Here’s my continued coverage of TIFF. You can read the first part of my reviews here: TIFF 2021 Reviews (Part 1)
“All My Puny Sorrows,” directed by Michael McGowan, is based on the Miriam Toew’s beloved novel of the same name. The poignant story of two sisters: one, a concert pianist obsessed with ending her life; the other, a writer, who is wrestling with this decision makes profound discoveries about herself. This is one of the most depressing films I’ve seen yet. Exploring the triggering topic of suicide, it dives into the purpose of life, how decisions affect those around us and it’s driven by literary concepts. They go into why people decide to take their own life without shying away from the realities of the consequences. It’s a little too in the face that will resonate with those who have experienced something of this nature. It’s well acted, but a movie I won’t watch again.
★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“Jockey,” directed by Clint Bentley, is about Jackson, a middle-aged jockey who’s last shot at glory is complicated by the arrival of a rookie claiming to be his son. Clifton Collins shines as Jackson and his performance is elevated by the supporting cast of Moises Arias and Molly Parker. It’s a predictable sports drama that’s moving, but sadly, this is another film that I won’t be seeing again. Rewatchability is a huge factor in my scoring and ranking of films, since this movie doesn’t showcase anything nuanced with its premise and ultimate outcome, this just comes across as another well done film.
★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“The Hill Where Lionesses Roar,” directed by Luàna Bajrami, is about three young and free-spirited women who decide to escape their daily routines and form a gang. This is a visually pleasing movie about female empowerment. There is one shot that left me completely stunned that I was wondering for hours how Bajrami was able to capture it. I enjoyed the dynamic between the three leads. Their chemistry is present. It took a bit for me to become invested in these characters, but once I did, I was all in. Sadly the ending didn’t work for me and it left me underwhelmed.
★★★
Courtesy of TIFF
“Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” directed by Edwin, is a black comedy action drama based on a novel of the same name. It follows the melodramatic misadventures of Ajo Kawir, a street fighter for hire who fears nothing but his own shameful impotence. I wasn’t aware of the novel and went into this movie completely blind. This was an unexpectedly engaging story. It’s a B movie with some impressive one-on-one combat sequences. The kills are good as well. It did remind me of the ‘80s/’90s movies with their practical effects, kills, shooting on location and their thematics. However, it’s a little off with the editing and I was confused when it came to the flashbacks. But this is an ok film that I would recommend watching.
★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“Comala,” directed by Gian Cassini, is a documentary about a small-time hitman in Tijuana, El Jimmy. In 2010, Mexican newspapers reported the murder of this hitman. For most readers, it was another death amongst thousands in the country’s tragic drug wars, but for filmmaker Gian Cassini, the news triggered deeper questions because El Jimmy was his estranged father. This documentary provides an intimate perspective on how direct family members are affected by this man’s decisions. What starts as a promising narrative diverts itself into a home video montage of this family with little sprinkles about the hitman. Towards the end of the movie, the interviews felt a bit fake and overly acted and I was left disappointed by it.
★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“Encounter,” directed by Michael Pearce, stars Riz Ahmed as the father of two boys who embarks on a journey trying to protect them from an alien invasion. This was a great film! I was completely engaged in its premise and as a parent, this story was heartfelt and relatable. This movie looks at parenting relationships and PTSD. The father/son dynamic was compelling. There were strong performances from this cast with Ahmed being great (per usual), but it’s Lucian River-Chauhan who runs with this movie as the older son. It has one of the best sound mixings and the soundtrack is great too. One of the best films at the festival.
★★★★
Courtesy of TIFF
“Hold Your Fire,” directed by Stefan Forbes, takes a look at Brooklyn 1972. Shu’aib Raheem tried to steal guns for self-defense, starting the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. NYPD psychologist Harvey Schlossberg fought to reform police’s use of violence by saving lives with words, not guns. This movie along with “Attica” (a documentary I watched earlier in the festival) looks into police brutality from decades ago only to learn that not much has changed. What this film did differently though was to get as many perspectives as possible to interview. They got police officers, the owner of the store, and those led by Raheem. The contradictions were astronomical, but the director provided enough evidence and testimonies for audiences to develop their own conclusion. It’s a difficult watch but one that takes its time to unfold.
★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“Julia,” directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, is a documentary about Julia Child, a prolific character of the 20th century. Her books and TV series transformed the country’s food culture and opened a new career path for women in cooking. I admit I wasn’t well aware of Julia’s career nor her impact in the cooking industry. First thing first, do not watch this doc on an empty stomach. I had a good time with this film, learning about Julia and her struggle breaking into a male-dominated career. As usual, the cooking industry is dominated by men and yet Julia preserved and made a career out of it. She was a trailblazer in the marriage between cooking and television, making cooking look appealing and compelling in an era where Americans only ate frozen food from highly processed and canned goods. She was an example for women in various aspects including ageism, reproductive rights, and even becoming an AIDS advocate. I highly recommend this doc.
★★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
“Beba,” directed by Rebecca Huntt, who’s nicknamed Beba makes a stunning debut with a self-portrait that is a poetic, raw and ruthless coming of age tale, in which a young NYC born and bred Afro-Latina stares down historical, societal and generational trauma with unflinching courage. As a creator of a podcast whose whole purpose is to highlight Latino created films, this movie was a priority of mine. I’m saddened to report that this was the film I was referring to when I tweeted I was furious. On a technical level this film is great, I think Huntt has a skill for filmmaking and knows how to tell a story poetically. The subject matter upset me. It’s a biographical depiction of her life, but my inner Mexican was triggered when I realized I was following the whereabouts of a narcissist. Her turbulent relationship with her mother was difficult to sit through, but what drew the last straw was her retelling of physically harming her mother. When introducing her film, the first words that came out of her mouth were “I don’t care if you like me” which was a red flag. In the end, Huntt could’ve received therapy instead of making this film.
★★
Courtesy of TIFF
“The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,” directed by Will Sharpe, tells the story of the Victorian era artist whose widely published drawings of anthropomorphized cats transformed them from mysterious to irresistible. This film was a delightful time. We all know my love for period pieces drew me to this movie but I was further persuaded by the cast of Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy. Both didn’t disappoint with their performances but Cumberbatch gives one of his all time best as Louis. The movie is an effective moving character study about this peculiar man’s rise to celebrity status, thanks to his painting talents. I loved the paintings and the cinematography as well as the various viewpoints, movements, lighting and stylistic choices (compositions). But as much as I had a good time with this film, this isn’t a movie I’ll revisit.
★★★1/3
Courtesy of TIFF
“The Rescue,” directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, is a documentary that follows the events of the 12 young soccer players and their coach who were trapped by monsoon floods inside a cave in Thailand. The world watched for 16 days as the reporter gave updates from outside the rescue zone. This documentary is from the same filmmakers that did “Solo” and it’s one of the best docs at the festival. It’s dramatic, stressful and the levels of suspense are high (even though you already know the outcome). With many obstacles against them, the rescue team persevered and continued the mission. A must-watch doc.
★★★★
Courtesy of TIFF
“The Guilty,” directed by Antione Fuqua, is about a demoted police officer assigned to the dispatch desk and is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman. Apparently, this is a remake from a Danish version, but since I haven’t seen the original one, I won’t be able to compare and contrast. We follow Jake Gyllenhaal for the entirety of the movie as he tries to handle emergency phone calls. As the synopsis implies, he gets one particular call that leaves him shook and feels an obligation to go out of his way to assist this woman. So we see the extent he goes to assist her. I understood why he became heavily invested in that particular call but didn’t think too much about it. I became invested in the outcome, but there’s nothing new here. Same tropes, and same excellent performance from Gyllenhaal. Another film I felt was okay, but I don’t see myself revisiting.
★★★1/2
Courtesy of TIFF
