A TIFF Top Ten
A few years ago Moreno and I went to Toronto where we proceeded to get drunk and hang out with long-time listener to the podcasts, Cristian Tane. Then we forced him to let us go to his house and watch the Breaking Bad season finale while drinking his booze and smoking his smoking stuff. Cristian attends the Toronto International Film Fest every year and fits in around 30 films. This year I asked him to send me the highlights.
by Cristian Tane
Another year, another amazing TIFF. My fourth time attending the festival, and my fourth time seeing more than 30 movies – 33, to be exact. And, like I usually do, I intentionally avoided some of the bigger titles that have a set release date in the near future – that’s why “Sicario”, “Black Mass”, “Beasts of No Nation” or “The Martian” are not in the list below. I also missed out on some sold out films that I really wanted to see, like “High Rise”, “Our Brand is Crisis” or “The Lobster”.
But, even without all these titles, I still managed to see a lot of great ones. Here’s my top ten.
1. Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson) – 10/10
This is one of those incredibly unique movies that come out only once in a while – and as I write this, I realize that statement is true for most Charlie Kaufman works. An incredibly rich, beautiful, weird and ultimately touching stop-motion animation, that deals with love and sadness and connecting with other people in a way no other animation ever did. It started off as a play, then moved on to Kickstarter, and now here it is, getting rave reviews. It’ll be in theaters soon – don’t miss it.
2. Room (Lenny Abrahamson) – 9/10
Let me start with this: if you haven’t read the novel, please avoid the trailer. It gives away so much. I walked into this not knowing anything about the story – other than that it’s about a trapped mother and son. And my experience was enhanced because of it.
Having said that, let me just say, “Room” is an incredible accomplishment on so many levels. The story is fantastic. Both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are terrific in the lead roles. Their performances carry the movie, and they are absolutely pitch perfect, in extremely difficult roles. The film is in turns dark, emotional, melancholic and hopeful. There’s one particular scene in the middle, set to an amazing song from one of my favorite bands (This Will Destroy You – The Mighty Rio Grande), that is so harrowing, emotional, and impressively executed, that, without a doubt, will end up as one of my favorite scenes of the year.
The only reason I haven’t rated this 10/10 is because of a couple of plot points that I felt were a bit forced and implausible. A minor complaint for a truly great film.
3. The Witch (Robert Eggers) – 9/10
“The Witch”, writer-director Robert Eggers’ first film, is easily one of the most atmospheric, unsettling genre films I have ever seen. With its incredible attention to detail, noticed in both the historical dialogue and Christian rituals of the time, as well as the spectacular cinematography, and the pitch perfect screenplay that deals with the characters inner demons just as much as the outer ones, this creeps under your skin and does to you what no cheap scares or CGI ever could.
4. Evolution (Lucile Hadzihalilovic) – 9/10
Gaspar Noe must be proud. His wife’s new film, “Evolution”, is easily the weirdest, most abstract and visually inventive film I’ve seen this year. Part sci-fi, part body horror, part eerie drama, this is one of those rare films that is so captivating and impressively shot, that it will require a second viewing, not only to untangle the disturbing plot, but also to not miss any of the visual details. Its slow pace and abstractness might turn off some viewers, but those who give in to this unique world will be highly rewarded.
5. Desierto (Jonas Cuaron) – 9/10
Talent seems to run in the Cuaron family. Alfonso’s son, Jonas, knocked it out of the park with “Desierto”, a mean, tense, action-packed film about a group of Mexican illegal immigrants, hunted by a crazy Texan while trying to cross the border. Cuaron stripped down a potentially socially charged story to its very core, choosing to skip back stories and exposition in favor of defining his characters through their actions. The result is a relentless thriller in which the desert is just as much a character as the actors, mostly due to Damian Garcia’s gorgeous cinematography.
6. Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) – 9/10
A remarkable technical accomplishment that also happens to feature believable characters, tense action, and excellent acting, “Victoria” is one of the most pleasant surprises at this year’s TIFF.
Yes, this was shot in one single 2-hour take, and a real one too, not fake like “Birdman”. Seamlessly going from romance to drama to action, from clubs to rooftops to side streets, no wonder Sturla Brandth Grovlen, the cinematographer, gets first billing on the end credits. What’s even more impressive is that even if you take out the gimmick of the one take, you’re still left with an exciting, tense, solid film, and characters with real chemistry.
7. Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier) – 8/10
Saulnier’s follow up to “Blue Ruin” is nowhere near as good, memorable or subtle, but it’s still a damn great movie. Saulnier is in full no-nonsense mode, with an ultra-violent tale set in the unique world of punk rock, pitting a band on the road versus a gang of neo-nazis, in a blood-filled fight to the death. It’s a tense, crazy movie, made even more so by having Patrick Stewart as the villain – he highlights an excellent cast, that features more standout performances, especially from Imogen Poots, and “Blue Ruin” star Maicon Blair.
8. Schneider vs Bax (Alex van Warmerdam) – 8/10
Two contract killers are pitted against each other, in this terribly fun and entertaining black comedy from “Borgman” director Alex van Warmerdam. This however isn’t another “Borgman”, it’s actually the very opposite. The black humor is still there and blacker than ever, but the story itself is as straightforward as they come – although, the more absurd everything gets, the more fun the story is.
9. Land of Mine (Martin Zandvliet) – 8/10
You’d think every single possible story about World War II was already told, right? Think again: “Land of Mine” offers a new, unique tale: the true story of German POW’s forced to find and disarm all of the hundreds of thousands of bombs left along the Danish coast. This is an excellent, accomplished film, extremely well directed and acted, that offers plenty of tense moments, and a great central character whose arc is both believable and intriguing.
10. Dheepan (Jacques Audiard) – 8/10
Jacques Audiard’s new film, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, continues his streak of excellent dramas, however without reaching the heights of his best one to date, “A Prophet”. “Dheepan” tells an intriguing story of a fake family that moves to Paris from the war-ridden Sri Lanka, only to be faced with different kind of hardships and violence. The characters are compelling enough, and the storytelling is poignant and powerful.
Petemc
September 22, 2015 @ 8:24 am
Great article. Great reviews. Can’t wait to check these films out. 10 on 10
C209G
September 22, 2015 @ 7:51 pm
this is awesome, all are on my docket