By David Baldwin
The year is 1990. Benny (Keir Tallman) lives in the city but has just been informed by his parents that he will be spending the summer at his Grandmother’s house on Navajo Nation. She only speaks Navajo and all the customs and activities are a mystery to Benny. When his bilingual cousin Dawn (Charley Hogan) – or as she is known to the rest of the family, Frybread Face – comes to stay unexpectedly, things start tense and then slowly dissipate into a strong familial bond neither expected.
Writer/Director Billy Luther’s narrative debut feels authentic and lived-in from the moment Benny steps foot on the reservation right up until the end credits roll. The soft photography conveys the time period well (taking place in 1990 makes this a period piece, really?!), and the acting by Tallman and Hogan is wonderful. They both bring a sense of innocence, naïveté and sadness to their roles, and their chemistry and banter is quite lovely. And I loved how much Dawn was a fan of both Jeff Bridges and Starman.
I liked the slice-of-life style Luther is going for here, breezily moving along from moment to moment over the course of that summer. It’s the stuff that exists on the outside that made me want more from it. We never really get to know any other characters, and we barely know who Benny is outside of loving Fleetwood Mac and not understanding his culture and heritage. Yet there is so much more to that living in the margins and never really explored, and the nostalgic narration does not help massage that so much as it just tells us what we can already see. It is a totally fine movie for all intents and purposes; I just was left wanting it to be much more than that.
FRYBREAD FACE AND ME screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 6:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Wednesday, September 13 at 12:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By David Baldwin
Middle schoolers Amina (Léah Aubert), Djeneba (Médina Diarra) and Zineb (Salma Takaline) have been best friends since childhood, despite their difference in economic, racial and social backgrounds. At a birthday party, Zineb tells her friends that her older brother’s friend Zak (Oscar Al Hafiane) has been sexually harassing her. The girls get an instance on camera and when Amina decides to post it online without letting her friends know, it sets off a world of trouble they never could have expected.
SISTERHOOD is an incendiary and bold feature debut from Writer/Director Nora El Hourch. It captures that not-so innocent dynamic between adolescent males and females perfectly, and is provocative in the moral quandaries it explores (specifically with social media). It is undoubtedly a feminist piece and brings up #MeToo, yet feels like a post #MeToo examination where things are supposed to have changed for the better. Except they really have not and SISTERHOOD feels all the more lived-in and authentic because of it. While some may take El Hourch to task for how she depicts her male characters, she does not go easy on her female characters either. And while the progression of time is not always clear, she guides the Film’s complicated thesis with top-tier precision.
The core trio of Aubert, Diarra and Takaline are terrific in their roles, showcasing a veritable kaleidoscope of emotions that grow stronger with each passing moment. They command the screen together and apart, easily stealing moments from seasoned vets like Mounir Magroum and Oscar-nominee Bérénice Bejo. And credit where credit is due, Al Hafiane is very good at playing the kind of slimy shit weasel that makes your blood boil. A scene between him and Takaline late in the Film is a masterclass in restraint and tension. It will leave you just as angry as you are amazed.
SISTERHOOD screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 2:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Wednesday, September 13 at 3:35 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 12:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
The Critic
By Amanda Gilmore
Set in 1934 London, The Critic follows Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) who’s a ruthless Drama Theatre Critic for the Chronicle. When the main editor of the paper dies, his son David Brooke (Mark Strong) takes over the company. Brooke isn’t a fan of Jimmy’s recurring written cruelty of theatre star Nina Land (Gemma Arterton). Thus, giving him a month’s notice before he’s let go. But Jimmy will stop at nothing to save his position.
Screenwriter Patrick Marber adapts the novel from Anthony Quinn and delivers a story of ambition and blackmail. It takes place during the rise of the British Union of Fascists. A period where Jimmy needs to live in hiding for who he is. He’s been given a position that most only aspires to achieve. It’s his most prized accomplishment.
McKellen gives a mesmerizing performance as the scathing critic. In other hands, we’d wish for Jimmy’s demise.
Yet, McKellen’s heavyweight talent causes us to often side with this often despicable anti-hero. He’s equally matched with the bewitching Arterton. At times The Critic lags, particularly in the beginning, but once their characters meet the energy ignites to the finish.
Overall, The Critic is a rollercoaster ride through blackmail, betrayal and murder within the theatre and newspaper world. The entire ensemble give powerhouse performances including Leslie Manville who makes an impact in a few short scenes.
The Critic screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 12 PM at Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Wednesday, September 13 at 4 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 3 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By David Baldwin
Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is a professor and published Author who cannot seem to catch a break with his new book. After a few failed attempts and bitterness over the state of writing about the African-American experience, he composes a novel using every Black cliché he can think of. He makes up a fake author with a fake backstory, and though his agent thinks it will not sell, the book is sent out to publishers. And despite Monk thinking he wrote a satire, a major publisher is very interested and is offering the largest advance he has ever seen.
And that is all before we get into some of Monk’s familial issues.
Watching AMERICAN FICTION is akin to getting hit by a shotgun blast. The satire and humour is razor sharp, as are the wickedly savage indictments on white people (specifically critics) and African-American stereotypes. Emmy-winning Writer/Director Cord Jefferson picked a hell of a source novel (Percival Everett’s Erasure) to adapt for his feature directorial debut, and swings for the fences from the moment the first image hits the frame. Some of it comes off as angry, most of it comes off as hilarious (so much so that people might not realize they are laughing at the microaggressions and vocabulary they use themselves). Either way, it is a terrific script that will likely reward multiple viewings. There are a few cringey and uncomfortable moments, but they are uncomfortable on purpose. Though he slows down a bit too much in the third act and cannot make the meta moments work as fluidly as they should, Jefferson has crafted a biting film that has its finger on the pulse of race and cultural relations. Expect a lot of online discourse when it is released later this fall.
Wright, long an underutilized supporting player, is absolutely incredible as Monk. He nails the cadence and rhythm of the poisonous barbs and does even better in the film’s more intimate and emotional moments. The Film may falter, but Wright never wavers. Supporting turns from Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross and especially Sterling K. Brown are all fantastic, each one delivering profound and sobering monologues that speak to the film’s larger thesis. Much like the film itself, they are a total joy to watch.
AMERICAN FICTION screens at TIFF ’23:
Friday, September 8 at 8:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Saturday, September 9 at 5:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Thursday, September 14 at 8:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Saturday, September 16 at 9:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By David Baldwin
In 2001, the American Samoa soccer team set the record for the worst loss in international football history, losing 31-0. Fast forward to over a decade later where the team (still the worst in the world) is trying to make a run for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, this time with the help of disgraced coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender).
What follows is your standard underdog crowd pleasing story of the coach who helps the team realize their potential and the team helping the coach get his groove back. Co-Writer/Director Taika Waititi (last seen at TIFF’19 winning the People’s Choice Award for future Oscar-winner Jojo Rabbit) brings his trademark brand of humour to the proceedings, embellishing a few details along the way. He knowingly injects some meta elements into the film – including calling out the white saviour narrative we all know too well – while also paying special attention to the religious and cultural customs of the team. These moments lead to plenty of laughs, but also gives the film a heartfelt resonance.
While I could have done without Waititi yukking it up as the Film’s partial narrator (why not use the motif of multiple narrators like they do at the end the whole time?) and thought there were a few too many montages, I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy NEXT GOAL WINS. It knows exactly the right beats to hit and at 103 minutes, does not overstay its welcome. Fassbender is great as Rongen, dialing into the intensity he is known for and a softer side he does not show very often. Oscar Kightley is terrific as the team’s manager, but despite there being multiple solid performances from various team members, non-binary Actor Kaimana steals the show. They play transgender fa’afafine player Jayiah in the Film (based on a real life, history-making player) and is the beating heart and soul of the Film. They act their heart out, delivering a performance that will have you laughing just as often as you are crying. You would never know this is their first film role.
NEXT GOAL WINS screens at TIFF’ 23:
Sunday, September 10 at 6:45 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Tuesday, September 12 at 6:30 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Thursday, September 14 at 5:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
By George Kozera
SING SING opens with Colman Domingo performing a Shakesperean soliloquy directly to the camera with force and magnitude. It is a stunning achievement. We then see the actors leave to theatre to return to the notorious Sing Sing Penitentiary where we learn they are all part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) programme whose mandate is to put on plays as a part of their rehab. After choosing a prison yard bully (Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, playing himself) on a hunch to join troupe, their director Brent (Oscar nominee Paul Raci) gathers the prisoners to decide what show they will put on next. Deciding not to go the dramatic route once again, they all choose to write a comedy that incorporates time travel, a son looking for his mother, Ancient Egypt, a western, pirates and Freddy Krueger! Let the auditions and fun begin.
Director and Co-Writer Greg Kwedar (whose last movie “Jockey” I adored) had the unenviable task of maintaining the audience’s attention in mostly tight, contained quarters scenarios and relies heavily on extreme close-ups. I found these cinematic choices rewarding, if maybe a tad too redundant.
Other than Domingo and Raci, everyone in SING SING were formerly incarcerated prisoners many of them alumni of RTA and they all bring gravitas to their scenes. The chemistry between Domingo and Maclin is off-the-charts phenomenal. Whereas this movie may appear to come across as light entertainment, Kwedar does not shy away from the realities of prison life and one scene with the lead character in front of the clemency board was truly heartbreaking.
It is impossible to stress the impact SING SING has made on me. Despite some minor flaws, the performances resonated with me, hours after leaving the rapturously received world premiere that I attended.
SING SING screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11, 2:45PM – Scotiabank
By David Baldwin
World War II has broken out and a young boy has moved with his family to the Japanese countryside. He encounters a heron, who is more persistent and radically different than other birds in terms of getting attention. After the heron leads the boy to an abandoned tower, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems.
THE BOY AND THE HERON, Writer/Director Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in ten years, is a monumental achievement. Much like the beloved Studio Ghibli films that came before it, the film is a sumptuous visual feast that challenges your notions of what is possible within the medium. The staggering level of detail in each scene is magnificent, as are the effects used for water and fire. Suffice to say, it is a work of art that only a master like Miyazaki could make and we have been missing his influence for the last decade. If this is his last film (or second last film as we have been hearing in the past few days), then this culmination of such a rich career would be a good one to go out on.
My gripe, or at least what holds me back from loving THE BOY AND THE HERON rather than just liking it, is where the film goes in its back half. From the jump, it is a beautiful story about love, loss, grief and acceptance, and those themes imbue every frame with sadness and wonder. When the Film hits its Third Act, it throws all of that out and becomes something a bit more unwieldy (read: Miyazaki embracing the strange and metaphysical, alongside many, many parakeets). It feels choppy and unrefined – which is ironic because of how incredible the visuals are – and lost me more than once as it plays out. The breezy running time does not help get the film over the finish line any quicker either.
For Miyazaki fans, that sentiment will not mean as much as it does that the masterful filmmaker has delivered an unexpected, visually stunning gift for the ages. Each frame is a literal work of art and I doubt we will see another film as beautiful as this by the end of the year.
THE BOY AND THE HERON screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, September 7 at 6:00 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Thursday, September 7 @ 8:00 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
Saturday, September 9 @ 10:30 AM at Roy Thomson Hall
Sunday, September 10 at 12:05 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Friday, September 15 at 8:55 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 5:50 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Review by David Baldwin
Paul Matthews (Oscar winner Nicolas Cage) is a tenured professor longing to sell his idea for a book that he just has not found the time to write. He wants to be seen as someone important, yet typically shuffles around in the background anonymously. All of that changes when Paul starts randomly showing up in people’s dreams – at first in a totally innocuous way, and then something slightly more provocative.
Saying anything else would ruin the wild, certifiably unhinged ride that is DREAM SCENARIO. Each pivot the Film takes is more frenzied and outrageous than the next. I sat there with my eyes wide, unsure of whether I should be laughing or be terrified. Writer/Director Kristoffer Borgli taps into both of those emotions exceptionally, and then proceeds to skewer social media, viral memeification, influencer marketing and monetization, and cancel culture with reckless abandon. Nothing and no one are safe here from his ruthlessness. I would have liked to see him addressing choice semiotic messages and allusions a bit more, though I am pleased he did not drift too far into the weeds with the concept and how it plays out. The way Borgli stitches every moment together is a thing of beauty, specifically in the unique cutaway dream gags where we see just what Paul is doing in the dreams (which range from tranquil to full blown nightmare fuel clearly inspired by another figure who pops up in dreams). Borgli wisely does not attempt to explain how or why it is happening either, and despite a razor sharp turn in the Third Act, keeps things moving along at a terrific pace. I had not watched Sick of Myself, Borgli’s debut feature, prior to this but after watching DREAM SCENARIO, it has jumped up to the top of my post-TIFF watchlist.
The supporting players Borgli has assembled here are rock solid no matter their importance to the story, with Julianne Nicholson, Michal Cera and especially Dylan Gelula as the clear standouts. All of that said, did you really keep reading to hear about the supporting cast or are you wondering how Cage does? The short answer is that he is absolutely brilliant and this is easily one of his top three best performances of the last decade. He navigates the highs and lows of Paul’s viral stardom with precision and the occasional knowing glance. The performance allows for to showcase both sides of his acting style – quiet and reserved nuance and bonkers over-the-top madness. The Film also allows him to dig down deep in the belly, allowing his more emotional and intimate scenes to really pop off the screen.
Cage may look ridiculous as this schlubby professor, but the strength of his performance and Borgli’s eviscerating the culture is anything but.
DREAM SCENARIO screens at TIFF ’23:
Saturday, September 9 at 5:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Sunday, September 10 at 3:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toront
By George Kozera
MONSTER opens very straightforwardly as we see single mother, Saori (Sakura Ando) and her pre-teen son Minato (Soya Kurasawa) watch a raging fire from their balcony as the building collapses. It is rumoured that the building housed a sleazy hostess-bar and a teacher from Minato’s school Mr. Hori (Eita Nagayama) was spotted leaving the establishment. In explaining his recent bout of sullenness, Minato tells his mother that Mr. Hori not only physically assaulted him but also humiliated him in class by calling him “pig brain”. Infuriated, Saori confronts the school principal, who is still grieving the death of her grandson, and gets an insincere apology from the teacher, principal and other school administrators until it is alleged that Minato is, in fact, a bully tormenting young Hoshikawa (Hinata Hiiragi) incessantly. With deft use of flashbacks and differing points of view, the mystery driven nature of MONSTER is truly an astonishing achievement.
Other than Steven Spielberg, there are few Filmmakers who triumphantly draw amazing, naturalistic performances from children than Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters). Here, not only does he excel, he keeps the audience intrigued throughout as he tackles topics as diverse as bullying, lying, the fragility of youth and deceptions by adults. MONSTER is a masterpiece of tones, non-linear storytelling as well as being visually arresting. It may be one the most lyrical, poignant and compassionate movies of the year and I will savour this Movie again and again.
MONSTER screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday, September 10, TIFF Bell Lightbox. 9:30PM
Monday, September 11. Scotiabank, 3:00PM
By Nicholas Porteous
In Jonathan Glazer‘s The Zone of Interest, we experience domestic life through the eyes of a wealthy Nazi family located just outside the perimeter of the Auschwitz concentration camp. This is a revelatory new entry into the already crowded field of agonizingly great movies about the holocaust, but the thing that pushes Zone past the line of excellent storytelling and into the realm of real profundity is not so much what Glazer shows us. It’s what he leaves out.
Zone revolves around humanity’s penchant for ignoring pain–particularly when it yields privilege and profit. The Hoss family live a seemingly idyllic life. They have a pool, a house staff, and a never-ending supply of gifts–jewelry, clothing, toys–brought home from work. The only catch is the neighborhood, which is intermittently filled with cries of agony, gun fire, and smoke. And yet they’re like most families: a father at the office all day, a mother tending to her wonderful garden, children playing games with toy soldiers. There’s romance, and the ambition for something a little better. All against a backdrop of pure evil, but no one seems to notice.
Glazer probes the cold organization and engineering prowess needed to carry out a genocide with an equally exacting aesthetic. Every angle is solid as concrete. The sound design is excruciatingly immersive. The performances are sharp and vivid. But the real star here is Glazer‘s uncompromising vision–muted, yet louder than a foghorn.
Zone is a needed, painfully resonant analogue for willful ignorance in the face of injustice–historical or otherwise, and like any great piece of Cinema, it must be experienced to be understood.
The Zone of Interest screens at TIFF ’23:
Sunday, September 10th at 8:30PM at The Royal Alexandria Theatre
Monday, September 11th at 8:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
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