By Nicholas Porteous

The pope is dead and Ralph Fiennes must find his successor amongst an ever-shrinking field of candidates in Edward Berger‘s Conclave, based on the historical fiction novel by Robert Harris. This is Berger‘s followup to his Oscar-winning All Quiet On the Western Front, and it’s not hard to see the cinematic parallels. 

Conclave is brimming with painterly compositions, a sweeping dramatic scope about as large as Saint Peter’s Basilica, and a great Ensemble Cast featuring Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, as well as a small but memorable turn from Isabella Rossellini. It’s fascinating to see inside the democratic process to decide who holds the power of the church until the end of their days, and this particular race is by no means straightforward. Not all potential (or rather, popetential) cardinals are free of sin, and some do a better job of hiding their indiscretions than others. There’s a Survivor/Hunger Games vibe to the proceedings, with various players scheming, forging alliances and counter alliances, votes cast and renegotiated, and cutthroat eliminations that ripple across the popelitical landscape as the next round of voting begins.

I found myself invested in the proceedings of this twisty-turny plot, but I’d wager Conclave had a significantly smaller impact on me than anyone bringing in their own personal connection to the Catholic Church. While I can understand the political gravity of a new pope in the abstract, the outcome has almost no influence on my life, so I can’t say Conclave’s urgency broke through on a personal level. The drama of the movie can also feel a bit room-temperature just months before the US election. It feels otherworldly to witness people vying for power who are actually held accountable for past behaviour. There is a touch of prescience in Conclave, and some solid universal observations, but at the end of the day, in 2024 I felt more disconnected than I’d like from what is, in spite of its twists, a relatively straightforward work of political fiction. Well-shot, well-acted, well sure–but I don’t see Conclave amassing the same critical and awards momentum as Berger‘s more gripping previous work.

Conclave screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9th at 3:00 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre

Tuesday, September 10th at 8:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Amanda Gilmore

Hugh Grant gives a formidable performance in this cat-and-mouse chamber-thriller about our beliefs in religion.

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are part of the Latter-Day Saints. They’re currently knocking on the doors of people who’ve noted an interest to learn more about their church. That’s when they are introduced to Mr. Reed (Grant). He invites the two in with a promise that his wife is cooking the best blueberry pie one could have. But soon, all signs point to something more sinister behind Mr. Reed’s charming demeanour.

Co-Screenwriters and Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (who also co-wrote The Quiet Place) have created a successful Horror film that has something to say. Heretic may include two Sisters of the LDS but it doesn’t only question that religion. It questions all religious beliefs. But most importantly, it questions the reasoning of why we believe what we believe. One scene has Mr. Reed make references to board games and songs and revealing which are the true originals. This one pivotal scene alone proves that Heretic is a cerebral film concerned with making its audience confront their beliefs.

As Grant has said many times now, he’s in his freaks and monsters era. Mr. Reed follows in that category of character that he has now found himself playing decades into his career. And frankly, he’s never been better. In Heretic, his natural charm allows the audience and the Sisters to trust Mr. Reed. Grant is impeccable at playing his charm with the chilling rhetoric Mr. Reed delivers. Resulting in an eerie performance that will stand as one of his most memorable.

Heretic primarily takes place in one location: Mr. Reed’s home. It’s difficult to make a single setting horror entertaining. Yet, it is. This is due to the steady direction and pacing, the cinematography by Chung-Hoon Chung, and the performance from its three cast members.

Heretic screens at TIFF ’24:

Sun, Sept 8 at 9:30 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Mon, Sept 9 at 9 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Cannot believe how great our day went and this will go down as the day we finally met the great Cate! So many new core memories created!

It was an explosive Day Four of TIFF ’24 including:

•Angelina Jolie at Premiere of WITHOUT BLOOD after being honoured at TIFF Tribute Awards Gala
•Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas at TIFF ’24 for EDEN.
•Sam Worthington at TIFF ’24 for RELAY
•Jude Law, Tye Sheridan, Teresa Palmer, Nicholas Hoult, Jurnee Smollett at TIFF ’24 for THE ORDER
•Malala at TIFF ’24 for LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN
•Alfonso Cuáron at TIFF ’24 for DISCLAIMER.
•Cate Blanchett being honoured at TIFF Tribute Awards tonight. Here with DISCLAIMER and RUMOURS
•Isabella Rosselini at TIFF ’24 for CONCLAVE
•Alicia Vikander and Himesh Patel at TIFF ’24 for THE ASSESSMENT
•Paul Rudd at TIFF ’24 for FRIENDSHIP
•Mikey Madison, Sean Baker, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov and Vache Tovmasyan of ANORA
•John David Washington and Malcolm Washington at TIFF ’24 for THE PIANO LESSON

See our Day Four highlights!

Angelina Jolie‘s exciting arrival with son Pax at WITHOUT BLOOD Premiere

Some highlights from Cate Blanchett’s In-Conversation:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Nicholas Porteous

After Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan teams-up with Stephen King once again, but The Life of Chuck is not a spooky spool to make you crawl under the sheets and cover your eyes. On the contrary. It’s a movie about embracing the entirety of your existence. Even if you aren’t Tom Hiddleston. And it’s as much an end-of-the-world story as it is a toe-tapping dance picture. Our story begins with “Act Three”, as the world appears to be coming to an end. Don’t worry–acts two and one are next! Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan are forced to reckon with an existential dread reminiscent of the pandemic, but infinitely worse. On top of this, a mysterious, unknown entity–“Chuck” (Tom Hiddleston) has been popping up all over town. Does he have anything to do with the apocalypse? I won’t say another word, but the answer may surprise you in the best possible way. In this particular narrative climate, we’ve been conditioned to expect some kind of Damon Lindelof-esque, clever unraveling of all the threads that a mystery box story might present up front. The Life of Chuck is a warm, welcome counterpoint to this kind of storytelling.

Acts one and two are all about Chuck, and his connection to the ‘ending’. Were you aware Tom Hiddleston can dance? The spoiler I can’t resist blowing: he’s as good at dancing as he is at being Loki. If I can levy any criticism toward Chuck, I’d say it is occasionally guilty of sentimentality, and using obvious music cues. The movie knows how moving it is from the jump, and it’s not wrong, but I would have appreciated less tipping of those delicate emotional scales. 

Chuck will almost certainly reward multiple viewings, if only for its Where’s Waldo-like smattering of hidden cues and messages that all wrap around and breathe meaning into its profound message. The more I think about it, the better it gets.

The Life of Chuck screens at TIFF ’24:

Friday, September 13th at 12:35 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Saturday, September 14th at 6:15 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Nicholas Porteous

Bailey, a lonely English girl, searches for an escape from her dysfunctional family existence in Andrea Arnold‘s Bird. One windy day on a hillside, she encounters a stranger–the titular Bird--who gives her a moment of much-needed, friendly attention. Bird (Franz Rogowski) is a man of few words, but that moment is enough to spark a unique partnership, shaking the foundations of both of their worlds. Bird is very much of a piece with Arnold‘s masterpiece American Honey. Both are fly-on-the-wall, naturalistic glimpses into the lives of the less fortunate, both engage with toxic relationships and newfound families, and both feature sprawling, unconventional narratives with loose ends and scores of characters that often feel too real to be acted. So why is Bird the far less compelling of the two?

For one, Bailey simply doesn’t have as much to offer as a main character. She’s more of a prism, reflecting the pain and injustices of her world. There’s also much less ambiguity when it comes to the ‘bad guys’ this time around. Barry Keoghan does a solid job bringing depth to his troubling father Bug, but Skate (James Nelson Joyce) feels tailor-made to bring as much unnecessary pain and unprovoked confrontation into every moment he’s on screen. It’s a cheap characterization that drives all too much of Bird‘s story.Bird also chooses to sidestep some violence, converting it into fantastical imagery in a way that I found questionable. Why shy away from the brutal reality? What is this imaginary escape in service of? I left Bird with even more appreciation for American Honey than I had before, because it shows how difficult it truly is to make this kind of movie feel effortless and unsentimental. Bird‘s wholehearted attempts at exploring three-dimensional characters and their traumas, while using basically the same techniques as Honey, feel so much more mushy and muddled.

Bird screens at TIFF ’24:

Saturday, September 7th at 3:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 8th at 11:45 AM at TIFF Lightbox

Friday, September 13th at 9:45 AM at Scotiabank Theatre

By David Baldwin

Mr. K (Crispin Glover) is a traveling magician who needs a bed to sleep in before waking up early for his next show. The only problem is that when he wakes up, he cannot find the exit. He starts becoming acquainted with other guests who have not been outside in some time, and realizes quite quickly that something bizarre is going on within the walls of the hotel.

MR. K is a Kafka-esque nightmare that will either grip you from the start or keep you at a distance for the entire running time. It is both beautiful and horrific in its construction, with exquisite set design and often claustrophobic framing that is deliberately uncomfortable. I admire the boldness of Writer/Director Tallulah H. Schwab’s film, but often felt at odds with its absurdist and enigmatic tone. It is not an easy watch whatsoever, though I did find some of the cringe humour to be downright hilarious in a morbid, strange way.

While the Supporting Cast do well for themselves for the most part (even those who have no speaking lines at all), the entire picture hinges on Glover. The legendary character actor has always gravitated towards weird and offbeat roles, and his performance as the titular MR. K is no different. He is finely tuned into Schwab’s odd tone and expertly navigates the confusion, anger and isolation the character feels – often within the same scene. It is a great showcase of the multifaceted actor’s genuine, raw talent and will instantly make you wonder why we have not seen him around nearly as much as we should be.

MR. K screens at TIFF ’24:

Saturday, September 7 at 2:30PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 8 at 8:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sunday, September 14 at 9:40PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By Amanda Gilmore

Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield deliver emotionally raw performances in Director John Crowley’s latest.

We Live in Time tells the exhilarating romance between Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield). Their endearing romance begins in the quirkiest way when Almut hits Tobias with her car. From then on, they’re a unit. The two face life’s joys and upheavals together. They fight. They love. But most importantly, they experience life.

Romance films are hit-and-miss. It’s rare we get one that haunts us. We Live in Time is one that will haunt us. Almut and Tobias share a rare love. One based on unflinching honesty, intimate humor, and loaded with infinite love.

Nick Payne’s script tells their story non-linearly over three distinct timelines. One follows them as they meet. Another while they are pregnant. And the final is when Almut is given a medical diagnosis that treatment may or may not cure. Telling the story in this way allows the audience to understand their love on a deeper level.

This romance is exquisitely acted between Pugh and Garfield. Their chemistry is astronomical. Pugh is a powerhouse as a woman who wants to balance her professional life as a chef with her personal one as a mother. Garfield gives a gut-wrenching performance as a man who’s terrified he’s going to lose the woman he loves. He gives a restrained performance that shows a well of intense emotions.

We Live in Time screens at TIFF ’24:

Fri, Sept 6 at 9:30 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sat, Sept 7 at 10:30 AM at Roy Thompson Hall

By David Baldwin

Chester Brown (Dan Beirne) is a Cartoonist who lives with his girlfriend Sonny (Emily Lê) in the late ’90s. Sonny wants to redefine and open-up their relationship so she can better explore her feelings for other men. Chester is okay with the idea, but has no intention of pursuing romantic love with someone else. Instead, he decides to explore a new kind of intimacy by paying and sleeping with sex workers.

Based on Brown’s controversial best-selling graphic novel, PAYING FOR IT is a truthful portrait of a taboo subject. At the same time, it is an honest and intimate piece about romantic and platonic love, sex and all of the feelings that come along with it. Co-Writer/Director Sook-Yin Lee threads the needle between all of these themes wonderfully and brings an additional layer of authenticity to the story – she is the real-life Sonny – depicting her memories of what she was doing in-between the panels of Brown’s novel. Where other filmmakers and creators may shy away from self-reflection, Lee hones in on Sonny’s flaws and failings, making the piece feel introspective and often devastating. Her candid matter-of-factness is admirable and is a perfect match for this story.

I also admire the raw nakedness of the characters, both physically and emotionally. It gives weight to every performance and never feels disingenuous or voyeuristic. Our two leads, Beirne and Lê, benefit the most from this as it gives them the space to develop their characters and make them feel genuinely lived-in and real. Their work here is so strong that I often felt like I was no longer watching a film and was watching a documentary instead. Keep an eye out as well for Andrea Werhun who enters late in the film and leaves a lasting impression as one of the sex workers whom Chester engages with. Her real-life work as an escort and exotic dancer informs her performance, and her chemistry with Beirne is palpable.

PAYING FOR IT screens at TIFF’24:

Friday, September 6 at 9:30PM at TIFF Lightbox

Saturday, September 7 at 11:45AM at TIFF Lightbox

By David Baldwin

Anora (Mikey Madison), or Ani as she prefers to be called, is a sex worker working at a New York gentlemen’s club. One evening, a guest requests a dancer who can speak Russian. Ani fits the bill and meets Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the charming, high-rolling son of a Russian oligarch. He is instantly enamoured by Ani and asks to spend more time with her outside of the club. They begin a transactional relationship which turns into marriage soon after. When Vanya’s parents find out, they are none too pleased.

Multi-hyphenate Writer/Director Sean Baker won the Palme d’Or for ANORA at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for a good reason – it is a magnificent film and one of the best of the year. Full stop.

The Filmmaker, whose previous films include Red Rocket and The Florida Project, has crafted a one-of-a-kind film that starts off like a romantic fever dream before evolving into a wildly intense ride akin to something the Safdie Brothers would make. It is a genuinely delirious pivot that Baker crafts beautifully and carefully, subverting expectations as he goes along. Everything that happens remains grounded in reality and never veers into the fantastical. That may disappoint some people, but it never feels disingenuous. His eye for realism extends into his depiction of sex work as well, not treating it or the strip club that factors into much of the film with the typical Hollywood glow-up. Instead, he avoids any voyeuristic gazes and depicts what it really looks like and more importantly, depicts it with the respect it deserves. Baker has long been a proponent of sex work and his inability to play into antiquated notions of it works to the Film’s benefit greatly.

All of this praise would be meaningless however without Madison, who gives a star-making performance as Ani. She is a whip-smart firecracker who speaks her mind (often profanely) and takes shit from absolutely no one. Madison infuses Ani with a ferocious energy that propels her through the entire film, only briefly hinting at the emotional interior underneath her warrior-hardened exterior. She is expressive in her pleasure with her profession and will gleefully and ravenously take down anyone who writes her off as a mere prostitute. Madison’s raw physicality and intimacy adds depth to the performance, as does the New York accent she uses to deliver every hilarious and devastating line. You hang on every moment of it, unable to look away for fear of missing out on another expressively brilliant layer she adds to Ani.

While all of the supporting players are great (Eydelshteyn’s Vanya and Yura Borisov’s Igor are the standouts), none of them can even dream of matching the strength of Madison’s performance. It is spectacular, must-see work that will stay with you long after the credits roll and will thankfully, ensure she will not be typecast as the villain who gets set on fire at the end ever again.

ANORA screens at TIFF’24:

Sunday, September 8 at 8:00PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Monday, September 9 at 8:30PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By David Baldwin

Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) was once Hollywood royalty. Fearing she may fade into total obscurity after getting sacked from her TV fitness show, she turns to a black-market injection program called “The Substance”. Using it creates a younger version of herself, Sue (Margaret Qualley), but it comes with a catch: each body is only allowed to exist for a week at a time before they need to swap back or else they risk irreversible consequences.

You may have an idea of where it goes from there, but trust me when I tell you that nothing can prepare you for THE SUBSTANCE. You will not be the same after watching this satirical nightmare that is as much an indictment of archaic female beauty standards as it is a masterpiece of Body Horror that would make even the genre’s Maestro David Cronenberg blush. I will not mince words – THE SUBSTANCE is disgusting and goes to some absolutely revolting places. In other words, this is one the Midnight Madness sickos are going to adore and anyone else should probably avoid.

I am one of those sickos and I loved every minute of THE SUBSTANCE.

Writer/Director Coralie Fargeat’s first film, the bloody thriller Revenge, was awesome. What she does here in only her second picture makes that film look like an angry Disney Princess movie. She swings for the fences right from the jump, crafting an experience that gradually takes over nearly every one of your senses. The way she incorporates sound is impeccable and her Editing (done alongside Jerome Eltabet and Valentin Féron) is magnificent. While I was not a fan of some of the CGI effects, the stunning makeup work more than makes up for it.

Even better are the genuine special effects on display here: the performances by Moore and Qualley. They are both incredible, firing on all cylinders and delivering the best performances of their careers. They both tap into something primal and give off an aura of raw, animalistic energy that continually grows stronger throughout. They compliment each other and breathe frighteningly real life into Fargeat’s poison-laced dialogue. And though he is used sparingly, Dennis Quaid is deliciously over-the-top as the shit weasel studio executive named (of course he is), Harvey. For my money, he has the most sickening, stomach-churning scene in the entire film – which says a lot given the places this theme park ride from hell takes you.

THE SUBSTANCE screens at TIFF’24:

Thursday, September 5 at 11:59PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Friday, September 6 at 7:30PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Friday, September 13 at 5:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto