September 21st, 2026

TIFF: My TIFF experience for 2026 is now complete. Yesterday I saw three consecutive movies, and thankfully all three were memorable, fun and engaging. My process in selecting films was as in the past, where I will review the films listed (294 total titles this year) along with reviewers writing about what they are excited about. I will then have a list of desired films and see when my window opens for purchase what might be available. So when the opportunity arose, I was most interested in seeing Andrew Scott in Elsinore. Then the other movies fell into place. Sadly all the movies were available on the same day but spread out. I would have preferred other days earlier. I also was not prepared to pay over $100 for a movie.

As I have said before, TIFF is a terrific time in the city, and there is just a buzz on the street. King Street is packed with people with prime venues like Roy Thompson Hall and Princess of Wales theatre across the street with lots of people around. The line ups are a time to talk with new people and hear about movies that they have seen or are about to see. Movie people generally are happy to share about what they are doing. So the atmosphere is alive and fun. Just walking around among the people is a good time.

Elsinore: This movie stars Andrew Scott with yet another tie-in to the play Hamlet by Shakespeare. Set in the late 1980s, Andrew Scott plays the Scottish actor Ian Charleson who was best known for an early role for him in Chariots of Fire as Scottish runner Eric Liddell who was known for his faith, and his unwillingness to run an Olympic race on the Sabbath Sunday. The joke early in Elsinore is people talking more about the music within Chariots of Fire by Vangelis than the movie itself (reviewed by me March 31 2025).

Scott looks very much like Charleson, certainly facially, and was the first choice for the writer and director. The story is at a time when Charleson was an active working actor, presently working on a horror movie. He lives in London and has some close friends. He is troubled, and is checking himself for lesions. We learn that he is gay, and that he has AIDS, at a time when AIDS was often a death sentence. At the same time, there is news that Daniel Day-Lewis, I believe today’s greatest living actor, had just walked off the stage at London’s National Theatre playing Hamlet. The producers are looking for a replacement. About the same time, Charleson hears of the producer’s interest in him as a replacement, he sees his first lesion and sees the doctor. A theatre contact suggests that he seek out a specialist doctor Dr Margaret Johnson who sees many HIV/AIDS patients.

Andrew Scott is marvelous in this role playing a character for whom he obviously has a tremendous fondness. There is such depth in the performance as he addresses deep feelings and his impending unknown date demise. He is offered this part of a lifetime, yet he is advised by medical teams that he must save his strength for healing himself and prolonging his life. For Charleson he wants to live, and wants to undertake this exhausting part. The part is for a play that is often four hours long, with eight soliloquies and a choreographed sword fight three hours into it. It is a daunting task for any actor. Olivia Colman as his doctor is focused on keeping him alive and feelings that this desire to play this part is ridiculous and reckless. She does not support it. Charleson’s friends love and support him in whatever he decides that he wants to do. Charleson’s passion is infectious. We witness the physical toll of this role with the rehearsals and reciting of complex lines. All the while there is the human drama that Charleson has with those around him, including an outwardly gay director who presses him to let people know that he suffers from AIDS. Charleson disagrees and wants his performance to stand on its own. There are lines within the play which are deeply emotional, as well as discussions with loved ones past and present. This is a powerful performance and I walked away from it that I had just seen a Best Actor nominee for multiple awards. This movie then was announced Sunday to be the People’s Choice International Film Award winner. This is quite an honour and bodes well for future awards. This was an excellent movie. Worth checking out when it gets into wider theatrical release.

Villenueve: The Rise of a Legend: This is a French Canadian movie, directed by Yan Lanouette Turgeon, and outlines the early life of Canadian race car driver, Gilles Villeneuve. Villeneuve is played by Remi Goulet, and his wife Joann by Rosalie Bonenfant. The movie chronicles the life of Villeneuve in a small Quebec town, where he seems to have a penchant for driving fast, getting into trouble and being tremendously gifted mechanically, in addition to being an excellent trumpet player. His father, despite his Mom’s protests, is a softie and finds a way to support his son no matter what. They are not rich. Far from it, in a world where people who race are in a very costly hobby, Gilles’ parent have very modest means.

Before Villeneuve was a race car driver, unbeknownst to me, he was a world class Ski-doo driver. His dad had purchased a Ski-Doo and Gilles took it out and found that he was good at racing. Not only did he race the machine, he designed a new outer shell, like a race car, to make it more aerodynamic and faster. Add to this his ability to work on engines themselves and improve them. He was a multi-talented threat in racing, knowing how to race quickly, but also working on cars to improve them. The movie shows his daily struggle with a very patient and supportive wife for him to realize his dream of racing. He doesn’t have money so he sells his house to provide sponsorship money and secure a seat in Formula Atlantic racing. The dream and goal is Formula One. Winning is the only option as it puts a roof over his head, food on the table and gas in the tank. In order to gain sponsorship and pay for his rides, he also has cold calls with “rich Quebecois” business people, and he is confident and cocky enough to talk about winning races. People see something special in him. Surprisingly this movie doesn’t get into the successful career of Villeneuve within F1. Instead it takes it up to that point in his life when he meets Enzo Ferrari and does some test driving for him.

This movie has some stiff recent competition within the car racing genre. Most recently there was Brad Pitt in F1 The Movie and before that Ford V Ferrari. Both are excellent films technically and bringing the audience to feel what racing is like. The sound for both is incredible! The CGI for the racing in this movie is not at the same level as the above noted films. Of course finding and racing on a track vintage race cars would be a difficult, if not impossible task. But CGI can get you close. The mostly French-speaking movie with subtitles will likely prove to be a distraction for a broader audience, especially in the US or even France that can be more snobby towards the Quebecois version of French. Goulet is very good at convincing us of the Villeneuve confidence, and together with his wife they show commitment to their collective dream. The audience cheers for them and wants for them to succeed, even when they don’t. The couple are shown to be loving and supportive of one another, even while living a meagre existence with two young children. Those familiar with the real Villeneuve story will note that he died in his Ferrari at qualifying in the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982 at age 32. This is not addressed at all. The movie also does not make mention of his son Jacques being an F1 World Champion in 1997 driving for the Williams team, along with winning 11 races over 11 seasons. Add in Indy 500 and he himself has a storied racing career worthy of a movie. But this movie was good and I am glad that I saw it. I certainly learned a few new things about Gilles Villeneuve and why he is so revered.

Neal Peart: No One’s Disciple: As I was about to see this Sunday with my high school Rush fan Walter, he texted me asking whether this is the same movie that is on CBC this upcoming Wednesday Setpember 23rd for free?! And why did I pay for a movie that was going to be free a couple days later. This was a secondary question from him since earlier in the week on the previous Wednesday he heard on the radio about the premiere and he had thought WE were seeing the premiere. We weren’t!! So two surprises within one week. Those who are reading this in Canada, I would encourage you to watch this on CBC when it is on.

This is a CBC documentary about the life Neal Peart, who was the drummer for the Canadian rock band Rush. Peart is regarded as one of the best rock dummers of all time. Not bad for a guy from St Catharines Ontario. He came from humble beginnings, and then decided to become a working drummer by movie to London England. He passed away January 2020 and the band had retired without him. But the remaining two members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson felt that there was unfinished business in celebrating the life of their friend and collaborator. COVID hit a few months after his death, and that stopped any plans. Rather than doing a tribute concert, the remaining members decided to reach out to drumming friends of Neal and perform their songs with this guys participating and film it.

Drummers who came to play and were good friends of Neal included Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Danny Carey (Tool), and Gavin Harrison (King Crimson/Porcupine Tree). Together they play some classic Rush songs as well as others that I was not as familiar, including 2112, Limelight, New World Man and Tom Sawyer. There is present day footage with these well-known drummers, where the audience sees how physical playing these songs can be, along with previous interviews and performances by Peart himself. The audience sees how committed that Peart was to his craft. Peart was a well-read man, as well as being schooled in music, and in his early days with the band, we realize that the band wanted to focus on the music and didn’t care as much about the lyrics. They asked Neal to step in, and his classic fashion he did exactly that. The movie is a good mix of present with past, with memories and past footage. In addition to music, Neal was also a writer of books. I had read one of his books entitled Traveling Music: The Soundtrack of My Life and Times, where I gained some further insight into this man. He wrote eight books in total on his own. He loved being on his own. He loved being on bicycles and out in the wilderness as well as motorcycles later on.

I enjoy seeing the skill of these fabulous drummers perform technically difficult tunes. There is some good humour among the players and we get some insight into a very private person, including that he struggled with the whole fame thing. He didn’t like people approaching him. All this to say that I feel that this is a fitting tribute for a private man, who sadly passed away way too young from brain cancer at the age of 67. He obviously made a very powerful impression on many people around him. He suffered tragedy with the death of his 19yo daughter Serena in a single car accident, followed shortly thereafter by his wife Jackie from cancer at the age of 44 back in the late 1990s. Tragic events in his life. In the Epilogue we see that Rush decides to get back on the road and perform their songs once more with a new drummer in German Anika Nilles who had never met Peart. From all accounts she has been doing an incredible job! Even though I don’t consider myself a big Rush fan, I do appreciate the creative process and skillful musicians. I love to perform a good air drums in the car, and in the film we see Stewart Copeland wonder how Neal was able to have so many air drummers in the crowd! He says “I want that!”. Rush songs and Neal’s work is prefect for the air drumming community. Check this movie out if you can.

September 14th, 2026

Tuner: This is a 2025 film starring Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu. It is directed by Daniel Roher. The story answers the ongoing question about what could possibly go wrong when a basically good natured young person gets involved with the wrong people for the right reason. Leo Woodall plays Nick, a young man in the piano tuning business with his much older boss, Harry played by Dustin Hoffman. We learn that Nick is very skilled in what he does, and he benefits from a hearing condition called hyperacusis, which means he is hyper-sensitive to everyday, ordinary sounds. It can be very painful for him, and he wears increasing levels of ear phones to ward off the loud sounds. One day through a series of innocent events involving Harry, Nick discovers a new skill.

Predictably, Nick comes to realize an American affliction has impacted Harry and his wife with their inability to pay unexpected medical bills. They are in debt, and Harry’s piano tuning business doesn’t bring in a lot of money. Nick needs to find some extra money to help out, being a good supporter of Harry. Quite by accident Nick stumbles upon a guy who runs a security business, named Uri, but it seems to be a rather precarious proposition. Uri is intrigued by Nick’s skills and gets a first hand demonstration. With success, Uri hires Nick to assist in other operations which will pay Nick handsomely, yet seemingly less than deserved, for his contributions. Meanwhile as this carries on, Nick pays down Harry’s debt, and he meets a young woman looking to finish her music composition. Nick tunes her piano, and they meet up some more. Things continue on, and escalate to a head that was unexpected for me. Of course the question becomes how does Nick, this nice oung man extricate himself from this difficult situation, all the while trying to keep his second life hidden and away from view for those he cares about. It all comes crashing down for him.

Woodall is very good in this role and he is convincing. Nick was a talented pianist himself, but he was struck by this condition and it forever changed the direction of his life. Through no fault of his own fate decide to have its way with this young man. Hoffman as the elderly Harry is convincing although he doesn’t have much of a stretch in the role. Havana plays Ruthie the aspiring composer and her relationship with Nick. It was all satisfying for me and I enjoyed this. I felt sympathy for young Nick who gets caught up into something that he can’t control. It takes over and risks everything for him and the world that he has pieced back together. This is worth checking out if you can.

Hamnet Revisit – Book Comparison: I maintain that Hamnet was a Best Picture from last year. Jessie Buckley’s performance which won her a Best Actress award was inspiring, and showed such depth that it was a landslide winner of all notable awards. I wanted to read the book written by Maggie O’Farrell and compare. For me this was an interesting exercise as many would maintain rather glibly that “a book is always better than the movie”. In this particular instance I think that this is partially true, in that there is greater charater development, certainly in Stratford Upon Avon with the relationships between Agnes and The Latin Tutor, and family members. The book is a lot more detail in those relationships (the homelife of the husband, as well as Agnes’ own) along with their relationship together from first meeting to courtship and marriage. This is very informative to show the changes that they go through as life provides its challenges. But there are things that the movie adds which provide more richness in the story as discussed below.

The book takes a different structure than the film by having parallel stories of the past with the present time with the husband and wife and their three children. Midway through there is the turning point event which forever changes everyone in the family, which comes later in the movie. The movie adds some scenes to provide more background with Hamnet himself which set up later aspects of the movie in the last Act very well. It is welcome. Then the second half of the book focuses on the distance between Agnes and her husband, showing her understandable distress at what has transpired. How unfair that it all is, and showing a very real aspect of life in the 1580s with disease (the plague that took thousands of lies), and the risk to the women in delivering children. One notes that there is no electricity, no refrigeration, no toothpaste, or other hygiene products to speak of beyond soap. No running water or sanitation to speak of. Medical knowledge was scant, with few people having any knowledge of herbology and natural cures. People were hearty or they didn’t survive. The book spends a chapter outlining how a plague can be started with a simple act in faraway Italy with insects. I will say that the the film through Agnes’ reaction better shows the immediacy and impact of her devastation in the life changing event.

Those involved with the movie did an excellent job for the last Act, which went beyond what the book described. The book focuses more time in the travel in getting Agnes from Stratford to London than the performance itself where she watches with great skepticism and anger about any play to capture the essence of her son. In the movie, with the incredible music from Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight used to devastating effect also in Arrival , you can see in Agnes’ face and her actions without words her realization about how her husband is able to communicate through his art his experience with all of this. It is beautifully done, and brings together everything that we have seen earlier about this couple and their small family. We see her husband note her unexpectedly in the crowd from backstage, still dressed as the character of Hamlet’s father. And as sees this perfomance so much is captured: Sadness. Grief. Empathy. Pain. Sorow. Understanding. Forgiveness. Relief. Unconditional love. Ultimately Joy. The movie as a companion piece brings out more in the book, and the book provides more background and depth to the movie. They really go hand in hand so well. I will say that a minor character in the movie, Agnes’ brother Bartholemew shines on through time and again in the book. The children Susanna and Judith shine as well, along with the Agnes’ step-mother Joan who shows her colours time and again. I do like the fact that the book never names Agnes’ husband; he is The Latin Tutor, the husband, the son who never quite measured up for his father. Yet we all know who he is, and for those who think that Shakespeare in Love captured what you knew about his homelife, this is a very marked departure from that. I would recommend reading the book wholeheartedly.

TIFF: The Toronto Film Festival which brings a buzz to this city each September began on Thursday. I was able to attend an in-person discussion with Gary Oldman. I jumped at the opportunity to hear Oldman speak because I regard him as one of the most versatile living actors with an amazing body of work. He can be a hero, and he can be a villain with equal conviction. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which you would be hard pressed to have imagined when I first saw him in 1986 as Sex Pistol Sid Vicious in the movie Sid & Nancy. He also was knighted, which ceremony took place at Windsor Castle which was quite an honour for him.

His chat was almost an hour, in an almost full theatre. He was asked questions by a moderator. Some of the highlights for me in listening to someone who has been in the business about four decades are as follows. He very much enjoyed Train Dreams last year and felt it was one of the best films, deserving of more accolades. He is 29 years sober, after the early part of his career embracing that “bad boy” image that he created while playing Sid Vicious. He had mentioned that for the movie The Fifth Element, which he did not like his work, that the voice he created was a combination of Bugs Bunny and politician Ross Perot! He also was not a fan of his work in Harry Potter as Sirius Black, but he talked about Scabbers the rat, which was real and not CGI, and how the rat seemed to need a break every 15 minutes! He loves the character of Jackson Lamb who kind of conjured up with his creative partner in wanting to get back into a TV series. His first Emmy nomination came from doing Friends. He marveled at the work schedule for them, and wanted to be able to do more TV. And finally he closed by directly addressing the rumour about the next James Bond. There was a news item that he knew who it was. He confirmed that this was nonsense. All he said to address the rumour directly was that he answered a question from a reporter about James Bond and he said that he had heard there had a short list of actors to portray the famous spy. He knew that Jack Lowden, from Slow Horses, was under consideration in this short list and he said “I am crossing my fingers for Jack!!” That was it! All in all, it was a very interesting evening

September 15th, 2055 (TIFF edition)

Glenrothan: One of the many things I love about the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), running this year for its 50th time, is that you see films that you may not otherwise see, but also that directors and talent will show up. The city has a buzz around it, surrounding King Street by Roy Thompson Hall and Princess of Wales theatre. I was lucky enough to go to both theatres on Thursday night. For the audience, you see the movie and then afterwards the talent come out to speak about it and answer questions from the audience. It provide a really interesting perspective into the film you just watched on the screen.

So first the movie, which starred Brian Cox (Succession) and Alan Cumming (The Good Life), which is Cox’s directorial debut. When asked about being a director, Cox admitted he never thought he would be behind the camera. The story is about estranged brothers, through 40 years being apart and geographically with Cumming in Chicago, and Cox in Scotland. The movie’s third main character is Scotland itself, as this is really a love letter to the Scottish highlands.

For me having been in Scotland in May 2024 for the first time, the breathtaking scenery brought about many fond memories. It was a magical place. The brothers are the living descendants of a family who have been distilling scotch whiskey for centuries. Older brother Sandy has been running the distillery after father had passed away about 25 years earlier. Mom had predeceased father fifteen years earlier. Father was a crusty and driven man, who as a father and husband handed out love and support sparingly. He was a hard taskmaster with his two boys. We see the results as the movie progresses and we begin to better understand the estrangement. The story continues in a predictable way. I enjoyed it. I thought that Cumming was very good with a troubled grandfather, with a daughter and grand-daughter in tow heading back to a homeland that he never thought that he would revisit. He has run from his troubles for most of his life. But this is a story about family, legacy, duty, love, choices and relationships. The measure of its effectiveness for me is did you care for the characters, and what happened to them? I did. Those who are hoping to see Cox playing Logan Roy will be sadly disappointed. Funnily enough, that was more the father’s character in this movie, and it wouldn’t suit him. The movie ended and the audience erupted in applause. On came Cox, with co-stars Shirley Henderson (who forever for me will be Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter) and Alexandra Shipp (playing Cumming’s daughter who plays peace maker). They all sit down as pictured here (I was seated in the balcony):

An audience member quickly blurts out a question (“May I ask a question?”) to which TIFF director and host says “we will take questions in a little while”. The immediate response back is “can Brian please cross his legs?” Cox wearing a kilt, and being a Scot he is naturally not wearing anything underneath. As he says “if you’re going to wear a kilt, nay on the undergarment”. He is a very good sport and the audience laughs. So the interview proceeds as follows:

I have never seen anything like this in all my years at TIFF and it was just excellent. The true character of Brian Cox is shown in an unexpected way. I am so glad that I saw this movie, and even more excited that I was part of this unrehearsed exchange. As Cox finishing commenting, sounding more like Logan Roy, “it was probably the fucking producer encouraging the wearing of the kilt to begin with…” A good laugh!

The Wizard of the Kremlin: we are living in strange times, with wars in Ukraine, Gaza, new incursions into Polish airspace by Russia and continued beliefs of foreign interference with western elections (most notably the US Presidential election, where current President Trump continues to deny he lost in 2020). I am painfully aware, and this movie makes more aware that I know so very little about Russian President Putin. But he and his countrymen are well engaged in many of these current hotspots within the world of 2025. This movie directed by Frenchman Olivier Assayas (who attended this screening) is based upon the book by Giuliano da Empoli (not read by me). The movie has a dream cast with Paul Dano playing Vadim Baranov (the wizard), Jude Law as Putin, Alicia Vikander as Ksenia, and Jeffrey Wright as an American researcher and writer in Russia.

This is a advertised as a political thriller and comedy. There are some laughs within it, but it a much more serious story with a history lesson of the fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Russia with their version of democracy, freedom, oligarchs and later a new authoritarian leader in Putin. Divided into various stages, we see the early life of the Paul Dano character. He speaks into the past after having invited Jeffrey Wright to his residence where he would speak to him about “something interesting”. There Wright hears about the early days of being in Soviet Union where Gorbachev takes over, immediately hiking the price of vodka and looking to provide freedoms. Then power transitions ultimately to Boris Yeltsin, and finally transitioning to Putin. Baranov had gone to school to be an artist, in putting on plays and expressing his new freedoms. He puts on plays effectively. Later he moves into television and creating content for a private TV station. Throughout the movie there are truisms about people, certainly the Russian people, but people generally and how they can be manipulated. There are poignant observations about battling for the minds of people and those of your enemy. We see the public TV executive persuading then KGB Director Putin to think about running as the leader of the country. The Putin reaction is a fascinating one, focusing on where he thinks he can have an impact, and how he can retain any power he is given, not ever wanting to lose it. This is where he seeks the assistance of Dano’s character. Time and again, Dano’s insight into a situation provides the tools for Putin to move forward in a confident and self-assured manner. World events are spoken about between the Wright character and Dano.

I am very glad that I saw this. It gives a perspective for actions taken by Putin now and in the past, without a western spin. A few years back at TIFF I saw the movie Kursk later renamed The Command, which spoke about the sinking of a nuclear submarine in the North Sea and those Russian sailors aboard her and their families. It was heart-breaking and moving. This movie addresses that as an early test to the Putin leadership as he was summering in Sochi while it was taking place, refusing any help from Western countries. The Putin regime is committed to staying in power and ensuring that what they felt was the dissolution of the great Soviet state will be reversed. Ukraine is living proof of this commitment. I come away feeling as though I need to learn more about this man Putin, and those who advise him. It was noted at the beginning of the film that this is a work of fiction. Director Assayas mentioned that the Baranov character was a complilation of other people for the book, which then was taken further within the movie.

This was a tour de force roll for Dano, who is the focal point. His paints the picture of a calm and collected man, who had started out so wild and full of life. As he becomes more deeply involved in the Putin administration he looks to pull away and lead a quieter life. At the same time, he wants to be known as we all do in some way. This is someone who has quietly become a most powerful person, unexpectedly, but embraces it and regards himself as a professional who can organize events like opening ceremonies at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, but also manipulating the internet to serve the Russian purpose as being seen as the country controlling it. Perception is reality, whether true or not. This is definitely worth checking out for those who wish to better understand the world we live in.

September 8th, 2025

TIFF has begun on Thursday. I will be heading out this Thursday to see UK’s Glenrothlan directed by Succession‘s Brian Cox, and then also Paul Dano starring in The Wizard of the Kremlin. I am going in cold to these movies, with little to no background at all. My life experience with TIFF has been that this is the best way to see the movies being shown. The less I know the better. I did look to try and see Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, but it will be released on Netflix in the next few weeks after a short theatrical release. I am noting that tickets are expensive and will take away from the number of movies that I attend.

Small Things Like These: Cillian Murphy stars in the smaller film set in Ireland in 1985 (which appears more like 1955 save the music on the radio) adapts the book by Claire Keegan (unread by me). It is on Crave. I was curious to see how Oscar winner Murphy follwed up his Oppenheimer success. The story told is a small town in Ireland where a father, Bill Furlong played by Murphy, has a wife and four girls. He is a simple quiet man who sells househeating coal for a living. One of his customers is the local Catholic church. He begins noticing some strange occurences with some young women at the church.

Like many churches, they take in young women who are pregnant, and this has been the case for decades in the UK. The movie Philomena from 2013 starring Dame Judi Dench. Some of the same ground is covered, although here there is a community around the church who is anxious for Bill to forget what he had noticed. Bill has some trauma from his younger days which we see in flashback. It can impact him in present day at strange times, and Murphy is so expressive on his face that we see how he is affected. With very few words, but looks and gestures, Bill keeps his feelings and emotions to himself all the while struggling with opposing forces. At the church Emily Watson, once again like in her role in Dune Prophesy, plays an authoritative Mother Superior, wielding her power with surgical precision. Guilt and peer pressure are powerful tools, and some well offered monetary gifts in tough times. Although this was a slower pace, I think that this was well acted and showed the dilemma that a father has when thinking that he risks plenty for doing the right thing, rather than choosing to stay quiet and look the other way. I am glad that I saw this.

Blazing Saddles: Director and actor in a few roles Mel Brooks just celebrated his 100th birthday. I then noted on TV that they were showing this 1974 film without edits and commercials on Saturday night. I chose to watch. I remember having seen this back in the theatres. Like Mel Brooks films it is completely politically incorrect and offensive, certainly to 2025 sensibilities. It is meant to offend, but through humour. It stars Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman. The premise is a small town is likely to benefit from a new railroad being brought into its boundaries. Scoundrel Harvey Korman, playing Hedley Lamarr (yes they make fun of his name), wants to terrorize the town and scoop up the town from its currents owners. He starts by trying to bring in a sherriff who the townspeople would hate. The answer was black man Bart, who was destined to be hanged but caught a break. As he arrives into town the multiple uses of the n-word is uncomfortable to 2025 ears. It was offensive in 1974 too but now is certainly more grating. The sherriff befriends a drunken quick-draw cowboy, played by Wilder, and together they begin to solve the towns problems. Moving on from that failed idea, he wants to bring in “Mongo” to kill the sherriff and then follows up with hiring Kahn as a seductive singer from Germany to distract and break the heart of the sherriff.

There are visual gags, some plays on words, and of course the classic campfire scene with the cowboys eating beans and then flatulating one after another. It’s a moronic joke, but still makes me laugh. There were a couple of laughs. For the most part, the jokes don’t translate that well to a 2025 audience, but it was still good to see Gene Wilder again. Brooks plays multplie roles including a cross-eyed governor with a busty assistant, and the indigenous leader allowing Bart as a youngster to pass with his black family into their territory. This was fun to re-visit, but isn’t really a film for today’s audiences other than to show the things that passed for comedy back 50 years ago.

September 12th, 2022

Where The Crawdads Sing: Talk about disappointment! I had seen a trailer for this by chance and it looked intriguing, so I was hopeful when I saw that it was out and available. Where to start? Set in the 1950s in small town North Carolina, a young man is found dead in the swamp. The place of death is below a steel park tower overlooking the swamp, and close to the home of a local young woman who has raised herself. She is played by Daisy Edgar-Jones. We learn this background after she is arrested on suspicion of murder and jailed. A local retired lawyer decides to help her out with her defence. The young Marsh Girl, as the town calls Kya, had an abusive father who drove away her Mom, and then all brother’s and sisters. She ends up at a young age taking care of herself. Inexplicably she has perfect teeth, cleaned clothes and looks no worse for wear. She is able to harvest mussels and sell them to the local general store/marina who take pity on her and wish to help her all that they can. She doesn’t go to school, but teaches herself. Later a young man , Tate Walker, teaches her how to read and write. Then after a romance heads off to school. Things happen.

Kya is approached by another local boy, Chase Andrews. He is the young man who ended up dead. The plot continues in a rather formulaic way, with few surprises. Chase is a bit of a cad, and makes Kya’s life very difficult. Kya also has a talent for nature and drawing it. She was encouraged by Tate to find a publisher for her nature drawings but she doesn’t think on it much until much later. The courtroom drama ensues. Lawyers go back and forth and the case is made for the jury to decide. This was disappointing because I expected more. A couple of observations: the young men are caracatures instead of fully written characters; it seems all women need to do is makes themselves reclusive and men will just fall from the sky into their laps; cooking, cleaning and hygene skills must be easy to address given how nicely Kya cleans up; I want to purchase an outboard motor like she has because it’s very good on gas, and never needs any repair of any kind! I cannot recommend this.

The End of Sex: This is a Canadian comedy filmed in Hamilton back in January. It has Canadian stars, unseen by me before, and was my Saturday night TIFF film to begin my festival. This was better than expected. Set in Montreal, there is a couple married ten years who have two daughters who are heading off for a week at Winter Camp. For a Torontonian, I have never heard of Winter Camp but according to the Director and cast after the viewing, it is a thing in Alberta, Quebec and other parts of the country. The kids head away and the parents look at one another wondering what they can possibly do. After an unsuccessful meet in the bedroom, they openly wonder what they can do to spice things up for their sex life.

Our couple looks to spice up their sex life

A number of scenes follow which shows over their kid-free work what they are looking to do to add some spice. None of the thoughts help. I laughed a few times. There was some clever writing (Jonas Chernick the male star) with a good supporting cast. The movie outlines issues that aren’t usually spoken about in modern marriages, when being married with children. It also reflects that relationships change from early dating and marriage to when children do arrive and you grow and mature. You aren’t the same people you were when you started the journey together.

One of the greatest aspects of TIFF is that you have the cast and some crew (like director and producer) there to talk about the movie and the process of making it. The director, Sean Garrity, spoke about how this movie was originally called Menage A Trois, but then was shelved for other projects. Then it was ressurected with the cast coming on board. The two lead actors had worked together ten years earlier. So there is a full movie theatre, and the insight into the film, all of which adds to the movie experience. TIFF can be hit and miss at times, but this was a hit for me. I didn’t expect a lot from a Canadian production. Funny we have excellent actors who are Hollywood superstars, like Ryan Reynolds or Ryan Gosling or Rachel MacAdams, but it seems that there is a aura at times of CBC all over these productions. I didn’t feel that. I am so happy to be back to crowds, line ups, chats in the lines about movies, full theatres and conversations with star. TIFF has such a buzz in the city with an energy downtown that is palpable. Just walking around King Street and Roy Thompson Hall area is terrific! More movies to come.

Untold: Flagrant Foul: Similar to the Bad Sport series, Netflix has this series addressing other sports-related issues. Flagrant Foul involves an NBA referee who was providing his insight into the winners of upcoming NBA games to his betting friends. He had insider information about who the referees were and how they interacted with the two teams, and he was pretty good in his picks. He even worked some of the games in which he was providing his suggestions. He claims he never directly bet himself. He was paid a sum of money for each correct pick. The bettors have different than the referee himself in recollecting events. No surprise. The real question is whether he was an isolated rogue element, or whether the NBA itself had any input into the results of the matches, especially when dealing with the playoffs. The league would provide areas to focus on for the referees and this referee claims he just “did what he was told”. He maintains the NBA was interested in these results too – more games in playoffs mean more TV and gate revenue. All this to say, those fans at home who think on occasion that the refs have it in for them, well sometimes in the past, they certainly did!!!

Patrick and the Whale: Patrick Dykstra is a corporate lawyer, who manages to travel the world looking for whales about 300 days a year. A childhood fascination for the blue whale lead him on his initial searches as an adult, but he has become far more interested in sperm whales. For Patrick, they are more social, as well as being far more vocal. This remarkable documentary brings his story of connection to the big screen in ways that are just astounding.

A short clip

For most of us, I think our experience with a sperm whale is limited to the 1851 novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville. The white whale is a fierce and dangerous animal that Ahab wishes to kill. The thought of someone free diving amongst a pod of such whales would be completely foreign. Patrick manages to swim amongst many of these massive mammals, who have the largest brain in the world, with ease and with little fear but a healthy respect for their size and strength. We see that there is an intelligence at work, and the two species are able to communicate with one another through actions. Patrick feels the emotion and building relationship with a couple of different whales over his years working with them. He is mindful of the individual whale, trying not to view her (in both cases) as the subject of a science experiment. She manages to communicate back in no uncertain terms.

The movie has no CGI. It is filmed mostly with Patrick’s hand held camera and that of the other diver taking his shots. The film generated over 100 hours of footage (around 138 terrabytes of data) which the directed had to review and edit into the 72 minutes of the film. There are drone shots, underwater shots, in studio shots with Patrick voicing what his experiences were. This is deeply personal for Patrick, and he sees a basic lack of understanding of the sperm whale world as an impediment to moving forward with protecting them and their environments. The whales spend two-thirds of their lives at ocean depths that we humans just can’t view them to understand their behaviour. The sperm whale population is shrinking, mostly due to human interference. While not being preachy about it, Patrick and the filmmakers have delivered their message to the audience about preservation. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and saw things that were just amazing. Seeing so many whales coming together, and acting in ways so expressive and connected was unexpected and enlightening at the same time. I hope that this can find distribution or streaming beyond TIFF and other film festivals so more people can view it. If you can find it, catch it!! This shows at TIFF once again on Friday September 16th at 12:05PM.

September 5th, 2022 (Labour Day)

Stranger Things 4: Stranger Things is one of the most popular series that Netflix has every produced. When first introduced it was a nostaligic, retro roll back to the 80s (with 80s stars like Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine) along with a scary tale filled with sci fi elements and decent effects. Set in a small town, there is a local high school who’s students are the stars of the show who have grown before our eyes. In a Stand By Me kind of way, these close friends, who are also not the popular kids, more leaning towards the geeky and nerdy deal with unusual situations in their town. Adding to the intrigue, are experiments being undertaken with young children by a doctor and his team to explore their telepathic powers. In some ways this is reminiscent of the treatment of pre-cogs in the Tom Cruise film Minority Report. Add in a police force that deals on the facts, and some 80s era Russian paranoia and there is the makings of the series.

One of the things that this series seems to do well, written by the Duffer Brothers (great name!), is that they are building on the seasons, even though I am sure that they didin’t initially think that it would go further than season 1. This season four splits up the cast into groups: the police and Winona are dealing with the Russian angle and saving the police officer, Eleven is looking to regain her powers and delve more deeply into her earlier days with other younger children with the gift and then the group of high school friends is looking to investigate some horrific murders and dealing with popular kids. I found that the Russian aspect of this equation was the weakest. I wasn’t fully engaged, while struggling with how Winona and team would be able to assist the kids back in the town to any extent. Meanwhile, the kids were interacting with their own relationships all the while looking to find out the source of these murders. It seems to be someone very powerful who is terrorizing the town once again. The town can’t seem to get a break. Eleven decides that the best way for her to help is to get back her abilities and obtaining them through the doctor who hasn’t always had her best interests at heart. The story continues. This isn’t as good as Season 1 where everything was fresh and new. We learned about the upside down, and parallel plain of existence. It was through one of the boys initially, Winona’s youngest son that this was examined. As these younger kids grow, the complexity of the relationships between them is inevitably. They are young adults. So there is a romantic element explored more fully. We also have early days of being gay for a time when this was not out in the open. All in all, I enjoyed this, it is a substantial commitment in time, with the last episode itself over 2 hours. Much of it could be skipped, since it takes longer than it needs to for us to be ready for the conclusion. If you are a fan, it’s okay. If not, I would suggest at least seeing the first season to better understand the cast and the situation. Jumping in at this point could be confusing. I do really enjoy the fact that a result of this show has been a resurgence in the music of Kate Bush. Her Running Up That Hill/Deal With God plays an important role and young people are making it a chart topping hit again. Good for her. Introducing this generation to good music can only help us all and what we hear on the radio!

LA Confidential: This 1997 film, scarily 25 years ago, has an impressive cast and is a quality crime police caper. Set in the 1950s in LA, the focus is on the police department of the burgeoning city. The police include Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell and the introduction of Russell Crowe. Add in Danny DeVito as a reporter, David Strathairn, and the Academy Award performance of Kim Basinger and this story has a cast worthy of the story. Crowe’s partner has been disgraced and then ends up dead in what appears to be a robbery gone bad at a diner. The alleged black perpetrators are tracked down and interrogated. The police meanwhile have their own issues with Pearce playing the son of a well known detective who is looking to be clean in a sea of dirty. He is making some career headway, but is discouraged by Cromwell his boss to being a detective. Seems Cromwell believes that his detectives should be able to manipulate evidence, set scenes and ensure what they believe are the “bad people” can be put away. That is justice to him. Pearce wants the truth to be seen through the facts. This dichotomy of philosophies is most directly seen with Crowe’s officer who has no difficulty with extracting confessions or evidence within a situation. He has a certain affinity for protecting battered women. Things happen. Suscpicions are raised. Deeper investigations take place which makes the black and white diner robbery appear to be something else entirely. The writing is excellent, the story flows well and makes sense. All the while adding intrigue, making those in power uncomfortable.

I honestly don’t see the award for Basinger, but perhaps it was a body of work nomination. She plays a high priced call girl who is put into a very difficult situation that only grows worse for her. But it fits. It adds to the story and she plays it well. I finished this and truly enjoyed revisiting it. I had seen back in the day, but the details were fuzzy. Twenty five years later Spacey is personna non grata in Hollywood, Pearce has had some quality roles, and Crowe being a superstar has ballooned into a mammoth guy who shouldn’t ever sing again like in Les Miserable. This is on Netflix.

TIFF 2022: TIFF starts this week, back to in person viewing after a couple of years of hiatus from COVID. I presently have two movies I will be seeing. The comedy The End of Sex, and then Patrick and the Whale, which is a documentary. I am looking forward to experiencing the energy and the buzz of having stars back in the city with the streets downtown along King Street filled with moviegoers. The experience of lining up and chatting about movies before a screening has been missed. The chance to see a star before their film debuts is fun. I amy try for more tickets but for now that is where I will be. The fun begins on Thursday until the following Sunday September 18th! For those who attend, enjoy the movie going experience in some of Toronto’s best places to see films.

September 13, 2021

Becoming Cousteau: This Liz Garbus newly released documentary at TIFF, first shown Saturday with the director and editor in attendance, shows some of the life of the incredibly complex Frenchman, Jacques Yves Cousteau. For those of us who were raised in the 70s, this man was an iconic figure on TV with his hour long specials showing the wonders of the undersea world. He and his small band of like-mind explorers sailed the seas on the Calypso, a converted British mine sweeper that one of the Guinness family (yes the Irish beer making family) paid to give him to do his work. He pioneered (and invented out of necessity) the aqualung as well as the underwater camera. With those inventions, he endlessly filmed the sea world that he experienced first hand for the early years of his life. Incidentally his first film of the seas, won him an Oscar for Best Documentary. He would add two more. He wrote books about sea life. It is odd, when thinking back on it, that a man who was so inspirational for many people to see the waters for the first time had all but disappeared since his death back in 1998, at the age of 87. The documentary decides to focus on the man, and his journey from a naval officer and making a living showing people the sea, to being an early observer of climate change, and seeing in a short 30 years how the oceans had been impacted by human ignorance and negligence. It does not dwell on his personal life beyond introducing us to his first wife, Simone, and their two sons Phillippe and Jean-Michel and then with his second wife the much younger Pierre-Yves and Diane. Here was a man who was instrumental in bringing together world leaders at the Earth Day Summit in Rio in 1992. He was at one point that Americans said that they most wanted to meet. Sadly it took 5 years according to the Director to get access to the video archives. The reason for the delay is the schism that has divided the Cousteau family and the legacy of Jacques. His second wife, a mistress and mother of two children was granted the rights to the Cousteau Society. Jean-Michel, the remaining son with first Wife, Simone, has been in litigation with her about the Calypso, the movies, control of the corporation and the legacy. What this clouds is a fascinating man who gave so much to the world. He is an inventor, explorer, film-maker, naturalist, and someone deeply committed to protecting the planet for future generations. He was before the US Congress in the late 1970s talking about the damage to the oceans, and the need to make efforts with action as opposed to talk. Unfortunately not much has happened since his impassioned plea. Environmental targets are missed, people are apathetic with the size of the problem. Meanwhile our oceans are warming. Coral is bleaching and dying. Fish are being massively over-fished. I think that in 2021 Jacques Cousteau would be very disappointed in the lack of progress by mankind. It is still an important message that it getting delivered, and I am hopeful that people can remember this man, and the younger generations can be introduced to someone who shaped much of our knowledge of the creatures in the sea. Well worth your time. It will be released to theatres in October.

A book that has been in my family for years circa 1970

As an aside I can say that on Friday I wandered the streets around King Street near Roy Thompson Hall. Usually the first Friday of TIFF there would be a buzz around the city. People in the streets, King Street closed, vendors on the street, people lining up for various films at numerous locations in and around the city. You could feel the energy. If you were lucky you may have a close encounter with a star. For me a couple years back it was Antonio Banderas and before that Jessica Chastain in 2017. The randomness of it all made it exciting. A black limo may pull up at any time and someone may step out. Now, there aren’t the lines. No vendors. No lines for movies. Fewer venues than ever before in my recollection. At the Saturday show at the Cinesphere there was no line outside. Inside masks were to be worn at all times in a socially distanced seating arrangement with about 25% of the patrons inside.. Hell, even the crowd didn’t give a pirate “Argh!!!” when the Piracy warning came up! It is not the same. It is TIFF Lite. And that is okay. I give kudos to those who have the unenviable task of trying to put together a world class event, and make no mistake that TIFF is one of the top film festivals in the world. For me personally, I won’t pay for a drive-in movie. I may pay for a digital film shown in my house. I will see a movie live with these Covid measures in place. I am hopeful that TIFF 2022 can be more like it has been in the past. Seeing Amercian college and NFL stadiums filled to capacity (106,000 in Michigan alone) one of us will be shown to be wrong with the D-variant.

The Grand Seduction: This 2013 Canadian production is showing on Netflix. It stars Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch. The story involves a struggling small fishing harbour in Newfoundland looking to re-invent itself. The fishing has been curtailed and the people (about 120) have mostly been on social assistance. They would like to attract a new oil based recycling facility. The catch is that they have been told that they must have a doctor to be considered. They don’t have one, and no real prospects. Think of this story like a Canadian Maritime Doc Hollywood, the 1991 Michael J Fox film set in the US south. My problem with it is the focus on deception from the town’s people. It is meant to be comedic, showing them showing themselves to be cricket fans to the new doctor (which is relatively harmless) but later lying to the corporate investors looking to place the new business. There is lying to the bank to try and find funds for a payment to the corporation. All in all, I would like to see the town be the honest hardworking people that we know that they are, and somehow they convincing the corporation for a chance. I did like the way they addressed the romantic side of this film. There is, naturally, only one possible option for the good young doctor to have any romantic connection. She however has better ideas, and her own mind. So while I like the scenery in Newfoundland, and the fishing village is quaint and pretty, the movie itself is a pass.

September 21, 2020

TIFF has completed for this rather strange year with limited films, but more accessible viewing. The list of of award recipients is here:

‘Nomadland’ Wins TIFF’s 2020 People’s Choice Award

I have to admit to being surprised that Nomadland won the People’s Choice Award. Previous winners often go on to obtain Golden Globe and Oscar consideration. For me as I had indicated in my review last week, I found this slow and didn’t see a significant journey for the McDormand character to travel, certainly emotionally rather than physically in her case. She seems to finish the way that she has started. Maybe that was the point. But for me, I would like to think that even the disenfranchised are able to connect with other people and feel something. In the end, there were not as many movies to choose from and I really wonder whether 2020 should have an Oscar asterisk (like the Homerun asterisk for Roger Maris) to indicate a significantly smaller field of choices. But the choices have been made and I expect that if there are awards to be handed out, a number of the films highlighted will be a part of them.

On Crave there is the HBO series entitled Love Fraud. It is a four-part series that looks to uncover the activities of one Richard Scott Smith, who goes by the various names of Mickey, Scott or Richard. Smith is a convenient last name because he is able to blend in with the crowds. He is a polygamist, married 11 times, twice to two women at the same time and leaves a trail of destruction behind him. He takes money and preys upon women when they are vulnerable with grandiose stories of exotic locations, business opportunities, fancy cars and boats. His typical process starts with dating apps and moves into karaoke bars engage with these women. The series begins with a couple women scorned who engage the services of a bail bonds-person, in this case a woman. Richard has outstanding warrants for his arrest in two states. The stories of these women, and his continuing activities are the focus. I was astounded at the lack of ability for those involved to seemingly take any action. It is a cautionary tale for those who date, especially using apps where the person on the other side is largely unknown. Rather than have someone lie to you about their age, weight or size, this is exponentially more sinister than that. It also speaks to a legal system overwhelmed with cases, and there is simply no time to chase after a character like this. Once he marries these women (often in record time) then he proceeds to look to his economic motives, and can turn into a controlling and abusive person. The fourth episode by far is the most compelling of them all. I won’t give away what occurs but it is a fascinating perspective on what had transpired and how different people can view the underlying facts and circumstances over time. Throughout this I was cheering for someone to success against this guy and I had absolutely zero empathy for him at all.

This weekend I also revisited a couple old friends The Adjustment Bureau and Adrift. Both of which I enjoyed once again. I maintain that the opening sequence of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in the hotel bathroom is one of the best examples of on screen chemistry that I have seen. Adrift was revisited to see the scenery and the nice yachts. Some of us live and work in cubicles, others take different approaches as to how to spend their time on this earth. Some of us then have an opportunity to experience what sailing through a hurricane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean would be like and floating for 41 days.

October 17th, 2018

I note that 22 July which was reviewed by me at TIFF (see TIFF Edition Sept 17th) is now available on Netflix. None of this out to DVD and Pay-per-view stuff first, it is being shared and streamed almost straight away from theatrical release. Netflix has done this before (and likely that is the point) with movies like First They Killed My Father, which Alison at last moment pulled out of seeing at TIFF, which its impending free showing. So if you are looking for a Netflix stay in night, perhaps have a look. Or if you are looking for something a little more “out there” check out Annihilation with Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac. It too is available on Netflix recently.

At the theatre for First Man Saturday they previewed the latest (and endless) superhero movie to come to theatres shortly. This time it is Captain Marvel. I confess that I am NOT a superhero movie fan. Certainly Alison knows this well. It is an exception rather than the rule if I actually like a superhero movie. For me the pinnacle was the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy with Christian Bale. He IS Batman for me. They were dark, they were brooding and they had a real life human dealing with human issues. But back to the trailer, we have Brie Larson, who I really liked in Room and for which she won an Oscar, playing the lead role. Not being a comic book guy, I am not sure whether Captain Marvel was a female. But I’ll go with it. Brie since Room only filled out a tank top nicely in Kong Skull Island, and I have not seen any of the other smaller films that she has done. Now she is becoming Captain Marvel. I don’t need to see this – nor any of the Avenger films and they won’t get any of my money. Here is the trailer for those who haven’t seen it already. What did Hollywood do for movies BEFORE superheroes? Hard to remember really….!

TIFF edition (Monday Sept 17, 2018)

TIFF was a really good experience this year, and I enjoyed the three movies that I saw. I had a conflict with hockey on Sunday and missed The Elephant Queen documentary.

22 July – is a film by Paul Greengrass, who had previously done United 93, and some Bourne films. I knew that Matt Damon liked working with him. This film is a dramatization of the events in Norway in 2011 in Oslo (bombing at Prime Ministers Office) then at the summer camp island where teens went (politically sponsored – the current PM had gone here as a youth) where 69 people were shot. The actual event takes up about a third of the film, but then there is the trial and the rehabilitation in one instance of a young man who was shot 5 times. He wants to face his assaulter in Court and provide a statement of his own, to combat the hate of this calm and deliberated racist. The film deals with the facts of the event, but the strength is with the acting (the young man and also the assailant) and playing their roles well and with respect. There are things said by the assailant that simply are incredible to hear. He is so matter-of-fact and calm. This is a Netflix film and will be available likely sooner rather than later. IMDB says it’s to be released Oct 10 in theatres.

Driven is a story about John DeLorean, the infamous GM executive (creator of the GTO) who went on his own to create the new gull-winged sports car. He was flamboyant and larger than life, and flawed at the same time. The story deliberately uses the focus of the film as his neighbor played by Jason Sudekis, as a liar and a screw up, who tries to do the right thing (well sometimes). Set in southern California at the end of the 70s, it tells the story of these two men, and how they crossed paths, and how the FBI gets involved in their lives. Ultimately DeLorean was having a cash flow problem, much like Tesla, and the solution was for DeLorean to use a cocaine deal to make up for the deficiency and ultimately keep control of his company. There are a couple of laughs. Judy Greer stands out here as Sudekis’ wife. Also Lee Pace of bad guy Guardians of the Galaxy fame. He plays the much older DeLorean well. This was fun. I enjoyed 22 July more as this was paced slower at times.

Finally, there was Kursk which is the dramatization of the Russian nuclear submarine (two football fields in size) that went down in August 2000 during Russian war games. Russia at the time was suffering economic challenges and made cut backs in military and other spending. This story covers the event and also some of the pushback made by the Russian people which was completely new for them. Russia had gone from a northern fleet of 100+ subs in the glory days to about 40. They were not well maintained, and they carried torpedos with equal treatment. They used torpedos with hydrogen peroxide, which if not maintained and leak, if it contacts metal is explosive. On the day in question, it is suspected a torpedo blew inside the Kursk and it set off even more torpedos inside which took out most of its bow. It sank. Of the 111 men on board, some survived in the back, moving to the stern for an air pocket. The Russian Navy then has an ill equipped ad maintained rescue sub that would attach to the sunken Kursk, but it isn’t connecting and it fails. The Russians refuse any assistance from Britain, US or Norway with better rescue subs. Pride is a terrible thing in the situation and the men (and their families) pay the price. I also enjoyed this a great deal. Mattias Schonnerts is here, and I have seen him in a number of TIFF films. Colin Firth has a minor role. Well worth checking out.

TIFF People’s Choice went to Green Book, which to me is a surprise as I would have thought First Man would be there. This award is a harbinger of good things to come though, as many get Oscar nods and a few of those have won in the past. The story sounds good on Green Box and Mahershala Ali seems to be the strongest of the actors (Viggo Mortenson also is good too apparently). I have not seen. Expect a flurry of these TIFF films to get to theatres in the next few weeks and months ahead. First Man is Oct 5. I will see it. Others too. I did see Julia Roberts from afar, and Maggie Glylenthaal up close for her movie Kindergarten Teacher which is a remake of an Israeli film. It looks good. Fun to be on the red carpet. Always good to see these people and all the fanfare. Another TIFF is closed and I always enjoy these Fall time to get immersed in films. Beautiful Boy, Beale Street, A Private War, Ben is Back, Burning, and others are all movies that I would seek out in time.