During the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival we saw :
BLACK MIRROR: SAN JUNIPERO & NOSEDIVE – Sept. 12 @ 8:45PM – Ryerson Theatre
TIFF : black-mirror san junipero and nosedive
IMDB : San Junipero
IMDB : Nosedive
It was a great pleasure to see 2 episodes of new Black Mirror Season 3, the first (San Junipero) starring Mackenzie Davis and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and the second (Nosedive, A social satire about identity in the social media age.
) starring Bryce Dallas Howard. If you are not familiar with Black Mirror, think Twilight Zone for the 21 century. These episodes were perhaps not as dark humoured as it can be, but do represent the high quality of the writing, acting and thought that goes into the series. IT will not disclose the plots of the 2 stories because the joy is in discovering them yourself. The third season will be on Netflix in October.
THOSE WHO MAKE REVOLUTION HALFWAY ONLY DIG THEIR OWN GRAVES – Sept. 13 @ 8:15PM – Winter Garden Theatre
With its title of “Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau”, a quote from the French revolutionary Louis de Saint-Just, it dramatises the story behind the 2012 Quebec student protests and a small group of leftist who get more and more radical. At 3 hour long, it was 2 to 2 1/2 hours too long (and could easily be edited down). The movie consists almost entirely of marxist cliches. It might be that it is intended as a parody but we are given little reason to care or understand why they are the way they are. TL,DR : Do not walk away from this movie, run… alternate title : “Those Who Would Make Revolution Should Be Forced To Watch This Movie”
HEAL THE LIVING – Sept. 14 @ 8:00PM – Winter Garden Theatre
TIFF : Heal the Living
IMDB : Heal the Living
Heal the Living (original title: Réparer les vivants) is a wonderful French-Belgian film based on a novel of the same name. Subtlety making us love and care for the characters without relieving all about them, only hinting about their pasts, it tells a story of a tragedy and how it touches on a chain of people that come to be affected by it. As a nice bonus, a major role is played by Anne Dorval whom we saw in the 2014 TIFF film Mommy.
THE TERRY KATH EXPERIENCE – Sept. 15 @ 9:30PM – Visa Screen Room
TIFF : The Terry Kath Experience
IMDB : The Terry Kath Experience
The Terry Kath Experience
This is a documentary about Terry Kath, lead guitarist, founding member for the band Chicago. A wonderfully done story filled with great music and interesting people, directed by Michelle Kath Sinclair, the daughter of Terry Kath. A great treat which should serve as a re-introduction to both this band and this musician.
We also had a double bonus after the film in a) a mini concert by Michelle Kath Sinclair and Chicago founding member and drummer Daniel Peter “Danny” Seraphine. This was b) followed by a Q&A with Michelle Kath Sinclair lead by Kiefer Sutherland, her step-father (his first marriage was to the the widow of Terry Kath, Camelia Kath).
THE COMMUNE – Sept. 16 @ 9:30PM – Winter Garden Theatre
TIFF : The Commune
IMDB : The Commune
Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Trine Dyrholm, is a wonderful film set in 1970’s Denmark is a story where the utopian idealism doesn’t last long, although it doesn’t go too dark, and the irony arrives duly. Although it avoids the north american “happily ever after”, do get a sense that things are going to work out and you are hopeful for the future of the whole cast of characters.