#TIFF25: “THE CHRISTOPHERS” REVIEW

By Nicholas Porteous

The prolific and unpredictable Steven Soderbergh goes back to basics with The Christophers. It’s the story of two artists–one at the tail end of his life (Ian McKellen), and the other (Michaela Cole) near the start of her career, but drifting in a limbo of art-adjacent gigs–including forgery. His money-minded children (James Corden and Jessica Gunning) send her on a mission to secretly complete an unfinished series of his paintings–The Christophers–which reside at the top of his multi-story house, collecting dust. If she can finish the paintings and secretly return them, they’ll be worth several fortunes after he dies, which could be any day now. What follows is a very different sort of art heist.

The Christophers is a carefully-constructed character study which unravels largely through a series of dialogues. It’s theatrical, small in scale–mostly confined to McKellen’s enormous abode–but rich in scope. By the end, a complex portrait of both characters is uncovered. That’s not to say The Christophers is just talk. The twists and turns come fast, and the game changes, inverts, shimmies into a new form in practically every scene.

Ian McKellen is a true master at work here. Don’t let his character’s near-death status fool you–he’s the most electric presence in the movie by a mile. Every glance and gesture crackles, and he balances intense narcissism with a fiendish, cutting insight. He’s also funny as hell. Cole is tasked with a far less verbose and enigmatic personality. Half the fun of The Christophers is never quite knowing where her mind is headed next. She’s a captivating presence, but never totally steals the spotlight from McKellen, partly by necessity.

The production design is suspiciously fantastic. If you told me this was truly an aging artist’s apartment, plastered with layers upon layers of half-finished projects, memories, bits and bobs accumulated over a lifetime, I would believe you. I suspect it’s only the stunning work of more incredible artists.

The Christophers is another little Soderbergh gem. Minimalist by design, it won’t outshine any of the bigger films at TIFF 50, but if you can grab a ticket, you’ll find a clever character study with a performance at its center that only a living legend can give, after decades at the top of his craft.

The Christophers screens at TIFF ’25:

Mon. Sept 8 at 9:00 AM and 6:25 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Fri. Sept 12 at 9:00 AM at TIFF Lightbox

Sat. Sept 13 at 9:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

#TIFF: FIRST ROUND OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is sharing the first five Special Presentation titles of its Official Selection set to have their World Premieres at the Festival’s 50th edition this September. These are: Alejandro Amenábar’s The Captive, Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, Sung-hyun Byun’s Good News, Nia DaCosta’s Hedda, and Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks. These films hail from Canada, Spain/Italy, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and reflect the bold vision, global perspective, and artistic excellence that have defined TIFF for five decades. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

“These first five films of our Official Selection reflect the innovation, heart, and global perspective that have made our Festival a home for great cinema over the past 50 editions,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “We’re excited to kick-off our Special Presentations with Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks, a young, Canadian director who has very close ties to TIFF in addition to these established directors. We can’t wait to share more in the weeks ahead as we celebrate this historic year with audiences and filmmakers from around the world.”

More on Elevation Pictures’ MILE END KICKS starring Barbie Ferreira:

Grace Pine, a 23-year-old music critic from Toronto, moves to Montreal in the summer of 2011 with the goal of writing a 33 1/3 book about Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. Instead, she falls in love with two guys in the same struggling indie rock band, vowing to become their publicist. “Mile End Kicks” is a film about the Montreal music scene, romantic obsession, and Mile End, a place where young people go to retire.

More on HEDDA, from MGM Studios, starring Tessa Thompson (still in banner):

From writer/director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play. HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.

Writer/Director: Nia DaCosta

Based on: Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson

Cast: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Nina Hoss

Music by: Hildur Gudnadottir

Costume Designer: Lindsay Pugh

Editor: Jacob Schulsinger

Production Designer: Cara Brower

Director of Photography: Sean Bobbitt, BSC

These Official Selection films join the previously announced Opening Night Film, John Candy: I Like Me. This year’s official screening venues will once again include TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre, Cinema Park at David Pecaut Square, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The seventh edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

In addition to the film screenings, the Festival offers live post-screening Q&As, the In Conversation With… series, the Industry Conference (Sept. 5–9), as well as the popular Festival Street, which returns for opening weekend along King Street West, from Peter Street to University Avenue, with food trucks and free activations — the perfect place just to sit back and people-watch.

On the last day of the Festival, TIFF announces the winners of its various awards. Alongside the popular People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, this September introduces the brand-new International People’s Choice Award. Also returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes including the Platform Award, now celebrating its 10th year, and honours from FIPRESCI and NETPAC. For a full list of past winners, visit tiff.net/awards.

Key 2025 Festival Links:
Programmers: https://tiff.net/programmers
Ticketing Dates: https://tiff.net/about-the-festival
Media Library: https://tiff.net/media/library/festival
TIFF: The Market: https://tiff.net/themarket (coming in 2026)

Film Details (in alphabetical order):

The Captive | Alejandro Amenábar | Spain / Italy
World Premiere | Special Presentation

The Christophers | Steven Soderbergh | UK
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Good News | Sung-hyun Byun | South Korea
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Hedda | Nia DaCosta | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation

Mile End Kicks | Chandler Levack | Canada
World Premiere | Special Presentation

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. More Festival details will be shared in the coming weeks including the return of TIFF Takeovers.