The next couple of weeks are packed with TIFF titles, as if distributors are taking advantage of the Cannes coverage to subliminally position last fall’s not-quite-sensations as local programming. I’ve never understood why this works, but it happens every year. So let’s see what’s what.
A Bigger Splash: Susan fell hard for Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love, falls just as hard for the next one, which places Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts and Dakota Johnson against some lovely Italian vistas and waits for the sparks to fly.
Dheepan: Jacques Audiard’s Palme winner focuses on three Tamil refugees pretending to be a family in France; Rad‘s been high on it since it played TIFF last fall.
Fire Song: Glenn was most impressed with the storytelling talent on display in Adam Garnet Jones’ first feature, set on a reserve in northern Ontario where a teenager (Andrew Martin) faces a complicated coming of age.
How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town: Jeremy LaLonde’s ensemble comedy lines up a cast of talented actors (including Ennis Esmer, and lets them get all weird on one another.
Kill Zone 2: Soi Cheang’s not-at-all-a-sequel to 2005’s SPL (don’t ask) pits Tony Jaa and Wu Jing against most of Bangkok and Hong Kong thanks to an insanely elaborate plot that really doesn’t matter at all. This is all about the action.
Money Monster: Jodie Foster’s studio thriller reaches for contemporary relevance and mainstream success, but misses the mark. Clooney’s great, though. My review will be online later today.
Neon Bull: Gabriel Mascaro’s allegorical look at migrant rodeo workers in Brazil plays like an early Bruno Dumont picture, but with much more compassion. Cinephiles, descend!
Sunset Song: Terence Davies’ intimate Scottish epic frames the maturation of a young woman (Agyness Deyn) against the destruction of World War I. See it on the big screen, I implore you.
Oh, and on Sunday afternoon my pals Sasha James and Matthew Price are presenting Prince’s amazing 1987 concert movie Sign O’ The Times in 35mm at The Royal as their latest Musicale! screening. You do not want to miss that.