By Amanda Gilmore

In his first venture into television, beloved film Writer-Director Alfonso Cuarón tells an intelligent, savage tale of a woman’s past coming back to bite her.

Based on the Novel by Renée Knight, Disclaimer tells the story of celebrated journalist Catherine (Cate Blanchett) who begins reading a novel that was mysteriously delivered to her. To her horror, the novel is about her and the awful secret she’s kept for two decades.

TIFF is screening the first two episodes of this Limited Series. Over those episodes, Cuarón slowly unravels the story. The first episode brings us to two time periods. It’s clear the people in each are connected in some way. But what way and why? That’s where Cuarón excels. In keeping the mystery of these people and their connection a secret until the final frame.

Once we’re given the context of who’s who and how people have met, we’re brought to episode two. This is where the tension rises. The book has been delivered to Catherine’s son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and her husband Robert (a pitch-perfect Sasha Baron Cohen). Nicholas hasn’t connected the character to his mother, but Robert sure has. The confrontation between the two at the end of the episode is masterfully written and acted. 

Blanchett, as always, is flawless. This time delivering a complex character with many faults and a dark moment in her past, yet gives her a charm that allows us to root for her.

Disclaimer screens at TIFF ’24:

Mon, Sept 9 at 4 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Wed, Sept 11 at 2 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Sun, Sept 15 at 11:45 AM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Nicholas Porteous

The pope is dead and Ralph Fiennes must find his successor amongst an ever-shrinking field of candidates in Edward Berger‘s Conclave, based on the historical fiction novel by Robert Harris. This is Berger‘s followup to his Oscar-winning All Quiet On the Western Front, and it’s not hard to see the cinematic parallels. 

Conclave is brimming with painterly compositions, a sweeping dramatic scope about as large as Saint Peter’s Basilica, and a great Ensemble Cast featuring Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, as well as a small but memorable turn from Isabella Rossellini. It’s fascinating to see inside the democratic process to decide who holds the power of the church until the end of their days, and this particular race is by no means straightforward. Not all potential (or rather, popetential) cardinals are free of sin, and some do a better job of hiding their indiscretions than others. There’s a Survivor/Hunger Games vibe to the proceedings, with various players scheming, forging alliances and counter alliances, votes cast and renegotiated, and cutthroat eliminations that ripple across the popelitical landscape as the next round of voting begins.

I found myself invested in the proceedings of this twisty-turny plot, but I’d wager Conclave had a significantly smaller impact on me than anyone bringing in their own personal connection to the Catholic Church. While I can understand the political gravity of a new pope in the abstract, the outcome has almost no influence on my life, so I can’t say Conclave’s urgency broke through on a personal level. The drama of the movie can also feel a bit room-temperature just months before the US election. It feels otherworldly to witness people vying for power who are actually held accountable for past behaviour. There is a touch of prescience in Conclave, and some solid universal observations, but at the end of the day, in 2024 I felt more disconnected than I’d like from what is, in spite of its twists, a relatively straightforward work of political fiction. Well-shot, well-acted, well sure–but I don’t see Conclave amassing the same critical and awards momentum as Berger‘s more gripping previous work.

Conclave screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9th at 3:00 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre

Tuesday, September 10th at 8:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Amanda Gilmore

Hugh Grant gives a formidable performance in this cat-and-mouse chamber-thriller about our beliefs in religion.

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are part of the Latter-Day Saints. They’re currently knocking on the doors of people who’ve noted an interest to learn more about their church. That’s when they are introduced to Mr. Reed (Grant). He invites the two in with a promise that his wife is cooking the best blueberry pie one could have. But soon, all signs point to something more sinister behind Mr. Reed’s charming demeanour.

Co-Screenwriters and Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (who also co-wrote The Quiet Place) have created a successful Horror film that has something to say. Heretic may include two Sisters of the LDS but it doesn’t only question that religion. It questions all religious beliefs. But most importantly, it questions the reasoning of why we believe what we believe. One scene has Mr. Reed make references to board games and songs and revealing which are the true originals. This one pivotal scene alone proves that Heretic is a cerebral film concerned with making its audience confront their beliefs.

As Grant has said many times now, he’s in his freaks and monsters era. Mr. Reed follows in that category of character that he has now found himself playing decades into his career. And frankly, he’s never been better. In Heretic, his natural charm allows the audience and the Sisters to trust Mr. Reed. Grant is impeccable at playing his charm with the chilling rhetoric Mr. Reed delivers. Resulting in an eerie performance that will stand as one of his most memorable.

Heretic primarily takes place in one location: Mr. Reed’s home. It’s difficult to make a single setting horror entertaining. Yet, it is. This is due to the steady direction and pacing, the cinematography by Chung-Hoon Chung, and the performance from its three cast members.

Heretic screens at TIFF ’24:

Sun, Sept 8 at 9:30 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Mon, Sept 9 at 9 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Cannot believe how great our day went and this will go down as the day we finally met the great Cate! So many new core memories created!

It was an explosive Day Four of TIFF ’24 including:

•Angelina Jolie at Premiere of WITHOUT BLOOD after being honoured at TIFF Tribute Awards Gala
•Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas at TIFF ’24 for EDEN.
•Sam Worthington at TIFF ’24 for RELAY
•Jude Law, Tye Sheridan, Teresa Palmer, Nicholas Hoult, Jurnee Smollett at TIFF ’24 for THE ORDER
•Malala at TIFF ’24 for LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN
•Alfonso Cuáron at TIFF ’24 for DISCLAIMER.
•Cate Blanchett being honoured at TIFF Tribute Awards tonight. Here with DISCLAIMER and RUMOURS
•Isabella Rosselini at TIFF ’24 for CONCLAVE
•Alicia Vikander and Himesh Patel at TIFF ’24 for THE ASSESSMENT
•Paul Rudd at TIFF ’24 for FRIENDSHIP
•Mikey Madison, Sean Baker, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov and Vache Tovmasyan of ANORA
•John David Washington and Malcolm Washington at TIFF ’24 for THE PIANO LESSON

See our Day Four highlights!

Angelina Jolie‘s exciting arrival with son Pax at WITHOUT BLOOD Premiere

Some highlights from Cate Blanchett’s In-Conversation:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

This was by far the most the most hectic.of the Festival and we are thrilled at the names we spotted out and about today! Totally exhausting, but so rewarding!

Some of the names we saw:

•Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome for UNSTOPPABLE

•Margaret Qualley for THE SUBSTANCE

•Ron Howard, Daniel Brühl, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney and Ana de Armas for EDEN

•Brett Goldstein for ALL OF YOU

•Mena Suvari and Brandom Routh for ICK

•Rebecca Hall for THE LISTENERS

•Barry Keoghan for BRING THEM DOWN and BIRD

Jessica Matten, Amber Midthunder and Kauchani Bratt for REZ BALL

•Manuel Garcia Rulfo and Tenoch Huerta for PEDRO PARAMO

•Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Diego Will Poulter for ON SWIFT HORSES

•Mikey Madison for ANORA

•Jason Reitman for SATURDAY NIGHT

Some highlights from today:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Nicholas Porteous

After Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan teams-up with Stephen King once again, but The Life of Chuck is not a spooky spool to make you crawl under the sheets and cover your eyes. On the contrary. It’s a movie about embracing the entirety of your existence. Even if you aren’t Tom Hiddleston. And it’s as much an end-of-the-world story as it is a toe-tapping dance picture. Our story begins with “Act Three”, as the world appears to be coming to an end. Don’t worry–acts two and one are next! Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan are forced to reckon with an existential dread reminiscent of the pandemic, but infinitely worse. On top of this, a mysterious, unknown entity–“Chuck” (Tom Hiddleston) has been popping up all over town. Does he have anything to do with the apocalypse? I won’t say another word, but the answer may surprise you in the best possible way. In this particular narrative climate, we’ve been conditioned to expect some kind of Damon Lindelof-esque, clever unraveling of all the threads that a mystery box story might present up front. The Life of Chuck is a warm, welcome counterpoint to this kind of storytelling.

Acts one and two are all about Chuck, and his connection to the ‘ending’. Were you aware Tom Hiddleston can dance? The spoiler I can’t resist blowing: he’s as good at dancing as he is at being Loki. If I can levy any criticism toward Chuck, I’d say it is occasionally guilty of sentimentality, and using obvious music cues. The movie knows how moving it is from the jump, and it’s not wrong, but I would have appreciated less tipping of those delicate emotional scales. 

Chuck will almost certainly reward multiple viewings, if only for its Where’s Waldo-like smattering of hidden cues and messages that all wrap around and breathe meaning into its profound message. The more I think about it, the better it gets.

The Life of Chuck screens at TIFF ’24:

Friday, September 13th at 12:35 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Saturday, September 14th at 6:15 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Nicholas Porteous

Bailey, a lonely English girl, searches for an escape from her dysfunctional family existence in Andrea Arnold‘s Bird. One windy day on a hillside, she encounters a stranger–the titular Bird--who gives her a moment of much-needed, friendly attention. Bird (Franz Rogowski) is a man of few words, but that moment is enough to spark a unique partnership, shaking the foundations of both of their worlds. Bird is very much of a piece with Arnold‘s masterpiece American Honey. Both are fly-on-the-wall, naturalistic glimpses into the lives of the less fortunate, both engage with toxic relationships and newfound families, and both feature sprawling, unconventional narratives with loose ends and scores of characters that often feel too real to be acted. So why is Bird the far less compelling of the two?

For one, Bailey simply doesn’t have as much to offer as a main character. She’s more of a prism, reflecting the pain and injustices of her world. There’s also much less ambiguity when it comes to the ‘bad guys’ this time around. Barry Keoghan does a solid job bringing depth to his troubling father Bug, but Skate (James Nelson Joyce) feels tailor-made to bring as much unnecessary pain and unprovoked confrontation into every moment he’s on screen. It’s a cheap characterization that drives all too much of Bird‘s story.Bird also chooses to sidestep some violence, converting it into fantastical imagery in a way that I found questionable. Why shy away from the brutal reality? What is this imaginary escape in service of? I left Bird with even more appreciation for American Honey than I had before, because it shows how difficult it truly is to make this kind of movie feel effortless and unsentimental. Bird‘s wholehearted attempts at exploring three-dimensional characters and their traumas, while using basically the same techniques as Honey, feel so much more mushy and muddled.

Bird screens at TIFF ’24:

Saturday, September 7th at 3:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 8th at 11:45 AM at TIFF Lightbox

Friday, September 13th at 9:45 AM at Scotiabank Theatre

By David Baldwin

Mr. K (Crispin Glover) is a traveling magician who needs a bed to sleep in before waking up early for his next show. The only problem is that when he wakes up, he cannot find the exit. He starts becoming acquainted with other guests who have not been outside in some time, and realizes quite quickly that something bizarre is going on within the walls of the hotel.

MR. K is a Kafka-esque nightmare that will either grip you from the start or keep you at a distance for the entire running time. It is both beautiful and horrific in its construction, with exquisite set design and often claustrophobic framing that is deliberately uncomfortable. I admire the boldness of Writer/Director Tallulah H. Schwab’s film, but often felt at odds with its absurdist and enigmatic tone. It is not an easy watch whatsoever, though I did find some of the cringe humour to be downright hilarious in a morbid, strange way.

While the Supporting Cast do well for themselves for the most part (even those who have no speaking lines at all), the entire picture hinges on Glover. The legendary character actor has always gravitated towards weird and offbeat roles, and his performance as the titular MR. K is no different. He is finely tuned into Schwab’s odd tone and expertly navigates the confusion, anger and isolation the character feels – often within the same scene. It is a great showcase of the multifaceted actor’s genuine, raw talent and will instantly make you wonder why we have not seen him around nearly as much as we should be.

MR. K screens at TIFF ’24:

Saturday, September 7 at 2:30PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 8 at 8:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sunday, September 14 at 9:40PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By Amanda Gilmore

Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield deliver emotionally raw performances in Director John Crowley’s latest.

We Live in Time tells the exhilarating romance between Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield). Their endearing romance begins in the quirkiest way when Almut hits Tobias with her car. From then on, they’re a unit. The two face life’s joys and upheavals together. They fight. They love. But most importantly, they experience life.

Romance films are hit-and-miss. It’s rare we get one that haunts us. We Live in Time is one that will haunt us. Almut and Tobias share a rare love. One based on unflinching honesty, intimate humor, and loaded with infinite love.

Nick Payne’s script tells their story non-linearly over three distinct timelines. One follows them as they meet. Another while they are pregnant. And the final is when Almut is given a medical diagnosis that treatment may or may not cure. Telling the story in this way allows the audience to understand their love on a deeper level.

This romance is exquisitely acted between Pugh and Garfield. Their chemistry is astronomical. Pugh is a powerhouse as a woman who wants to balance her professional life as a chef with her personal one as a mother. Garfield gives a gut-wrenching performance as a man who’s terrified he’s going to lose the woman he loves. He gives a restrained performance that shows a well of intense emotions.

We Live in Time screens at TIFF ’24:

Fri, Sept 6 at 9:30 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sat, Sept 7 at 10:30 AM at Roy Thompson Hall

An exciting second day of TIFF ’24 with many star-studded adventures!

•Orlando Bloom and Catriona Balfe for THE CUT
•Tom Hiddleston, Mike Flanagan, Karen Gillan, Kate Siegel and Chiwetel Ejiofor for THE LIFE OF CHUCK
•Eddie Huang for VICE IS BROKE
•Shamier Anderson and Samir Oliveros for THE LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA
•Sandra Oh, Honourary Chair of TIFF TRIBUTE Awards Gala
•Teresa Palmer for ADDITION
•Elton John, David Furnish and R.J. Cutler for ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE
•Demi Moore for THE SUBSTANCE
•Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh for WE LIVE IN TIME

Our chat with Cutler and Furnish:

A Q&A of WE LIVE IN TIME with Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield and John Crowley:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)