TIFF 2003 - 2007

A fun thriller on the first viewing, a subversive and twisted drama on the second, and all cleverly disguised as a shiny studio venture. The violence is intense, but also has the cartoonish appeal of Cronenberg's earlier biological horror flicks. Somehow, it's crude and polished at the same time. The casting is perfect. As husband and wife, Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello look and act like a real American family. They have great chemistry, particularly in two key love scenes that reveals just as much story and character as any straight dialogue would. Ed Harris and William Hurt have a blast at chewing the scenery which works in a brilliant contrast to Mortensen's subtlety. With a total runtime under a hundred minutes, each scene is finely crafted and executed, creating an energetic and thoroughly entertaining film that never overstays its welcome.

This is the most underrated film of 2006. Excellent, excellent performances all around, especially Sigourney Weaver. Alan Rickman proves he's still got it at 60. Yes, it's a little bit cheesy, but the story is really heartfelt there's enough honest humour to balance out the sentimentality.

I wish more Canadian flicks were like this one! Despite a tiny budget, the cinematography is gorgeous. Part of that is of course due to the beautiful Slocan Valley where the movie is set, but beyond that, rookie director Aubrey Nealon has managed to get some exquisite aerial shots -- and even incorporated a sea plane into the plot -- that take the whole movie beyond the typical "funded by the Canadian government" aesthetic. Nealon's script feels like it was written by someone with way more storytelling experience, and features finely nuanced characters, obscure historical details, and mature relationships we don't get to see enough in movies today. The casting is perfect -- Kris Lemche, Michael Hogan, and Matt Craven feel like they are these characters, not just playing them.

Probably my favourite "surprise" at the festival. I knew that Eastern Promises would be my favourite film overall before I even saw it, but as for the rest, I really had no idea what to expect. It's always a film toward the end of the fest, when I'm tired and the excitement of each screening has worn off, that I see something really like and completely didn't expect to. Last year, I was delighted with Snow Cake on the last day, and the year before that, Transamerica took me by surprise at a late-Friday-night screening. So here is the entry for this year. David Auburn, writer of one of my favourite plays, Tony-award-winning Proof, makes his directorial debut here (and wrote the script). Sigourney Weaver stars as a woman who loses her daughter at the playground, and even years later, still hasn't recovered. Now divorced and more or less estranged from the rest of her family, she has a fairly random run-in with a young woman (played by Kate Bosworth) who eventually ends up living with Weaver, who treats her like her lost daughter. Sure, it may sound like a ridiculous premise, but it's from the guy who made a play about math work. Trust him.

An underrated drama/thriller that was completely overlooked by critics. Gwyneth Paltrow is phenomenal here as Katherine, the daughter of a once-brilliant mathetmatician (Anthony Hopkins), wrestling with the possibility that she might go crazy just like he did. Hope Davis is the estranged sister who means well, but doesn't believe Katherine is the author of a genius piece of work found among their father's things, and Jake Gyllenhaal is the lovable geek caught up in everything, not sure what to think. A powerful four-character piece both on stage and on film. You don't need to like or even understand numbers to enjoy it. A few technical terms are thrown around, but the real fun here is the intrigue and the relationships forged and broken down.

This is very likely going to be the surprise sleeper/cult hit of 2007, following in the tradition of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Napolean Dynamite, and Little Miss Sunshine. Except this movie is better than all of those combined. TV fans will love it for it's brilliant cast: Jason Bateman and Michael Cera from Arrested Development, Jennifer Garner from Alias, Allison Janney from The West Wing, and The Office's Rainn Wilson in an opening-scene cameo. Ellen Page stars as a pregnant teenager looking for parents to adopt her child. If this girl hasn't proven her acting chops already with Hard Candy, Mouth to Mouth, and (for you comic book geeks) X-Men 3, watch out for her to win an Oscar before she's 30, (she's 20 now, though she looks only 15 and fits the role here perfectly). A sweet, smart comedy with brilliant dialogue and wonderfully realized relationships, and even some nice, more dramatic moments. Jason Reitman creates a quirky, fun world and Diablo Cody's debut script is honest, charming, and full of likable characters you can actually relate to. Perhaps not quite Academy material, but it should get some buzz from the Golden Globes.

It has drawn a lot of comparisons to Adaptation, one of my favourite films, but this one is even better. Ferrell proves he really can act, plus great performances all around. And this film is much more accessible to the masses than anything by Kaufmann, but still very smart.

Exactly the kind of film I love! A twisted premise with both intensely dramatic and darkly comic scenes, a tightly woven narrative connecting a small ensemble in surprising and fun ways, morally ambiguous characters, and a very talented cast bringing the whole thing to life. Rachel McAdams, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, and Pierece Brosnan are at their finest in this period tale of infiedelity and murder. Not surprisingly, McAdams can pull off the platinum blonde hair just as well as she can do "normal" blonde, brunette, and pink. Cooper and Clarkson, always wonderful, don't disappoint, and Brosnan, though given the least to do, manages fine. Watch for David Wenham in a hilarious cameo.

One of my favourite surprises from TIFF, a film I bought tickets for despite knowing nothing about it, and then delighted in seeing it earn a few Oscar nominations a few months later. One of a rare breed of quirky little indies that can be watched again and again without getting tired. Great mix of humour and drama and fabulous performances all around.

WOW. Viggo and Cronenberg deliver once again. Without giving too much away, I can confidently say that fans who felt "A History of Violence" and "Spider" weren't Cronenbergian enough will be happy with the director's latest. While he continues to take his films into new territory, there are certain scenes that will surely remind hardcore fans of his older biological horror style. These scenes will also surely be the most talked about in any movie of the year. Character-driven with some great performances, this film definitely deserves some Oscar nominations. However, if you didn't like how AHoV ended, you'll hate the conclusion of this one. I loved both of course, I find ambiguity a powerful storytelling tool. Wow, can you believe I managed to write a whole review without mentioning how great Viggo was? Ooops, I mean almost...

Adorable is the only way to describe it. A fuzzy, family-friendly flick with gay themes, that could also work as a TV movie-of-the-week (an above average one, that is). Tom Cavanagh (TV's "Ed") stars as a closeted former hockey player who now works as a sports broadcaster. When he and his partner unexpectedly become foster parents to a flamboyant young boy, he has to deal with long-repressed self-image issues. Interesting to note here is that the NHL and Toronto Maple Leafs endorsed the film by allowing their name and logos to be used throughout: a first for a gay-themed sports movie. :)

Have you ever watched porn with 500 strangers? It's an interesting experience.

After my second screening, my thoughts are pretty much the same as the first, though I did enjoy it much more the 2nd time. Not sure why. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are both abyssmal, but nobody has enough screentime to really ruin the whole movie. The rest of the cast was quite good, even if some of their roles were underdeveloped. Great selection of archival footage and general attention to details. Not a perfect movie, but the last fifteen minutes alone is completely worth the price of admission.

Adorable! A tad too much swearing (a mistake I've made myself, so it's excusable), but I can't think of any other movie for adults with such a cute animal performance! Kudos to the director for not including a cheesy romantic subplot too.

Very slow starting out, but ultimately a really interesting and heart-breaking story. Jack committed a horrible murder when he was young, possibly 12 or 13. Having served his sentence, he is now in his early 20s and living under an assumed name, trying to start life over. While not much happens in the movie, getting to know Jack in his new life and learning about his haunting past through flashbacks make this a fascinating character study. Andrew Garfield delivers a breakthrough performance.

After reading a review of this flick in a local paper that compared it to Paul Haggis's "Crash" (my least favourite film of all time, not to be confused with David Cronenberg's film of the same name, which is awesome), I couldn't resist. I went in expecting the worst, but was very pleasantly surprised -- it is nothing like "Crash" at all. The setting will be familiar, we've seen the depressed affluent family before in flicks like "The Ice Storm" and "American Beauty"; but this is not meant to be a critique on suburban life. It is in fact a deeply personal account on the effects a car crash a few years ago has had on the victim's family and friends, particularly his mother (Carrie Anne Moss) and best friend (Kevin Zegers). It's a heartfelt script and beautifully directed (by Carl Bessai), and the acting is top notch.

Gorgeous film to watch and just to listen to.

I wish Bowie had been involved or they had at least gotten the rights to his songs, but the original music is pretty good. The storytelling is a bit on the pretentious side, but the casting and performances are spot on. Great make-up and costumes, especially on Rhys Meyers.

Ellen Page is one of the greatest actors of her generation. Here she pairs up with one of my favourite directors, Bruce McDonald, to make one hell of a movie. It may be overwhelming to casual viewers, as it plays out more like an abstract piece of art than a narrative film. Nearly every shot is broken up into split-screen "fragments." Julian Richings makes a genius cameo appearance as Tracey's (female) shrink. Great music too, with some indie/cult faves, Patti Smith, and a score by Broken Social Scene.

A touching doc about a young man's reunion with his estranged father, only made more interesting by the fact that the young man is Entourage star Adrian Grenier.

Funny. Smart. Touching. Very original concept! Great acting, even from the kid (and I hate kids).

Saw this at TIFF a few years ago. Sadly I don't remember details, but I know I liked it.

My very first TIFF movie!

Liza appeared for a wacky Q&A after the TIFF screening of this. That was probably more memorable than the movie itself. Great music though.

The Babysitters Club meets Risky Business. Genius concept, how come Hollywood hasn't already done it? This tiny film set in Ann Arbor, Michigan, follows Shirley as she begins an affair with the father of one of her babysitting charges. After his friends find out, they want a piece of the action, and soon Shirley and her friends are running a full-fledged call-girl service, using baby-sitting only as a cover-up. The cast of fresh faces is very talented, and it's nice to see a movie every once in awhile where all the teenagers DON'T look and sound like OC rejects.

I admit, I probably wouldn't have given this a second thought if it weren't for Viggo. But the thought of seeing it with two of my idols (he and David Cronenberg were both present at the TIFF screenings I attended) was too much! Thank you Viggo for kissing David ten feet away from me. :)

A solid documentary featuring interviews with former teenage prostitutes in New York. Through interviews, they tell about how they got into "the life" (the average age of being recruited into the business is 13), how they got out, and how they are staying clean and safe through the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS). A scary, but honest and in some ways hopeful look at the situation that should raise awareness for the cause.

Better performances than the script deserved.

Though the film itself is ridiculously pretentious, Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish deliver raw and honest portrayals of their characters. Geoffrey Rush in a smaller role is decent, if he chews the scenery a little as a flamboyantly gay dealer. As a couple, Ledger and Cornish have chemistry, and their troubles as they descend into addiction and resort to prostitution and petty theft are tough to watch. For a small-budget film, the camerawork is quite nice, particularly early on, before the drugs become a serious problem. In the end though, the story doesn't seem to go anywhere; nothing is resolved.

Kind of odd, but interesting. Great performances.

Think Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, but with a female lead. The entire story revolves around Anna Faris trying to do simple everyday tasks, like baking cupcakes to replace the ones she ate while she had a case of the munchies for her roommate. Very accurately portrays the ups and downs of being stoned (sadly yes, I know this first hand), in a very funny way. You wouldn't know this is directed by the same guy who did the very dark Mysterious Skin only a few years ago. Great cameos from a number of cult icons, like Danny Trejo and Carrot Top. Yes, Carrot Top was in a TIFF film. Our beloved festival is definitely heading down hill. And of course you can't forget the cheesy music. Styx anyone?

Saw this on a very busy day at TIFF (four movies in 9 hours). It was probably good, but I was so tired I fell asleep anyway. Icelanders speak way too fast to follow along when you're tired!

Didn't see this whole movie, I double booked myself and had TIFF and U2 tix the same night. I saw about half an hour before I had to sneak out. What I saw was good though!

The murder plot is ridiculous, but the film fest coverage and cameos are gold!

Not bad for a martial arts flick. Got to see it free (as a volunteer), that's always a plus.

Not a great film, but competent. I'm generally not a fan of period films, but this one is carried well by Guy Pearce's charasmatic performance (who is quickly rising my list of favourite actors, after this and his perfect portrayal of Andy Warhol earlier this year). Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as a shill of a psychic trying to win a cash prize from Pearce's Harry Houdini, who has offered the reward to anyone who can deliver to him his mother's dying words. A weak premise for a story really, and with it being told from the point of view of Zeta-Jones's character's daughter, who has a very heavy Scottish accent, it was a admittedly hard to follow. See it if you're a fan of magic or the actors, but be warned, this is a highly embellished story of the famous escape artist, not a biographical tale in any way.

Decent, for a bunch of self-involved characters. Nicely shot if nothing else.

Too earnest for it's own good, but Aaron Webber has impressed my with two intelligent performances now, I can't wait to see what he does next.

Saw this at TIFF '04. Decent, nothing great. I love how they are trying to capitalize on Bloom's supporting role by putting him front and center in the advertising. Really, he isn't in it that much.

Very much a hit and miss film. The beginning and end are very good, but the middle has some truly horrible moments, and it drags on way too long. First, the not-so-good. In true Julie Taymore style, some of the sequences are really trippy -- way weirder than Moulin Rouge. "The Benefit of Mr. Kite" with Eddie Izzard, and Bono's extremely disappointing rendition of "I Am The Walrus" are first to come to mind. On the good side, the cast of fresh faces range from okay to fantastic. Evan Rachel Wood is surprisingly an amazing singer. I wasn't sure she would be able to pull the role off, but she works it! Her leading man, newcomer Jim Sturgess, is also very good -- and good-looking! Between these two, they lucked out getting some of my personal favourite Beatles tunes, but many others featured in the film are lesser-known or (at least in my opinion) not very good. If you're a fan of the band, you'll either love this or find it "sacrilegious" (my dad's word). If you're a fan of the Beatles...well, who doesn't love the Beatles???

This is going to be the "Crash" and "Babel" of 2007. Big name ensemble cast (with several newcomers), confusing multiple storylines and flashbacks, and a polarizing left-wing political slant. I hated both Crash and Babel, so you can guess what my reaction to this one was. The only good things were Witherspoon, Sarsgaard, and Gyllenhaal. Sadly though, Reese wasn't given much to do but look worried and scream a little, and Sarsgaard's scenes were pretty cut-and-dry (though it was impressive to see him hold his own against Streep and Arkin -- most underrated performer in Hollywood, IMHO). Jake was easily the best, delivering a quirky, nuanced performance with what little material he was given, and getting all of the best lines. Definitely not for the faint of heart (there are some disturbing torture scenes), but I guarantee SAG and the Academy will eat it up. ~~ Distribution Deals: Opens in Canada, US, and UK October 19. Australia November 22.

Much like "Paris Je T'aime," this collection of 33 short films is completely hit and miss. There are one or two brilliant pieces (David Cronenberg's "At the suicide of the last Jew in the world in the last cinema in the world" being my personal favourite), and several competent ones, but for the most part, each story is either pointless or too abstract, at least for me. Best way to see this would probably on DVD, so you can skip over the mediocre flicks and just watch the best.

Directorial debut from Gael García Bernal. Well done, though unfortunately not a very rewarding film. Think of a Mexican version of Traffic. Spoiled rich kids hold a barbecue, get high, and do stupid things. None of them are very likable. The end. Bernal is a great actor and shows promise behind the camera as well; he can do better than this. Thankfully he is not responsible for this script.

This one was a definite crowd-pleaser, but I don't know why. The script was gimmicky and silly, with some atrocious dialogue, the direction was pedestrian, and the acting very amateurish. The lead actor (who we found out in the following Q&A session is actually an accountant) could not stay still within the frame. The best part was Peter Paige and Scott Lowell as the bad guy and his idiot henchman, respectively. Queer As Folk fans know them better as Emmett and Ted. If you're a fan, check this out with no expectations. Otherwise, skip it.

Maybe I was too tired when I saw this (right in the middle of 20 other films during TIFF '06), but I completely missed the point of this. Was there a plot?

I fell asleep during this one, so I really shouldn't judge it. Maybe it was because I saw it at the end of the film festival and was ridiculously tired, but I usually don't fall asleep during movies I love, so this can't have been very good. From what I remember, it was an insufferably slow take on a rural Australian family, very melodramatic and told through the eyes of the son. I really want to like Eric Bana, he's a great actor, but he has yet to make a movie I really like. He should get a new agent. Zzzzzzzzzz.

Very weird film. I didn't get the subplot with the kid.

Morgan, what were you thinking? I expected way better from you. Same goes for you Brad Silberling. I loved Moonlight Mile, now this?

Ugh, I waited a long time to see this. After missing a screening I had a ticket to at TIFF last year because another film ran late, I was elated to see that it was coming back as part of a smaller Australian film festival. But it was all in vain. The film is slow and boring, with pretentious writing and directing and amateurish acting. There was one stand out scene, not including the gratuitous suicide at the end, which I have to add was really disappointing. On the plus side, I really liked Joel McKenzie's performance. His character is the only one I sympathized with.

I fell asleep during this one. Which I don't do often in a movie theatre.

Decent performances, cool Toronto setting, but HORRIBLE direction. Messy and all over the place. If it was intentional, it was also very lazy.

Saw this at TIFF '05. Sooooo boring!