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- The Festival
This was the 23rd annual Toronto Internation Film Festival, and my first time there. They had three theaters in Toronto set aside for the festival, which ran from September 10th through the 19th. Screenings started at 9 AM, and ran straight through until midnight, and every movie was shown twice. With over 200 movies, that's alot of movies!!!
- The Movies
We had a 10-ticket book, and had to pick our 5 movies before we even got to Toronto. The web site had a write-up of each film, as well as a schedule, so it made it easy to pick and choose.
Rehearsal For War was an Italian film about a group of actors preparing a play to perform in war-torn Sarajevo. Watching the struggles they go through to perfect their art was interesting, especially when they have to deal with logistical problems of cast members leaving and a desperate lack of funding. However, the ending was a bit of a let down, and you leave the film wondering what the point was after all.
Home Fries was an enjoyable comedy about a pregnant girl who works at a burger joint (Drew Barrymore) who falls in love with the stepson of her child's deceased father. Got all that? It was directed by first-time director Dean Parisot, and starred Luke Wilson (Bottle Rocket) and Jake Busey (who looks uncannily like his father, Gary.)
Rushmore was my favorite of the five films. This is the second film from the director of Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson. It tells the story of Max Fischer, a student at a prep-school, who immerses himself in extra-curricular activities in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that he is the worst student at the academy. When he falls in love with the new first grade teacher, he goes to his friend and mentor, played wonderfully by Bill Murray, for advice. This film proves that the heart and warm emotion that Anderson showed with Bottle Rocket was no fluke.
Apt Pupil will probably be the most heard-of film. This is director Bryan Singer's follow-up to his Academy Award winning The Usual Suspects, and stars Brad Renfro as a student, obsessed with the Holocaust, who discovers that his neighbor just happens to be a former concentration camp commander hiding in the U.S. Funny how things work out that way, isn't it? Instead of turning him in, the kid decides to grill the Nazi for stories about what the Holocaust was like. The great Ian McKellen is fantastic in this totally despicable role. The film was based on a short story by Stephen King.
Night Train comes from Ireland. John Hurt plays an ex-con, on the run from a former employer, who hides out in a boarding house run by an old woman and her daughter (played by Brenda Blethyn). The crime story really takes a back seat to the middle-age romance, of which there isn't enough in today's film industry. John Hurt, with his expressively sad eyes, is perfectly cast in this role. All in all, a perfect way to end the festival.
- Rogers TV
During the entire festival, a local cable station ran 24-hour coverage, with daily wrap-ups, trailers for the featured films, and press conferences held at the Four Seasons hoter in Toronto. It was nice to come back from a day of screenings to turn on the set and find out what else was going on. It was also surprising to realize how many celebrities were in town, which brings us to...
- Celebrity Spottings
We only saw a few that we know of. To tell you the truth, William H. Macy or John Waters or Jeff Daniels could have walked down the crowded street, and I might not have noticed. At the beginning of the week, Tom Cruise was there to promote his new film, Without Limits, and he was probably the biggest name to hit town. Home Fries, Rushmore, and Night Train were all introduced by their directors. After Rushmore, there was a Q & A session with the director/co-writer Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson. Afterwards, we saw Owen and his brother Luke star of (Home Fries) walking down the street. That was it. Our brush with greatness. But that was enough. I'm a big enough fan of Bottle Rocket, which starred both Wilsons and was co-written by Owen, that that was a thrill for me. But what if we had seen Tom Cruise in line at Taco Bell?
- A Solicitation
If you have any interest in going next year, do it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves cinema. Don't be intimidated by the idea that it's just for professionals. I never once felt like I had no right being there. This year's web site address was www.bell.ca/filmfest., and the phone number was (416) 968-FILM.
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