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FROM TORONTO TO A THEATER NEAR YOU
The prestigious Toronto International Film Festival is more than halfway over, and you may have been hearing reports about some of the promising talent showcased in the program. Or maybe you haven’t. That’s the conundrum of the festival environment: While much of the experience is a process of discovery, smaller films often have trouble finding distribution, and sometimes won’t find any viewers after their festival life comes to a close. With that occasional tragedy in mind, here are a few strong entries at TIFF that are guaranteed to hit theaters over the next few weeks. Be sure to check out festival reports for some of the rarities.
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1
INTO THE WILD
Sean Penn directs this adaptation of John Krakauer’s great nonfiction work about a young man who escapes civilization, vanishing into the wilderness of Alaska. Rising star Emile Hirsch carries the film with ease. |
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2
MICHAEL CLAYTON
George Clooney stars in the directorial debut of Tony Gilroy, who wrote the screenplays for the Bourne movies. That resume detail plays out to Gilroy’s advantage in this low key thriller of sorts, which finds Clooney playing a no-nonsense legal fixer whose friends keep getting him into trouble. |
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3
EASTERN PROMISES
David Cronenberg’s latest conventional drama (after A History of Violence) stars Naomi Watts as a nurse who cares for a baby after the mother dies in childbirth, and decides to seek out the father. This leads her into some shady business involving Russian gangsters and loads of violence, much of which is perpetuated by a powerful wingman powerfully portrayed by Viggo Mortensen. |
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4
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
Ryan Gosling beats out his Oscar-nominated Half Nelson performance in this touching role, which finds him playing a guilt-ridden, church-going introvert with mental issues that lead him to adopt a sex doll as though she’s his girlfriend. Funny, sad, and disarmingly believable. |
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5
MY KID COULD PAINT THAT
Amir Bar Lev’s documentary is a fascinating portrait of a four year old girl whose abstract art gains her national acclaim -- until allegations that her parents helped her bring shame and ethical questions into the mix. |
