TIFF Review: 'Mirage' Starring Isaach De Bankolé
A mysterious black man walks the boundless Hungarian prairies, whistling an indistinguishable tune. Without a leaf of shade in sight, the scorching sun practically penetrates the screen through Szabolcs Hajdu’s opening sequence, and when the stranger stops to take his leather jacket off, looking towards the endless horizon, the title “Mirage” envelops the sky. With this minimalistic grasp of cinematic fundamentals, Hajdu establishes the tone of his modern Western in scintillating style. Shot on 35mm film, exploiting every corner of its CinemaScopic aspect ratio, “Mirage” is a dream for fans of gorgeous, squinty-eyed, atmospheric Westerns.
The outsider is Francis (Isaach De Bankolé), a name we only find out 30 minutes into the film. Until then, he’s very much the embodiment of a modern Man With No Name, wandering from one desolate place to the next. He happens upon a semi-abandoned train station, where he meets a none-too-friendly train conductor, his sweaty expression...