I would have never guessed that the absolute worst movie I would see at TIFF would be from Renowned director Carlos Reygadas, but here we are and his latest statement, "Our Time," is a damn-near unwatchable experience [Review].
Read more‘American Woman’: Sienna Miller Wastes A Career-Best Performance On An Uninteresting Story
I wasn't too keen on Jake Scott's "American Woman," but I did think Sienna Miller was fantastic. Ditto Christina Hendricks, but when is the latter not? She's such a bombshell. We need more Hendricks on-screen. Anyway both Miller and herself have their talents wasted in an endless barrage of cliches and trailer trash stereotypes. [Review]
‘Meeting Gorbachev’: Werner Herzog's Fascinating Doc on Former Soviet Leader [Review]
Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy is that of being the eighth and final President of the Soviet Union, but this often misunderstood leader had a much more significant role in the world stage. Prolific director Werner Herzog‘s powerful documentary “Meeting Gorbachev” tries to paint a picture of a leader haunted by a never fully completed vision of a utopian, capitalist-driven USSR, one which, the director shows, had incredible similarities to today’s European Union.
Read moreJulianne Moore gives one of her best performances in “Gloria Bell" [Review]
Sebastian Lelio‘s "Gloria Bell" is a remake of the director's 2013 film "Gloria," except this time he moves the story from his native Chile to the U.S.
Read moreClaire Denis' “High Life" will infuriate many moviegoers [Trailer]
Claire Denis‘ "High Life" had an underwhelming world premiere at the Roy Thomson Hall during the Toronto Film Festival, for which I attended. Around half the audience had already left the theater by the time the film ended, you could just tell nobody was into it. And this is coming from a fest that prides itself in having the best audience in the world. Even Toronto audiences couldn't deal with the metaphorical artsy ambitions that were unfurling on the screen. And I don't mean that as a detraction of Denis' mad ambitions in "High Life," which, by all accounts, warrants a repeat viewing on my part.
Read more‘Kindergarten Teacher’: Maggie Gyllenhaal & Director Sara Colangelo Talk The Horror Of “Starving A Vibrant Woman’s Mind”
Maggie Gyllenhaal is a Staten Island early-childhood educator lacking something meaningful in her life who starts obsessing over a gifted student, which leads to problems too good to reveal. Suffice to say, when you watch “The Kindergarten Teacher,” Sara Colangelo’s American remake of the similarly-titled Israeli drama, you are transported into what Gyllenhaal described to me as the psyche of a “starving, vibrant woman’s mind.”
Colangelo, who stunned more than a few moviegoers with her 2014 feature directing debut “Little Accidents,” creates a film with its own unique identity, the fleshing out of a woman who desperately needs to find meaning in her life. However, the movie belongs to Gyllenhaal, in an awards-worthy performance, who, along with Colangelo’s patient camera, keeps playing with our heads throughout the proceedings. The fact that she maintains a sort of sympathetic nature to her character makes this brilliant film all the more mysterious to the eyes.
I spoke to Colangelo and Gyllenhaal about the film, which premiered on Netflix this past Friday.
Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell on ‘Beautiful Boy' [Interview]
Director Felix Van Groeningen (Broken Circle Breakdown) adapts two memoirs (from real-life father and son David and Nic Sheff) into his first American film "Beautiful Boy."
David (Steve Carell) lives with son Nic (an excellent Timothee Chalamet), and second wife Karen (Maura Tierney) in their comfortable San Francisco home. Major problems arise when Nic becomes addicted to Methamphetamine. The movie then, for the duration of its 112 or so minutes, goes back and forth between Nic's continuous cycle of relapse and recovery.
Any doubts that Chalamet's breakthrough performance in "Call Me By Your Name" would be a one-time deal are easily vanquished by his passionate take here of Nic. Chalamet is astonishing, finding a kind of dramatic depth and feeling for character that most actors could only dream of reaching. Carrel, a comedic actor that has proven over time to be a solid dramatic one as well, infuses wisdom and hard-earned tears to the movie in a performance that ranks among his very best.
Read moreDirector Jeremy Saulnier Talks ‘Hold The Dark,’ Netflix, & What He Gained From Leaving ‘True Detective’ [Interview]
I spoke to the director about the grander canvas he has with this latest film, how it was collaborating with Netflix, and what he learned from his failed “True Detective” experience. Interview here.
Here's what I wrote at TIFF:
"If you haven’t seen any films by filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier, then you’re missing out. He’s one of the very best up-and-coming directors around. His 2014 film “Blue Ruin” is a crime-thriller masterpiece and 2016’s “Green Room” was such a dark and nasty neo-Nazi revenge thriller that it felt like an avant-garde horror movie."
Read moreMid90s | Official Trailer | A24
I wrote this at TIFF on Jonah Hill's well-fashioned debut as a writer-director "Mid90s":
"Far more solid highlights included Mid90s which has writer-director Jonah Hill reliving his youth in a skateboard coming of age drama. It focuses on the plight of 13-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic), tormented by his older brother (a surprisingly threatening performance by Lucas Hedges), who decides to take a crack at hanging with the cool kids at a skateboarding store. Hill’s directorial debut shows a relaxed agility for the craft. The screenplay, written by Hill, feels thoroughly authentic, with dialogue that’s delivered with offhand naturalism. Kudos to the actors, each of whom inhabit their roles with the kind of credibility essential to making this kind of movie work."
Read more‘Outlaw King’ Director David Mackenzie Went to the Editing Room and Snipped His Netflix Epic By 20 Minutes After Toronto Premiere
Deadline is reporting that David Mackenzie went straight back to the editing room after his latest film, the epic "Outlaw King" was met with mixed reviews at its TIFF premiere a few weeks ago.
The filmmaker has cut 20 minutes from the movie, which will have another festival bow on October 17th at the BFI London Film Festival.
Read moreKeira Knightley Explains Why ‘Colette’ Is An 100-Year-Old Feminist Story That Is Just As Relevant Today [Interview]
Focusing on Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the Parisian author responsible for her husband’s literary success, Wash Westmoreland‘s “Colette” features a towering performance from Keira Knightley, who plays the legendary writer with such warmth and fiery feminism, with a story that easily draws parallels with today’s world.
Colette’s marriage to the well-off Willy (a slyly playful and equally up to the task Dominic West), is a challenge to both her feminist ideals and definition of what love truly means. He is an author of somewhat limited talent that takes his wife’s ideas to write about the fictional Claudine, a character filled with sexual freedom and uproarious adventures that spark a fury in the French literary world. Of course, after the initial success, Willy wants more books to be written, and endeavors to build not just an empire around this promiscuous and daring female character, but to solidify the literary reputation he’s been craving for years.
Read more‘A Star is Born’ Starts Off Great But … [TIFF Review]
"A Star is Born" is a remake of a remake of a remake. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I will give some credit to actor-director Bradley Cooper for making something that feels brazenly fresh out of this tired old story, for which the 1953 classic Judy Garland version still stands as king of them all.
Read moreJason Reitman’s timely, invigorating ‘The Front Runner’ is about ‘The Week Media Went Tabloid’ [TIFF]
There were a ton of Oscar Contenders that had their premieres at the Telluride Film Festival and, yet, I feel like this year's Toronto International Film Festival delivered better quality premieres.
Just look at the subdued receptions films like "Boy Erased," "Destroyer," "White Boy Rick," "Trial By Fire," "The White Crown," and even two of the more well-received titles, "Can You Ever Forgive Me" and "First Man" received at TIFF.
Read more'Destroyer' features Nicole Kidman at the peak of her powers [TIFF]
De-glamming has all but becomes a cliche for well-known actors and actresses to nab that ever elusive acting Oscar. We saw it with Charlize Theron in "Monster" and Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball," among many others. Nicole Kidman also donned that infamous nose prosthetic for her 2003 Oscar-winning performance in "The Hours," but now she's back at it again, de-glammed and uglified, in "Destroyer," which is the best work she's done in years, maybe ever.
Read moreViggo Mortensen & Mahershala Ali Drama ‘Green Book’ Wins 2018 Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award
The very worthy winner of the coveted Grolsch People’s Choice Award, Peter Farrelly’s Green Book is the dictionary definition of crowd-pleaser. Featuring one of the funniest scripts I’ve seen in ages, it has immense relevance to America’s current flareup of racial animosity. It’s the true story of an Italian-American driver Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) hired in the early ’60s to drive renowned African-American pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on a concert tour through racist bible-belt states. From casting, to direction, to wry witty writing, this movie fires on all cylinders. [Review]
Read moreTIFF Recap: The Best Movies of the Fest
In previous years, I would include films in my TIFF recap that had also premiered at Telluride and Venice. But this year’s slate in Toronto was so strong, we can fill a full report with nothing more than the note-worthy world premieres that screened at the festival’s 42nd edition. There was plenty to cheer. Although Venice and Telluride perhaps featured the peak title of the festival season — Alfonso Cuaron’s masterful Roma — TIFF managed to deliver a memorable week. Artistic director Piers Handling and festival programmer Cameron Bailey year’s carved out an outstanding group of films, distinct from the other competitive festivals they compete with every September.
Read more‘Free Solo’: A Thrilling, Astounding Mountain-Climbing Doc [TIFF]
"If you're seeking perfection, free soloing is as close as you can get." Those are the words spoken earlier on by free solo rock climber Alex Honnold, the subject of directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's ("Meru") mind-blowing new doc.
Read moreMatthew McConaughey Talks the Blue-Collar Rage of ‘White Boy Rick' [TIFF Interview]
Set in a 1980s Detroit inflicted by the crack epidemic and Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs,’ Yann Demange’s “White Boy Rick” tells the true story of Rick Wershe, a working-class father, who also happened to be an arms dealer, (played by the always excellent Matthew McConaughey) and the bond he built with his troubled, drug-dealing, teenage son, Rick Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt). Junior ended up working for the FBI as an informant before being abandoned by them and sentenced to life in prison.
Demange’s film White Boy Rick is anchored by yet another high-level performance from the 48-year-old McConaughey who has now built up a solid body of work ever since the famous McConaissance started in 2011 with “The Lincoln Lawyer.” His work here, as a man torn between family and the law, is another note-worthy addition to an impressive filmography that only grows in stature with every movie.
Read moreJeremy Saulnier's 'Hold the Dark': A surreal Alaskan nightmare [TIFF]
If you haven't seen Jeremy Saulnier's films then you're missing out. He's one of the very best up and coming American directors. 2014's "Blue Ruin" is a crime-thriller masterpiece and 2016's "Green Room" was such a dark and nasty neo-Nazi revenge thriller that it felt like an avant-garde horror movie.
Read moreSteve Bannon documentary 'American Dharma' warns of an impending American civil war [TIFF]
"American Dharma" gives Steve Bannon a voice, if you're already turned off by that prospect then documentarist extraordinaire Errol Morris' latest movie is not for you. The rest of us can go into this beguiling film with an open mind and accepting the challenge of an open dialogue with a man that many believe to be responsible for the emergence of the "Alt-Right" movement in this country.
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