This has been a fantastic year for the Toronto International Film Festival. Among the hundreds of films that have screened, I have seen some really special films that I expect are going to get a lot of praise throughout the rest of the year.
Here are my TIFF capsule reviews for nine films, including The Piano Lesson, The Wild Robot, Saturday Night, The Last Showgirl, We Live In Time, Conclave, Presence, Seeds, and Anora.
The Piano Lesson
Director Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of playwright August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is one of the best films that I have seen all year. Danielle Deadwyler as Berniece is stunning and electric, as is Ray Fisher as Lymon. The cast–including the great Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, and Michael Potts–offers depth and meaning at every moment, and they charge every scene with poignancy and memory. The dark side of the story, and the legacy of the piano, is wrapped in the most incredible ghost story that I’ve ever seen. I expect great things for this film during awards season.
The Wild Robot
Based on Peter Brown’s novel, The Wild Robot is a beautiful, charming, and sweet story about the power of found family, as much as real family, and the overwhelming power of love. Director Chris Sanders brings beautiful moments to life in unique ways, the voice cast is absolutely wonderful, and the music by composer Kris Bowers is fantastic. What makes the film stand out is the impressively organic animation style, the way the story brings heart and grace to Roz the robot, and how the world feels so cohesive, real, and lived in. I wish the last third of the movie was a little stronger, but it’s still one of the best animated films of the year.
Saturday Night
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is a jaw-dropping trip through the first ever night of Saturday Night Live, back in 1975. The performances recreate some of the icons who were there–from Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner, to John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Garrett Morris–but the greatest art of the film is the frenzied pace and the trip through the studio that night. The pace is incredible, the story is taunt, and it feels a bit nerve-wracking, even knowing that in the end, the show would come together and become a cultural touchstone. Not every impersonation worked for me, but I love the spirit of the story, and how well Reitman built tension, comedic breaks, and made the space feel alive.
The Last Showgirl
The magic of The Last Showgirl, and the sandness, is in the chemistry, the cinematography, and Pamela Anderson’s performance as Shelly. The film sets a slow, simmering pace, but it has a mood that I appreciated, and Jamie Lee Curtis is also brilliant, as always. I also loved what Kiernan Shipka brings to the story. Where Shelly is the showgirl mother who doesn’t know how to be a caregiver–she just wants to be the star on stage–Shipka is the child, who wishes that Shelly would be that mothering figure in her life. Gia Coppola works a little magic in places, and I was drawn into the setting and the story, but the film drags to a halt around the middle and the script is a little flat. Anderson does an amazing job though, and she’s every bit the star the film needed.
Presence
Steven Soderbergh experiments with a haunting drama in his latest film that takes you POV style into a spirit haunting a home. The film is anything but a standard drama, thriller, or horror film, but it has the trappings of an indie horror thriller at the same time. The mood is detached and cool, and although the running time is 90 minutes, it unfortunately doesn’t feel brisk. The concept is compelling, and I like what Soderbergh is trying to do, in his experimental way, but it feels like it’s trying too hard for a gotcha moment. Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan are excellent together, and their chemistry holds the weight of the story.
Conclave
In what feels loosely inspired by Angels & Demons–complete with intrigue and deciphering lies and misdirection–Conclave is a political drama about the vote to elect a new pope as the cardinals struggle to claim the big job. Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence, who is privately suffering after the death of the pope, while he leads the process to elect a new head of the organization. The stakes don’t quite feel as high as they should, but the intrigue hooked me. It’s a tantalizing drama. I would have loved a few more revelations, but the film has its moments.
We Live In Time
Director John Crowley’s We Live In Time is a fantastic romantic dramedy that’s a little hard to pin down. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star as a couple, falling in love and living their lives together, but told over a number of years. The trick of the film though is the editing, that weaves together moments throughout their relationship, out of order, including after their daughter is born. That editing style invigorates some of the story, and leaves you guessing, but it ultimately is the path of their lives, and the acting that makes We Live In Time work so well. It’s not a perfect story, but it will leave a lot of people wiping tears away, and Pugh is absolutely astonishing.
Seeds
Imagine if you took Home Alone and mixed it with a thriller, that still has quite a few laughs. That’s the heart–if you’ll pardon the pun that becomes apparent after you’ve seen the film–of Seeds. The film follows a young Indigenous influencer who’s fighting to protect her home, and really, her culture. Written and directed by Kaniehtiio Horn, who also stars as Ziggy, Seeds is biting and filled with smart commentary, and it cleverly feels personal, and rooted in Horn’s Mohawk culture. I really enjoyed a lot about Seeds, but it does fall a little short. As Horn’s directorial debut, however, there’s a lot of promise, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Anora
Anora was the biggest surprise at TIFF. Director Sean Baker crafted a nuanced, layered, textured, and brilliant drama that is another one of my favourite films of the year. Mikey Madison is spellbinding and brilliant, leading the film as Ani with heart and soul, sadness, and depth. She brings wit, and so much realism to the role. At times you can’t help but laugh, and then you’ll have to think about what you just laughed at. The whole cast is perfect, but beyond Madison, Yura Borisov as Igor also stands out, delivering a perfect, clever performance that helps ground an otherwise unbelievable story. I expect a number of award nominations for Anora, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, and possibly even Best Picture and Best Director.
