1910 - Fading Gigolo

When I was first looking into this year's TIFF line-up this quickly became a must-see for me.  The premise alone had me sold: Woody Allen decides to become a pimp for John Turturro to help them out of a financial drought.  I'm in!
I wasn't expecting it to be a mad comical romp, by any means, but I have to say that the tone of the film was a lot more sentimental and slow than I would have imagined.  In the end, while I still enjoyed this film, I didn't love it as I was really hoping to.  There was a lot going on that didn't quite make sense to me, including a sub-plot with the always-fantastic Liev Schreiber that had Woody Allen going off to Jewish Court for reasons that were not all together clear.
The ending left a lot to be desired as I'm not quite sure what the film was getting at with it, what the point of it was, really.  Maybe I'm just spoiled by the current state of high-stakes story-telling, but the film lacked a sense of urgency and purpose that I think would have made all the difference.
By all means it's still worth checking out, it's very sweet, I think I was just hoping for something different with it.

1909 - Bad Words

I have a big place in my heart for inappropriate and dark comedy, and this filled it right up.  Jason Bateman's directorial debut has him playing a 40-year old man who has found a loophole to allow him to compete in a national high school spelling bee competition - the reason for which I won't spoil here.
The jokes are fast and funny and anyone studying the writing of comedy would do well to study this film for that alone.  The timing, callbacks and plot reversals are super strong and keep the film flowing without a dull moment through-out.
I can only imagine we'll be seeing this in a wide-release, so I don't want to give away any of it's shining moments.  If I had to make a critique the film could have, maybe, had a tinge more substance and message - although I think on a second viewing I might find I was enjoying myself too much to really notice that it was already there.
This film is a real crowd pleaser, and if you like your comedy dark, this is the place to be.

1908 - The Husband

The Husband tells a story of the saddest guy ever.  His wife, a teacher, has slept with one of her teenage students, and while off to jail has left him alone with their newborn child (when exactly did this affair take place, given how young the baby is?... was it before?...).  On top of that he's being further emasculated at work by younger employee.  It's just a shitty situation for this guy.  So we're programmed to have nothing but empathy for him... except I didn't... and that's what I bumped up against in this film.  I'm not against the choice of having the main character seem pissed off the whole time 'cause of the shitty situation he's been dealt - I get that - but the film has made the choice to make him... well, unlikeable.  I should have had nothing but empathy for this guy - but I didn't and I'm trying to figure out why.  Mostly it's probably because the choices the guy made - he just kind of ... acted, without and kind of a plan - and when we seem him trying to break out on his own career-wise, well, he just doesn't seem all that good at his job.
I really wanted to like this film, and there's some good elements going on with it, but I really had a hard time finding an in with the main character.  From the reviews I read, I think there's an audience for this type of film, and likely it just wasn't the right fit for me at the time I viewed it.  Please, though, if it seems interesting to you at all, please give it a shot and judge for yourself!

1907 - Child of God

There's no way to describe this film outside of delightfully fucked-up.  I have no way of explaining why I liked this film, but I really really did.  It follows a backwoods man as he delves into moral depravity and it's so goddamn fascinating.  You don't give the character a pass, but you also don't want to look away - he's so watchable and interesting.  Franco has such a confident eye in this film and knows exactly what he's trying to accomplish.  I can't imagine how on earth you would market this film outside of an art-house crowd, but it's a really solid, interesting film.  Scott Haze is absolutely amazing as the backwoodsman, and commands your attention.
I love that Franco is just all over the map with his projects and doesn't really have anything in particular that defines him.  Good on him, and I can't wait to see what he brings out next.

1906 - Joe

David Gordon Green has made some interesting career moves and tonal shifts in his body of films, and this feels much closer to his early days.  Joe is the story of Nicholas Cage who runs a group of guys that work in the forrest, and takes on a protoge in a young teenager with a shitty family in tow.  First, I love how dirty everyone looks and feels in this film - it's a beautiful thing.  The whole thing feels a bit like a poem, or a dream.  Green guides us along like a master story teller, taking his time, but always making us legitimately interested in what's happening, and what's coming.  Cage is in top form and deserves some nods for his performance here.  This will probably not be for everyone, but those into character dramas, this one will make you happen.

1905 - Don Jon

Only Joseph Gordon-Levitt would cast himself in a role like this and thank the sweet lord that he did.  Holy shit did I love this film.  I loved how fun it was, how much the cast gelled, and how inspired the casting was (especially Tony Danza).  I loved the style of the images, it's repetition.  Such a wonderfully endearing and fucked up lead character that you really love and want to see get what they want and need.  Again, this is a film where I don't want to give away a single damn thing, but know that I smiled from ear to ear from start to finish.  Not only is this a great film, but for a first time filmmaker, it's the promise of a great career as a filmmaker and I'm so excited to see what he does next in his regard.  See this the instant you're able.

1904 - Almost Human

I believe this is the only midnight madness film that I saw, and I went into it on a lark because it's screening time lined up with a window I had.  The premise is that a guy got abducted by aliens years prior and has returned and something's up with him.  Essentially he's an alien/human hybrid who reaks havoc on the community trying to further his new "species".  It's a fun premise, but the main issue with the film is that it feels kind of paper-thin and there's very little logic to how it all works, really.  From the acting to the writing everything kind of screams b-movie, but perhaps that's the point.

1903 - Gravity

We've seen Cast Away, Open Water, Frozen, Gerry, lots of great Dude With a Problem films that throw someone against the elements and demand that they survive and often laugh in their face for even trying to do so.  But, correct me if I'm wrong here, never has it happened in space - and if it has - I can't imagine it's been done so epically and so beautifully.
I'm not a 3D nerd, but this is the first film in the last dirge of them that I've seen where I absolutely understand why the medium exists.  It truly did add a layer to the film (pun only marginally intended).  Sandra Bullock doesn't give the performance of a lifetime or anything, but she easily carries the bulk of the film on her shoulders along with some amazing technical wizards.  I heard some people had story issues but I was just along for the ride and happy to be there.  This will be sweeping the multiplexes soon enough and I give it my solid approval.  And it's absolutely a film that needs to be seen in as beautiful a theatre as you can muster.

1902 - The Wonders

This film didn't do a whole lot for me, sadly.  It was full of double crosses and "who's screwing who" and it flipped flopped till I couldn't quite keep it straight.  Charming in pieces, and I liked the performers.

1901 - The F Word

Now.  THIS is an example of making an accessible, commercial film inside of Canada.  But Michael Dowse is no stranger to that with Good.  Dowse is easily one of my favorite working directors in Canada.  I've been tracking this film for a while because two of my friends have small parts in it, but I'd be tracking it anyway because of Dowse alone.
It's easy to label this film as an update on When Harry Met Sally, but it's more than just that.  It throws you right into a head-on witty banter and doesn't let you go from that.  Of course you're in for a will they/won't they type film, but the situations they're put into aren't just for laughs or annoying suspense.  You feel their angst and confusion.  There's a pitch-perfect scene that takes place inside of a change room which anyone writing an effective rom-com should study.  It's a fantastic moment and the film is full of them.  Radcliffe is quite charming once you get used to the idea of him as a romantic interest (which does take a moment to adjust to) and Zoe Kazan is downright adorable - Adam Driver rounds out the cast nicely.
This film made a big splash at TIFF, and rightly so, so I think it won't be long before you can see it yourself.  Make sure you do.

1900 - Enough Said

Nicole Holofcener is one of my favorite filmmakers - she's labelled as a female Woody Allen, and while I love Woody, Nicole stands strongly on her own two feet.  She's making some of the best romantic comedies of our generation, and this is no exception.  I need to see it again before I firmly make this statement - but this might be my favorite of her films.
It's about two middle aged people who are watching their only children moving out of the house, and in the course they strike up a relationship and see if they can get over the baggage left by their previous marriages.  It's a beautiful little comedy with honest, insightful and hilarious conversations.  It's about learning who you are as you grow, and what you will and won't put up with.  It's a great film and a must-see.

1899 - Hateship Loveship

All I knew about this film going in was that someone I knew liked it, and who was in the cast.  That's another beauty of just seeing a bunch of films in a festival - often you get to go in fresh to the story and world - and it's so rare these days that you get to experience a world that way.
It's the story of a sheltered young woman played by Kristen Wiig, who is fucking wonderful here.  Her subtle smile that creeps through the whole thing is so beautiful and you just want to wrap your arms around her.  What I loved most about this was that I legitimately had no idea where the story was headed, and in a very good way I was just along for the ride.  It's a film about a caregiver and a bunch of other people who have to learn to take care of themselves.  I don't want to ruin any details of this lovely little film - but if you like strong, heartfelt character pieces - this is a must-see.

1898 - August: Osage County

When you've got an all access pass to TIFF, it's difficult to not just use it to see all the big films that are being released for Oscar season, and while I don't avoid them entirely, I try to see a good mix-bag to keep me honest.  This is, clearly, not one of those - this is oscar bait through and through.
It's a powerful ensemble that comes to give powerhouse performances - there's a, roughly 25 minute living room scene, which that allows every single performer to have a moment all of their own including several reversals.  It's delightful.
For years I've been dancing around a dysfunctional family film of my own - but now I'm not sure I've got anything to say that this film hasn't.  So good on them for that.  It's not an easy film to make - none of the characters are super likable, but that isn't the point - the point is that they're interesting.  We want to know what makes them tick - we want to see what they'll do, how they'll end up.  Making a character do unlikeable things isn't enough to make them someone interesting and this filmmaking team nows that.
Expect to hear a lot about this film in the upcoming months.  For those who love character dramas - it's a muse-see.

1897 - TIFF - Short Cuts Canada - Programme 2

So full disclosure - this is the programme that I screened in in TIFF this year - and since this is my blog, I'm including a still from my own film about to represent the group.  Sue me :)
Over-all I really enjoyed the flow of the programme, which must be an art in and of itself to do for those in charge.  The program is at one time beautiful, challenging, heartfelt, and hilarious.  I look forward to staying in touch with these filmmakers and see how they grow.  Below, a snapshot on my thoughts on the films in this program:

A Grand Canal - Directed by Johnny Ma
The visual style was quite striking and made it feel like it took place in the 70's.  It's the story of a young man recounting his father's final days.  Based on how the narrative ends you're lead to believe that the filmmaker is telling the story of his own father - but this is just a dramatic device, and sadly I felt like it was a little bit of a cheat when I found that out.  It shouldn't make the film's ending any less satisfying, but for me - somehow it did...

Beasts in the Real World - Directed by Sol Friedman
A delightfully experimental film.  It starts off by putting a camera on the conveyer belt of a sushi restaurant and I was worried that was all the film was going to be - but Sol is good hands to be in as he pushes you around and makes you delight in glee at some morbid stuff, all done with a lovely wink.

Seasick - Directed by Eva Cvijanovic
My joke through-out the festival was that any of the animated filmmakers were infinitely talented than any of the live-action ones - and while that's not true necessarily, I've always been a bit jealous of the skill set.  The animation here is beautiful - the story is all the way secondary, and not really the point.  But lovely all around.

Daybreak - Directed by Ian Lagarde
This film was disturbing in a deliberate and challenging way.  The story of a bunch of asshole kids on the cusp of being adults and figuring out what that means, where you stand, and who your real friends are.  A dark, sad, yet beautiful film.

Noah - Directed by Walter Woodmen & Patrik Cederberg
This might be my favorite of our program.  First off, the idea of having it take place entirely online is timely and satisfying.  I dare say the filmmakers should consider a feature version of this.  I found myself engaged, laughing out loud, rooting for this young stupid kid.  You'll likely be able to see this one on-line - do it!!!

Out - Directed by Jeremy LaLonde
This one is mine.  It's a comedy and people laughed.  Mission accomplished!

Young Galaxy - Directed by James Wilkes
What's it like to live inside of the mild of a child.  The answer is this.  Imagination abounds here, although I have to say that I didn't get a sense of a lesson learned.  It's one thing to put us inside the mind of a child so effortlessly, but the film doesn't answer - why his imagination - why this day, why, why why?  Too many questions and not enough answers, sadly.  Why are we inside of his head on THIS day.  

1896 - Stay

I am officially in love with Taylor Schilling.  And I also found myself adoring Aidan Quinn, who I can normally not really get all that excited about - as far as I know it's the first time he's really played his age in recent years.
The film is about a young woman who is dating a man old enough to be her father, living in Ireland.  They have a nice simple life until she discovers she's pregnant, and knowing that he doesn't want children, the two take some alone time to figure out their shit, which includes her leaving their place in Ireland for her to return him to Canada to figure some stuff out (her father, played by Michael Ironside, was a delightful surprise).
The film starts off as a simple story of a couple, but then it ends up being an ensemble by the end, and the shift is confusing at first.  It muddles the central story a bit and left me wondering what the over-all themes of the piece there were.  Solid performances make the film an easy recommend, though, and make up for any of the film's minor flaws.

1895 - The Right Kind of Wrong

I often complain that Canada doesn't bother making commercial films very often, which is part of the problem with our film system.  So first off, I want to give kudos to this filmmaking team for even making the attempt.  That being said, this isn't exactly the kind of film I hope for when I make such comments.  It's got some charm to it, absolutely, but the premise is... I don't know... A man, who has become the subject of his ex-wife's book "Why You Suck" falls in love with a woman on her wedding day based solely on the fact that she kicks the hell out of a football whilst in a wedding dress.  Granted, the film mocks him for this, it doesn't change the fact that this is a rom-com because Ryan Kwanten is cast in the lead.  Put Paul Giamati in this role and the women aren't exactly getting behind his goal of making this woman fall for him.
I could actually forgive the film all of that if it didn't commit the biggest sin - being a rom-com with no 'com'.  It's just not funny, really.  The film has a solid message behind it, but the characters aren't grounded in any kind of reality to help support that message, instead relying on cliches like cute kids who are way too smart for their own good and instead of stealing scenes mostly just elicit eyeball rolls.
The highlights of this film is how beautiful Canada looks in it and just how great Sara Canning is.  She's easily the highlight of the film, and if there's a reason to check it out - it's her.

1894 - Empire of Dirt

Got to see the World Premiere of this at TIFF, and since then I've heard such varying things about it.  It's the story of three generations of women trying to sort their lives out and figure out how to deal with one another.  I've heard people say that it's absolutely brilliant and others calling it an unfocused mess.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.  I found the visuals to be distracting in that it felt like an artistic choice that was more interesting for the filmmakers than suiting of the story and world.  In the Q&A Stebbings mentioned that the film was an experiment in him not using a storyboard or shot-list, and it feels like that.  Also they mentioned not knowing where an expositional speech that everyone loved should go.  Right now, they've placed it at the very end of the film, and it almost feels like it's explaining, on-the-nose, all the subtleties we've been going through for the last two hours.  This was one of the larger complaints about the film I'd heard as well.
So I don't really recommend this film one way or the other.  If you're a fan of heavy dramas this could be right up your alley.

1893 - CinemaNovels

A young woman's father dies an in an effort to get to him him despite their checkered past, decides to run a memorial film festival - the problem being that she's never seen any of his films.
Lauren Lee Smith is the reason I went to see this, and by all means, she's the best thing about the film.
This is a tough film, because at one point it comes off as the kind of film that's making fun of arty Bergman-esque films, and on the other hand - it absolutely is that kind of film too.  So my fear is that with a film like this, it's going to isolate it's audience...
There was something bizarre in the visuals as well, beautiful close-ups that were matched with these flat, pixelated wide-shots - almost as if a different DP did them - or it was a different film.  I normally don't comment on such things - but because they pulled me out of it I couldn't help it.
Overall, I enjoyed Lauren Lee Smith so much, but the film over-all just didn't grab me the way I was hoping it would - perhaps it'll be different for you when you give it a shot!

1892 - Blood Ties

Finally getting around to writing up my TIFF viewing!  I'm a good dozen or so behind, so bear with me :)
This is a re-make of a film I never saw.  Two brothers, one a cop and the other a hardened criminal and the cat and mouse game that they play.  The film takes it's time in setting up the family dynamics - and it really doesn't need to - we get it pretty quickly.  Clive Own and Billy Krudup are top notch here, but sadly the women are given very little to do.
The film could do well with some trimmings - it has several solid sequences including a phenomenal third act that really builds up up to a super solid conclusion.  I hope they cut it down a bit before it's final release.  Great performances for the guys, a real shame the amazingly talented women were short changed here.

1818 - Amy George

The two guys that made this film (Yonah Lewis & Calvin Thomas) were part of what inspired me to make Sex After Kids through crowd-funding.  I contributed to their new film and part of that was the DVD for this one, which arrived today much to my excitement.
I'm not going to get into how awesome it is that two people as young as these filmmakers not only made something but got it into TIFF.  That's been written about.  If you head over to the film's website they self-describe it as a "dimly-lit, glacially-paced movie experience", and while that description isn't wrong, it doesn't do the film justice (and points to them for realizing that their film fits into a niche). 
The film is about a young boy at the age where young boys aren't all that likeable.  And here they've got a tremendous performance out of Gabriel del Castrillo Mullally.  The idea of working with someone this young would terrify most filmmakers, but this film wisely builds a performance around it.  I loved the real-life-couple parents played by Claudia Day and Don Kerr. 
Visually the film is lovely, and the soundtrack flows wonderfully along with it.  I can't say that this is the type of film that I generally love, but when I'm in the right mood it can be just the right thing.  This is also the kind of film that I think requires a few repeat viewings to enjoy the subtleties.  It's not easy subject matter, by any stretch of the imagination, but it's worth checking out and I hope it gets a wider release.  I look forward to seeing what Yonah and Calvin pull off with their next opus.