The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took over the city on September 5. The festival is by far your best opportunity to go out and see the best that the film world has to offer. But picking from the hundreds of listings can be tough; should you focus on foreign language films? Oscar contenders? Auteurs? Comedies? Anything French? It’s all a bit overwhelming, so here’s a healthy balance of obscure and hyped, drama and thriller, and laughs and sobs. Have a happy tiff!
Attila Marcel
This is the first live-action feature from the genius who brought us The Illusionist and The Triplets of Belleville, and it deserves to be seen for that alone. Sylvain Chomet’s gift for delicate storytelling results in films that shimmer with grace and perception, and the world of Attila Marcel promises to carry on that tradition. Chomet tells the story of Paul, a 33-year-old man smothered by his eccentric aunts after being orphaned as a child. Dissatisfied with his existence, he seeks out the mystical assistance of a neighbour — provoking larger-than-life visions and encounters. My hope is that Chomet is able to imbue the flesh-and-blood world with the same gentleness and vibrancy that he has afforded his animated ones. I have a good feeling I will not be disappointed.
Why you should see it: Paul could give any Wes Anderson character a run for their money.
When: Thursday, September 12 @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 12:15 pm | Sunday, September 15 @ TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 12:15 pm.
Bastards
Director Claire Denis (Chocolat, Beau Travail, 35 Shots of Rum) is one of the most important and prolific filmmakers of our time, and a mainstay at the Festival for over two decades. Her films operate in the grey areas of existence; in lieu of action, they boldly focus on absence, indecision, and the in-between. Bastards pivots around the three pillars of any satisfying cinematic experience: sex, murder, and revenge. Aided by her trusted cinematographer Agnès Godard, Denis’ take on disturbing subjects and complex characters is sure to be as evocative as ever.
Why you should see it: Bastards is French filmmaking at its most universal.
When: Tuesday, September 10 @ TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 9:00 pm | Wednesday, September 11 @ Jackman Hall, 3:30 pm | Sunday, September 8 @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 8:30 am.
Gravity
The world is abuzz with praise for the latest work of director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También); a ballsy space odyssey that uses all the hallmarks of a traditional blockbuster (big budgets, breathtaking backdrops, advanced digital techniques, high stakes) in service of the exploration of more intimate frontiers like human isolation and the impulse to survive. Many critics at the Venice Film Festival, where Gravity recently premiered, are celebrating the film as heralding cinema’s new era. Variety’s rave concluded, “Somewhere, one imagines, the spirits of Stanley Kubrick and Max Ophuls are looking down in admiration.” The film is being praised particularly for its bold opening scene: a 13-minute long single shot that instantly immerses the viewer in the unforgiving beauty and sparseness of space.
Why you should see it: Alfonso Cuarón is a shaman; Gravity is the kind of movie that demands a big screen. It could change the way films are made forever. Plus, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock banter in space.
When: Wednesday, September 11 @ Scotiabank 12, 9:00 pm | Sunday, September 15 @ Ryerson Theatre, 12:00 pm.
