2016 TIFF Top Ten
Note: This is the second year in a row that long time listener and friend to the site, Cristian Tane has covered the Toronto International Film Fest for Binge Media. We are grateful for his efforts and that time he let us drink his beer and watch Breaking Bad at his house.
Another year, another great TIFF. This time, I’ve “only” seen 29 movies, my lowest total in the 5 years of going to the festival. But fear not, many of them were great, so the top ten below was not difficult to conceive. As usual, with a few exceptions, I tried to avoid many of the big movies that already have wide release dates set in the near future. That’s why People’s Choice Award winner “La La Land”, or other titles like “The Magnificent Seven”, “Deepwater Horizon”, “The Handmaiden”, “Birth of a Nation”, or “Snowden” are not in the list below.
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Arrival (Denis Villeneuve) – 10 on 10
“Arrival” is everything I could possibly want in a movie nowadays. It’s a grand scale sci-fi bursting with heart and ingenuity. It’s unique, smart, gorgeous and poetic. It has a complex story that makes you think, and is not dumbed down for audiences. It poses grand life questions and small intimate ones, that stick with you long after it ends. It’s the pinnacle of a director’s career that has been making consistently amazing movies for years. And it’s also terribly entertaining. This is my favorite film of 2016 so far, and it’s a damn high bar for others to beat.
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Brimstone (Martin Koolhoven) – 9 on 10
I love slow paced, carefully plotted, beautifully shot westerns. I love movies that aren’t afraid to go the extra mile. I love baddies that are memorable and stick with you long after the credits roll. “Brimstone” is all of that, and much more. Dutch director Martin Koolhoven’s film is a highly controversial, tough to watch Western, that shocked people in Venice and hopefully will be picked up for distribution here, because more people need to see it. It’s relentless, as grim as it can be, ultra-violent yet restrained (trust me, it could have been worse), and features two memorable, perfectly played characters: Dakota Fanning as Liz, a mute girl on the run from The Reverend, a role that Guy Pearce absolutely owns. A bit too long in the middle, “Brimstone” is powerful, important filmmaking, uncompromising in its vision. I cannot recommend it enough.
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A Monster Calls (J.A. Bayona) – 9 on 10
A truly wonderful, emotional, and unforgettable fable, that, to me, worked on every level. There have been plenty of movies in the past about dealing with sadness, fear and grief through imagination, but few succeeded as well as this one. The special effects are fantastic, and so is the acting, especially from Lewis MacDougall, in his first major role, and not an easy one at all. He’s the kid with the terminally ill mother, unable to accept the reality of imminent loss. J.A. Bayona’s film, though a bit too sentimental, is gripping throughout, and ends up being extremely satisfying.
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Buster’s Mal Heart (Sarah Adina Smith) – 9 on 10
The biggest surprise so far at TIFF, this really came out of nowhere. Rami Malek’s first feature film role sees him play yet another tortured soul with split personalities (although, in all fairness, he signed up for this before Mr. Robot started). “Buster’s Mal Heart” aims very high, with its complex, weird story, its multiple layers, split personalities, religion metaphors, and philosophical musings about what it means to be free. And most of everything works. I was gripped throughout; thought I had it all figured out until the last 20 minutes changed my whole perception; saw some twists and missed others; but ended up realizing this is much more than that. It’s a rich, rewarding experience that demands multiple viewings. And it’s the film that puts a new director, Sarah Adina Smith, on the map. Very much looking forward to see what she does next.
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Manchester by the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan) – 8 on 10
Casey Affleck is absolutely terrific in this new drama from Kenneth Lonergan, a subtle, intelligent film about redemption and returning to your roots. It’s a masterful performance in a masterfully executed movie, full of small details and moments that perfectly convey what life is in rural Massachusetts. The movie drags on a bit towards the end, but overall, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
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Loving (Jeff Nichols) – 8 on 10
The fact “Loving” is Jeff Nichols’ second best movie of 2016 says everything really. One of the most talented young directors working today, Nichols does it again with this conventional, yet impressive story about an interracial couple in Virginia, back when that was frowned upon. Nichols’ movie stands out by actually crafting real, flawed, believable characters, played perfectly by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton, and not just presenting the real life events. It’s a restrained take, that focuses more on the relationship of the Lovings rather than the courtroom drama, and it works just as intended. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a major Oscar player next year.
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Christine (Antonio Campos) – 8 on 10
I thought knowing how the story of Christine ends would make everything before that moment lose some of its appeal. It did not. This is a gripping, solid drama, about the last few days of the life of a small time reporter in Florida. It’s really intriguing to see her seemingly normal life descend into the madness brought by depression, stress, work and love. Also, props to Rebecca Hall. She is terrific as the lead, her performance absolutely carries this movie.
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It’s Only the End of the World (Xavier Dolan) – 8 on 10
Dolan is one of the best directors out there when it comes to movies about dysfunctional families, and his new one is no exception. Sure, some characters are so over the top it could be an issue for some, but if you can get over that, what you’re left with is an excellent family drama, full of fantastic performances, and a great screenplay with dialogue polished to the last word. It’s not an easy watch, with all the claustrophobic feel of the constant close ups, but it ends up being very rewarding, and surprisingly intense – which is not an easy feat to accomplish when your whole movie is constant fast-paced dialogue and family interactions.
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Graduation (Cristian Mungiu) – 8 on 10
Mungiu’s new film could have also been titled “Living in Romania 101”, a quick guide of how the system of connections, bribes and corruption functions even for the smallest of matters. This is not as compelling as Mungiu’s previous two films, but it still is an excellent movie, carefully constructed and impressively directed. The moral conundrum at its core, and all the main characters, are interesting and believable.
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Colossal (Nacho Vigalondo) – 7 on 10
For two thirds of this new Nacho Vigalondo movie, I absolutely loved it. Carefully constructed, nicely acted and shot, and, most importantly, incredibly unique, there’s not much at fault with it. It’s fresh, funny, and, despite its silly premise, it works. I mean, how often can you say that about a crazy film like this, that finds a way to be a drama about alcoholism, a romantic comedy, and a monster movie all in one. Too bad it all goes downhill in its third act – overlong, way too conventional, and with a crappy ending that exposes all of the story issues that have been so neatly hidden up until that point.