50 YEARS OF THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Part 2)

•    The Global Landscape

•    The Awards

Movie Review by Sergio Martínez

The selection of international films has been one of the factors that makes the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) appealing to such a diverse audience. Below are some of the titles—in addition to the Latin American and Spanish productions—that we had the opportunity to see.

THE HOUSEWIFE

Dir. Ben Shirinian

United States

Based on a true story, the film centers on Hermine (Naomi Watts), a typical housewife who, in 1964, shares a home with her husband, Russell (Luke Evans), in a middle-class New York neighbourhood. Everything changes when Joseph Lelyveld (Tye Sheridan), a New York Times reporter, begins an investigation into a possible former Nazi officer living under a false identity in the city. However, the outcome of the investigation will surprise everyone.

The film successfully builds suspense around the subject of the investigation, while showing the kind and helpful housewife as her world is turned upside down.

FAITH

Dir. Paul Andrew Williams

United Kingdom

A strangely crafted film in which mysticism and tragedy intertwine, though not always coherently. Some loose ends in the narrative leave the viewer somewhat uncertain about the plot and the story itself.

THE JULIA SET

Dir. Niki Byrne

United States

Women and mathematics haven’t always been a good match; however, that’s not the case for Julia (Chase Infiniti), an undergraduate student who is truly brilliant when it comes to working with numbers and equations. Of course, as is to be expected with young students, a romantic relationship will emerge that could throw the whole situation into disarray. Julia catches the eye of Pascal (Christopher Briney), a teaching assistant to a demanding professor. When the two take the famous Putnam Exam, new facets of their relationship come to light, along with social-class factors that will affect her. A film with a highly dynamic narrative and compelling performances. It also celebrates women’s role in mathematics.

CLOSING NIGHT

Dir. Cody Fern

Australia, Canada

When a famous stage actress invites her family to what turns out to be her final performance on Broadway, she sets off a chain of events that culminates in the revelation of a long-kept secret. This new knowledge will affect everyone’s life.

This is a film that stands out above all for its excellent performances: Sarah Paulson as the theatre star about to face a harsh reality; Naomi Watts as her emotionally impulsive and fragile sister; Toby Wallace as the nephew, who also has acting aspirations; as well as Odessa A’zion and Dianne Wiest.

ONWARD AND DOWNSIDES

Dir. John Madden

United Kingdom

Without a doubt, it was one of the most moving films of the festival, and it also raised awareness about Parkinson’s disease and how to cope with it—both for those who suffer from it and for those who share their lives with someone living with the condition.

Excellent performances by Rhys Ifans, as the elementary school teacher who is suddenly diagnosed with the disease, and Laura Linney, who is diagnosed that same day and meets him at the clinic.

THE BETRAYERS

Dir. David Bezmozgis

Canada, Ukraine

Apparently, the plot revolves around members of the Jewish community—who were dissidents in the former Soviet Union at the time—whose friendship was eventually destroyed by an act of betrayal that the film does not explicitly explain.

Baruch (Michael Aronov) has left Israel and is in Yalta with his lover Leora (Kaelen Ohm); the couple is enjoying their new life after leaving their jobs behind. That atmosphere of joy, however, is interrupted when, while walking through the city, they encounter a man (Simon McBurney) who brings back painful memories for Baruch.

The story, however, is not well told and leaves many loose ends.

IN WAVES

Dir. Phuong Mai Nguyen

France, Belgium

An animated film with beautifully rendered imagery and a story that weaves together the bonds of friendship, love, and the pain of loss. All of this is set against the backdrop of the protagonists’ passion for surfing, whose origins in the practices of the native Hawaiians are highlighted through imagery that alludes to history, featuring characters from the time before white settlers arrived on the islands. A very good film that highlights the value of friendship.

ALL ABOUT CORINNE

Dir. Marc Fitoussi

France

The great French actress Isabelle Huppert surprises us as Corinne, who works as an extra in a series of films, hoping that one day she’ll be promoted to a leading role. In her eagerness, she tries to befriend a famous actress, which she manages to do at one point, though this also creates new problems for her. It’s an enjoyable comedy that also offers a glimpse into the maneuvering and power plays of the world of cinema.

POSSIBLE LOVE

Dir. Lee Chang-dong

South Korea

For some time now, South Korean cinema has been surprising us with wonderful dramas and comedies. In this case, it’s a story that combines elements of both genres, along with social commentary.

Documentary filmmaker Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong) is interviewing people affected by the closure of a factory, which had led to a long strike that was brutally suppressed by the police. The married couple Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) and Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) are one of the families who lived through that traumatic experience, which marked their lives forever. When Ye-ji contacts them to tell their story, they have reservations, but in the end they agree and even develop a closeness with both the documentary filmmaker and her husband, the young tycoon Sang-woo (Zou In-sung).

A strong film that also addresses the observer's ethical responsibilities—in this case, the documentary filmmaker.

THE AGE OF GOODBYES

Dir. Edmund Yeo

Taiwan, Malaysia

A well-developed story despite the interplay of different time periods and the film’s focus on various characters. A tale of love and misunderstandings. Well crafted, with excellent performances, especially Vivian Sung as the lead, Du Li An.

INK

Dir. Danny Boyle

United Kingdom, France, United States

The film focuses on the early days of the rise of the notorious media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1970s London. The story begins with Murdoch (Guy Pearce) persuading editor Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) to take on the challenge of turning The Sun, a newspaper with mediocre circulation, into the best-selling paper. This goal will be achieved through sensationalism taken to the extreme. Despite an incident that directly affects the tabloid, the pursuit of this objective will have no ethical restrictions.

The film undoubtedly provides a good account of Murdoch’s career; to this day, he maintains his power as a media mogul, using more or less the same formula.

ATONEMENT

Dir. Reed Van Dyk

United States

A good idea, but with weak dramatic execution and unconvincing performances, despite the fact that the cast includes none other than the renowned Kenneth Branagh in the role of the journalist who had covered an attack in Iraq by U.S. soldiers on a vehicle carrying three generations of Iraqi civilians. More than ten years later, at the request of the soldier who killed the civilians, the journalist will try to arrange what will be an emotional encounter between the perpetrator and the victims.

THE IDIOT(S)

Dir. Małgorzata Szumowska, Michał Englert

Poland, Germany

A highly unorthodox and likely largely fictionalized account of what Fyodor Dostoevsky’s life might have been like while he was attempting to write what would become his magnum opus, The Idiot. Consumed by gambling and alcohol, the writer is said to have led a very tragic life. The novel was indeed published, but it did not achieve significant success until after the author’s death. It is not a particularly interesting film, either in terms of its story or its narrative.

THE AWARDS

Some of the major awards presented by the festival this year:

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

GENERAL FEATURE: La bola negra (Dir. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, Spain)

INTERNATIONAL: Elsinore (Dir. Simon Stone, United Kingdom)

DOCUMENTARY: Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been (Dir. Barry Avrich, Canada)

MIDNIGHT MADNESS: Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney (Dir. Matthew Rankin, Canada)

PLATFORM

Angh (Dir. Theja Rio, India)

FIFRESCI

Ancestors (Dir. David Turpin, Ireland, United Kingdom)

NETPAC (ASIAN FILMS)

Thirteen in Gaza (Dir. Hosam Abu Dam, Palestine)

NEXT EDITION

The 2027 edition of TIFF will take place from September 9 to 19 next year.