TIFF 2011: Wrap up and Recos

So TIFF ends for another year. The red carpets have been rolled up, awards have been handed out and I really don't want to see any of the RBC/Bell/Lightbox/Cadillac/Princess Grace exhibit ads again.

For those of you wondering what you should be adding to your lists of things see over the next year in theatres or on your couch, here's how I'd categorize the 18 movies I saw at TIFF this year.

My Favourite Film of the Festival

• Friends With Kids. Putting aside the fact that I am enamoured with Mr. Hamm and much of the cast of the film, I'm confident I would have loved it anyway. It's funny and real and well acted. Can "I want you to fuck the shit out of me" be the new "You had me at Hello"?? I would like to think I live in a world where that is possible.

Great Movies (I would absolutely recommend them)

• Ides of March. Fantastic political thriller with wonderful performances all around. No matter what your political leanings (the best comment I've heard is that Democrats will like the first half of the movie and Republicans the second) the story will grab you and take you along for the ride.


• Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. Rock out with your Spock out. Even if you can't embrace your inner geek, the stories are heartfelt and well told.


• First Postition. You will fall in love with these kids. And possibly want to put on your own dancing shoes.


• Drive. Ryan Gosling is great as the Driver and Carey Mulligan is as lovely as ever. It's a stylistic, violent and fast paced 90 minutes.


• Hysteria. Go to see it for the unlikely premise (it's about the invention of the vibrator). Stay for the performances and chemistry between Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy.


• The Oranges. The age old story of a man taking up with a woman half his age is complicated by the fact that she's his best friend's daughter and their families share a neighbourhood and a lot of history.


• Undefeated. Yes it was a real life version of Friday Night Lights.


• Butter. A black comedy ostensibly about a butter carving competition, but really about politics, and a chance to see Hugh Jackman in a cowboy hat for the ladies and Olivia Wilde in fishnets for the guys.

Good Movies (perfect for an afternoon on the movie network or a flight selection)

• The Decendants. Hovers on the border of Good and Great. It's George Clooney, and he's always watchable and the story was good, dialogue well written and supporting cast delivers. Just underwelmed me a bit and ended up first on the Good list.


• Damsels in Distress. Whimsical and entertaining. Greta Gerwig is fantastic, and you have to enjoy a movie that includes elaborate dance numbers.


• Page Eight. Pretty straightforward spy thriller elevated by a great cast and it's coming to TV later this fall.


• Ten Year. A huge cast of characters reconnect for their 10 year high school reunion. People get drunk, feelings get hurt and secrets come out by the end of the night.


• Restless. Mia Wasikowska's great and the story of a dying girl and a guy obsessed with death is simply and well told.


• Union Square. Mira Sorvino gives a fabulous performance as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown invading the life of her much more pulled together sister.


• Violet & Daisy. Two teenage assasins get involved with a hit that ends up being more than they expected.

Don't Bother (I wouldn't waste your time unless you really have nothing to do)

• Sleeping Beauty. Disturbing and disjointed. A brave performance by Emily Browning and some moments that really worked surrounded by a lot that didn't for me.


• Sarah Palin - You Betcha!. Nothing new to learn here about the former Governer of Alaska.

Overall I was fairly pleased with my film slate and happy with my selections. I ended up getting a Q&A for 14 of my 18 films, which is my favourite part of the festival experience, and got to see a bunch of stars on stages and red carpets.

What was interesting to me this year was that there seemed to be very little momentum built behind any of the films, as TIFF has become somewhat known as the kickoff to the Oscar season. The people's choice winner (an award that has been won by The King's Speech, Precious and Slumdog Millionaire over the past three years) was Where do We Go Now, a lebanese film that I hadn't heard anything about in line all week. There seemed to by more discussion about award worthy performances than the films themselves. I have a feeling that it's likely because there seems to be a lot of award season bait that hasn't really been seen by anyone yet and didn't come to TIFF this year (The Iron Lady, J. Edgar, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to name a few) and people are reserving their judgement a little bit. I guess we'll see over the next few months as we finish out the year!