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Source: Rolling Stone
With the Telluride Film Festival just recently wrapping up and the Venice International Film Festival nearing its own end, it may seem too soon for some to direct their attention towards yet another high-profile film festival. That doesn’t appear to be stopping the Toronto International Film Festival from opening its doors to the hundreds of people attending its screenings though; with the overall event commencing on Thursday, September 5th and currently planning to continue until Sunday, September 15th, those who have grown tired of having to keep up with all of this festival news will likely find little relief throughout this next week or so. For everyone who’s still eagerly looking forward to how this latest film festival will play out though, there is in fact quite a bit to take interest in, most of it relating to the various features that will be exhibited at one of the many theatrical venues spread throughout the Toronto area. As has been the case for several years now, the line-up of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival contains a solid mix of films made by a cast and crew comprised in part of some noteworthy industry names and features that have been crafted by those less familiar to the general film-going public (although one can hope that a potential success at this eleven-day event will change all that). With well over a hundred different feature-length and short films for one to see at this year’s festival, it can be quite difficult to determine which of them is most deserving of one’s attention. Nonetheless, there are a handful of titles that have been able to stand out more than others, and while every film that is being screened at Toronto this year is worthy of at least some interest, these are some of the few that been most successful in obtaining it:
The Assessment (directed by Fleur Fortuné) – government control of one’s reproductive decisions seems to be a minor recurring theme at this year’s festival (another TIFF-selected feature, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April, also covers this subject), although in the case of this film, such a topic receives exploration through the lens of dystopian science fiction. Elizabeth Olsen and Himseh Patel star as a couple whose relationship is assessed by an auditor (played by Alicia Vikander) who will determine whether or not the two are capable of starting and raising a family. In spite of the film’s not-too-distant future setting, many of the ideas it chooses to explore seem all too relevant in a world where reproductive rights are having to be fought for once again, and many will thus be rather shocked by how similar this film’s story is to real-world events.
Cloud (directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa) – respite what his name may imply, the acclaimed director of such films as Cure and Tokyo Sonata bears no relationship to legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, although it’s easy to think otherwise given how well the former has been able to demonstrate his cinematic talent. With his latest directorial effort, an intense thriller about a young man who resells items over the Internet and gets caught in the middle of a strange and startling conspiracy that puts his life at risk, Kurosawa hopes to remind audiences that he’s still every bit as capable of creating exciting features as he was when he began working over fifty years prior. With actor Masaki Suda standing front and center as the film’s central lead, the film has more than enough shocking twists and turns to keep one enthralled in what occurs.
The Life of Chuck (directed by Mike Flanagan) – the director of such horror films as Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil is no stranger to the works of famed writer Stephen King (having also directed film adaptations of his stories Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game), but for him to tackle one of King’s more lightweight works may come as a surprise to some. Still, with a cast that includes leading man Tom Hiddleston as the titular protagonist in addition to Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill (among others), there appears to be a decent amount of promise in this cinematic story of an average account whose life becomes anything but average after inadvertently stumbling into fame and fortune. The pairing of King’s writing and Flanagan’s direction has worked quite well in the past, so it should be able to work just as well here.
Nightbitch (directed by Marielle Heller) – if titles alone were enough to inform people of how deserving of one’s interest the film in question is, then this horror comedy would easily be one to instantly cement itself as one of the year’s most noteworthy cinematic highlights. Amy Adams stars as a writer who puts her career on hold to shift her attention to her newfound motherhood, a situation that proves to be far more psychologically – and as it soon becomes apparent, physically – overwhelming than she could’ve ever expected. Just as unnerving as it is absurdly satirical, this adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel of the same name thrives on both its outlandish premise and the committed-as-ever performance of its lead actor. If Adams doesn’t receive any major awards recognition for this feature, chances are that it won’t be due to a lack of trying on her part.
Relay (directed by David McKenzie) – whistleblowers, while an essential part of making the general public aware of what corporations do behind closed doors, will often be targeted by those whose best interests lie within making sure these people don’t speak. Enter Ash (played by Riz Ahmed), whose very profession is designed to ensure the protection of these people; rarely is this an easy task though, and when Sarah (played by Lily James), one of his clients who’s on the verge of breaking a major scandal to the public, finds herself being trailed by a gang of thugs hired by her employer to keep her from sharing her secrets, it’s up to Ash to take more direct action and protect Sarah by any means necessary. This may all seem fairly straight-forward, but with the director of Hell or High Water at the helm, this appears to be a wild ride throughout.
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (directed by Thom Zimny) – as much as film festivals like these may cherish whichever fictional works of cinema happen to come their way, they’re often just as happy to exhibit any nonfictional works with subject matters that are oftentimes just as appealing. This documentary, for example, takes viewers back in time throughout the history of 20th century music as it examines the career and legacy of one of America’s most iconic singers and the band that helped make him the legend he remains to this day. While most everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the name Bruce Springsteen, less attention is given to the New Jersey-based E Street Band that has been by Springsteen’s side for well over several decades, a commitment that this documentary goes out of its way to celebrate.
