Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews
Movie Resources
Concert Reviews
Book Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

Note: this list will be arranged according to my pre-fest schedule for now, though after the fest we'll put it in alphabetical order based on what I actually was able to see. Click on the title to go to the blog, on the "T" for more info on the film at the TIFF site.

Oyster Farmer (Anna Reeves)  

• There weren't a lot of choices for my first film, so I went with this Australian tale of a "fetching young man" trying to adjust to the sleepy farming community of New South Wales.

• Riedelsheimer directed the gorgeous documentary Rivers and Tides, so this new documentary about a percussionist and sound design sounded inviting.

• Ghobadi directed the beautifully provocative A Time for Drunken Horses. Plus this film is about the lead-up to the war in Iraq, but from a very different perspective than we've received in the U.S.

• This young Thai director made Blissfully Yours, one of the best films I've seen this year, so I'm anxious to see what he does next

• Assayas isn't always my cup of tea, but the film stars the luminous Maggie Cheung as well as Nick Nolte, who has done some very impressive work in the last few years. The reviews from Cannes were also strong.

• Another movie that drew great praise at Cannes, it spotlights the theme of teenagers and children growing up.

• Another coming-of-age tale, this one has great buzz about it after its premiere in Edinburgh.

• Zhang Yimou, Zhang Ziyi, and lots of martial arts and pageantry. Enough said.

• From the director of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring, this relationship drama sounds strong.

• Though I'm a little nervous about the buzz on this one (apparently it's tough stuff), I love Moodysson's work and his willingness to think about contemporary morality.

• I love Iranian cinema. Though this film is Afghani, the description makes it sound like a film Makhmalbaf might've made.

• Last year, I took a chance on a program of avant-garde works, and I was thrilled I did. In the middle of a festival, there's something useful about seeing something completely different. It's like a cleansing of the palette, a reminder of the various ways in which we can watch a moving image. So I emailed my good friend Neil Robinson, who knows a lot more about experimental cinema than I do, for his recommendation. Fortunately, his suggestion didn't conflict with anything else I wanted to see.

• I admit that sleep might get in the way of this screening, but I wanted to see at least a few documentaries this festival. And this one about the effects of globalization on African fisherman sounded compelling.

• I've been greatly impressed with the films I've seen from central Asia in the last couple years, so I thought I'd take a chance on this movie from Kazakhstan.

• Agnes Varda directed the absolutely delightful and insightful Gleaners and I. This new personal documentary about photography sounds just as good.

• The movie starring Judy Marte, but the theme of lower-class Latino teenagers was a draw, too.

• One thing I haven't mentioned is what a social festival Toronto is. You'd think that spending all your time in dark rooms would be an isolating experience (and I guess it could be), but I have so many friends that I get to see over these days. We watch movies together, and then we grab a bite to eat and talk about what we've seen. This documentary about Townes van Zandt doesn't hold great appeal for me, but my friend Darren Hughes wanted to see it, and I didn't have anything else I wanted to see that night. So off I go.

• Another potential casualty, depending on how tired I am. But Doueiri directed West Beirut, a small gem of a movie, so I'm curious what his next step is.

• A documentary about the French judicial system, this got rave notices at Cannes.

• Another documentary, this one about the U.N. commander in Rwanda during the genocide ten years ago.

• Winterbottom is one of the more fascinating directors working today. Furthermore, the sexually explicit content of this one means that it might not make it to Chicago.

• My love of East Asian film comes to the fore, and I can't pass up a quiet Vietnamese coming-of-age tale.

• After a nice morning to sleep in, I wake up to Todd Solondz. I'm still not sure what I think of this director, but I am interested to see what he does next. Besides, there wasn't anything at this time I wanted to see more.

• Another huge hit at Cannes, it's also a nice representation of the explosion in Argentinean cinema.

• Hou with an homage to Ozu. What more could I ask for?

• More East Asian cinema, this one's from Korea and comes highly reviewed.

• It feels like I should see at least one midnight movie in Toronto, and this one sounded the most accessible.

• A fictional film dealing with African AIDS crisis sounds powerful, but I'm not sure I'll be out of bed for this one. But I'll try.

• Denis attempting to tell a story in "purely visual and aural terms." I'm there.

• More Iranian cinema, and Meshkini has already proven herself with the surreal The Day I Became a Woman.

• One last factor I haven't mentioned is that I like to see at least a few films that will play in next month's Chicago International Film Festival. That way I can expand my coverage of that fest. Jacquot's latest is playing in Chicago, and it sounded like it'd be worthwhile.

• A Turkish movie about teenage boys trying to break into movies. Now that's a festival film.

• Im's 2001 feature Chunhyang was my favorite movie of that year. I didn't like Chiwaeson as much, but I'm still excited to see what he comes up with.

• Another "Director's Choice".

• A laid-back comedy about Mexican teenagers might be just what I need at this point in the festival.

• Kiarostami! Kiarostami! Kiarostami!

• I really wish this movie was closer to the beginning of the festival. Even with Chantal Akerman providing an introduction, the rigor of Bresson might be hard to take on day 9. But I'm going to give it a try.

• Another movie with great buzz at Cannes. Besides, I've never seen a movie from Uruguay before.

• I don't have a ticket to this, but I'm hoping that somehow the rush line will be kind to me.

• A prize-winner at Cannes provides the send-off for Toronto.