The Toronto International Film Festival ended this Sunday in the same way it began, that is to say without a parade of stars on its red carpet: lonely, the crimson path usually trodden by the Hollywood elite, on strike this year. Many leading filmmakers, on the other hand, came to support their films, which were often of remarkable quality. The Quebec vintage was particularly strong, including Solo, by Sophie Dupuis, crowned best Canadian film. However, despite quality programming, 2023 will have been difficult for TIFF, since many of these stars so cruelly absent have castigated the event by demanding that the Royal Bank (RBC) be banned from sponsorship, because of its support for fossil fuels.
It would be wrong to minimize the impact of the petition signed by, among others, Joaquin Phoenix, Julianne Moore and Leonardo DiCaprio. This is a real snub for TIFF. Indeed, normally, the Canadian festival relies heavily on the presence of big names in American cinema.
Although we continued to thank all the sponsors before each screening, including the RBC, the uneasiness was palpable.
A misfortune never comes alone, even before the start of the festivities, Bell announced that it was ending its relationship with TIFF as a sponsor. And that’s without mentioning the demonstrations by stakeholders which were held near the festival, in front of the Apple and Amazon premises.
In short, between two world premieres and press screenings, journalists from all over had something to discuss. Although, without minimizing the importance of environmental and financial issues, it is the seventh art which has remained at the heart of exchanges between professionals. In this case, there was something.
Preceded by laudatory responses, certain films have unsurprisingly achieved consensus, and rightly so. Thus the winner of the Palme d’Or Anatomy of a fall, by Justine Triet, turned out to be as remarkable as hoped. Sandra Hüller dazzles as an author accused (wrongly, or not?) of the murder of her husband. Same for the new Wim Wenders, Perfect Days : a return in delicacy and beauty to fiction, with a magnificent performance (awarded at Cannes) by Kōji Yakusho, as a public toilet cleaner.
Directed by the unpredictable, rare and talented Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest, about a Nazi concentration camp director, was disconcerting, but thrilling; with Sandra Hüller again. Favorite for Strange Way of Lifea short film by Pedro Almodóvar recounting the thwarted love affairs of two cowboys.
Winner of the Queer Palme in Cannes, Monster, by Hirokazu Kore-eda, about a kid who is “maybe” bullied at school or has “maybe” been bullied by a teacher, brings surprises and upheavals. With its Grand Jury Prize in Venice, Evil Does Not Existby Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car / Drive my tank), about the inhabitants of a small mountain town who worry about the imminent arrival of tourist development, unfolded its hypnotic charge.
Without forgetting the opening film: The Boy and the Heron (The boy and the heron), Hayao Miyazaki’s swan song where the director of masterpieces Princess Mononoke And Spirited away surpasses himself again.
The wheat and the chaff
As for The Holdovers, by Alexander Payne, it would not be surprising if its star Paul Giamatti, as a misanthropic professor, found himself nominated for an Oscar. Speaking of Oscar, we also wish nominations to Annette Benning and Jodie Foster, memorable in Nyadbiographical drama dedicated to swimmer Diana Nyad.
In the “feel-good film based on a true story” department, Taika Waititi caused more laughter during his presentation (where he boxed with his microphone to the point of breaking it) than with his film Next Goal Winswhere a fallen coach (Michael Fassbender) tries to transform a losing team into a winning team: a sympathetic, well-intentioned, but conventional production.
In the same register, The Burial, by Maggie Betts, turned out to be a little more elevated. Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Fox form a beautiful mismatched duo, the first as a cheated funeral home owner, the second as a flamboyant lawyer. Predictable, but tasty. Always on the side of real-life stories, Dumb Money (Stupidly rich), by Craig Gillespie, an enjoyable satire recounting how an impertinent analyst made Wall Street tremble, won support.
There are, however, certain titles whose presence will have left you speechless. Actor Chris Pine’s first directorial debut, the police comedy Poolman attracted devastating criticism. Another first production, full of clichés and poorly negotiated dramatic turns, North Star by Kristin Scott-Thomas disappointed with Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller and Emily Beecham not very credible as a trio of angry sisters.
Having not benefited from the same kind of visibility, several hidden gems were nevertheless revealed during the festival. This is the case of the winner of the Audience Award, American Fiction, by Cord Jefferson, where Jeffrey Wright plays a black professor and writer who, tired of not being published, writes under a pseudonym a novel aligning all the literary clichés reserved for African-American culture. A resounding but annoying success followed.
We also think of Before the flames go out (screened at TIFF under the title After the Fire), by Mehdi Fikri, in which a French suburban family demands transparency and justice after the death of one of their sons at the hands of police officers. Or even to The Movie Tellerby Lone Scherfig, where a young woman raises the morale of her Chilean mining village by narrating the films she goes to see each week: a bittersweet homage to cinema.
And what about the crazy but brilliant Dream Scenario, by Kristoffer Borgli? This A24 production (Everything Everywhere All at Once) tells the story of how the life of a professor (like) played by Nicolas Cage is turned upside down when he begins to appear in the dreams of strangers.
A look back at local films
Finally, we must emphasize the extraordinary quality of the numerous Quebec films presented, the majority of which are directed by women: Soloby Sophie Dupuis (on view and must see), Happy Daysby Chloé Robichaud, Humanist vampire seeking consenting suicideby Ariane Louis-Seize (winner in Venice), Simple like Sylvainby Mania Chokri, Irena’s Vowby Louise Archambault, Miss Kenopsiaby Denis Côté, Kanavalby Henri Pardo (Amplify Voice Prize and Special Mention at the Best Canadian Film Prize), and Ruby Charles-Olivier Michaud, based on the autobiographical novel by Kim Thúy.
In this case, there is nothing chauvinistic about raising it. As proof, during TIFF, the American publication Variety, the industry bible, devoted a long article to the Quebec contingent.
In short, this means that an exceptional return to cinema is in store for us. We will have the opportunity to talk about it again.
François Lévesque was in Toronto thanks to the support of Telefilm Canada