#TIFF22: “TRIANGLE OF SADNESS”

By Nicholas Porteous A group of vapid rich people and Social Media influencers go on an ill-fated cruise. This is Ruben Östlund's second Palme d'Or winner in a row, and all the things that make his work captivating are on full display: dynamic and inventive blocking, an absolutely lavish production, laugh-out-loud moments of excess, and an ensemble of grounded yet deliciously absurd performances across the board. Unfortunately, his limitations as a Writer are also particularly ... Read more

#TIFF22: “FALCON LAKE”

By Amanda Gilmore This summertime coming-of-age tale follows 14-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel) on his and his family’s getaway to a cottage in rural Quebec. They spend their days there with his mother’s best friend and her 16-year-old daughter, Chloé (Sara Montpetit). Soon, Bastien is beguiled by Sara’s moodiness and her tales of the ghost of a boy who drowned in the very lake they swim in. Actress-turned-Director Charlotte Le Bon makes a ... Read more

#TIFF22: “WOMEN TALKING”

By Amanda Gilmore This exquisite Adaptation of Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel follows a group of women in a Mennonite colony who have experienced generations of epidemic abuse. The men, who hold the power, have told the women that the sexual assaults inflicted on them were the cause of ghosts or their own imagination. But when one of the men is caught and names others as culprits, a group of women are tasked with deciding if they should stay and fight or leave. Writer-Director Sarah ... Read more

#TIFF22: “BROKER”

By George Kozera Acclaimed Japanese Director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, had graced TIFF with every movie he had directed since 1995 and with his latest, BROKER, he once again proves he is a master of his craft. Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) steal babies from the Busan Family Church where there is a “baby box” for mothers to drop off infants that they cannot care for and the two men sell them on the adoption illegal black market. But when So-young (Lee Ji-eun) ... Read more

#TIFF22: “EO”

By Amanda Gilmore EO is a donkey who is part of a circus in Poland. His owner Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska) and himself have a strong bond. She protects him even if he is being used by the circus for profit. However, when the circus gets shut down, EO is placed in a new home out of reach from Kasandra. After she pays him a visit one night, he breaks the farm gate in search of her. Instead, he meets good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, and endures the wheel of fortune randomly ... Read more

#TIFF22: “EMPIRE OF LIGHT”

By Amanda Gilmore Set in the 1980s in a seaside town in England, Empire of Light follows Hilary (Olivia Colman) and Steven (Michael Ward) who work at The Empire picture house. Hilary has worked at the movie theatre for a long time, however, Steven is a new employee. The two share a connection and begin a relationship that changes them both. Writer-Director Sam Mendes gives us a love letter to Cinema through the love story blossoming between his two characters. The Empire picture house is ... Read more

#TIFF22: “PEARL”

By Amanda Gilmore Ti West brings us back to the killer farm from his hit slasher X, but this time to tell us the origin story of psycho-biddy Pearl (Mia Goth). The Film takes place decades before X, in 1918. The war is happening in Europe and influenza has swept its way across America. Because of this, Pearl has been trapped and isolated on her family’s farm tending to her ill father (Matthew Sunderland) and enduring her cruel, controlling mother (Tandi Wright). ... Read more

#TIFF22: “DECISION TO LEAVE”

By Amanda Gilmore Visionary South Korean Director Park Chan-Wook is back with this visually stunning romantic Thriller Noir. After a man falls to his death from a mountain, Detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) meets his widow Seo-rae (Chinese Actress Tang Wei). She seems to be unaffected by the death of her husband. This causes suspicion amongst the detectives in the precinct. All signs point to her as suspect number one. But Hae-joon doesn’t believe ... Read more

#TIFF22: “NANNY”

By Amanda Gilmore Writer-Director Nikyatu Jusu’s Feature debut is a heartfelt love letter to immigrant women who sacrifice everything to give their children a better life. Aisha (Anna Diop), an undocumented Senegalese immigrant, lands a job as a nanny for a wealthy Manhattan couple. As she spends her days taking care of their daughter Rose (Rose Decker), she is haunted by the absence of the young son she had to leave behind in Senegal. Aisha hopes her new ... Read more

#TIFF22: “AFTERSUN”

By Amanda Gilmore Aftersun is an assured, haunting Feature Debut for Writer-Director Charlotte Wells. It tells the story of Sophie (played by Celia Rowlson-Hall as an adult) who reflects on her holiday to a Turkish seaside resort with her father 20 years earlier. Callum (Paul Mescal), 30, is a divorcee father to his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio). After leaving his wife and daughter in Scotland and moving to England, Callum knows how precious time with his daughter is. This ... Read more