After a year that some considered a disappointment for its
40th iteration, the Toronto International Film Festival had to come
back strong in 2016, and they’ve done exactly that, unleashing one of the most
impressive first waves of premieres that I’ve ever seen. Not only will many of
the most acclaimed films of Sundance 2016 (“Manchester by the Sea,” “Birth of a
Nation”) and Cannes 2016 (“Elle,” “American Honey,” “Paterson,” “The Handmaiden,”
“Toni Erdmann”) play at TIFF, the festival will feature dozens of world
premieres, including the latest from Oliver Stone, Jonathan Demme, Rob Reiner,
Christopher Guest, J.A. Bayona, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and many more. Canadian/NA
premieres (which means films that are likely playing Venice, Telluride, or
both) include the latest from Werner Herzog, Denis Villeneuve, Tom Ford, Damien
Chazelle, Pablo Larrain, and Antoine Fuqua, who will open the festival with his
star-studded “The Magnificent Seven.”
Highlights directly from the press release:
World Premieres:
“American Pastoral” (Ewan McGregor)
Based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning Philip Roth novel, “American Pastoral” follows a family whose seemingly idyllic existence is
shattered by the social and political turmoil of the 1960s. Ewan McGregor stars
in his directorial debut as Seymour “Swede” Levov, a once legendary high school
athlete who is now a successful businessman married to a former beauty queen.
But turmoil brews beneath the polished veneer of Swede’s life, when his beloved
teenage daughter disappears after being accused of committing a violent act.
Dedicated to finding her, what he discovers shakes him to the core, forcing him
to look beneath the surface and confront the chaos that is shaping the world
around him. Also starring Academy Award–winner Jennifer Connelly, Dakota
Fanning, Emmy–winner Uzo Aduba, David Strathairn, Valorie Curry, Peter Riegert,
and Rupert Evans.
“Daguerrotype” (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa makes his first film outside Japan with
this French-language ghost romance fantasy, about an aging photographer whose
obsession with an archaic technique draws his young assistant and beautiful
daughter into a dark and mysterious world. With Tahar Rahim, Constance
Rousseau, Olivier Gourmet, and Mathieu Amalric.
“Deepwater Horizon” (Peter Berg)
Inspired by the true story of the oil rig explosion in the
Gulf of Mexico that rocked the globe on April 20, 2010, comes this chronicle of
the courage of those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and the extreme
moments of bravery and survival in the face of what would become one of the
biggest man-made disasters in history. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell,
John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O'Brien, and Kate Hudson.
“Denial” (Mick Jackson)
Based on the book “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a
Holocaust Denier,” this riveting, true-life drama recounts the courtroom
showdown between historian Deborah E. Lipstadt and notorious Holocaust denier
David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust
denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is
on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove
that the Holocaust had occurred. Starring Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz,
Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott, Jack Lowden, Caren Pistorius and
Alex Jennings.
“JT + The Tennessee Kids” (Jonathan Demme)
In this thrilling concert documentary, Academy Award–winning
director Jonathan Demme captures the charismatic and highly acclaimed artistry
of Justin Timberlake and The Tennessee Kids’ spectacular closing performances
from The 20/20 Experience World Tour at the legendary MGM Grand Garden Arena in
Las Vegas.
“LBJ” (Rob Reiner)
On November 22, 1963, one president’s life was taken while
another’s was resurrected. “LBJ” tells the story of politician Lyndon B. Johnson
who was at risk of fading into irrelevancy but, upon John F. Kennedy’s
assassination, seized his moment to rescue a nation and claim his place among
the most influential US presidents. “LBJ” is an intimate look into Johnson’s
masterful political manoeuvring during one of the most difficult times in
America’s history. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard
Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, and Michael Stahl-David.
“Mascots” (Christopher Guest)
Starring many of his regular troupe of actors, Christopher
Guest’s new comedy takes place in the ultra-competitive world of sports mascots
where they compete for the most prestigious award in their field, the Gold
Fluffy. Cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Parker
Posey, Bob Balaban, Harry Shearer and Ed Begley Jr.
“A Monster Calls” (J.A. Bayona)
This visually spectacular drama follows a lonely 12-year-old
boy struggling with his mother’s illness, until an ancient, wild, and
relentless monster appears, guiding him on a journey of courage, faith, and
truth. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis
MacDougall, and Liam Neeson.
“The Oath” (Baltasar Kormákur)
Icelandic action ace Baltasar Kormákur directs and stars in
this psychological thriller about a father who tries to pull his daughter out
of her world of drugs and petty crime, only to find that danger can be found in
unexpected places. Also stars Gísli Örn Garðarsson and Hera Hilmar.
“Queen of Katwe” (Mira Nair)
This vibrant true story follows a young girl from the
streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to
the game of chess. The support from her family and community instills her with
confidence and determination, as she sets out to pursue her dream of becoming
an international champion. Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, and Madina
Nalwanga.
“The Secret Scripture” (Jim Sheridan)
A once vibrant and lively beauty in her youth, Roseanne
McNulty has spent the majority of her adult life confined to a mental hospital
in rural Ireland. She has been institutionalized for so long, no one seems to remember
why she was hospitalized in the first place. When a new chief psychiatrist
takes a keen interest in her, he finds a hidden memoir she has written over the
course of decades. It unravels the mystery of her incarceration, telling the
tale of her passionate, yet tortured, life. Starring Vanessa Redgrave, Rooney
Mara, Theo James, Eric Bana, and Jack Reynor
“Snowden” (Oliver Stone)
Academy Award–winning director Oliver Stone tackles one of
the most important and fascinating true stories of the 21st century. This politically
charged, pulse-pounding thriller reveals the incredible untold personal story
of Edward Snowden, the polarizing figure who exposed shocking illegal
surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the
world—considered a hero by some, and a traitor by others. Starring Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson,
Scott Eastwood, Logan Marshall-Green, Timothy Olyphant, Ben Schnetzer, Lakeith
Lee Stanfield, Rhys Ifans, and Nicolas Cage.
“Their Finest” (Lone Scherfig)
Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig’s period comedy-drama follows
a group of filmmakers struggling to make an inspirational film to boost morale
— and inspire America to join the war — during the London Blitz in World War
II. A witty, romantic and moving portrayal of a young woman finding her way,
and her voice, in the mayhem of war … and movies. Starring Gemma Arterton, Sam
Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Helen McCrory, Eddie Marsan, Jake Lacy,
Rachel Stirling, and Richard E. Grant.
“Trespass Against Us” (Adam Smith)
Three generations of the Cutler family live as notorious
outlaws among some of the wealthiest lands in Britain. They spend their time
hunting, raiding large estates, and tormenting the police. In the midst of it
all, Chad finds himself torn between respect for his father and a desire for a
better life for his children. The law is cracking down on his clan, and the
decision might not be his to make. Stars Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson,
Lyndsey Marshal, Killian Scott, Rory Kinnear, and Sean Harris.
“A United Kingdom” (Amma Assante)
This biopic tells the true story of Seretse Khama, King of
Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he
married in 1947 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the
British and South African governments. Starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund
Pike.
Canadian/North American Premieres:
“The Age of Shadows” (Kim Jee-Woon)
The latest from cutting-edge director Kim Jee woon is an
epic-scale period thriller about a double agent sent to infiltrate a band of
freedom fighters during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1920s. Starring
Korean superstars Song Kang ho, Han Ji min, and Gong Yoo.
“American Honey” (Andrea Arnold)
Star, an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away
with a travelling sales crew who drive across the American Midwest selling
subscriptions door to door. Finding her feet in this gang of teenagers, she
soon gets into the group’s lifestyle of hard-partying nights, lawbending days,
and young love. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keogh, and Sasha Lane. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “American Honey”]
“Arrival” (Denis Villeneuve)
When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an
elite team, led by expert linguist Louise Banks, are brought together to
investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team
race against time for answers. To find them, she will take a chance that could
threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity. Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy
Renner, Forest Whitaker, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
“The Birth of a Nation” (Nate Parker)
Filmmaker-actor Nate Parker reclaims the title of D.W.
Griffith’s 1916 milestone for this epic chronicle, set against the antebellum
South, of the life of Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose
financially strained owner accepts an offer to use his preaching to subdue
unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities—against himself and his
fellow slaves—Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people
to freedom. Starring Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo,
Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur
Smith, Gabrielle Union, Penelope Ann Miller, and Jackie Earle Haley. [Click here to read our Sundance 2016 review of “The Birth of a Nation“]
“Bleed For This” (Ben Younger)
This film tells the incredible true story of one of the most
inspiring and unlikely comebacks in sports history. Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil”
Pazienza, shoots to stardom after winning two world title fights before a
near-fatal car accident leaves him with a broken neck, and he is told he may
never walk again. Against all odds and doctor’s orders, renowned trainer Kevin
Rooney agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident,
for what could be the last fight of his life. Stars Miles Teller, Katey Sagal,
and Aaron Eckhart.
“The Commune” (Thomas Vinterberg)
Danish auteur Thomas Vinterberg’s new film focuses on a
middle-aged professional couple in 1970s Denmark who decide to experiment with
communal living by inviting a group of friends and random eccentrics to cohabit
with them in a sprawling house. With Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, and Helene
Reingaard Neumann.
“Elle” (Paul Verhoeven)
Michèle seems indestructible. As the head of a leading video
game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to
business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle’s
life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into
a curious and thrilling game—a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of
control. Stars Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles
Berling, Virginie Efira, Christian Berkel, Judith Magre, Jonas Bloquet, Alice
Isaaz, Vimala Pons, Raphaël L Lenglet, Arthur Mazet, Lucas Prisor, Hugo
Conzelmann, and Stéphane Bak. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “Elle”]
“Frantz” (Francois Ozon)
Set in a small German town in the aftermath of World War I,
this elegiac tale of love and remembrance follows a young woman mourning the
death of her fiancé, Frantz, who was killed in battle in France. She forms a
bond with a mysterious Frenchman who has arrived to lay flowers on her
beloved’s grave. Starring Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Marie Gruber, Ernst
Stötzner, Johann Von Bülow, and Anton Von Lucke.
“The Handmaiden” (Park Chan-wook)
A crook-turned-servant falls for the vulnerable heiress she
had originally schemed to swindle, in this audacious, visually sumptuous, and
highly erotic period piece from writer-director Park Chan-wook. Starring Kim
Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-sook, and Moon So-ri. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “The Handmaiden”]
“La La Land” (Damien Chazelle)
Writer/director Damien Chazelle captures the story of Mia,
an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, who are
struggling to make ends meet in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking
hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday
life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams. Starring Ryan Gosling,
Emma Stone, John Legend, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
“Loving” (Jeff Nichols)
This film celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of
Richard and Mildred Loving, who waged a decade-long legal battle that led to
the overturning of the state of Virginia’s law prohibiting interracial marriage.
Their civil rights case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967
reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry. Starring Joel Edgerton,
Ruth Negga, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll, and Michael Shannon. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “Loving“]
“Manchester by the Sea” (Kenneth Lonergan)
A reclusive handyman must face his painful past when he
returns to his Massachusetts hometown after the sudden death of his beloved
older brother, in this emotionally overwhelming and critically acclaimed drama
from writer-director Kenneth Lonergan. Stars Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler,
Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, and Matthew Broderick. [Click here to read out Sundance 2016 review of “Manchester by the Sea”]
“Neruda” (Pablo Larrain)
Pablo Larraín weaves an engrossing metafictional fable
around the 1948 manhunt for celebrated poet and politician Pablo Neruda, who
goes underground when Chile outlaws communism and is pursued by an ambitious
police inspector hoping to make a name for himself by capturing the famous
fugitive. Starring Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, Mercedes
Morán, Diego Muñoz, Pablo Derqui, and Michael Silva. [Click here to read out Cannes 2016 review of “Neruda”]
“Nocturnal Animals” (Tom Ford)
The second feature from writer-director Tom Ford follows the
story of a woman who is forced to confront the demons of her past, as she is
drawn into the world of a thriller novel written by her ex-husband. This
romantic thriller of shocking intimacy and gripping tension explores the thin
lines between love and cruelty, and revenge and redemption. Stars Amy Adams,
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Karl
Glusman, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, and Michael Sheen.
“Paterson” (Jim Jarmusch)
Paterson is a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New
Jersey. He adheres to a simple routine, writing poetry and observing the city
on his route. His wife, Laura, lives in an ever-changing world. He supports her
newfound ambitions; she champions his secret gift for poetry. The film channels
the history and energy of the City of Paterson. The quiet triumphs and defeats
of daily life are observed over one week, along with the poetry evident in its
smallest details. Stars Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “Paterson”]
“The Salesman” (Asghar Farhadi)
A sudden eruption of violence creates an atmosphere of
simmering tension between a husband and wife, in this work of slow-burning
domestic suspense from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. Featuring Shahab
Hosseini and Taraneh Alidousti. [Click here to read our Cannes 2016 review of “The Salesman”]
“Salt and Fire” (Werner Herzog)
Shot in Bolivia, writer-director Werner Herzog’s “Salt and
Fire” follows a mysterious hostage-taking where the leader of a small scientific
delegation is deliberately stranded with two blind boys in an area of gigantic
salt flats. Starring Michael Shannon, Gael García Bernal and Veronica Ferres.
“Things to Come” (Mia Hansen-Love)
A delicate and affecting tale about a middle-aged professor
whose carefully structured life is thrown into disarray when her husband leaves
her for another woman, and who finds an unlikely new companion in a former
student and radical young communist. With Isabelle Huppert, André Marcon, Roman
Kolinka, Edith Scob, Sarah Le Picard, and Solal Forte.
“Toni Erdmann” (Maren Ade)
An alternately hilarious and mortifying comedy about the
fraught relationship between a repressed corporate consultant and her
incessantly prank-playing dad. Starring Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller,
Michael Wittenborn, Thomas Loibl, Trystan Pütter, Hadewych Minis, Lucy Russell,
Ingrid Bisu, Vlad Ivanov, and Victoria Cocias. [Click here to watch Chaz Ebert’s video review of “Toni Erdmann” from Cannes 2016]
“Una” (Benedict Andrews)
When a young woman unexpectedly arrives at an older man’s
workplace looking for answers, the secrets of the past threaten to unravel his
new life. Their confrontation will uncover buried memories and unspeakable
desires shaking them both to the core. Starring Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn,
and Riz Ahmed.
