By David Baldwin
Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a professor who moonlights as a surveillance operative for the police. He is asked to fill in as an “undercover hitman-for-hire” during one sting, and surprises everyone with the strength and believability of his performance. Gary quickly becomes the go-to undercover performer and one day meets Madison (Adria Arjona), who wants to hire him to kill her husband.
Talk about your classic meet cute.
HIT MAN, the latest from multi-hyphenate Director Richard Linklater, is easily one of the hottest and most sought-after tickets at TIFF ’23. It is not hard to figure out why – he directs the hell out of the Film, crafting an offbeat Romantic Comedy that is just a joy to watch. Linklater has never been nailed down to one genre over the course of his nearly 40-year career, always swinging for the fences with mainstream experimentation and zigging when you assume he should be zagging. Though there are a few occasional story stumbles here and places where it could have been tightened, this is easily one of his best and funniest films; the kind of screwball Comedy we have not seen in decades.
Of course, we cannot give Linklater all the credit. The Film is very much a collaboration between him and Writer/Producer Powell, who is having the time of his life. This is their third film together and I can only hope there will be more collabs soon, because this has the promise of being one of the great actor/director pairings. Powell is electric from the moment the Film begins, narrating with gusto and confidently jumping into every scene headfirst. The scenes with him chatting with different perps in very different costumes are a clear highlight, showcasing his range and adoration for the material (which is based on a true story). But it is his powder keg chemistry with Arjona that really makes the Film sing. It is immediately palpable in their first scene together, and only gets stronger and sexier as the Film goes on.
Make sure you have the fire department on speed dial when you watch. Because any time these two are together threatens to ignite the screen from how incendiary their chemistry is.
HIT MAN screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 5:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Tuesday, September 12 at 2:00 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Saturday, September 16 at 8:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto [Newly Added]
By David Baldwin
Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) and Army Commando Amrit (Lakshya) are in love and plan to get married. The only problem is, Tulika is engaged to someone else and is on her way on the Rajdhani Express train to meet him in New Delhi. Amrit is on the train as well, as are a large number of bandits armed to the teeth with blades of all sizes. When the bandits start robbing the passengers and put Tulika in grave danger, Amrit and his commando friend Viresh spring into action.
KILL is fucking awesome. Period. There’s really no other succinct way to put it.
Writer/Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat has crafted an edge of your seat Thriller that takes place almost entirely on a moving train and tells you very early on that it is not fucking around. If that was not enough to keep your blood pressure sky high, then the claustrophobic camera angles in the small train compartments and narrow hallways should do the trick. How Bhat was able to capture some of these incredibly-choreographed fight scenes is a minor mystery, with each one looking more intense than the last. The relentless barrage of bone-crushing, limb-snapping, brain splattering action scenes will not be for everyone – some moments are straight up the most vicious and graphically violent of the year, easily giving last year’s Midnight Madness fave Project Wolf Hunting a run for its money. For those who do revel in over-the-top gore and brutal fight scenes however, you need to put KILL at the top of your watchlist immediately.
Though some of the romance is ham-fisted and some of the familial bickering goes on too long, KILL is a blast from start to finish. Maniktala is great as Tulika, and Lakshya is terrific in his solemn, man of few words, star-making performance. He carries the movie with just his fierce eyes, his fighting stance and all the shocking things he does to the bodies of the bandits. Raghav Juyal does equally well as the villainous Fani, oozing charisma and swagger everywhere he goes. He is a wonderful foil for Lakshya’s Amrit and gets nearly all of the best lines.
Just make sure you KILL with a bunch of friends. Listening to the collective gasps, screams and clapping made for one of the best TIFF screening experiences ever.
KILL screens at TIFF ’23:
Friday, September 8 at 11:59 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Saturday, September 9 at 9:10 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By George Kozera
We first meet Sophia (Magalie Lepine Blondeau) and Xavier (Francis-William Rheaume) at a dinner party with some close friends. The topics and conversations around the dining room table ooze with intelligentsia and witty banter. Once back home, this couple, who have been together for ten years without the “benefit” of marriage, retreat to separate adjoining bedrooms where Sophia asks Xavier if he was sexually attracted to one of the guests at the party who just happened to be single. The next day, Sophia goes alone to meet with a contractor they both hired at the chalet they purchased north of Montreal to determine how much work the house requires and meets Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal, best known for his role in Xavier Dolan’s “Tom at the Farm”). Sylvain is smoking hot with enough testosterone to fuel a small country. Before one can say “Mon Dieu”, they embark on a highly-charged sexual liaison.
Nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award at this year’s Cannes festival, THE NATURE OF LOVE succinctly tackles many fascinating topics. What makes for a perfect relationship: brains (which Xavier has in spades but is as sexual as a neutered puppy) or brawn (Sylvain may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but he is incredibly attentive in every other way). How does either gender deal with their mid-life crises. When and what makes a long-term relationship burdensome.
Director Monia Chokri seems inspired by the films of fellow Quebec Oscar winner Denys Arcand and seamlessly merges the witty repartee alongside unbridled passion and romanticism. She also elicits magnetic performances from the Movie’s three leads and the look and feel of the movie is inspired. But for reasons that would reveal key plotlines, I found THE NATURE OF LOVE somewhat polarizing and not completely credible. I do suggest it’s almost essential viewing and I would LOVE to talk about it afterwards!
THE NATURE OF LOVE screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, Sept.14, 4PM, Scotiabank
Friday, Sept. 15, 9:15PM, Scotiabank
By Amanda Gilmore
Dicks: The Musical is an instant Cult Classic.
Based on the off-Broadway musical Fucking Identical Twins by Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson (who also co-write and star here), you better believe there has never been a film quite like this before. It’s an uproarious Musical-Comedy riff off of The Parent Trap that needs to be seen to be believed.
It follows identical twin brothers Craig (Sharp) and Trevor (Jackson) who’ve never met each other. One was raised by their mother, Evelyn (Megan Mullally) the other by their father Harris (Nathan Lane). When they show up to work one day, they realize they are identical twin brothers. They concoct a plan to get their parents to fall madly in love with each other again. Unfortunately for them, their dad is gay and their mom’s vagina — literally — ran away.
The Co-Writers adapt their off-Broadway Musical into a cinematic experience that’s proudly, gloriously and unapologetically queer. Director Larry Charles (who also Directed Curb Your Enthusiasm and Borat) brings comedic genius into every musical number and scene. Most importantly, he trusts in the outstanding comedy legends he’s cast. Lane and Mullally are brilliantly cast as the oddball parents. These legendary comedic actors are fully committed to their characters and jump in head first to all the mayhem that ensues.
Dicks: The Musical is sure to be divisive. There are moments that some will find strange and the more conservative viewer will find gross (SPOILER ALERT: there’s a vagina with eyes that flies in the air). Yet, the musical-comedy will be loved by those who go in with an open mind and allow themselves to be swept up in the riotous ride. Even if the ending may make you scratch your head.
Dicks: The Musical screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, September 7 at 11:59 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Friday, September 8 at 8 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 9:30 PM at Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
By Amanda Gilmore
Ethan Hawke returns to the Director’s chair to explore the life and art of American Author Flannery O’Connor, who’s stunningly portrayed by his own daughter Maya Hawke.
Hawke and Co-Writer Shelby Gaines’s Script focuses on O’Connor’s life when she left New York City in 1950 and returned home to live with her mother Regina (a dazzling Laura Linney). It was here that she was diagnosed with lupus. At the time, getting this diagnosis felt like a death sentence. And that’s how O’Connor took it. Thus, she believed her time was limited to making the lasting mark she desired. Maya Hawke captivates as the Author grapples with her identity and her artistry.
Just like Hawke’s prior directorial ventures, Wildcat examines the artist’s way. He achieves this by blending O’Connor’s life with visual tellings of her short stories. He places her mother and those parts of her real life in the visual recreations of her stories. This creates the connection between life and art that O’Connor always claimed.
A highlight of Wildcat is the examination of the relationship O’Connor has with her faith. The Screenwriters spend significant time connecting the Author’s religion with the harsh judgement she places on herself for her dark imagination. The Filmmakers imply that this judgement halted the young author’s career early on. As the ending comes, O’Connor finally accepts her imagination for what it is and separates it from her relationship with God. She went on to become one of the most prominent writers of her generation.
Wildcat screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Wednesday, September 13 at 7:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 11:30 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By Amanda Gilmore
Chloe Domont makes an assured, bold feature debut with the riveting Fair Play.
It follows couple Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) who live and work together, leading them to live double lives. In their private life, they are madly in love and share a cosy apartment. In their work life, their relationship is strictly platonic as it is a violation of company policy at their firm. Their love becomes tested when Emily earns a promotion the pair thought Luke would be given.
Appropriately set in the cut-throat world of Wall Street hedge fund firms, Fair Play is a merciless examination of love, power and gender dynamics. Emily and Luke recently got engaged but both are married to their careers. When Emily hears a rumour that Luke will be given the promotion she is elated for him. When that turns out to be untrue and Emily’s the one levelling up the celebration isn’t reciprocated.
Rather, Luke’s fragile ego gets the best of him. He can’t understand why he wasn’t given the promotion. Ehrenreich gives a meticulous performance as the enchanting turned cruel Luke. He’s cast perfectly as his natural charm allows the audience to understand his pain and yearning to advance in the firm.
As the story progresses, Luke’s resentment grows and he becomes vindictive and condescending towards Emily. However, Emily restrains herself and does her best to reassure Luke that he’ll get his turn. But eventually, Luke’s spiteful remarks cut like stab wounds and Emily’s controlled pain and resentment unleashes. Dynevor is a revelation as a woman achieving her dream while having to downplay this triumph. The chemistry between the two is palpable making for the most captivating pair of the year, especially in the raw arguments this couple has.
Fair Play is diligently crafted. Domont’s Script is paced to perfection, enticing us from start to finish. As the power shifts and resentment unleashes, Domont along with her two leads importantly remind us how in love these two are. Therefore, we’re constantly on the edge of our seats wondering where this relationship will go. And you’ll never see the most satisfying ending coming.
Fair Play screens at TIFF ’23:
Wednesday, September 13 at 5:30 PM at Roy Thompson Hall
Thursday, September 14 at 8:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Friday, September 15 at 6 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
By George Kozera
EZRA opens with stand-up comedian Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale) as he regales the audience at a comedy club with funny and insightful observations, some of which include his being a father of an autistic son named Ezra (William Fitzgerald), who lives with his soon-to-be ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne). Max, who was once a successful comedy writer, now lives with his father Stan (Robert De Niro), a no nonsense, pugilistic individual who had been fired from many high-profile establishments as a chef due to his aggressive personality and is now a hotel doorman.
Ezra is a highly-intelligent young boy, and he has a few triggering moments (hugs, metal cutlery, bananas) but his latest outburst at school, potentially putting other students in jeopardy may put his time at the school in jeopardy. Rather than being expelled, Max and Jenna agree to take him to be diagnosed by a doctor, who recommends that not only Ezra be enrolled into a special needs school, he needs to start taking Risperdal, an antipsychotic and Jenna supports this plan of action. Max wholeheartedly disagrees and after seeing his son overly medicated and somnambulistic at the schoolyard during recess, he hatches a rather not fully conceived plan and abducts Ezra in the middle of the night and the two drive off in Stan’s classic convertible. While on the road, Max hears from his agent (Whoopi Goldberg) that she successfully booked him to be on the Jimmy Kimmel Show the following Friday and then discovers that an Amber Alert has been summoned to find the father and son.
There are numerous reasons I fell in love with EZRA starting with the impeccable performance from Cannavale. Always memorable in feature film supporting roles, in this movie he shows how genuinely talented and dynamic he is an actor, both dramatically and comedically. Newcomer William Fitzgerald brings authenticity and subtlety in a tour de force performance. This is Robert De Niro’s finest supporting work in some time, namely “Silver Linings Playbook”. Being a fan of Rose Byrne, she effortlessly portrays the many emotions her character is going through. It is evident that Director Tony Goldwyn (also in the Movie playing Jenna’s new boyfriend) loves and respects the acting craft and allows Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Vera Farmiga (Oscar-nominated for “Up in the Air”) to shine in their pivotal supporting turns.
The Cinematography is glorious, and I truly appreciated that. That being said, it did not pull at the emotional strings that leaves one weeping. It was just right. Fun fact: Screenwriter Tony Spiradakis used his own challenges with parenting an autistic son as inspiration for the movie.
EZRA screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, September 14, 9:30PM, TIFF Bell Lightbox
By Amanda Gilmore
The latest from Writer-Director Kaouther Ben Hania, who was the Co-Winner of the Cannes ’23 Golden Eye Award, tells a heartbreaking story through a hybrid Documentary and Drama model.
It tells the true story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters. Documenting the story of how her two eldest daughters, Ghofrane and Rahma, disappeared in 2015 (aged 16 and 15) and how that shaped and emotionally affected the lives of Olfa and her two youngest daughters, Eya and Tayssir (aged 10 and 12).
Olfa’s story could be told through as a whole Documentary or Drama but this hybrid model adds a layer of cinematic dynamism. Ben Hania patiently allows Olfa and her youngest daughters as they tell their story to the Actors, who play Olfa and her eldest daughters. The stories Olfa, Eya and Tayssir share with the Actors give an unflinching glimpse into the pain they live with. We watch as they confront their grief in a different way through this process and uncover how they’ve moved forward, yet in some regards remained, still since the disappearance.
Four Daughters is a captivating portrait of the pain that accompanies familial love. An honest look at the kind of love that never fades no matter the decisions they make.
Four Daughters screens at TIFF ’23:
Wednesday, September 13 at 2 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Thursday, September 14 at 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By Mr. Will Wong
Christos Nikou makes his English feature directorial debut in Toronto-filmed FINGERNAILS. It’s quirky, cute and will make you squeamish. All of that in one sitting.
Though the Film dons a nostalgia to it, it is set in the future. Couples now have the ability to test if in fact their love is true at an institute specializing in finger nail tests, putting couples through intimacy-enhancing activities. Anna (Jessie Buckley) lands a job at the institute after testing “positive” for true love with her partner Ryan (Jeremy Allen White). Something doesn’t sit right still. She takes on this job secretly, telling Ryan she’s teaching at an elementary school. Anna works with Amir and while working with the institute’s clientele, they form a bond that has Anna questioning if her true “positive” with Ryan is in fact real.
Nikou tells an age old love triangle story through a new lens, opting for 35mm which together with the styling and soundtrack of the Film, make us feel we’re in the past, even though we’re in the future. His commentary on society’s dependence on technology doing the thinking for us makes this a biting satire, but with a unique mixture of grotesque (yes, these fingernail pulling will have you covering your eyes!), yet charming at once.
Buckley and Ahmed have a believable chemistry, while White isn’t given quite as much to work with, painting the mundane backdrop whereby Anna‘s life is set against. Nikou crafts something thought-provoking though it takes a different route to get there.
FINGERNAILS screens at TIFF ’23 as follows:
Tuesday, September 12
Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Premium, Descriptive Sound
Wednesday, September 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
Closed Captioning
As TIFF ’23 begins to wind down, we enjoyed a much more leisurely pace today. Any time Jessica Chastain comes to town, we show up just like she always shows up for her fans. Despite only having four minutes to greet her fans, who lined the street outside Royal Alexandra Theatre for Michel Franco‘s MEMORY, she made the most of it, walking the line interacting with everyone. She is just absolutely lovely and still despite her stature and success, THE NICEST CELEBRITY ON THE PLANET. Her care and compassion for her supporters is unparalleled and we hope she never changes. Exemplary.
Was great seeing her Co-Star Peter Sarsgaard, fresh off his win in Venice for his performance in the Film for Best Actor, which sees two high school friends reunited, with things take a concerning turn when Sarsgaard‘s character follows Chastain‘s character home.
The Cast and Director head over to Margo on King West for post-premiere celebrations. The newly-launched hotspot situated inside members-only club, Clio.
Another high-profile film to premiere tonight was John Carney’s FLORA AND SON which won raves earlier this year in Sundance. The Film centers on a single mother looking to bond with her son over music lessons. In town for the debut at Roy Thomson Hall were Carney his one of the Film’s breakout stars, Oren Kinlan.
Filmed right here in Toronto, Director/Writer Christos Nikou’s FINGERNAILS got a full circle moment at Princess of Wales Theatre where the Sci-Fi Romance premiered. He dedicated the Premiere in memory of his friend, late TIFF Programmer Ravi Srninivasan, who generously gave him his Raptors season tickets while filming in the City. Both this and Flora and Son arrive later this year on Apple TV+, both getting celebrated with a pre-party at Ace Hotel.
We’re pretty much wrapping-up our star sighting content and look forward to quite a few screenings these next few days! Keep checking back for our Team’s reviews!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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