The Toronto Film Festival kicked off on September 5 with a multi-film opening night, including David Gordon Green’s family comedy Nutcrackers, starring Ben Stiller. It kicked off a series of world premieres and vibrant films over 11 days for the 49th edition of one of North America’s largest film festivals.
Other major titles making their debut in Toronto include The happiest man in America starring Amy Adams’ Paul Walter Hauser Night bitchtheater guru Marianne Elliott’s The Salt PathDreamWorks Animations The wild robot and Mike Flanagan’s Chuck’s life.
There are documentaries that will make a big impression Elton John: Never too late And Paul Anka: His way.
Click below to read Deadline’s reviews from the ground in Toronto and check back often as we add more. The festival ends on September 15.
Bonjour Tristesse
‘Bonjour Tristesse’
Toronto Film Festival
Section: Discovery
Director-screenwriter: Durga Kauw Bose
Form: Chloe Sevigny, Claes Bang, Lily McInerny, Nailia Harzoune, Aliocha Schneider, Nathalie Richard
The takeaway from the deadline: The hands of debuting director and screenwriter Durga Chew Bose from Montreal feels more true to Françoise Sagan’s novel, becoming a more complex story about the nature of female relationships, the mysteries within them and their winding paths.
Utopia
Section: Special presentations
Director: Gia Coppola
Form: Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman
The takeaway from the deadline: This look at the lives of the infamous Vegas showgirls is smart, moving, funny, honest and wise. It’s Pamela Anderson’s moment to shine, and she ever does to shine – until an ending that makes us hopeful.
The happiest man in America
‘The Happiest Man in America’
Toronto Film Festival
Section: Special presentations
Director: Samir Oliveros
Form: Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, Johnny Knoxville, Haley Bennett, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Brian Geraghty, Lilli Kay, James Wolk
The takeaway from the deadline: With Hauser at the helm, this entire scenario keeps us engaged thanks to the actor’s ability to breathe some humanity into these strange characters. You can see why he couldn’t resist this one.
Nutcrackers
‘Nutcrackers’
TIFF
Section: Gala presentations
Director: David Gordon Green
Form: Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Tim Heidecker, Edi Patterson, Toby Huss, Homer Janson, Ulysses Janson, Atlas Janson, Arlo Janson
The takeaway from the deadline: This is the kind of movie that Hollywood used to make, but has clearly forgotten how to make it until now. One of the inspirations for director David Gordon Green was The bad news brings, Six pack, Uncle Buck And Overboard. You would expect that John Hughes, along with this genre, has come back from the dead.
Unstoppable
‘Unstoppable’
Amazon MGM Studios
Section: Gala presentations
Director: Willem Goudberg
Form: Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña
The takeaway from the deadline: You really can’t compare Unstoppable to any inspiring sports drama that has ever occurred, both in terms of what the major accomplished in athletics and the obstacles he had to overcome at home. His fate depends on star Jharrel Jerome’s ability to make us root for him to believe.
