TIFF 2016 Post-Festival Recommendations
This is a little experiment to try and capture some of the buzz of TIFF in an IMDb list of recommendations through the lens of my tastes; I did not see everything, but I have seen 44 of the 250+ features in the program and I talked to many people in screenings about what they liked.
I will start with A Monster Calls (2016) which is my favourite movie of 2016 and then everything else is in alphabetical order as it is too hard to rank this many excellent movies. All of these are worth taking the time to see.
I will start with A Monster Calls (2016) which is my favourite movie of 2016 and then everything else is in alphabetical order as it is too hard to rank this many excellent movies. All of these are worth taking the time to see.
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- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsLewis MacDougallSigourney WeaverFelicity JonesConor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.A true gem with movie magic at work throughout, blending many elements into a wonderful experience. A top-notch supporting role for IMDb STARmeter award winner Felicity Jones too.
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsSasha LaneShia LaBeoufRiley KeoughA teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.I saw this in Cannes and loved its fresh approach.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.A spiritual sister of Contact (1997) ... to reveal any more would be unfair; contains my favourite quote of 2016.
- DirectorNate ParkerStarsNate ParkerArmie HammerPenelope Ann MillerNat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.A masterpiece from Sundance where I saw it at the legendary world premiere.
- DirectorAntonio CamposStarsRebecca HallMichael C. HallTracy LettsThe story of Christine Chubbuck, a 1970s TV reporter struggling with depression and professional frustrations as she tries to advance her career.I missed this one but heard very high praise for Rebecca Hall
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsBlake LivelyJason ClarkeAhna O'ReillyA blind woman's relationship with her husband changes when she regains her sight and discovers disturbing details about themselves.This premiered late in the festival and is a clever thriller from Marc Forster.
- DirectorAlex LehmannStarsMark DuplassSarah PaulsonClu GulagerMeeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts reflect on their shared past.I feel an Independent Spirit Award nomination coming for best screenplay for Mark Duplass
- DirectorMartin KoolhovenStarsGuy PearceDakota FanningEmilia JonesFrom the moment the new Reverend climbs the pulpit, Liz knows that she and her family are in great danger.A great central performance and a clever structure which keeps you on your toes.
- DirectorNoel ClarkeStarsNoel ClarkeArnold OcengRed MadrellSam is facing up to the new world. He realizes it also comes with new problems and new challenges and which will require old friends to help him survive new dangers.A great final installment of Noel Clarke's trilogy
- DirectorJordan RobertsStarsVera FarmigaMarton CsokasJacob TremblayA family in emotional turmoil is taken by surprise in this quirky adventure where an eccentric 8-year-old American boy, Wes, has an existential epiphany - He believes that he is in fact a Mongolian goat herder.A real festival hidden gem which will make you feel good about life.
- DirectorNacho VigalondoStarsAnne HathawayJason SudeikisAustin StowellGloria is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in New York City and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon.Another unique piece of cinema from Nacho Vigalondo which will blow your mind.
- DirectorKelly Fremon CraigStarsHailee SteinfeldHaley Lu RichardsonBlake JennerHigh-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.The high-school movie reinvented which played well to the closing night audience in Roy Thompson Hall.
- DirectorFrançois OzonStarsPierre NineyPaula BeerErnst StötznerIn the aftermath of WWI, a young German who grieves the death of her fiancé in France meets a mysterious Frenchman who visits the fiancé's grave to lay flowers.A beautifully photographed film in colour and black & white which does not lead you where you might think.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsSharlto CopleyBrie LarsonArmie HammerSet in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shoot-out and a game of survival.The London Film Festival closing film so I am saving until then but the word is that the Midnight Madness Audience Award which it won is richly deserved (and it has Brie Larson too)
- DirectorColm McCarthyStarsSennia NanuaFisayo AkinadeDominique TipperA scientist and a teacher living in a dystopian future embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie.A zombie movie with a twist (or two)
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.If you love plot twists ... (I saw this at Cannes)
- DirectorKen LoachStarsDave JohnsHayley SquiresSharon PercyAfter surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.An authentic masterpiece from Ken Loach (also seen in Cannes)
- DirectorPablo LarraínStarsNatalie PortmanPeter SarsgaardGreta GerwigFollowing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.Worth seeing for Natalie Portman's performance even though the cinematography is claustrophobic to say the least; will play well on DVD screeners come awards time.
- DirectorDavid LeveauxStarsLily JamesJai CourtneyChristopher PlummerA German soldier tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman during his investigation.Stage director David Leveaux makes a compelling film directorial debut with echoes of Notorious (1946)
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.The audience award winner; I am saving this for the London Film Festival gala screening but the buzz is strong in this one.
- DirectorWilliam OldroydStarsFlorence PughCosmo JarvisPaul HiltonIn 19th-century rural England, a young bride who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.It is hard to believe that this is a first time feature from William Oldroyd and I cannot wait to see what he does next. A special film with superb acting.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsWoody HarrelsonMichael Stahl-DavidRichard JenkinsLyndon B. Johnson aligns himself with John F. Kennedy, rises to the Presidency, and deals with the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.Thanks to a sharp script and charismatic performance by Woody Harrelson, this film is way more funny than any film on LBJ has the right to be.
- DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.Nearly as many people cried in this as #1; also saving for the London Film Festival gala screening.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsRuth NeggaJoel EdgertonWill DaltonThe story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.A touching romance from Jeff Nichols (seen at Cannes)
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.A stunningly acted film with a perfect cast -- I foresee many awards on the horizon.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.Another talk-of-the-festival which I am saving for the London Film Festival.
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.Another frequent recommendation which I am saving for the London Film Festival.
- DirectorMira NairStarsMadina NalwangaDavid OyelowoLupita Nyong'oA Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.A sweet crowd-pleaser with a chess-as-a-sport theme; great performances.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsAdam DriverGolshifteh FarahaniNellieA quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.A gentle and surprising film from Cannes.
- DirectorJim SheridanStarsTheo JamesRooney MaraLaurence O'FuarainA woman keeps a diary of her extended stay at a mental hospital.One of three films with Rooney Mara at TIFF (two appear on this list) and what a range she displays; I loved the plot of this even though I guessed where it was heading (and even though I had to explain the end to my seat neighbour so it is either too obvious or not obvious enough).
- DirectorLone ScherfigStarsGemma ArtertonSam ClaflinBill NighyA former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them.One of three films with Gemma Arterton at TIFF (two appear on this list) ... a lovely film about filmmaking with a smart script and lively characters.
- DirectorMia Hansen-LøveStarsIsabelle HuppertAndré MarconRoman KolinkaA philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, losing her book deal, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.One of three films with Isabelle Huppert at TIFF; an interesting French film written and directed by the talented Mia Hansen-Løve
- DirectorMaren AdeStarsSandra HüllerPeter SimonischekMichael WittenbornA practical joking father tries to reconnect with his hard working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO's life coach.Another film from Cannes which I will actually finally see at The London Film Festival
- DirectorBenedict AndrewsStarsRuby StokesRooney MaraRiz AhmedWhen a young woman unexpectedly arrives at her much-older former lover's workplace, looking for answers, the secrets of their dark past threaten to unravel his new life. What follows is an emotional and unflinching excavation of inappropriate love, with shattering consequences.A difficult subject with exceptional performances from Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn