The end of my movie road in Toronto this year resulted in a mixed bag of three films that can’t really be connected thematically, so consider this a randomly assembled trio of films that you should watch for if they ever appear on your cinematic radar. The best of the three is Karen Graham’s tender … Read more
Last week, in the center of the Toronto International Film Festival, an awards show unfolded that was among the most prestigious and star-studded of the year. Oscar winners took the stage with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time. All of the presenters and award winners arrived in Toronto with new works to … Read more
Three films that feel like they could be in the conversation come awards season comprise this Toronto International Film Festival dispatch of second takes on flicks we already hit at Karlovy Vary and Venice, led by further proof that Nicole Kidman is one of our best working actresses, a performer who has always been fearlessly … Read more
In the Toronto International Film Festival’s documentary section, stories about fighting for one’s beliefs, dreams, and survival sit side-by-side on the schedule. From near and afar, cameras give the audience an up close and personal view of issues and topics we may only skim across in headlines. The lens puts a face, a name, and … Read more
There’s something twisty in the air. There were a number of films at TIFF this year that were designed to keep viewers on their toes, turning in so many different directions that I heard all three of the films in this dispatch referred to as “silly” by at least one fellow critic. The funny thing … Read more
By nature of their logistics, film festivals always come with innate frights (accidentally going to the wrong theater for your screening, anything and everything related to Ticketmaster) but watching Midnight Madness films is a guaranteed way to be entertained even while being spooked. Even when the cinema genre is a known type, it’s exciting to … Read more
In my final dispatch from this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, I watched three films about families in crisis. In Edward Burns’s drama “Millers in Marriage,” three fifty-something siblings contend with how relationships morph and change as you age. In Seth Worley’s imaginative film “Sketch,” the shared grief of a father and his children manifests … Read more
Honestly, I wish I could carve out time for more documentaries at TIFF. With over 200 films, it’s a massive endeavor, and the high-profile, star-packed fiction films often demand my attention. However, I did seek out three specifically this year that piqued my interest, and was satisfied with the results. My favorite of the three … Read more
At first glance, it would seem that Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her soon-to-be brother-in-law Julius (Jacob Elordi) might be harboring some secret feelings for each other. They hold hands and trade knowing looks just out of sight from Muriel’s fiancé, Lee (Will Poulter). But life–and love–is much more complicated in the 1950s America of “On … Read more
People were breaking into song and dance at TIFF this year. Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck” has one of the most charming dance numbers in years, and “Megalopolis” feels like it could become a Baz Luhrmann film on multiple occasions. Still, it was Jacques Audiard and Joshua Oppenheimer who brought actual, original musicals, with … Read more