Headshot is self-described as crime noir film about an assassin who was shot in the head which ends up causing him to see the world upside down. Thailand’s Pen-Ek Ratanaruang chooses to present a slow burning film rather than a fast paced action film that it could have been. When first hearing about Headshot when it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year I was hoping for it to turn my world upside down but instead only the main character’s did.

Tul (Nopachai Chaiyanam) wakes up from a 3 month coma after being shot in the head. The title card at the beginning displayed Headshot upside down which foreshadowed what Tul experiences when he wakes up. Everything that he sees is now upside-down.

Through the use of flashbacks we go back several years ago to find out how the chain of events that caused this to happen. We learn that Tul is a cop who is on a case to bring down a group of heroin smugglers. During a raid of their warehouse they find the heroin as shots begin to fire. Several people end up getting killed including Tul’s partner.

The group of smugglers try to bribe Tul into dropping the case on them but he does not follow their orders, even when $10 million is offered. When the bribe does not work they try a different method, blackmail. They frame him for murdering a woman and he ends up in jail for three years.

One day Tul is visited by a man who works for a group that targets Thailand’s most rich and powerful mafias. He tells Tul that if he becomes an expert assassin for them that they would get him out of jail in a matter of weeks. This is an offer he agrees to cooperate with.

It just so happens that the woman he was framed for killing really was not dead as he originally thought. She explains to him that she was hired by the drug smugglers to fake her death and that she felt sorry about it. Oddly enough, the two end up falling in love with each other.

A few scenes in Headshot are shot in the point of view of Tul, which reminded me of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly quite a bit, especially when he first awakes in the hospital. One of the more unique shooting techniques in the film is when we see things upside-down just like Tul would. However, considering how large of an impact that would be to someone, especially one that fires guns for a living, the film does not put enough focus on his aliment.

You would assume with a condition such as not being able to see things the correct way that your ability to fight and kill people would be lost. But Tul barely seems to struggle with it. I guess it is a good thing that he practiced moving around with his eyes closed during his cop training because now he just needs to turn off the light switch when he fights.

The gas station scene where he stops a man from harassing a worker seemed to be completely unnecessary. It showed that Tul is actually a good person that does bad things to people but we already knew that. That was not the only scene that felt unneeded, there were several others.

Ultimately, Headshot sounds more interesting than it pans out to be. There is a lot of potential for a film in which the main character’s world is literally turned upside down but it underutilized the concept. So much so, that his condition almost seems like an afterthought as it really has no real impact on the story. With how much potential the film could have had, it felt more like a letdown than anything else.

The Toronto International Film Festival has started announcing titles of films that will be playing at it’s 36th annual festival held from September 8th – 18th 2011. Last year the TIFF had 246 films that were part of the festival, which included many world and international premieres. This year’s lineup looks to be very promising as it includes the works from; George Clooney, Francis Ford Coppola, Lars von Trier, Morgan Spurlock, Cameron Crowe and Jay & Mark Duplass. This year Way Too Indie’s very own Blake Ginithan will be attending TIFF and will be reporting back his thoughts on it so stay tuned.

There are too many films to list for one article so instead I will list some of the most exciting and big-named films coming to TIFF in 2011.

Why excited: It stars one of my favorite actors Philip Seymour Hoffman. Speaking of stars it is loaded with them; George Clooney (who also wrote and directed it), Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.
Synopsis: An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.

Why excited: Again, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill certainly do not hurt either.
Synopsis: The story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

Why excited: Not only is it black and white but it is a silent film.
Synopsis: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Why excited: The film is going to be a big mind-fuck. Plus got to love John Hawkes.
Synopsis: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

Why excited: 50/50 shot of being funny or lame but I enjoy Seth Rogen.
Synopsis: A comedic account of a 27-year-old guy’s cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.

Why excited: Any director that gets banned from Cannes is pretty badass. Plus Kirsten Dunst won Prix d’interpretation feminine at Cannes from her role in this film.
Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Why excited: Looks like it might be a decent action movie.
Synopsis: A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

Why excited: Nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, this foreign film looks incredible in an artsy kind of way.
Synopsis: A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

Why excited: Sounds messed up, in a good way.
Synopsis: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

Why excited: Jay and Mark Duplass are amazingly talented indie directors with their own style.
Synopsis: When he leaves his house on a banal errand for his mother, Jeff discovers that the universe might be sending him messages about his destiny.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Why excited: The synopsis sounds very intriguing. Seeing parts of the film upside down sounds brilliant.
Synopsis: Tul, a hitman, is shot in the head during an assignment. He wakes up after a three-month coma to find that he sees everything upside down, literally. Then he meets a girl that turns his world even more upside down. Who was trying to kill him in the first place?
There is no trailer for this film yet

Why excited: Why not?
Synopsis: Idiosyncratic, cheeky and uncategorizable, the films of Guy Maddin are testaments to the singular vision of a great contemporary cinema artist, and Keyhole may be his boldest film yet. A surreal indoor odyssey of one man, Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) struggling to reach his wife (Isabella Rosellini) in her bedroom upstairs, this hypnotic dreamlike journey bewilders and captivates.
There is no trailer for this film yet