This was by far the most the most hectic.of the Festival and we are thrilled at the names we spotted out and about today! Totally exhausting, but so rewarding!

Some of the names we saw:

•Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome for UNSTOPPABLE

•Margaret Qualley for THE SUBSTANCE

•Ron Howard, Daniel Brühl, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas for EDEN

•Brett Goldstein for ALL OF YOU

•Mena Suvari and Brandom Routh for ICK

•Rebecca Hall for THE LISTENERS

•Barry Keoghan for BRING THEM DOWN and BIRD

Jessica Matten, Amber Midthunder and Kauchani Bratt for REZ BALL

•Manuel Garcia Rulfo and Tenoch Huerta for PEDRO PARAMO

•Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Diego Will Poulter for ON SWIFT HORSES

•Mikey Madison for ANORA

•Jason Reitman for SATURDAY NIGHT

Some highlights from today:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By David Baldwin

It is 1929 and Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his partner Dora Strauch (Vanessa Kirby) have decided to renounce many of their worldly possessions to start fresh on the isle of Floreana. They are pleased with their decision, at least until other people show up on the island with their own agendas. And let’s just say that all of the new neighbours do not exactly get along.

That’s the short and sweet elevator pitch for Oscar-winning Director Ron Howard’s latest film, EDEN. The Film feels like a radical departure for the veteran filmmaker, favouring grit, brutality, violence and high-tension scenarios as opposed to his normal, safe style. This change of pace does not always work out for Howard (specifically, when it comes to some of the camera work), but I admire his trying to make a picture that is completely out of his wheelhouse. Had the film been tightened up from its current 129-minute running time, removed one or two montages and had a better sense of tone, I am certain it would be a whole hell of a lot stronger.

That said, a Second Act birthing scene is a terrifyingly intense thing of beauty.

Acting wise, the ensemble – perhaps the single hottest Cast assembled as of late – do what they can to breathe life into this chaotic tale with varying results. Law is positively outrageous here, fearlessly reveling in the inherent hedonism of this potentially true story. Kirby goes completely underused and Daniel Brühl never gets the standout moment he needs to sell the character properly. The same cannot be said for Hollywood “It Girl”, the lava hot Sydney Sweeney, who does an excellent job as the naïve wife of Brühl’s character. Her accent is a little dodgy in some instances but her commitment to the role is stellar to watch. De Armas fairs even better, delivering a deliciously unhinged performance that allows her to steal the show out from everyone. Her accent work is impeccable (especially in comparison to something like Andrew Dominik’s Blonde) and her devious manipulation tactics add together to make her into a villain you will not soon forget.

EDEN screens at TIFF ’24:

Saturday, September 7 at 5:45PM at Roy Thomson Hall

Sunday, September 8 at 10:30AM at Roy Thomson Hall

Friday, September 13 at 10:30AM at TIFF Lightbox

Saturday, September 14 at 1:00PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

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

What if someone you loved became something else?

From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man.

Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).

But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man).

Wolf Man is directed by Whannell, whose previous films with Blumhouse include The Invisible Man, Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3. The screenplay is written by Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money).

The film is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum and is executive produced by Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Leigh Whannell. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.

Genre: Thriller

Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger

Written by: Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo

Directed by: Leigh Whannell

Producer: Jason Blum

Executive Producers: Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner, Leigh Whannell

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Gia Coppola’s latest is a stark look at how society and workplaces treat women as they age.

Shelley (Pamela Anderson) has been working as a showgirl at the last remaining tits and feather show on the Las Vegas strip. She’s been a part of the production since its conception three decades ago. When she finds out the show is being forced to close she has to confront the sacrifices she made in her personal life to be successful in her professional. Especially now that the profession she loves no longer loves her.

Coppola and screenwriter Kate Gersten have created an emotional, raw look at society’s ruthlessness of aging women. The harsh reality is that society treats younger women differently from older women, especially when it comes to the performing arts industries. Having this story set in the world of Las Vegas showgirls just heightens that reality.

The entire Cast comes from a range of generations of women and all give strong performances. The ever-charming Jamie Lee Curtis gives an impactful performance as a cocktail waitress who consistently gets sent home early when new employees get to stay. Brenda Song plays a dancer who gets shut down from all auditions because she’s deemed too old. Kiernan Shipka, the youngest of the dancers, gets hired immediately at a new show. Then there’s Anderson leads the pack in one scene and gets told the only reason she got her job all those years ago was because she was young and hot.

When Shelley hears the news of the show canceling, she immediately calls her daughter played by Billie Lourd who gives a touching performance. They’ve been estranged for years due to Shelley wanting to be bathed in the stage lights. This storyline of a woman’s sacrifice for her career is a clever touch as it takes us deeper into the female experience. Not only does the world judge women on their physical appearance, but also judges them evermore when they’ve got children.

The Last Showgirl screens at TIFF ’24:

Fri, Sept 6 at 3 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sun, Sept 8 at 2:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Fri, Sept 13 at 6:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat, Sept 14 at 7 PM 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

An exciting second day of TIFF ’24 with many star-studded adventures!

•Orlando Bloom and Catriona Balfe for THE CUT
•Tom Hiddleston, Mike Flanagan, Karen Gillan, Kate Siegel and Chiwetel Ejiofor for THE LIFE OF CHUCK
•Eddie Huang for VICE IS BROKE
•Shamier Anderson and Samir Oliveros for THE LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA
•Sandra Oh, Honourary Chair of TIFF TRIBUTE Awards Gala
•Teresa Palmer for ADDITION
•Elton John, David Furnish and R.J. Cutler for ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE
•Demi Moore for THE SUBSTANCE
•Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh for WE LIVE IN TIME

Our chat with Cutler and Furnish:

A Q&A of WE LIVE IN TIME with Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield and John Crowley:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By David Baldwin

Michael (Ben Stiller) is a big-time real estate developer in Chicago. He has a huge presentation coming up but needs to sign foster forms in person in rural Ohio for his four nephews first. Their parents were just killed in a car accident and despite having not seen the family in over a year, Michael is the next of kin. To his shock, he quickly learns upon arrival that he must stay with his nephews until a foster family is located and are open to adopting all four siblings.

I am sure you can guess where NUTCRACKERS goes from here. Well, maybe not Michael trying to foist the kids onto other families or their wanting to put on an alternative version of the Nutcracker ballet that one of the kids wrote. You get the gist. For better or worse, Director David Gordon Green’s newest film – this year’s Opening Night selection at the Festival – does not pull any punches when it comes to practically anything. It is designed and engineered to be a crowd-pleaser that has you laughing one minute and then weeping the next. It succeeds in both spheres for the most part, whereas others magnify the film’s many problems (chief amongst them that it is simply too longwinded in its current form and would benefit greatly from being trimmed down).

Stiller is lovely as Michael (or Uncle Mike as the kids call him) and it is a real treat to see him back in front of the camera after so long, in a role that feels very much at home with the rest of his oeuvre. Linda Cardellini appears as the adoption agency case worker helping Michael find a foster family for the kids and does good work with a thankless role. The film could have used much more of her. The real highlight of the NUTCRACKERS cast though is the film debuts of Home, Ulysses, Atlas and Arlo Janson, who play Michael’s nephews. They bring a genuine, lived-in experience to each of their scenes and get many of the Film’s best laughs. The emotional intimacy and vulnerability they bring to each scene is terrific and genuine. Let’s hope this is not the last time we see them on screen.

NUTCRACKERS screens at TIFF ’24:

Thursday, September 5 at 6:00PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Thursday, September 5 at 8:00PM at Roy Thomson Hall

Thursday, September 12 at 1:00PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Saturday, September 14 at 12:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto