'Cleaner' and 'Girl in the Park' define festival's acquisition frustration

Want to know why Hollywood acquisition execs have been shrugging their shoulders and grumbling whenever they are quizzed about the quality of available films at this year's fest? 

Today provided two textbook examples: "Cleaner," starring Samuel L. Jackson, and "The Girl in the Park," headlined by Sigourney Weaver.

It's not a reach to describe the introductory 15 minutes of "Cleaner" as the most intriguing piece of cinema Renny Harlin has ever directed (although fans of "The Long Kiss Goodnight" may disagree).

However, the promise of the film's initial premise -- a former cop (Jackson) becomes a specialist in picking up after the deceased are carted away -- dissipates as the plot contrives into a stylishly shot conventional whodunit, in which the primary suspect is easily deduced before the character's second scene.

Harlin tries to bring an unconventional take to the material, but as the movie progresses he sadly returns to his now-cliche mid-'90s action techniques.

Even with commercial prospects including Eva Mendes and Ed Harris in tow alongside Jackson, this one might end up in the direct-to-DVD bin.

Comparatively, "The Girl in the Park" is a much more interesting film, but it still suffers from inexperienced direction and a recurring theme at this year's fest: a bad score (as a friend sarcastically noted, "Does Clint Eastwood have to come up to Toronto to rescore all of this year's awards contenders?").

Signourney Weaver and Kate Bosworth do their best to make it work, but acclaimed playwright David Auburn doesn't show much of a cinematic eye or seem to understand the systematic flaws in his own screenplay. 

The picture feels destined for a smaller indie distributor such as Samuel Goldwyn or ThinkFilm, or to be the victim of a piecemeal release from Sony Classics. 

Other movies with big stars that have premiered and not been acquired include Stuart Townsend's ensemble "Battle in Seattle" with Charlize Theron, Andre "3000" Benjamin, Woody Harrelson and Channing Tatum as well as the comedy "Bill," which features Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks and Timothy Olyphant. 

Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor," whose biggest name is "Six Feet Under's" Richard Jenkins, was picked up late tonight by Overture Films.

-- Gregory Ellwood