Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Georges’ (Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin) life is in upheaval. He separated from his wife and has just spent a comically ridiculous amount of money for a deerskin coat. He loves and admires the coat – so much so that he starts talking to it, and slowly becomes unhinged from reality.
If you watched Writer/Director Quentin Dupieux’s previous film Rubber – about a tire that kills people – you probably have an idea for what kind of trip you are in for with Deerskin. The Film is part narrative, part experimental avant garde piece on identity and mental illness. It is delightfully absurd right from the start, setting the tone immediately but never letting on what direction it is moving in next. It is a bit of a slow-burn at first and seems determined to test the audience’s patience. But once Dupieux unpacks all of his wacky ideas, all bets are off and you will not be able to look away. And in the middle of everything is Dujardin, who goes all in with his positively bonkers performance. He is keenly aware of how outrageous the Film is, and plays into each moment recklessly and fearlessly.
Just make sure you leave your coat at home when you see it. You can thank me later.
DEERSKIN screens during TIFF at the following times:
Thursday September 12, 9:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre
Friday, September 13 @ 9:15pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Sunday September 15, 6:30pm@ Scotiabank Theatre
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Sisters Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor) and Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) think they got away with a violent crime in their small fishing village of Easter Cove, Maine until a local brothel owner (Margo Martindale) becomes suspicious and confronts the girls with an ultimatum.
Small town crime films usually lack originality, however, Co-Directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy bring a new edge to the genre. This atmospheric film advances above those that came before due to the complicated and often troubled female characters. Those characters are made even more complex thanks to a talented cast consisting of Saylor, Lowe, Martindale, and June Squibb. An honourable mention goes to scene-stealer Will Brittain playing the good-boy cop.
Blow The Man Down screens at TIFF on Thu, Sep 12 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 8:30 PM, Sat, Sep 14 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 4 PM, and Sun, Sep 15 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 9:15 AM.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
In this fictionalized reimagining of the Patty Hearst affair, a political activist (Hong Chau) helps take care of a group of wanted fugitives including a well-known heiress (Sarah Gadon).
At the core of American Woman is a captivating story about political activism and the extremes some go to with their beliefs. These enthralling themes are all here, however, there’s no mystery about the fate of the characters because the opening scene reveals where they end up. What does keep the audience engaged is the cast, particularly the mysterious Jenny played by Chau and the shifty Pauline played by Gadon.
American Woman screens at TIFF on Thu, Sep 12 at Roy Thompson Hall at 6:30 PM, Thu, Sep 12 at Elgin Theatre at 8 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Scotiabank Theatre at 7 PM.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
When Kendra’s (Kerry Washington) bi-racial son doesn’t come home one night she spends the night inside a police station hoping to find out what happened to him.
American Son is based upon the Broadway Play written by Christopher Demos-Brown and brought to the screen with the same Cast and Director. The Play and Script both touch on important themes of race relations and police brutality in an eloquent intimate way. Washington’s performance of one mother’s anxiety and fear for her son is one that will break your heart.
American Son screens at TIFF on Thu, Sep 12 at Winter Garden Theatre at 6 PM, Fri, Sep 13 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 3:15 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 9:15 PM.
It’s officially been a week since TIFF ’19 began and we honestly don’t know where the time went! It all felt like one long day with power naps. We’re doing just fine, although we worry with the switch from hot to umm… freezing, we are a prime candidate for a cold!
Some names still in town we spotted. Hover cursor right to navigate albums.
Zazie Beetz (Lucy in the Sky, Joker + Seberg)
George McKay (True History of the Kelly Gang)
WESTERN STARS – Premiere
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After his boss is shot and left for dead, private detective Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton) sets-out to find out why. But along the way, he gets caught in the middle of 1950s political turmoil and a whole lot of people that want him to stop before he gets hurt.
Norton has been trying to get his adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s Book onto the big screen for at least a decade. His passion for the Project is effusive, and that may be why the Film feels like such a mess. It clocks in at 144-minutes, but easily feels double that. There are so many characters and subplots that it is easy to get lost in them all. The Film’s Cinematography is wonky, and the Set Design looks almost blatantly artificial. I cannot assume this was a deliberate choice, but it does feel disingenuous. The Cast is fairly good however, with Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Alec Baldwin standing-out among a sea of extras. And while his work behind the camera is not as good, Norton’s work on-screen surpasses even the best of expectations. The level of control and precision he demonstrates with Lionel’s Tourette Syndrome and OCD are outstanding, as are his more peculiar nuances.
MOTHERLESS BROOKYLN screens during TIFF at the following times:
Tuesday September 10, 9:15pm @ Princess of Wales
Wednesday September 11, 1:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Sunday September 15, 9:00am @ Scotiabank Theatre
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Yakov (Dave Davis) is out of his element and struggling with PTSD. He gets asked one evening to be a shomer (watching over the body) for a recently deceased Holocaust survivor at their home. Yakov needs the money, so he agrees. But soon after arriving at the house, Yakov starts hearing and seeing very chilling and gross things. And he might not survive the night.
While knowing and understanding Yiddish folklore might help, I was pleasantly surprised with how good The Vigil turned-out to be – especially for a directorial debut. Writer/Director Keith Thomas uses every lesson he has learned from Horror movies, and crafts a film that effectively is creepy and spooky right from the start. He uses each element at his disposal to build up the dread in each scene and turns up the atmosphere considerably whenever he can. And while the jump scares are typical and predictable, the Score and sound design are used so effectively that they practically become even scarier. What The Vigil could have benefitted from was a better lighting scheme, as some scenes look substantially darker than they need to be. Davis, acting basically in his own one-man show, is astonishingly great here as well, controlling every scene and emotion like a seasoned vet.
THE VIGIL screens during TIFF at the following times:
Monday September 9, 11:59pm @ Ryerson Theatre [World Premiere]
Wednesday September 11, 9:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Sunday September 15, 4:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) makes his living as a party clown. He lives with his mother, has serious mental health issues and dreams of being a Comedian. But a set of circumstances will set him down a different path – one that involves becoming Gotham City’s greatest villain, The Joker.
With Joker, Co-Writer/Director Todd Phillips (of The Hangover and Old School) set-out to create a dark, gritty, intense and disturbing take on the legendary character. And for the most part, he succeeds. Phillips draws on Martin Scorsese classics like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy to visualize Gotham City and its inhabitants, building an urban dystopia so vivid you can smell the grime and filth. And instead of making just another Comic Book movie, he turns the genre and formula on its head and gives us a passionate, unapologetic and viciously violent character study. He leans too hard into Batman lore and relies a bit too much on slow motion, but this is easily his most ambitious project to date.
And at the centre of it all is a blisteringly brilliant performance from Phoenix. His physical and mental transformation into The Joker is eye-opening, and the little nuances he brings to the character are simply terrific. He is featured in practically every scene, and the way he commands that camera is a masterclass all in its own. Some have already started calling this take sympathetic, but make no mistake: this Joker is just as much of a depraved, homicidal maniac as you remember and any sympathy you may gleam at the beginning will be completely gone by the end. He is still The Joker after all.
JOKER screens during TIFF at the following times:
Monday September 9, 9:00pm @ Roy Thomson Hall
Tuesday September 10, 2:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Friday September 13, 9:45pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Sales of Ford cars are slumping in the early 1960s. They need to reinvigorate the brand, fast. Inspired by the work Ferrari is doing, the company plan to build a car that can compete with the best of the best at the “24 Hours of Le Mans” endurance race. But it will not be easy.
The 152-minute running time of Ford v Ferrari is daunting, but it proves to be one of the most rewarding and entertaining films at this year’s Festival. Director James Mangold uses the time to his advantage, crafting a film that never stops moving and never strays into anything unimportant. Each element used here is effective, allowing Mangold to straddle the line between drama and white-knuckle Thriller masterfully. He knows just when to change gears and wisely spends a generous portion of the Last Act at the Le Mans race. Also, by emphasizing the sounds of the car and amping-up Marco Beltrami’s epic Score, Mangold makes the Film substantially more engrossing at each turn. And with a stacked Cast featuring Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Outlander’s Catriona Balfe and the great Tracy Letts, you just know you are in good hands. You just might be a little sweaty after watching it.
FORD v FERRARI screens during TIFF at the following times:
Monday September 9, 5:30pm @ Roy Thomson Hall
Monday September 9, 8:00pm @ Elgin Theatre
Tuesday September 10, 10:30am @ Princess of Wales
Friday September 13, 9:30pm @ Princess of Wales
Saturday September 14, 4:30pm @ Ryerson Theatre
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Tunde Johnson (Steven Silver) keeps reliving the day he dies at the hands of Los Angeles police officers.
While the concept of reliving a day repeatedly has been done before, this Film does an entirely unique take on it. Screenwriter Stanley Kalu uses the repeated day to address racial stereotypes, race relations, and police brutality. Kalu’s focused Script is also a story of accepting one’s identity and presenting oneself honestly. Silver is a magnetic force on the screen. He gives one-hundred percent whether he is exploring Tunde’s sexuality, friendships, familial relationships or identity.
The Obituary Of Tunde Johnson screens at TIFF on Sun, Sep 9 at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12 PM, Tue, Sep 10 at Scotiabank Theatre at 4:15 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Scotiabank Theatre at 9 PM.
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