My Mini TIFF Preview

TIFF opens next week, and yesterday I was able to redeem pick by 12 tickets for this year’s festival. It’s many good news – the system worked for me the first time, without problems – the first time that has ever happened – and for the most part, I got the films I wanted, given that I was only going to be there three days (the second Thursday-Saturday – which I prefer to the opening weekend, because things actually run on time) – really in each time slot, I only missed two of my top choices (Lee Chang Dong’s Burning and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters – but I got two good films to fill in, so I’m good). Will I trade some tickets in? Perhaps, but I doubt it, unless they add some screenings of things I cannot resist). On paper, this is the strongest lineup I’ve had in a few years – so I cannot wait,

 

Roma (Alfonso Cuaron) – TIFF made it easy to see one of my most anticipated films of the festival, by basically playing Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma every day of the fest – so there’s no excuse for missing this one. I cannot wait – Cuaron is a visionary director – Children of Men is still my favorite of his work, but the reviews of this coming out of Venice, imply perhaps I’ll have a new favorite soon. Yes, this will be on Netflix by year’s end – but Cuaron is the type of director whose work demands to be seen on the big screen.

 

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Bi Gan) – The reviews of this coming out of Cannes – where it played in the Un Certain Regard section, although according to some it was better than most of what was in the official selection – made this an easy choice when my original choice for this slot (Burning) was unavailable. Out of all the filmmakers whose new films I am seeing, this is the only one new to me – but I’m looking forward to it. Described as a tour de force, and an inventive film noir, I’m excited for this one.

 

22 July (Paul Greengrass) – Another Netflix film from a major auteur, this one generated controversy before they even started filming, as it about that horrific mass shooting in Norway, that left dozens of kids dead. This is an interesting choice for Greengrass – who is the exception that proves the rule when it comes to shaky camera and rapid fire editing – so I’m curious about it. I would rather they play the other film on the subject U – July 22, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year, and got good reviews, but Greengrass is a good enough filmmaker that I’m willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.

 

Widows (Steve McQueen) – It’s taken McQueen quite a while to follow-up 12 Years a Slave, and the previews make this look like a stylish audience pleaser – something McQueen has clearly not made before. But that cast – led by Viola Davis – is great, and I am an unabashed fan of Gillian Flynn, who co-wrote the screenplay. You need to see some audience pleasers in a festival like this to keep you going.

 

Hotel by the River (Hong Sang-soo) – I always like seeing the work of prolific Korean director at Hong Sang-soo at the festival – you never know if you’ll ever get a chance again (still waiting on On a Beach at Night Alone to come to some platform I can see). This one got good reviews out of Locarno – Hong’s favorite film festival – so I’m looking forward to going back to this world again – it’s like visiting old friends every year at the fest.

 

The Wild Pear Tree (Nuri Bilge Ceylon) – Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylon is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world – Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is my favorite, but you really cannot go wrong with any of his films (although the epic, Plame winning Winter Sleep isn’t the first film of his I would watch). This is another three plus hour opus from Ceylon that like. mainly got great reviews from the people whose opinion on Ceylon I normally agree with. Yes, it’s longer than I normally like to see at the fest, but Ceylon is worth it.

 

Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski) – Pawlikowski’s acclaimed follow-up to the Oscar winning Ida won him the Best Director prize at Cannes, and is another examination of Poland’s past, shot in gorgeous black and white. Other than that, and the fact that it’s a love story as well, I have avoided details on it (as I try to with everything I want to see) – but Pawlikowski is a talented filmmaker, whose work I like.

 

In Fabric (Peter Strickland) – As a big fan of Strickland’s last two features – Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy, I’m down with whatever Strickland wants to do next. This one is part of the Midnight Madness program – I always try to see at least one from that lineup every year – and follows a haunted dress from person to person. Strickland always brings more to the material than it seems like he will – so this should be interesting.

 

Ash is Purest White (Jia Zhangke) – Chinese master Jia Zhangke’s films are always worth watching – A Touch of Sin is a masterwork, as are several of his earlier films (Platform, Still Life for example), and even when he makes flawed films (like his most recent Mountains May Depart) are always interesting. This one, of course, stars the great Tao Zhao and is a love story of sorts. Zhangke has never really broken through in North America – but he should. This probably won’t do it, but I like to see everything he does on the big screen.

 

Peterloo (Mike Leigh) – The great Mike Leigh is back for the first time since 2014’s Mr. Turner with this story of the Peterloo massacre – where the government killed pre-Democracy demonstrators in 1819. Leigh will likely be making some points about the modern world looking back on this, but no matter what, Leigh is a master whose films are always worth watching.

 

The Image Book (Jean-Luc Godard) – I am not actually a huge fan of late-Godard (so everything he’s made for the past 50 years or so – those 1960s movies though are great). Having said that, all of his films are interesting, and I enjoyed Goodbye to Language 3-D when I saw it at TIFF a few years ago more than most of his other films. Godard is always going to inspire conversation, so I’m in.

 

Destroyer (Karyn Kusama) – My closing film of the fest will be Destroyer, Karyn Kusama’s film starring Nicole Kidman as a detective investigating a murder. All I needed to know to know this is a must see is that Kusama is directing, and Kidman is starring. I cannot wait.

 

So that’s it for me. I’ll be back after the festival, with a wrap up of what I’ve seen. If you going to TIFF, have fun! I know I will.

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