Day 9

Day 9!

Finally, the end is in sight with 4 movies to go…four incredibly diverse films over the next two days: one from a first time Hollywood director, a French horror film, a Turkish/German hybrid, and what is being billed as the most “bizarre” TIFF film to date.

Celebrity Sightings: Kevin Bacon, Alison Eastwood, Marcia Gay Harden, Miles Heizer (you haven’t heard of him yet, but you will)

Overheard in line: “BACON!” which I am sure referred to the man and not the delicious breakfast meat

Thoughts: At each film I am either blown away by how friendly or how rude people are. Luckily, it’s usually the former. And I mean rude in the sense that “I’m going to push you out of the way and run to the seats at the front of the theatre and snatch them all up with no regard for lines or remaining calm.” You mention that you like Eric Bana? Well here’s a picture I took of him, give me your email and I’ll send it to you. The trading of photos, gossip, and even tickets is fantastic. It’s great that people who come from outside Toronto see how welcoming and friendly we can really be. Especially since I attend 50% or more of the films solo (this year I lucked out and managed more with friends), it’s easy to befriend other singles and compare schedules, tastes, reviews, photos, and everything else including where to grab a good snack in between screenings.

Day 8

Celebrity Sightings: Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke, Sidney Lumet

Gossip in line: that opening scene of “Before the Devil…!”, lots of talk about “Eastern Promises,” Where’s Philip Seymour Hoffman?, “I’m only here for Ethan Hawke because he’s single” overheard a young blonde girl saying

Thoughts: met someone who was on their 31st film screening, everyone seems to be battling a cold and lack of sleep.

Romulus, My Father

I had been looking forward to this film for some time as a fan of Australian cinema, Eric Bana and actor turned first-time director Richard Roxburgh and I must say I was not let down in the least.

A thoughtful and moving film, “Romulus, My Father” is a true story based on the memoir of Australian philosopher Raimond Gaita. Growing up in Australia as a Romanian immigrant, the young Raimond exists in a world inbetween childhood and adulthood, caring for his depressed mother, his father, his mother’s new husband and their daughter. Sounds complicated and unusual? It is, but it’s also profoundly moving.

Romulus (Eris Bana) is the patriarch of the family a man who is unable to integrate his world in Romania with his new life in Australia. Christie (Franka Potente) is Rai’s mother: disappointed with her life as an immigrant, vacant, and struggling to hold onto her sanity. The film unfolds exactly like a child’s memory would- it’s not always linear, with fragments and bits and pieces of information missing. It is told from a child’s perspective as he experiences birth, death, separation, trauma and everything else that comes with growing up in the Australian outback.

While Bana and Potente are haunted and moving as a fractured couple caught up in memories and the past, the real star of the film is newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee as Raimond. He appears in almost every frame of film and manges to hold his own against the unsettling and intense performances from the more-established actors on screen. The film unfolds slowly but the performances are better for it as there are no distractions in what is surprisingly an uplifting film.

Day 7: Triple Threat

Managed to cram in 3 diverse movies today: a Korean love story “M,” an Australian melodrama “Romulus, My Father,” and a good old fashioned horror flick, “The Devil’s Chair.”

Celebrity Sightings: director Lee Myung-se, Richard Roxburgh, Eric Bana, director Adam Mason, Andrew Howard

Buzz in Line: Gael Garcia Bernal is very short, Richard Roxburgh looks nothing like his character The Duke in “Moulin Rouge,” “Cassandra’s Dream” is a must-see Woody Allen in line with “Match Point.”

Day 6

Day 6 and it’s time to turn this festival around.

After 2 bad films (Le Douxieme Souffle and Bill) I’m more than ready for “Atonement” which is one of the films I have been most looking forward to. Following up the British literary adaptation I have my first Midnight Madness film, “Stuck.” The Midnight Madness programme features the cutting edge, horror, gore, and all-around unusual and has featured films like “Borat” and “Hostel” in the past. Check out the Midnight Madness blog for more on what’s showing nightly (my boyfriend, Shane McNeil is a contributing reporter highlighting the Madness with pictures and videos of zombies and fans).

Celebrity Sightings: James McAvoy (I LOVE HIM), Keira Knightley, director Joe Wright, director Stuart Gordon, Mena Suvari, and a smattering of cast members from “Stuck”

Buzz in Line: Is Stephen Rea here? “Atonement” is beautiful, hearing more good buzz about “Boy A” and “Sad Vacation”

Thoughts: I wish the Elgin theatre wasn’t so cold, Midnight Madness crowds are a strange and unusual bunch

While I’m plugging other blogs, for a more in-depth, and up-to-date TIFF blog, check out my friend’s site, The Dark of the Matinee, which goes back to being a regular movie blog once the fest is over.

Day 3

Films seen: 3

Celebrity Sightings: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, JK Simmons, Allison Janney, Jason Reitman, Ivan Reitman, Monica Bellucci, Jason Bateman, Ellen Page
Buzz in line: Ben Affleck is a jerk, Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t even want to be here (also a jerk as per our run in at TIFF 05), Hot dog vendors should sell breakfast, dripping zombies are walking the red carpet for Midnight Madness
Thoughts: Rendition wasn’t worth getting out of bed for at 730am on a Saturday, bailed out an hour into “Douxieme Souffle” which was not about chefs as we had thought but about…nothing

Interesting note: As I try to move into my new apartment, conveniently located next to an independent cinema, I arrive to see a red carpet in front of my front door- with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon standing in my way.

Day 1

Celebrity sightings: Jodie Foster, Neil Jordan
Buzz in Line: wear a TIFF button handed out in the info pack and win a free web cam...less than 5 minutes in line and I already had a web cam in my hands; the general excitement of what it is to be at TIFF
Thoughts: great crowds so far, and lots of friendly people as usual!