Today marks the beginning of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Sadly, I won’t be covering the fest for Screengrab as I did last year, since various factors have made it impossible for me to make the trip again. However, I’m still looking forward to it in much the same way I did in the years before I actually got to go myself. I love hearing the buzz about the new movies- whether you’re in the market for Oscar-baity Hollywood fare, out-of-nowhere sleepers, or critical darlings, Toronto has plenty to chew on. Even this year, when a number of festival favorites (Hong Sang-soo, Lucretia Martel, Hayao Miyazaki, Erick Zonca, Fernando Eimbcke) are mysteriously missing from the TIFF slate, there’s still a lot to look forward to there. Bearing in mind that I prefer to skip movies that are getting released in the forseeable future, here are eleven movies that I would make the greatest effort to see at TIFF, in no particular order:
Che- there are other films here I’m more eagerly anticipating, but of all the movies playing at Toronto, Che feels most like an event, particularly the 4 1/2 –hour screening of both segments of the film. Most big-ticket directors come with films that have studio backing, but Che is still seeking a distributor, and since there’s no telling when it’s going to be released in theatres, this festival season may be the last chance for it to be seen in a long time.
A Christmas Tale- a few weeks ago, I declared Arnaud Desplechin’s new movie to be one of my most-anticipated films of the fall, and even though this is allegedly coming out in limited release in December, given the choice of seeing it earlier, I don’t think I could wait. Besides, it’d be a way to ensure I see it in time for certain year-end awards.
Of Time and the City- after eight years trying to get projects off the ground, the great Terence Davies surprised cinephiles by premiering a new film at Cannes. Buzz on his latest, a documentary about Liverpool, was fairly muted, but no matter- a new Davies is always cause for celebration.
35 Shots of Rum- Claire Denis is one of the most gifted filmmakers working today, with a winning streak that’s even longer than Pixar’s. I haven’t disliked any of her features to date, and Venice buzz from her latest indicates this will be a worth addition to her already-impressive filmography.
Wendy and Lucy- after the critical success of 2006’s Old Joy, the talented Kelly Reichardt returns with a new film starring Michelle Williams and her dog. Here’s hoping that the presence of recognizable name in the cast will bring Reichardt’s films a new level of visibility.
Lorna’s Silence- word from Cannes was that the latest film from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne was something of a departure from celebrated recent work like The Son and The Child. As much as I love those movies, I’m also eager to see what else they can do. Aw, who am I kidding? I’d follow these guys anywhere.
Three Monkeys- a far cry from the Western rip-offs most people associate with Turkish cinema, Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a genuine visionary whose films have made him perhaps the most important filmmaker in his home country. After Distant and Climates, Three Monkeys should only confirm this status.
Summer Hours- considering all the world-class directors she’s worked with, it’s sort of surprising that Juliette Binoche hasn’t starred in a film by her countryman Olivier Assayas. This film has been compared with Assayas’ lovely 1998 film Late August, Early September, which is enough to get me excited to see it.
Still Walking- with his first two fiction features, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda made two masterpieces- Maborosi and After Life. And while none of his subsequent projects has been up to that rarefied level, his 2004 film Nobody Knows is proof that he’s still got plenty of creative juice left in him.
The Beaches of Agnès- some filmmakers find their styles becoming more mainstream as they get older, but not French New Wave veteran Agnès Varda. Her latest essay film should be as chock full of dotty humor as her previous efforts Ydessa, the Bears and I… and The Gleaners and I.
JCVD- the typical pitch I’ve seen for this is Being Jean-Claude Van Damme. With that premise, how could it NOT be awesome?
And since I won’t be covering the festival, here are some links to some cool cats who will be:
Noel Murray and Scott Tobias at the always-indispensible Onion AV Club
Screengrab favorite Mike D’Angelo
Quote identifying machine Victor Morton
Cyprus correspondent Theo Panayides
Self-described Academic Hack Michael Sicinski
The tireless Jeremy Heilman
Honest-to-goodness AMPAS member Ken Rudolph
The good Doctor Girish Shambu
Of course you all know to check out Greencine Daily, Cinematical, and IndieWire. And whether you’re heading to Toronto or simply watching from the sidelines, enjoy the festival.