Another Toronto International Film Festival has come and gone. The last 10 days have been a barrage of celebrities, paparazzi, parties, and coffee … lots of coffee.
Oh, and there were movies, too — quite good ones, as well. It was actually a very strong year for the film festival, with plenty of titles worthy of generating that ever so elusive buzz. Here is a rundown of some of the highlights of my festival experience:
Best Film
The Wrestler — Darren Aronofsky whisked into town following a prize-winning appearance in Venice to give us possibly his finest film to date. Touching, true, disturbing and funny in equal measure, this is definitely the best movie ever made about grown men fighting in spandex.
Best Performance
Benicio De Toro (Che) — There was never any doubt that Del Toro would do something special when he signed on to play Che Guevara, but his stunning portrayal of the infamous revolutionary proved to surpass even the loftiest expectations. We should all be wearing T-shirts with his face.
Best Director
Rian Johnson (The Brothers Bloom) — Johnson certainly made a mark with his 2005 debut Brick, but he proved to be quite a versatile filmmaker with The Brothers Bloom. Pitched somewhere between the knowing genre games of the Coen brothers and the picture-book surrealism of Wes Anderson, The Brothers Bloom confirms that Johnson is one of the most interesting and unpredictable directors working today.
Most Pleasant Surprise
Sugar — Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s sophomore effort confirms that Half Nelson was no fluke. The filmmaking duo has proven itself to be masters of defying genre expectations and creating delicate human drama.
Biggest Disappointment
Adam Resurrected — Paul Schrader really needs to rediscover subtly and give up on gratuitous religious symbolism. No more scenes with burning bushes in the desert, Paul. That may have worked in The Last Temptation Of Christ, but you were really pushing it this time.
Most Underrated
Religulous — Critics attacked Bill Maher for picking on easy targets rather than debating with theological experts. In my opinion, the experts have had many platforms to get their message heard. This film was about attacking hypocrisy and religious extremists. Bill Maher did so in such a funny and relevant way that I think he deserves some recognition.
Best Movie No One Saw
A Film With Me In It — This little Irish gem was the dark farce that everyone wanted Burn After Reading to be and boasted one of the funniest performances of the film festival, courtesy of Dylan Moran. See it if it ever gets released.
Strongest Audience Reaction
Martyrs — Near the end of this midnight screening, an audience member ran out of the theatre to vomit. If that’s not the ultimate endorsement for a gore-centric horror movie, I don’t know what its.
Best Title
Zack And Miri Make A Porno — Simple, direct, and sums up everything you need to know about the movie going in. There won’t be any church groups accidentally stumbling into this one.
