#TIFF23: “SLY” REVIEW
By David Baldwin
Not that long ago, Sylvester Stallone was one of the biggest Hollywood movie stars on the planet. He was action movie royalty and the man who breathed life into Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, two of the most iconic characters in film history. Director Thom Zimny explores these elements in his documentary SLY, where he sets out to explore Stallone’s career from the beginning until now.
Zimny’s portrait of the legendary Action Star is enjoyable for the most part. He ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “CONCRETE UTOPIA” REVIEW
By David Baldwin
An earthquake has ripped through Seoul leaving mass devastation in its wake. Millions are dead and buildings and roads have been reduced to rubble. The only thing left standing is the Hwang Gung apartment complex, where the residents continue to wait for a rescue that is not coming anytime soon. With groups of survivors desperately seeking food and shelter daily, the residents join together to decide on the next course of action and how they will survive the harsh winter ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “AMERICAN FICTION” WINS 2023 TIFF PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The Toronto International Film Festival® ― which concluded last evening with the Closing Night screening of Thom Zimny’s Sly at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall ― has announced its award recipients for the 48th edition of the Festival.
“We’re grateful to all the audience members, artists, industry professionals, and supporters who graced Toronto’s cinemas, red carpets, meeting spaces, and streets,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “NYAD” REVIEW
By Mr. Will Wong
In many ways, Annette Bening's long overdue recognition mirrors that of the subject she plays, Diana Nyad in NYAD. In 2013, after multiple failed attempts, she became the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Key West, without a cage to protect her from sharks. And Diana did this at the age of 64 above this.
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin co-direct this Biopic which recounts Diana's painstaking journey to overcome the odds, and also her relationships with ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “SLEEP” REVIEW
By David Baldwin
“Someone is inside.”
That is what Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) tells his pregnant wife Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) one night from the foot of the bed before immediately falling back asleep. She is visibly shaken by this admission yet finds only the dog after inspecting the apartment. As the days go on, Hyun-su begins sleepwalking and gradually doing more disturbing things. They go to a doctor who tells them it is just a REM sleep disorder, but as paranoia sets in, Soo-jin begins ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “UPROAR” REVIEW
By David Baldwin
The year is 1981 and the South African rugby team is touring New Zealand. People nationwide are upset and taking to the streets to protest. Bullied teenager Josh Waaka (Julian Dennison) is happy to stand aside whenever he sees the protestors. When Josh’s teacher Brother Madigan (Rhys Darby, also at the Festival with Next Goal Wins) witnesses some of his acting, he pushes Josh to audition for drama school. But with a splintered homelife and raging protests outside, Josh ...
Read more
#TIFF23: DAY NINE SIGHTINGS – SYLVESTER STALLONE AND ANDY LAU
...and that's a wrap for us! What a TIFF it's been! And while we were a bit worried about being impacted by a smaller number of talent coming through, somehow we still found ourselves putting in the same amount of time and enjoying the Films just as much as we usually do.
A notable theme among some of our favourites this year was a deep exploration of male-female dynamics as we see the world through a post-#MeToo lens. Some of our favourite films namely MEMORY, DADDIO, THE ROYAL HOTEL and ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “WORKING CLASS GOES TO HELL” REVIEW
By David Baldwin
A factory fire five years ago is still haunting the plant’s union. They know there is more to it, and with a new incinerator plant being erected and wealthy pockets being lined, the union’s members are starting to get desperate for work. Labour leader Ceca (Tamara Krcunović) is not willing to give up, and with the reappearance of an old union member, starts turning to the occult to turn things around.
Writer/Producer/Director Mladen Đorđević imbues WORKING CLASS ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “DADDIO” REVIEW
By Mr. Will Wong
Writer/Director Christy Hall makes a phenomenal feature debut with a brilliant pair of leads in DADDIO. Though the meter is stopped with a flat rate fare, we never quite know where we are headed as we follow a young woman (Dakota Johnson), boarding a cab at JFK Airport, only to be stuck in traffic. She's driven by Clark (Sean Penn), a foul-mouth taxi driver who tells it like it is. The two make some playful banter back and forth as we learn about their loves and the ...
Read more
#TIFF23: “MEMORY” REVIEW
By Mr. Will Wong
Writer/Director Michel Franco (Sundown) returns to TIFF with his latest effort, MEMORY, a beautiful story about two broken souls who come together under unlikely circumstances.
Silvia (Jessica Chastain) is working on staying sober, raising her teenage daughter and her dayjob at an adult daycare. After joining her sister (Merritt Wever) at a high school reunion, she sees Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) who inexplicably decides to follow her home. But there's definitely more than ...
Read more