Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

A spaceship housing criminals and screwups is heading for a Black Hole close to Earth. Monte (Robert Pattinson) is awake and tending to the care of the ship – while also taking care of his daughter, who was actually born on the ship. But not everything is cheerful as it seems.

Saying anything more would spoil the surprises legendary French Director Claire Denis has in store for audiences in her English language debut. Suffice to say, fluids are spilled, secrets are revealed and as you might have heard, there’s a room on the ship called the “fuckbox”. It all makes for a bizarre sci-fi oddity that takes its time coming together, producing results that are far from satisfying. The multiple layers make for encouraged re-watchability (as does discovering what the film is actually about), but some of the disturbing content may make that incredibly difficult. Juliette Binoche does great work as the ship’s doctor, but Pattinson positively knocks this one out of the park, carrying the Film from one strangely enigmatic moment to the next. He does a terrific job reminding us that Edward Cullen should continue to be a forgotten fragment of the past.

High Life screens on Sunday, September 9 at 9:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall [World Premiere], Tuesday, September 11 at 11:00 AM at Winter Garden Theatre and Friday, September 14 at 9:45 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

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Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Medora Slone’s (Riley Keough) son has gone missing in the Alaskan wilderness. She presumes wolves have taken him, and calls in expert Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) to help track down the body and kill the wolf who did it. But Russell suspects something is not quite right, and when her husband Vernon (Alexander Skarsgård) returns home from a tour in the Middle East, things only become more violent.

Hold the Dark is Director Jeremy Saulnier’s most ambitious and sprawling film. The Alaskan landscapes (which were actually shot in Alberta) are absolutely gorgeous, even as the Film’s atmosphere becomes progressively darker and bleaker. The performances are all very good and Saulnier’s penchant for brutally graphic violence is amped-up considerably, with a vicious shootout scene ranking as some of the grisliest moments of the Festival. And while the Film is a slow-burn Thriller, it becomes glacially paced all too often. The second half of the Film especially feels dragged-out and overly enigmatic – which may benefit Netflix viewers but will genuinely frustrate some TIFF audiences.

Hold the Dark screens on Wednesday, September 12 at 6:00 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre [World Premiere], Thursday, September 13 at 1:00PM at Elgin Theatre, Friday, September 14 at 9:45 AM at TIFF Bell Lightbox and Saturday, September 15 at 2:00PM at Ryerson Theatre.

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

After making huge splashes in Venice and Telluride, Oscar-winning Director Damien Chazelle’s First Man landed in Toronto earlier this week. The Film chronicles the true story of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and his journey towards becoming the first man to walk on the moon.

Visually, First Man is breathtaking. The attention to detail is immense, and the way the camera claustrophobically captures action inside multiple spacecrafts is truly wondrous. The Third Act scenes shot with IMAX cameras are practically jaw-dropping. The sound design is even better, with each scene sounding absolutely exquisite whether it’s a quiet scene of exposition or all hell breaking loose on a rocket soaring through space. Gosling is great as always – doing his very best playing a man of few words – and the Supporting Cast all deliver great work (although it seems like Claire Foy and Olivia Hamilton get continually shafted in favour of their male counterparts).

Beyond running a hair too long, my only major quibble with the Film is Chazelle’s overuse of shaky-cam. It makes sense in action scenes where we are being thrust into the experience, but it just becomes distracting for the likes of a family argument in a kitchen.

First Man screens on Sunday, September 9 at 2:00PM at Ontario Place Cinesphere, Monday, September 10 at 4:00PM, Elgin Theatre and 6:00PM at Roy Thomson Hall, Tuesday, September 11 at 11:00AM at Princess of Wales Theatre, Saturday, September 15 at 9:30PM at Princess of Wales Theatre and each day from Wednesday, September 12 to Sunday, September 16 at 6:00PM at Scotiabank Theatre.

By Mr. Will Wong

We’re approaching the tail-end of TIFF ’18 and have loved finally getting a chance to see some Movies. We can say with confidence that A STAR IS BORN will be a huge force and will gain plenty of momentum out of the Festival as it embarks on Awards Season. We even conducted a poll on which Film our Readers think will win the coveted People’s Choice Award!

Films like THE LIE, RED JOAN and THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER premiered around town tonight, plus the 25th anniversary celebration of THE JOY LUCK CLUB, hot on the success of Crazy Rich Asians!

See who we saw today!

THE LIE – Joey King, Peter Sarsgaard, Mireille Enos, Vena Sud and Alan Ruck

 

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The #TIFF18 Premiere of #TheLie with #JoeyKing, #PeterSarsgaard, #MireilleEnos, #VenaSud, #AlanRuck and #JustJared’s #JaredEng! #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2018 at 3:19pm PDT

THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER – Parker Sevak

 

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Now that’s adorable! The star of Netflix’s #TheKindergartenTeacher, breakout star #ParkerSevak. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival #TIFF18

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2018 at 4:03pm PDT

RED JOAN – Sophie Cookson

 

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The #Kingsmen star #SophieCookson at #TIFF18 for #RedJoan. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2018 at 7:35pm PDT

THE JOY LUCK CLUB 25th ANNIVERSARY – Tamlyn Tomita, Kieu Chinh

 

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The 25th anniversary of #TheJoyLuckClub at #TIFF18, hot on the success of #CrazyRichAsians! Stars Tamlyn Tomita, Tsai Chin and Director Wayne Wang were in attendance.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2018 at 8:17pm PDT

IN FABRIC – Gwendoline Christie x Marianne Jean-Baptiste

 

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#GameofThrones x #StarWars star #GwendolineChristie at #TIFF18 for #InFabric. Also in attendance, #MarieJeanBaptiste. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2018 at 9:04pm PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (where it won Best Director for Sara Colangelo), The Kindergarten Teacher lands in Toronto for its Canadian Premiere. Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bored Kindergarten teacher who yearns to be noticed and appreciated by her family and her night-time poetry class. By chance, she hears her five-year-old student Jimmy Roy (Parker Sevak) reciting his own poetry, and sets out to assist in cultivating his potential genius.

The Kindergarten Teacher is an interesting Film about recognition and obsession, and goes to darker places than you may imagine. It makes for some tonally unbalanced moments and superfluous characters who add very little to the story. But the Film is at its most compelling when it focuses on the relationship between Lisa and Jimmy, played brilliantly by Gyllenhaal and the young Sevak. It is uncomfortable and awkward in some scenes, but it is also raw and deeply emotional. Gyllenhaal bares her soul here, continually proving what a powerhouse talent she can be. I just wish the ending was less of a gut punch.

The Kindergarten Teacher screens on Thursday, September 13 at 9:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall, Friday, September 14 at 10:00 AM at Elgin Theatre and Saturday, September 15 at 11:00 AM at Elgin Theatre.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy tells the true story of Laura (Laura Dern) who created a writing persona called Jeremiah ‘Terminator’ LeRoy. When questions arise about who this LeRoy guy is she gets her sister-in-law, Savannah (Kristen Stewart), to play him in public. This Film will be having its World Premiere as the Closing Night Gala.

This true story is brought to life beautifully and full of authentic humour by Writer-Director Justin Kelly. These complicated, intelligent, and funny real-life women are brought to the big screen perfectly by Dern and Stewart. Both have magnetic chemistry on-screen and grasp and visualize all the complexities that Savannah and Laura were experiencing.

Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy will screen at TIFF on Saturday, September 15 at 6:30 PM at Princess Of Wales, Saturday, September 15 at 8 PM at Roy Thompson Hall, and Sunday, September 16 at 2:30 PM at Ryerson Theatre.

Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

Not only did SHOPLIFTERS win the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it should be a shoo-in for a Best Foreign Film nomination this Awards Season and, most importantly, be a must-see at TIFF ’18 this year. Set in a slums part of Tokyo rarely seen on the big screen, a poor family of five augment their low paying jobs and monthly pension by stealing from stores for essentials like food and shampoo. When they add an abandoned three-year-old girl to the family dynamics, the shoplifting intensifies.

The final 30 minutes of SHOPLIFTERS, where family secrets are revealed, vacillate between feelings of heartbreak and inspiration. The performances by the entire cast are sublime to the point of perfection. SHOPLIFTERS is masterclass filmmaking and I genuflect at the genius that is Writer/Director Hirokazu Koreeda.

SHOPLIFTERS screens on Friday, September 14, 9:00 PM, Winter Garden Theatre and Saturday, September 15, 9:00 AM, TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

As someone who has personally experienced the insidiousness of Alzheimer’s Disease, WHAT THEY HAD is one of the few movies that features the day to day horrors one is subjected to. When Ruth (a terrific, yet underutilized Blythe Danner) is found in the hospital after wandering the streets of Chicago on a snowy winter night clad only in her nightgown, her son Nick (Michael Shannon, exceptional as always) calls his sister in California, Bridget (Hilary Swank, wonderfully-vulnerable yet strong) to fly in to discuss putting their mother in a treatment home much to the objections of their father Burt (Robert Forester in an awards worthy performance).

Occasionally laced with much needed humour, WHAT THEY HAD is a compelling study of the disease and the family dynamics. My issue with the Movie is that there are way too many conflicts that this family deals with, with flashbacks to boot. That aside, this is a must-see.

WHAT THEY HAD screens Wednesday, September 12th, 6:30PM, Roy Thomson Hall and Wednesday, September 12th, 8:00PM, Elgin Theatre

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

A Million Little Pieces is based off of the controversial Novel/Memoir by James Frey that follows his crack addiction and the his experiences and interactions with people in an AA facility. It’s the latest Film from Sam Taylor-Johnson and will have its World Premiere at TIFF ‘18 in the Special Presentations Programme.

What the Film does best is depict the struggle many people go through when having an addiction. It shows the ups and downs along with how AA might work for some but not others. The Film is also a great platform for Aaron Taylor-Johnson who puts everything he has into his performance.

A Million Little Pieces screens at TIFF on Monday, September 10 at 8:45 PM at Ryerson Theatre, and Tuesday, September 11 at 9 AM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1.

Words and Photo by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

The morning after its Canadian Gala Premieres, TIFF held the Press Conference for Damien Chazelle’s First Man. In attendance were Chazelle, Stars Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Patrick Fugit and Olivia Hamilton, along with Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s sons Rick and Mark Armstrong. The Film chronicles the true story of Armstrong and his journey towards becoming the first man to walk on the moon.

Having made critically acclaimed Oscar-winners Whiplash and La La Land (which won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF ’16), Chazelle says he was drawn to First Man because he wanted to show “the cost of a goal and the cost of a certain kind of ambition.” Gosling was drawn to Chazelle’s take because he felt the Film “wanted to uncover the man behind the myth.” Armstrong had said no to writers who wanted to write about his life story for years, before saying yes to Author James Hansen. Hansen’s book provided the basis for the Movie, and a framework for Chazelle and Writer Josh Singer to make the Film as thoroughly researched and authentic as possible. According to Armstrong’s sons, the man himself would be “pleased with the [final] result.”

The Cast had nothing but positive things to say about Chazelle’s process, with Foy noting that the Cast’s relationships “were seamless” from rehearsals to filming. Stoll said that working on the Movie was “a dream come true. I felt like a kid going to space camp.” “It was had to relate to [Armstrong’s] genius, his heroism and his humility,” Gosling said, “But it was an honour to be involved.” Whether the Film hits the same Oscar highs many are currently predicting is still to be determined, but the Film’s lasting legacy may be the same as Armstrong’s own legacy. Talking about his Dad, Mark Armstrong said of the successful Apollo 11 mission that “It inspired and motivated an entire generation to be better.”

First Man screens on Sunday, September 9 at 2:00PM at Ontario Place Cinesphere, Monday, September 10 at 4:00PM at Elgin Theatre and 6:00PM at Roy Thomson Hall, Tuesday, September 11 at 11:00AM at Princess of Wales Theatre, Saturday, September 15 at 9:30PM at Princess of Wales Theatre and each day from Wednesday, September 12 to Sunday, September 16 at 6:00PM at Scotiabank Theatre.