The beginning of a new school year is best marked by the arrival of the Toronto International film festival (TIFF) and all the wonderful chaos that comes with it. The Varsity’s guide to this year’s edition of TIFF is, perhaps, a better alternative to pulling your hair out over the hundreds of different features, documentaries, and shorts selected for the festival. Pick up the September 9 issue of The Varsity for part two of our TIFF guide.
Only Lovers Left Alive
American indie icon Jim Jarmusch (still reeling from his encounter with Jay-Z, I’m sure) returns to TIFF with the story of Adam, a reclusive rock star who has flocks of adoring fans. Adam is also a centuries-old vampire in love with Eve (the inscrutable Tilda Swinton). Together, the lovers occupy a dilapidated estate near Detroit — transformed by Jarmusch and cinematographer Yorick Le Saux into a stylized, nocturnal netherworld. The pair’s love is tested by Eve’s younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska, a.k.a Wednesday Addams with a talent for studied watchfulness). The film has been labelled a drastic departure for Jarmusch, who also directed Broken Flowers (2005) and Coffee & Cigarettes (2003), as he attempts to elevate the vampire genre from teen-pandering to slick and cerebral, with characters that are capable of thoughtful meditations on love and eternity. The film is among my most anticipated of TIFF 2013.
Why you should see it: Tilda Swinton is actually a vampire, Mia Wasikowska was stunning in Stoker, it features a great soundtrack (Wanda Jackson, Charlie Feathers), Adam and Eve count Copernicus and Darwin as a close personal friends.
When: Thursday, September 5 @ Ryerson Theatre, 9 pm | Saturday, September 7 @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 12:15 pm
The Past
This is director Asghar Farhadi’s latest after achieving critical success with 2011’s A Separation, which earned him the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Farhadi excels at character development through conversation, relying on the interconnectedness of his characters as a way of understanding them. Set in Paris with an emphasis on working-class immigrant communities, Marie (played by Bérénice Bejo of The Artist) is on the cusp of a new marriage just as her ex-husband flies into town to finalize their divorce. If Farhadi’s previous work is any indication, The Past will be consciously plotted, brilliantly written, and full of compelling camera work; if it’s anything like A Separation, it’ll be one of the most deeply satisfying cinematic experiences of TIFF 2013.
Why you should see it: Paris somehow appears more like Tehran, Bérénice Bejo is one of the most captivating and effortlessly beautiful women on screen these days, the final scene of A Separation was near flawless.
When: Thursday, September 5 @ Visa Screening Room, 9:30 pm | Saturday, September 7 @ TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 10:30 am
You Are Here
Starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, and Amy Poehler, You Are Here is Matthew Weiner’s feature directorial debut. The writing, producing, and directing extraordinaire — whose previous work includes The Sopranos and Mad Men — tells the story of a bipolar stoner (Galifianakis) who returns to his late father’s farm to collect his inheritance. He encounters a family he has lost contact with: an angry sister (Poehler) and a wacky stepmother (Laura Ramsey). Weiner’s gift for portraying contradictory, unforgettable characters with a knack for comedy and a zest for the cryptic logic of life means we’re all in for a treat with this film.
Why you should see it: Mad Men’s penultimate season was incredible (contrary to popular opinion); the three lead actors should complement one another well.
When: Saturday, September 7 @ Ryerson Theatre, 3 pm
