By David Baldwin
In 2001, the American Samoa soccer team set the record for the worst loss in international football history, losing 31-0. Fast forward to over a decade later where the team (still the worst in the world) is trying to make a run for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, this time with the help of disgraced coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender).
What follows is your standard underdog crowd pleasing story of the coach who helps the team realize their potential and the team helping the coach get his groove back. Co-Writer/Director Taika Waititi (last seen at TIFF’19 winning the People’s Choice Award for future Oscar-winner Jojo Rabbit) brings his trademark brand of humour to the proceedings, embellishing a few details along the way. He knowingly injects some meta elements into the film – including calling out the white saviour narrative we all know too well – while also paying special attention to the religious and cultural customs of the team. These moments lead to plenty of laughs, but also gives the film a heartfelt resonance.
While I could have done without Waititi yukking it up as the Film’s partial narrator (why not use the motif of multiple narrators like they do at the end the whole time?) and thought there were a few too many montages, I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy NEXT GOAL WINS. It knows exactly the right beats to hit and at 103 minutes, does not overstay its welcome. Fassbender is great as Rongen, dialing into the intensity he is known for and a softer side he does not show very often. Oscar Kightley is terrific as the team’s manager, but despite there being multiple solid performances from various team members, non-binary Actor Kaimana steals the show. They play transgender fa’afafine player Jayiah in the Film (based on a real life, history-making player) and is the beating heart and soul of the Film. They act their heart out, delivering a performance that will have you laughing just as often as you are crying. You would never know this is their first film role.
NEXT GOAL WINS screens at TIFF’ 23:
Sunday, September 10 at 6:45 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Tuesday, September 12 at 6:30 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Thursday, September 14 at 5:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
By George Kozera
SING SING opens with Colman Domingo performing a Shakesperean soliloquy directly to the camera with force and magnitude. It is a stunning achievement. We then see the actors leave to theatre to return to the notorious Sing Sing Penitentiary where we learn they are all part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) programme whose mandate is to put on plays as a part of their rehab. After choosing a prison yard bully (Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, playing himself) on a hunch to join troupe, their director Brent (Oscar nominee Paul Raci) gathers the prisoners to decide what show they will put on next. Deciding not to go the dramatic route once again, they all choose to write a comedy that incorporates time travel, a son looking for his mother, Ancient Egypt, a western, pirates and Freddy Krueger! Let the auditions and fun begin.
Director and Co-Writer Greg Kwedar (whose last movie “Jockey” I adored) had the unenviable task of maintaining the audience’s attention in mostly tight, contained quarters scenarios and relies heavily on extreme close-ups. I found these cinematic choices rewarding, if maybe a tad too redundant.
Other than Domingo and Raci, everyone in SING SING were formerly incarcerated prisoners many of them alumni of RTA and they all bring gravitas to their scenes. The chemistry between Domingo and Maclin is off-the-charts phenomenal. Whereas this movie may appear to come across as light entertainment, Kwedar does not shy away from the realities of prison life and one scene with the lead character in front of the clemency board was truly heartbreaking.
It is impossible to stress the impact SING SING has made on me. Despite some minor flaws, the performances resonated with me, hours after leaving the rapturously received world premiere that I attended.
SING SING screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11, 2:45PM – Scotiabank
By David Baldwin
World War II has broken out and a young boy has moved with his family to the Japanese countryside. He encounters a heron, who is more persistent and radically different than other birds in terms of getting attention. After the heron leads the boy to an abandoned tower, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems.
THE BOY AND THE HERON, Writer/Director Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in ten years, is a monumental achievement. Much like the beloved Studio Ghibli films that came before it, the film is a sumptuous visual feast that challenges your notions of what is possible within the medium. The staggering level of detail in each scene is magnificent, as are the effects used for water and fire. Suffice to say, it is a work of art that only a master like Miyazaki could make and we have been missing his influence for the last decade. If this is his last film (or second last film as we have been hearing in the past few days), then this culmination of such a rich career would be a good one to go out on.
My gripe, or at least what holds me back from loving THE BOY AND THE HERON rather than just liking it, is where the film goes in its back half. From the jump, it is a beautiful story about love, loss, grief and acceptance, and those themes imbue every frame with sadness and wonder. When the Film hits its Third Act, it throws all of that out and becomes something a bit more unwieldy (read: Miyazaki embracing the strange and metaphysical, alongside many, many parakeets). It feels choppy and unrefined – which is ironic because of how incredible the visuals are – and lost me more than once as it plays out. The breezy running time does not help get the film over the finish line any quicker either.
For Miyazaki fans, that sentiment will not mean as much as it does that the masterful filmmaker has delivered an unexpected, visually stunning gift for the ages. Each frame is a literal work of art and I doubt we will see another film as beautiful as this by the end of the year.
THE BOY AND THE HERON screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, September 7 at 6:00 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Thursday, September 7 @ 8:00 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
Saturday, September 9 @ 10:30 AM at Roy Thomson Hall
Sunday, September 10 at 12:05 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Friday, September 15 at 8:55 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 5:50 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Review by David Baldwin
Paul Matthews (Oscar winner Nicolas Cage) is a tenured professor longing to sell his idea for a book that he just has not found the time to write. He wants to be seen as someone important, yet typically shuffles around in the background anonymously. All of that changes when Paul starts randomly showing up in people’s dreams – at first in a totally innocuous way, and then something slightly more provocative.
Saying anything else would ruin the wild, certifiably unhinged ride that is DREAM SCENARIO. Each pivot the Film takes is more frenzied and outrageous than the next. I sat there with my eyes wide, unsure of whether I should be laughing or be terrified. Writer/Director Kristoffer Borgli taps into both of those emotions exceptionally, and then proceeds to skewer social media, viral memeification, influencer marketing and monetization, and cancel culture with reckless abandon. Nothing and no one are safe here from his ruthlessness. I would have liked to see him addressing choice semiotic messages and allusions a bit more, though I am pleased he did not drift too far into the weeds with the concept and how it plays out. The way Borgli stitches every moment together is a thing of beauty, specifically in the unique cutaway dream gags where we see just what Paul is doing in the dreams (which range from tranquil to full blown nightmare fuel clearly inspired by another figure who pops up in dreams). Borgli wisely does not attempt to explain how or why it is happening either, and despite a razor sharp turn in the Third Act, keeps things moving along at a terrific pace. I had not watched Sick of Myself, Borgli’s debut feature, prior to this but after watching DREAM SCENARIO, it has jumped up to the top of my post-TIFF watchlist.
The supporting players Borgli has assembled here are rock solid no matter their importance to the story, with Julianne Nicholson, Michal Cera and especially Dylan Gelula as the clear standouts. All of that said, did you really keep reading to hear about the supporting cast or are you wondering how Cage does? The short answer is that he is absolutely brilliant and this is easily one of his top three best performances of the last decade. He navigates the highs and lows of Paul’s viral stardom with precision and the occasional knowing glance. The performance allows for to showcase both sides of his acting style – quiet and reserved nuance and bonkers over-the-top madness. The Film also allows him to dig down deep in the belly, allowing his more emotional and intimate scenes to really pop off the screen.
Cage may look ridiculous as this schlubby professor, but the strength of his performance and Borgli’s eviscerating the culture is anything but.
DREAM SCENARIO screens at TIFF ’23:
Saturday, September 9 at 5:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Sunday, September 10 at 3:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toront
By George Kozera
MONSTER opens very straightforwardly as we see single mother, Saori (Sakura Ando) and her pre-teen son Minato (Soya Kurasawa) watch a raging fire from their balcony as the building collapses. It is rumoured that the building housed a sleazy hostess-bar and a teacher from Minato’s school Mr. Hori (Eita Nagayama) was spotted leaving the establishment. In explaining his recent bout of sullenness, Minato tells his mother that Mr. Hori not only physically assaulted him but also humiliated him in class by calling him “pig brain”. Infuriated, Saori confronts the school principal, who is still grieving the death of her grandson, and gets an insincere apology from the teacher, principal and other school administrators until it is alleged that Minato is, in fact, a bully tormenting young Hoshikawa (Hinata Hiiragi) incessantly. With deft use of flashbacks and differing points of view, the mystery driven nature of MONSTER is truly an astonishing achievement.
Other than Steven Spielberg, there are few Filmmakers who triumphantly draw amazing, naturalistic performances from children than Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters). Here, not only does he excel, he keeps the audience intrigued throughout as he tackles topics as diverse as bullying, lying, the fragility of youth and deceptions by adults. MONSTER is a masterpiece of tones, non-linear storytelling as well as being visually arresting. It may be one the most lyrical, poignant and compassionate movies of the year and I will savour this Movie again and again.
MONSTER screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday, September 10, TIFF Bell Lightbox. 9:30PM
Monday, September 11. Scotiabank, 3:00PM
Day Four of TIFF ’23 was epic! Though the excitement begins to reach a simmer in a day or two – when we actually will have time to start watching some more Films – we revel in the delight of all this starpower. I’ll be honest, I started off having lowered expectations, but I have yet to feel there’s been any lulls or dull moments yet this year. Still plenty enough to keep us busy.
Today started amazing, spotting Elliot Page and Hillary Baack out and about early with CLOSE TO YOU, a story about coming home as your authentic self.
Father-Daughter duo Ethan and Maya Hawke were out and about promoting the elder’s directorial effort WILDCAT and they brought along a commotion it seems everywhere they went!
Second try was a lot better with the younger Hawke! Along the way in this Album below, you’ll see other notable sightings including Simon Baker for LIMBO, Colman Domingo for SING SING, Sophie Nelisse, Charlie Plummer for NATIONAL ANTHEM and a group of TIFF ’23 Rising Stars!
Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn star in DADDIO and made quite the splash, drawing a huge crowd of fans outside TIFF BELL Lightbox for what was meant to be a low-key and quiet screening, opting against a big Red Carpet Gala. I am a huge fan of Johnson and was thrilled to see her again! So was beanie, fresh off her spa day!
Another action-packed day to come tomorrow!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By George Kozera
SOLO takes us into the world of Montreal’s illustrious drag queen scene, where Simon (Theodore Pellerin) is a rising star. Simon is a make-up artist during the day and has a wonderful and loving relationship with his supportive family (his sister, a seamstress, even creates his outfits), though it’s been over 15 years since he last saw his estranged mother. Claire (Anne-Marie Cadieux) left the family to go to Europe to pursue a career as an opera singer and is now world renowned. One night at the club, Simon meets recent recruit from France, Olivier (Felix Maritaud), and before you can say “Mama Ru“, they embark on a steamy and drug-fuelled relationship, and, as a duet, they entertain the audience with highly charged and erotic performances at the club. Very quickly, their relationship turns toxic as Olivier becomes increasingly domineering. Meanwhile, Simon learns that Claire will be back to Montreal to perform for a short time, and he desperately wants to reconnect with her. Simon becomes stretched emotionally.
Writer/Director Sophie Dupuis’ unique vision is impressive, but the story is muddled and borderline overly melodramatic. The drag performances in the club are visually-compelling, but the poisonous relationships Simon has with his mother and his lover is presented in a bewildered and not fully formed fashion.
What takes SOLO to stratospheric heights is the magnetic performance from Canadian Screen Award winner, Theodore Pellerin. It is unabashedly hypnotic and compelling, and he almost obliterates everyone he shares the screen with. His drag performances are equally captivating.
SOLO screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday September 10, Roy Thomson Hall, 9:30PM
Monday September 11, Scotiabank, 3:30PM
By Nicholas Porteous
In Jonathan Glazer‘s The Zone of Interest, we experience domestic life through the eyes of a wealthy Nazi family located just outside the perimeter of the Auschwitz concentration camp. This is a revelatory new entry into the already crowded field of agonizingly great movies about the holocaust, but the thing that pushes Zone past the line of excellent storytelling and into the realm of real profundity is not so much what Glazer shows us. It’s what he leaves out.
Zone revolves around humanity’s penchant for ignoring pain–particularly when it yields privilege and profit. The Hoss family live a seemingly idyllic life. They have a pool, a house staff, and a never-ending supply of gifts–jewelry, clothing, toys–brought home from work. The only catch is the neighborhood, which is intermittently filled with cries of agony, gun fire, and smoke. And yet they’re like most families: a father at the office all day, a mother tending to her wonderful garden, children playing games with toy soldiers. There’s romance, and the ambition for something a little better. All against a backdrop of pure evil, but no one seems to notice.
Glazer probes the cold organization and engineering prowess needed to carry out a genocide with an equally exacting aesthetic. Every angle is solid as concrete. The sound design is excruciatingly immersive. The performances are sharp and vivid. But the real star here is Glazer‘s uncompromising vision–muted, yet louder than a foghorn.
Zone is a needed, painfully resonant analogue for willful ignorance in the face of injustice–historical or otherwise, and like any great piece of Cinema, it must be experienced to be understood.
The Zone of Interest screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday, September 10th at 8:30PM at The Royal Alexandria Theatre
Monday, September 11th at 8:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By Amanda Gilmore
Director Mahalia Belo makes an assured debut feature with this adaptation of Megan Hunter’s prophetic Novel of the same name.
Climate change has caused cataclysmic flooding in London causing residents to become houseless. This sends a new mother (Jodie Comer), her partner (Joel Fry), and their days-old newborn to flee to the English countryside to stay with his family. But when his parents die and the couple reaches the end of their food supply, the family must make the choice to separate. Sending the mother and infant into a shelter and the father to find his own way of survival.
The End We Start From is an Apocalyptic Drama that leaves room for hope. It’s a rounded examination of the effect an environmental disaster would have on humanity…possibly leading it to social collapse. Belo and Screenwriter Alice Birch (who also penned previous TIFF selections Lady Macbeth, Mothering Sunday and The Wonder) keep the climate disaster and cruelty off-screen. Allowing their Actors to show the anxiety, tension and trauma they’re experiencing.
We encounter the formidable ensemble through the new mother’s journey. Each stop she makes feels episodic as we’re introduced to different characters. These characters, for the most part, remain nameless just as our core family does. They include a moving performance from Katherine Waterston who befriends our mother in the shelter and the two travel together for a new home with their infants. And Benedict Cumberbatch (who also produced the Film) makes a brief appearance as a man mourning the loss of his entire family in the disaster.
This ensemble is led by Comer, who continues to prove herself to be one of the greatest Actresses of her generation. It’s a deeply affecting performance of a woman learning to be a mother during the impossible. She must provide for her child while there is no food, water or shelter and where the threat of attack lurks everywhere. Within the environment and humanity.
The End We Start From screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday, September 10 at 1:30 PM at Roy Thompson Hall
Monday, September 11 at 7:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 3:45 PM Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Sunday, September 17 at 6:05 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By Amanda Gilmore
Swedish Writer-Director Niclas Larsson makes his English language feature debut with this surreal familial drama starring a masterful Ewan McGregor. It follows three estranged siblings who reunite when their mother (Ellen Burstyn) refuses to get off a couch at a furniture store. Mother, Couch is a story about the immense impact a mother has on her children. For the sake of this story, her youngest son David (McGregor). It has a similar tone and themes as Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid from earlier this year. The two would make for one wacky double feature.
It starts off as a quirky Domestic Drama. David assumes something is wrong when his mother refuses to get off the couch. He’s got a million other things to worry about and wishes she would just tell him why. But soon we realize that things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.
For one, his brother Gruffudd (Rhys Ifans) is more interested in flirting with the store owner’s daughter Bella (Taylor Russell) than worrying about his mother. Russell is outstanding as the enigma that is Bella. Giving her the immense mystery that gives us hints that this furniture shop, which has many homely rooms decorated, may not be what it seems. Then there’s the ominous Score by Christopher Bear that creates an atmosphere of horror and anxiety, sending us directly into the headspace of David. McGregor gives a momentous performance as a man stressed while attempting to hold it together.
There’s ample amounts of mystery throughout Mother, Couch that will keep audiences guessing until the eccentric ending. And much like Beau Is Afraid, it’s an ending audiences will be dissecting long after viewing.
Mother, Couch screens at TIFF ’23:
Saturday, September 9 at 2:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Monday, September 11 at 12:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Sunday, September 17 at 3:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
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