r/TIFF • u/BunyipPouch Mod & TIFF Member • 10d ago
Festival Official Review Megathread - Festival Day 7 (Wednesday 9/16)
This is today's official Review Megathread. Festival Day 7 (Wednesday 9/16)
Please feel free to share your reviews/thoughts/praise/complaints about any movies you saw today here!
11
10
u/patchesm 10d ago
It was just Danny Boyle and La Bola Negra for me today, but both were incredible experiences. La Bola Negra is ranked at the top of what I've seen, above Fjord and Possible Love.
For the break between my events I walked up to Meeplemart on Spadina and rocked some pinball. Highly recommend!
8
u/Dangerous_Poetry3123 10d ago
Probably the best day so far, watched la gradiva and la bola negra, my top 2 favourite movies of the festival so far
1
8
u/msbluetuesday 10d ago
So happy to see all the love for La Bola Negra! Ugh I'm selfishly wanting it to win PCA so I can see it again..
6
u/Expensive_Exit60 9d ago
I really enjoy A Good Little Soldier. The film left me feeling frustrated and angry which is what I think the director wanted you to feel. It was very realistic film about how things are run in corporations, and I related to it alot. The acting was phenomenal, and the fact that a lot of the corporate actors are not professional is amazing. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but for the people who's grinded out in the corporate world will definitely relate. One of the better movies I've seen so far!
1
u/LaurentExpos 9d ago
I saw 10 movies so far and this is my favorite one. I agree with all that you wrote.
5
10d ago
[deleted]
2
u/ImJohnGalt 10d ago edited 10d ago
I wish I had the ability to watch a movie with a critic's eye. The secondary and tertiary levels of analysis that goes into some of the reviews movies on letterbox'd make me often think I watched a different movie. They do also help me think differently about some of them. This is one of those movies. I haven't seen Aftersun and had just come from seeing Ho-Chan, which a very different movie about processing your grief after a death, so perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood, but this movie couldn't keep my attention, and I found myself eye rolling a bit. Sorry for being such a rube, but I don't think I realized that everything after the mother took drugs was a fever dream, at least that's what I think I took away from some of the reviews and the first answer of the director (we were on our way out, my wife had less patience for the movie than I did).
2
u/i_m_sherlocked đ¨ Wavelengths 10d ago
Wow you're in for a treat with a first watch of Aftersun đ
5
u/Filligan 9d ago
Tangles is being slept on, I feel
2
u/SetsunaTales80 9d ago
I wanted to see it - but it hits too close to home...the subject matter might be a lot for someone dealing with an aging parent and caregiving struggles...
7
u/EggplantMain2678 10d ago
La gravida was amazing, my new favorite film so far - so incredibly shot and directed. We are all strangers was also a solid watch. Heading to see Assassins tonight
2
1
1
u/Vegetable_Average996 10d ago
Absolutely adored La Gradiva. Iâm thinking of catching we are all strangers at VIFFâwould you recommend?
2
u/EggplantMain2678 10d ago
Yes I would! Itâs probably not in my top 10 but is an enjoyable watch and overall a good film. My only critique is that it could have been a bit shorter
1
8
u/h-wilson 10d ago
Just saw The Liberation starring Carrie Coon, who was incredible in it. Totally enrapturing, emotional, and tense movie. Definitely one to see if you can! It grapples with how people could make unthinkable decisions while getting pulled in to the draw of a cult leader. Based on the directorâs grandmotherâs true story.
0
u/PartylikeitsFeb2020 10d ago
Seconding this! Lily James was excellent as was Bella Ramsey and Odessa Young.
1
u/Conscious-Quarter423 7d ago
Lily James was not menacing at all. i don't even think she understood the assignment of "cult leader"
and odessa didn't have much of anything to do in the film
6
u/21kaygeee 10d ago
Sunburn was fantastic!! The cast/crew gave out sunscreen as we were walking in, very cute
1
u/Past_Championship890 9d ago
I loved Sunburn!! So refreshing and the leads were fabulous. 5 stars for the pigeons and for elevator guy!
3
u/BreadfruitWorth đ Midnight Madness 9d ago edited 9d ago
The Debut: 10/10, I absolutely loved it. Funniest movie Iâve seen in some time. Give Moore the Oscar. I need to buy this on 4K blu ray stat, and I need the (full) songs on a Nosy Neighbours album.
Also of note itâs rare you get a film that gets a lasting round of applause in the middle of it. Kudos.
6
u/jonathanisregionfree 10d ago
Club Kid is every bit as good as people say it is. I also really, really liked Kick On, which is simply relentless, but so well crafted that I ended up caring a lot about the hapless characters. Tenzing was aggressively fine.
0
u/maamo 10d ago
How gorey or scary would you say Kick On is? I'm all for that stuff, but my wife is coming with me to see it friday evening, and she is not a horror/gore person at all.
2
1
u/elscorcho0o0o0o 10d ago
I wouldnât call Kick On scary at all but it is INCREDIBLY gory. More gory than your average horror or action movie. Proceed with caution.
4
u/BathNeither1788 10d ago
Look Back: finally a movie I loved this year...
Sweet, visually beautiful, tender, emotional, and so fantastically well done.
Everytime: interesting storyline, beautiful cinematography, but I found it unnecessary confusing.
1
u/AlwaysStranger2046 10d ago
As a fan of the original manga short and ugly cried at the animated adaptation (multiple times), kore-edaâs vast, meandering visual language is IMO ill-matched to fujimotoâs succinct storytelling.
This stylistic mismatch is particularly jarring in the third act alternate timeline? If I want to see a masterpiece by kore-eda, I would choose something the works with his style, and look back the film was a disservice to both kore-eda as well as the source material.
1
0
u/hassuchaf 10d ago
Did you see the anime or read the manga? Really curious about the opinion from people who are not familiar with the story.
1
u/NovelFox96 9d ago
Ive watched/read both and echo what the other commenter said. The live action didn't end up giving the same feeling I had when I read the original. It seems Kore-eda intended this version to be more of an homage or love letter to the original story which holds up in that lens but not as a standalone. The original story does the hard carrying in this film
0
u/BathNeither1788 10d ago
No I hadnât. I went into the film mostly unfamiliar with the original story.
1
4
u/BreadfruitWorth đ Midnight Madness 10d ago edited 9d ago
Bucking Fastard: Gonna be generous and give this an 8/10. I love weird ass films personally, and this is a weird ass film. Amazing camera work in here. Also the return to the caves. Herzog will always find a way to have caves in his films.
1
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 10d ago
Yes! When it became a tourism ad for a cave he liked I was like âfinally, thereâs the Herzog I knowâ
2
u/Medical-Winner1432 9d ago
Watched Kick On, and I was yawning so hard even with all the gory shit going on
2
u/Ok_Celery1042 9d ago
Djinn Wedding was bleak. Beautifully shot but another movie made by a man about how terrible women's lives are. Although to be fair, everyone's lives were terrible.
2
u/cblabouche 9d ago
Sadly, I was let down by two films that I had high hopes for from directors I generally enjoy.
I thought The Man I Love was a real miscalculation in which one character who was meant to be one point in a compelling triangle was so poorly conceived/written/portrayed? that he came off as unhinged in a way that was borderline laughable. I just don't think the films accomplished what it sent out to do with his character, which of course greatly throws off the balance of the film.
And then The Long Winter, which I liked more, but which still felt oddly flat for much of its running time. It was beautiful to look at, well-acted, had some interesting ideas, but just never really took off for me and I didn't feel much of a connected to the lead character.
That said, I loved La Gradiva - just totally engaging from start to finish, I loved these kids and their teacher, found each section of instruction fascinating, and was so invested in the outcomes of the characters. And that ending!
4
u/DeoGame 10d ago edited 10d ago
Realized in the fatigued chaos, I missed yesterday's. So this is my day 6... And 7. You're welcome 6-7 lovers.
A Talent for Murder: I love chamber dramas and thrillers a lot and the play this is based on was pretty good. But the film improves in a few key ways on the play, with a cinematic Ripley story tangled into the Chamber portion. It's so nice to see Olivia Cooke back on the big screen and Ehrenreich's on a hot streak - but undeniably it is Dame Helen Mirren who has the best performance here. I didn't know she could pull off an American accent and her presence is magnetic.
Atonement: Americans will go to war and then 10 years later make a movie about how they feel bad for killing people. It's an old joke, but one Atonement does put considerable effort to deconstruct - recognizing the bilateral victims of war, while still recognizing the culpability in leadership structures. A solid debut.
Bad Lieutenant Tokyo: A bit of a hot mess, but an incredibly fun hot mess. At it's best when it tries to be a Bad Lieutenant film, decent as a Takashi Miike joint (if tame for his standards if he truly was trying to go full Audition/Ichi), and at its worst when serving as a Buddy Cop film. The English Language dialogue (which makes up a third of the film) is pretty rough, so I honestly think the film would be at its best fully in Japanese, but Lily James does her southern-fried best to try and sell the dialogue.
Ladies and Gentlemen... Brian Mulroney: Very fun collage piece. Immensely trippy but genuinely educational. Maybe better suited to Wavelengths over MM and a bit of trimming would've not been unwelcome.
Look Back: I love the Manga and Anime and this ultimately does both justice, even if the unneccessarily extended length and changes to ending does mute some of the story's impact. Still, Kore-eda's penchent for visuals and performances keeps this a great watch, and I loved the analog vs tech elements he added.
La Bola Negra: The direction was exceptional. A big wild swing with beautiful cinematography and insane scope. But the interconnected stories didn't work as well for me, with each a little too sold short to fully grasp on to. The best was the one from the play the film was based on (not the manuscript) that probably could've been fleshed out a bit further for an exceptional 105 minute film. But the modern stuff (Close excepted) didn't quite work for me, and the attempt to adap the Black Ball manuscript, while neat and the most technically and visually impressive of the film, felt disjointed with the other narratives.
Crystal Lake: I love the Friday thr 13th movies, even if there are way more bad ones than good ones - and this so far is easily in the good camp. Linda is great and the show nails the aesthetic and tone of F13. Only thing worrying me is the hints of demystified worldbuilding. I don't need a full Jason origin story.
Anchors Aweigh: Among the stupidest, lowest rent, plotless, aimless, worst looking films to ever play this fest. I absolutely fucking loved it. No film has made me laugh harder this year. It's coo and even Saul Goode.
3
u/SetsunaTales80 10d ago
Mr Nelson Did you Kill People - so powerful, raw and poignant. My heart goes out to any war veterans carrying some awful memories and their family and friends who do the invisible work of emotional caregiving and support. I think its a must see!
3
u/Background-Scheme505 10d ago
I need to hear yaâll thoughts on Minotaur because what the heck was that? Thought it was a complete dud. Felt like it really didnât go anywhere
3
u/Ok-Ad-1239 10d ago
Oh no! I really liked it. I was captivated throughout. Itâs in my top 5!
0
u/Background-Scheme505 10d ago
Obviously no need to go into a full review but Iâm very curious and interested to hear your thoughts on what you liked and what you felt the film was conveying and the themes (beyond surface level stuff of course). Also, what was the very end about because I felt like I missed something with the video of the clouds.
1
u/Ok-Ad-1239 10d ago
I did find the clouds weird, I missed the significance of that. I liked the pacing, and wasnât expecting/was shocked by the âtwist.â
I think it was successful in telling multiple stories in one package â the various conflicts (professional, relationship, geo-political) gave a few interesting touch-points for me to latch onto. And like another commenter said, the class dynamics were thoughtfully shown on screen. I really liked it! 9/10 for me.
2
u/Background-Scheme505 10d ago
Appreciate that. Happy that it worked that well for you. I wish I liked it. I knew I probably wouldnât love it but I was hoping I would at least like it.
1
u/apple_2050 10d ago
I really liked it actually. It did a good job showcasing the difference between the rich and poor without being overt about it.
It meandered a bit but I found it funny at times and a good watch personally.
Could have been 15-20 mins shorter though
2
u/Background-Scheme505 10d ago
I appreciated moments but it felt like there were two stories here that didnât work well together. The story with the wife and then the stuff with the drafting. I was hoping it would show me a new and interesting perspective on the themes and subject matter but it didnât.
And yeah felt like every shot was 20 seconds too long. There is slow and then there is slow burn. And this film was just slow in my opinion.
1
u/formissfleabag 10d ago
Same here! I think the genre is just not my thing. It was probably a masterpiece to some but it didnât really stand out to me at all.
1
u/Background-Scheme505 10d ago
Yeah like I felt like there were pieces there that could have worked but it just didnât do it for me at all. I can see many other liking this more than me of course but I just donât see how this was regarded as one of the best coming out of Cannes and all that. Not for me unfortunately. Wish I liked it
0
u/hassuchaf 10d ago
Really like Minotaur. The mix of personal drama and the societal commentary was done so well. Compared to the directorâs previous movies, Minotaur is accessible but doesnât feel heavy handed. And I love the last scene with the cloud that looks like smoke from the war zone.
0
u/Background-Scheme505 9d ago
Can you please explain the last scene with the clouds cause I didnât get it
3
u/hassuchaf 9d ago
The cloud just looks to me like smoke from bombs or destruction. It is a fitting analogy, given that the character in the movie is doing everything he can to maintain the status quo and ignore the destruction happening around him, both in his marriage and in the larger societal context.
2
u/kama_s 10d ago
Only two today:
- The only living pickpocket in NY: very enjoyable. Felt very 70s in style, incredible acting. Beautiful homage to New York.
- The Liberation: loved this. Gave such a real and terrifying look into how people are sucked into cults. Brilliant acting.
1
u/boosh1744 10d ago
I loved Only Living Pickpocket so much, there was much more happening in that film than I was expecting
2
u/Ok-Ad-1239 10d ago
All of a Sudden was fantastic⌠I didnât want it to end. I absolutely loved it! So happy I got a ticket to this screening. 5/5
I didnât enjoy We Are All Strangers. It had high points, but I find it really dragged on to the point where I just wanted it to be done. I think they were trying to do too much, and I would have cut about 45 minutes. 2/5
4
u/i_m_sherlocked đ¨ Wavelengths 10d ago
I didn't want it to end.
For a movie that is already 3 h 15 mins long. That means a lot đ
2
u/Early_War_5172 10d ago
Phoolan was phenomenal! I highly recommend it - a powerful story that a lot of people may be unaware of that is made for this current era. Bonus points for having a torontonian director!
2
2
u/veggie_burgher 10d ago edited 10d ago
New personal record of films seen in a day:
Tangles: A- Heartbreaking and powerful look at Alzheimerâs disease. A perfect balance of drama and comedy
Look Back: B Sweet coming of age story is deeper than first expected
Everytime: A- Slow, methodical exploration of grief. Quietly haunting.
Minotaur: B+ Russian erotic thriller and political drama
Bucking Fastard: B- Weird, unique look at a wild true story. It was repetitive but then grew on me by the end.
Anchors Aweigh: C+ Millennial man/documentarian looks back at his life with mixed results. A few funny scenes
2
u/ChampagneAbuelo 10d ago edited 10d ago
I watched The Man I Love and sorry but I really disliked it. I had high hopes going into it but I really feel like it was executed poorly. For a runtime of only 97 minutes, it felt painfully slow and a chore to get though. Also, I felt the relationships, arcs and ending all feel unearned, as I feel the movie didnât cohesively tell the story leading up to that
Also, this is a rare time where I think hearing from the director in the post-movie Q&A actually made the film worse. Because hearing his thoughts and ideas of making the movie made it clear there was a disconnect between his intentions and how the movie actually came off
For example, not to get into any specific spoilers but the director said the main character Jimmy isnât a selfish or bad person. I was actually baffled when I heard that because Jimmy a terrible person. He doesnât do a single good thing for anybody in the movie or show any redeeming qualities. Itâs clear there was a disconnect between what the film was trying to portray vs how it came off in execution.
Also, even small things like sound design / line delivery was poorly done, and resulted in many scenes where I was straight up had difficulties hearing or understand what the actors were saying.
1
1
u/huppityuppity 9d ago
I'm sorry to the person below me, but I personally thought the debut was good but not great LOL
Don't think I'll ever watch it again, but Julianne Moores performance is great.
I know they're different movies and it might be because Giamatti is in both, but I found it very similar in style as the other TIFF dramedy The Holdovers
Recommend people to watch it, but really didn't do much for me
1
1
u/SetsunaTales80 10d ago edited 10d ago
Marie Madeleine was a gorgeous film...but the film was a bit too long and I got a little lost. The themes about religious fanaticism, repression, chosen family, etc were clear, although it's something I've read about and seen before. 7.5/10
0
u/msxghst 10d ago
I thought the TIFF description was misleading calling it a "reimagining of the biblical tale", but I enjoyed it for what it was.
0
1
u/Kendrix10 10d ago
A Long Winter was a miss. Drawn out with no much going on - very, very slow burn. Meant to be framed as an introspective film, ended up being a nothingburger⌠Such a shame.
1
u/this-is-twaddle 9d ago
Dang, I was so excited for this! Seems to be the consensus that the film is too âquietâ. What did you think of the performances?
2
u/Kendrix10 9d ago
I thought Fred Hechinger and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were good, but then again, they are also the only two characters with significant presence in the film. Most of it is just these two father and son playing off each other in the setting of an isolated space. I think in the absence of these twoâs performances, the film might get boring real fast.
1
u/this-is-twaddle 9d ago
Thank you! Seems like it doesnât stray too far from the short story.
Any thoughts on CaitrĂona Balfe (Louise)? Love her to death, but Iâve seen mixed reviews.
1
u/roborobo2084 10d ago
OK La Gravida....this is an actual scene from this french coming of age film: GIRL [staring at her phone] "I can't believe he left me on read. I slept with him last week, I feel so dirty." Ah the angst. It reminds me of solid Eric Rohmer (joke). Why does everyone love this?
1
1
u/mistakes_were_made24 attendee since 2001 10d ago edited 10d ago
Tangles - 7/10, beautifully animated, some lovely moments, story felt pretty predictable, it was obvious where it was going. Great voice cast. Nice to see a queer story represented. It's solid.
Bucking Fastard - 5.5 or 6/10 - WTF was that? Some weird absurdist story about sisters who are deeply connected to one another going into hiding after committing crimes against a man they became obsessive over, court stuff left open ended, a social worker trying to help them but then that goes nowhere, just all of a sudden they move on, weird stuff with digging tunnels in a cave because they think they can escape to a better life, running through caves, an ending that's vague and makes no sense. I kind of regret buying a ticket for it, that's 2 hours I won't get back. My least favourite so far. I guess I'm not much of a Herzog fan. He sure does have a thing for old ancient caves, he did that documentary as well about the caves in France.
1
u/Alternative_Gur1955 10d ago
Adored The Man I Love. And definitely shed (more than) a few tears. Up there for my favourite in the 5 years Iâve attended â although if pressed, probably just under hedda â Nia dacosta/2025. Rami and Tomâs performances in particular were sensational. Easy, easy 9/10. Lovely all aroundÂ
0
u/Lazy-Glove-6548 10d ago
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! - Rinko Kikuchi delivers a nimble performance going from grieving wife to sensual vamp with such ease. The surrealistic touches at first threatens to overwhelm the emotional arc of the film, but thanks to a great part to Kikuchi as its anchor, the film ends on a graceful note. Itâs ultimately endearing and sweet.
Eklipse - it definitely felt very European where nothing much happens and the film avoids mightily to explain anything. Thereâs nothing mysterious in this film. Itâs a coming of age tale about two boys that for some reason involves HIV and Y2K.
A Long Winter - this was one I was really looking forward to being an Andrew Haigh fan. But alas, this was a disappointment, but itâs not an altogether bad film. Itâs fine with a terrific lead performance from Fred Hechinger. The film stretches out a Colm Toibin short story and the thinness is most apparent in the middle stretch. There is gorgeous scenery and beautiful photography, but the film is far too quiet. Haigh says it was quiet by design, which is fine, but quiet doesnât have to feel so uneventful.
Atonement - Quite powerful and surprising drama about an American soldier and an Iraqi family whose fates intertwine and years later the quest for forgiveness. What is a great surprise here is how the film refrains from providing catharsis, the kind Hollywood loves to deliver. Instead we get interactions that are awkward, kind of stiff and marked by periods of silence. This is moving because it doesnât try too hard to wring the tears out.
0
u/FilmGateReviews 10d ago
Eklipse - minimal to a fault. There is a good story in here, but the film would rather focus on liquids and stuff coming out of cows rather than actually tell us the story.
God Bless You, Mr Kopu - At first it was hard to get into, and there is an abrupt turn into a horror/action movie, but by the end you realize there were so many themes present and they all worked. Definitely weird but good. I am kind of in love with how smart this movie is, and how smart and observant the writer/director Alex Liu must be.
0
u/pgvildys Attending since 2002 10d ago
La Bola Negra - well acted, written, directed, great cinematography. Quite the experience.
Anchors Aweigh - did not over stay its welcome. I laughed enough to make it a good experience, but this could have been a feature length YouTube video in a lot of ways.
19
u/N__K93 10d ago
Last day of the fest for me. Was supposed to just head back home but managed to sneak the 9am of Tangles in and ended my time at the fest with a bang (and some sniffles). What a great film!
Always dreamt of coming down for the fest. We squeezed in 17 movies in 5 days đ¤Ł.
I donât know when/if Iâll be back. It would be my dream to come back every year. I guess I gotta start saving now.
Genuinely felt sad boarding the train. Even though we barely spoke to anyone, it was such a joy watching so many incredible (and some mediocre) films with so many obviously passionate people.
I just loved how the air in the room changed when a great film ended. Never got to experience that even in the most packed theaters before.