Posted in Festival Review World Cinema

TIFF 23 Dispatch: including ‘Fallen Leaves’; ‘Green Border’; ‘The Zone of Interest’

In addition to all the major Hollywood films and American indies I saw at TIFF, I also saw several international films from some of the…

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Knox Goes Away TIFF Review Filmotomy
Posted in Festival Review

TIFF 23 Dispatch: ‘Knox Goes Away’; ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’; ‘Poolman’

Nearly every TIFF features one or two films directed by prominent actors, and to call them a mixed bag is almost deceitfully charitable. When something…

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Posted in Festival Review

TIFF 2023 Dispatch: ‘American Fiction’; ‘Les Indesirables’; ‘Stamped From the Beginning; ‘Silver Dollar Road’

In the first few days of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, I saw films depicting the struggle of Black communities and families in many…

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Women Talking Sarah Polley Filmotomy
Posted in Festival Review

TIFF 2022 Review: Women Talking (Sarah Polley)

“What follows is an act of female imagination” is the title card that precedes Sarah Polley’s Women Talking — a film derived from a novel…

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Empire of Light Sam Mendes Filmotomy
Posted in Festival Review

TIFF ‘22 Review Dispatch #3: The Telluride Films – ‘Good Night Oppy’, ‘Empire of Light’, ‘Women Talking’

In our last set of reviews we looked at some of the most notable Venice premieres that also played TIFF, so today let’s do the…

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Posted in Festival Review

TIFF ’22 Review Dispatch #2: The Venice Films – ‘The Whale’, ‘The Son’, ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’

When the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was founded in 1976, it was originally called The Festival of Festivals, and the idea behind the fest…

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The Fablemans TIFF 22 Filmotomy
Posted in Festival Review

TIFF ’22 Review Dispatch #1: The Big Three – ‘The Fablemans’, ‘Glass Onion’, ‘The Woman King’

Two weeks before TIFF I wrote a preview piece for Rotten Tomatoes that listed the 11 Toronto premieres with the biggest buzz, and I ranked…

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Posted in Festival Review

TIFF 2021 Review: Sundown

Traditionally challenging and provocative, Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco never had more eyes on him than in 2020 when his feature New Order had a highly…

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Posted in Festival Review

‘Becoming Cousteau’, ‘Julia’, ‘Jagged’ – TIFF 2021 Review

TIFF usually has several biographical documentaries, and this year was no different, with films about Julia Child, Alanis Morissette, Oscar Peterson, Kenny G, and Jacques…

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Posted in Festival Review

‘Belfast’, ‘Dune’, ‘Last Night in Soho’, ‘Titane’ – TIFF 2021 Review

As usual, I’m abominably behind with my festival reviews, so rather than continuing in chronological order of what I saw—I’m slapping myself that I couldn’t…

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Posted in Awards Season News

Belfast Wins TIFF People’s Choice Award

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast has won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson’s Scarborough was the first runner-up…

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Posted in Festival Review

‘A Hero’, ‘Compartment No. 6’, ‘Attica’, ‘Hold Your Fire’ – TIFF 2021 Review

It’s lovely to kick off a film festival with a banger, as I did at my first TIFF in 2010, when the first film I…

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Marriage Story
Posted in Festival Review

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Diary #2

The first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of TIFF, days three-through-five, are typically when the biggest premieres happen. And true to form, of the 8 ½…

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Posted in Festival Review

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Diary #1

Welcome to TIFF, where more than 200 features will play over 11 days. Some have already premiered at the year’s other major fests—Sundance, Berlin, Cannes,…

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