TIFF21: “SUNDOWN” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin
Neil Bennett (Tim Roth) is vacationing with his family at a luxury resort in Acapulco. The wealthy travelers are thrown for a loop when they find out Neil’s Mother has passed away suddenly and need to return to London immediately. When they get to the airport however, Neil discovers that he has forgotten his passport at the hotel. He tells them to go on while he stays to look for it, but instead of heading back to the resort, he decides to check into a different ...
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#TIFF21: “THE GUILTY” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin
A wildfire is raging through Los Angeles and police officer Joe Bayler (Jake Gyllenhaal) is winding down the clock on his shift at the 911-dispatch centre. He has a court date in the morning for something that happened while he is on the job and is ducking calls from a persistent LA Times Reporter. While the shift has been hectic and trying for his Asthma, it gets a whole lot worse when Joe gets a call from Emily (Riley Keough). She pretends to be talking to her ...
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#TIFF21: “MONTANA STORY” REVIEW
By Amanda Gilmore
Montana Story follows Cal Thorne (Owen Teague) who is drawn back to the family ranch to be with his ailing father, Wade. He joins nurse, Ace (Gilbert Owuor) and longtime employee Valentina (Kimberly Guerrero) as Ace cares for Wade and Valentina manages the vast property. To Cal’s surprise, he also becomes reunited with his estranged sister Erin (Haley Lu Richardson) who ...
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#TIFF21: DAY FIVE SIGHTINGS – BEN FOSTER, VICKY KRIEPS AND BARRY LEVINSON
We're officially into the calm of TIFF '21 and we're thrilled to still be alive! Yes! We admit that while this year's Festival has been scaled back a bit, it still is equally tiring as we are putting in the same hours we normally would.
There was one major Gala tonight, for Barry Levinson's (Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam) latest, THE SURVIVOR. The Drama starring Ben Foster as a Boxer fighting to survive in WWII Concentration Camps, premiered at Roy Thomson Hall. Joining Foster at the ...
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#TIFF21: “CHARLOTTE” REVIEW
Review by Amanda Gilmore
This heartbreaking animated feature tells the remarkable true story of Charlotte Salomon (voiced by Keira Knightley), a young German-Jewish artist who painted a masterpiece she titled Life? or Theatre? during World War II.
What makes Charlotte stand out is it's a World War II story centred on the life of an individual and her artistic work. Screenwriters Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis follow Charlotte over the course of 10 years, from the time she was 16, ...
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#TIFF21: “THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE” REVIEW
By Mr. Will Wong
Director Michael Showalter (The Lovebirds, The Big Sick) is back with THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, based on the 2000 Documentary of the same name. Centering on the rise and fall of Television Evangelists Jim and Tammy Bakker (Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain), the subject matter is sensational - but so are the performances!
Showalter and Screenwriter Abe Sylvia create something rather magical here and while on paper, our main subject might be misunderstood, having been ...
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#TIFF21: “BELFAST” REVIEW
By Amanda Gilmore
Writer-Director Kenneth Branagh makes his most personal Film yet with the semi-autobiographical Belfast.
This deeply-affecting coming-of-age Film is set during the troubles in 1969 Belfast. It follows young Buddy (Jude Hill) as he witnesses familial hardships, cultural changes, and Northern Ireland’s Civil War. His father, Pa (Jamie Dornan), fears for his family’s life and starts making plans to move them out of Belfast. However, Buddy and ...
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#TIFF21: DAY FOUR SIGHTINGS – JAMIE DORNAN, KENNETH BRANAGH, KENNY G, PENNY LANE, JESSICA CHASTAIN
Today is the final day most major trade publications have their pop-ups, so it's one last hurrah for star sightings before things quiet down significantly for the remainder of TIFF '21. Which is wonderful for us as we can take a breath finally, and focus on seeing Films.
Causing the most commotion around town were BELFAST Director/Writer Sir Kenneth Branagh and its star Jamie Dornan, who did the rounds today. They premiered the Film at Roy Thomson Hall, receiving a standing ovation. The ...
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#TIFF21: “THE FORGIVEN” REVIEW
By Amanda Gilmore
Wealthy couple David (Ralph Fiennes) and Jo (Jessica Chastain) are making their way to friend Richard’s (Matt Smith) lavish weekend party deep in the Moroccan Desert. On their drive, high-functioning alcoholic David hits a young Moroccan boy with his car, killing him. They arrive at the party with the boy’s dead body unsure of what to do. Soon, David finds himself with the boy’s father, on the way to the burial. ...
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#TIFF21: “THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN” REVIEW
By George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
As much as I am a cat person, I am a greater fan of Benedict Cumberbatch and THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN had me in a cinematic nirvana state. Set in London in the late 1800s, this is real life story of an ambidextrous Artist who we first meet selling his drawings of animals at country fairs while studying the skills of boxing and dealing with an overly excitable and exuberant family at home. Louis Wain may lack social graces and friendships due to ...
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