It’s officially been a week since TIFF ’19 began and we honestly don’t know where the time went! It all felt like one long day with power naps. We’re doing just fine, although we worry with the switch from hot to umm… freezing, we are a prime candidate for a cold!

Some names still in town we spotted. Hover cursor right to navigate albums.

Zazie Beetz (Lucy in the Sky, Joker + Seberg)

George McKay (True History of the Kelly Gang)

WESTERN STARS – Premiere

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

After his boss is shot and left for dead, private detective Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton) sets-out to find out why. But along the way, he gets caught in the middle of 1950s political turmoil and a whole lot of people that want him to stop before he gets hurt.

Norton has been trying to get his adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s Book onto the big screen for at least a decade. His passion for the Project is effusive, and that may be why the Film feels like such a mess. It clocks in at 144-minutes, but easily feels double that. There are so many characters and subplots that it is easy to get lost in them all. The Film’s Cinematography is wonky, and the Set Design looks almost blatantly artificial. I cannot assume this was a deliberate choice, but it does feel disingenuous. The Cast is fairly good however, with Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Alec Baldwin standing-out among a sea of extras. And while his work behind the camera is not as good, Norton’s work on-screen surpasses even the best of expectations. The level of control and precision he demonstrates with Lionel’s Tourette Syndrome and OCD are outstanding, as are his more peculiar nuances.

MOTHERLESS BROOKYLN screens during TIFF at the following times:

Tuesday September 10, 9:15pm @ Princess of Wales
Wednesday September 11, 1:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Sunday September 15, 9:00am @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Yakov (Dave Davis) is out of his element and struggling with PTSD. He gets asked one evening to be a shomer (watching over the body) for a recently deceased Holocaust survivor at their home. Yakov needs the money, so he agrees. But soon after arriving at the house, Yakov starts hearing and seeing very chilling and gross things. And he might not survive the night.

While knowing and understanding Yiddish folklore might help, I was pleasantly surprised with how good The Vigil turned-out to be – especially for a directorial debut. Writer/Director Keith Thomas uses every lesson he has learned from Horror movies, and crafts a film that effectively is creepy and spooky right from the start. He uses each element at his disposal to build up the dread in each scene and turns up the atmosphere considerably whenever he can. And while the jump scares are typical and predictable, the Score and sound design are used so effectively that they practically become even scarier. What The Vigil could have benefitted from was a better lighting scheme, as some scenes look substantially darker than they need to be. Davis, acting basically in his own one-man show, is astonishingly great here as well, controlling every scene and emotion like a seasoned vet.

THE VIGIL screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 11:59pm @ Ryerson Theatre [World Premiere]
Wednesday September 11, 9:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Sunday September 15, 4:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) makes his living as a party clown. He lives with his mother, has serious mental health issues and dreams of being a Comedian. But a set of circumstances will set him down a different path – one that involves becoming Gotham City’s greatest villain, The Joker.

With Joker, Co-Writer/Director Todd Phillips (of The Hangover and Old School) set-out to create a dark, gritty, intense and disturbing take on the legendary character. And for the most part, he succeeds. Phillips draws on Martin Scorsese classics like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy to visualize Gotham City and its inhabitants, building an urban dystopia so vivid you can smell the grime and filth. And instead of making just another Comic Book movie, he turns the genre and formula on its head and gives us a passionate, unapologetic and viciously violent character study. He leans too hard into Batman lore and relies a bit too much on slow motion, but this is easily his most ambitious project to date.

And at the centre of it all is a blisteringly brilliant performance from Phoenix. His physical and mental transformation into The Joker is eye-opening, and the little nuances he brings to the character are simply terrific. He is featured in practically every scene, and the way he commands that camera is a masterclass all in its own. Some have already started calling this take sympathetic, but make no mistake: this Joker is just as much of a depraved, homicidal maniac as you remember and any sympathy you may gleam at the beginning will be completely gone by the end. He is still The Joker after all.

JOKER screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 9:00pm @ Roy Thomson Hall
Tuesday September 10, 2:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Friday September 13, 9:45pm @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Sales of Ford cars are slumping in the early 1960s. They need to reinvigorate the brand, fast. Inspired by the work Ferrari is doing, the company plan to build a car that can compete with the best of the best at the “24 Hours of Le Mans” endurance race. But it will not be easy.

The 152-minute running time of Ford v Ferrari is daunting, but it proves to be one of the most rewarding and entertaining films at this year’s Festival. Director James Mangold uses the time to his advantage, crafting a film that never stops moving and never strays into anything unimportant. Each element used here is effective, allowing Mangold to straddle the line between drama and white-knuckle Thriller masterfully. He knows just when to change gears and wisely spends a generous portion of the Last Act at the Le Mans race. Also, by emphasizing the sounds of the car and amping-up Marco Beltrami’s epic Score, Mangold makes the Film substantially more engrossing at each turn. And with a stacked Cast featuring Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Outlander’s Catriona Balfe and the great Tracy Letts, you just know you are in good hands. You just might be a little sweaty after watching it.

FORD v FERRARI screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 5:30pm @ Roy Thomson Hall
Monday September 9, 8:00pm @ Elgin Theatre
Tuesday September 10, 10:30am @ Princess of Wales
Friday September 13, 9:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Saturday September 14, 4:30pm @ Ryerson Theatre

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Tunde Johnson (Steven Silver) keeps reliving the day he dies at the hands of Los Angeles police officers.

While the concept of reliving a day repeatedly has been done before, this Film does an entirely unique take on it. Screenwriter Stanley Kalu uses the repeated day to address racial stereotypes, race relations, and police brutality. Kalu’s focused Script is also a story of accepting one’s identity and presenting oneself honestly. Silver is a magnetic force on the screen. He gives one-hundred percent whether he is exploring Tunde’s sexuality, friendships, familial relationships or identity.

The Obituary Of Tunde Johnson screens at TIFF on Sun, Sep 9 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12 PM, Tue, Sep 10 at Scotiabank Theatre at 4:15 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Scotiabank Theatre at 9 PM.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Wasp Network focuses on a few Cuban intelligence agents who pose as dissidents during the country’s 90s post-Soviet Union economic collapse.

Director Olivier Assayas is a master of telling multiple character storylines and making them all come together naturally. With Wasp Network, he continues on this path. This time around he focuses on three different intelligence agents with different things to lose and gain. Although the Film does get a bit slow at times it’s the performances from an all-star Cast that keep the audience’s attention. Those intense performances are from Edgar Ramírez, Gael García Bernal, and Wagner Moura. Yet the most captivating performances come from Penélope Cruz and Ana de Armas who are the ones most affected by their husband’s actions.

Wasp Network screens at TIFF on Mon, Sep 9 at Ryerson Theatre at 6 PM, Tue, Sep 10 at Scotiabank Theatre at 6 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Ryerson Theatre at 8:30 PM.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

The Film follows the story of Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) in her quest to not only claim her own freedom but the freedom of all slaves.

This Film documents the pivotal moments in Harriet Tubman’s adult life, with a focus on her efforts in transporting those enslaved to freedom areas. For those who know this empowering and inspiring Story, the Film won’t tell you anything you didn’t already know. It that has been brought to the big screen through beautiful Cinematography, an excellent Score and a powerful performance from Erivo.

Harriet screens at TIFF on Tue, Sep 10 at Roy Thompson Hall at 6 PM, Tue, Sep 10 at Elgin Theatre at 8 PM, Wed, Sep 11 at Winter Garden Theatre at 3 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Scotiabank Theatre at 2:45 PM.

Things finally are reaching a simmering point now at TIFF ’19, giving us a chance to catch some screenings finally! Tonight’s big ticket was Noah Hawley’s LUCY IN THE SKY at Princess of Wales Theatre, which saw Natalie Portman narrowly escaped rain! She channeled some major Black Swan tonight!

See some Snaps below. Hover cursor right and left to navigate album.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

After Frankie (Isabelle Huppert) finds out she has a serious illness she summons her family and close friends to join her on a holiday in Sintra, Portugal.

Director Ira Sachs has a way of shooting a Film with many characters and making it feel intimate. The Script is rich with uniquely different characters who have particular quirks in their dialects. These loveable and honest characters are brought to life by a killer Cast consisting of Huppert who is hilarious here, the beguiling Marisa Tomei and more. Frankie is a fusion of Drama and Comedy with insightful lessons on life.

Frankie screens at TIFF on Wed, Sep 11 at Princess of Wales at 6 PM and Thu, Sep 12 at Winter Garden Theatre at 2:30 pm