Cannes debuts I’ll have to tell you about later, but also these two premieres (with many more to come).
644. Toy Gun Bandit
Toy Gun Bandit follows Félix (Félix Munger), who’s just turned 15 and up for drinking whatever he can get his hands on with his buddies. When they decide to prank a friend on the night shift at a gas station, Félix somewhat accidentally robs the place, which throws off his friends but makes him a new one in a seedy older guy who has a bigger criminal plans. As Félix gets further involved in this ersatz gang, the joke is he’s easily the most driven and competent of this group despite seeming like the lowest on the totem pole of his peers. It’s a bit hard not to root for the kid, but a life of crime rarely pays… Two Beers.
Take a Drink: for underage drinking
Take a Drink: whenever someone doesn’t know when to stop talking
Do a Shot: for each bank job
645. Children Untold
Children Untold does just that, following Kotoko, a young Japanese girl living in the countryside who finds in the waning days of WWII she may be an orphan- and the mean unreconstructed streets of Tokyo are no great place to be an orphan. Her trials and tribulations are many, but she learns early on that passing as a boy instead of a girl will preclude several of the least savory ones. A story of survival with an epic sweep and an unromantic eye towards all that entails, particularly for children. Two Beers.
Take a Drink: for patriotic fervor
Take a Drink: for music
Take a Drink: for odd jobs
Do a Shot: for the oldest profession
