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The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest festivals in the world. Hundreds of celebrities and hundreds of thousands of critics, industry professionals, and movie enthusiasts come to Toronto for 10 days in September to see a collection of major pre-release titles, independent films, and international movies. This is my second year attending the festival as press, and these dispatches will offer a brief glimpse of upcoming titles, along with future release information.
The first film that I saw was "Coward," from Belgian director Lukas Dhont. It follows Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia) and Francis (Valentin Campagne), two soldiers fighting in World War I. Few films take advantage of the title like "Coward" does, looking at the idea of bravery and cowardice from multiple angles: a father whose wife just had a newborn son, two men in love, a son who feels forced into the family business. In each of these circumstances, we can see how choices can be framed in varying ways that really explore the concept. It is also a beautifully sensual film, with longing throughout. MUBI acquired this movie and will release it Dec. 25. (4/5 stars)
Following that, I watched "How We Stand." This film was written and directed by Marie Clements and follows three sisters in 1973 Los Angeles. They moved to Los Angeles as part of a relocation system that tried to "civilize" Indigenous people. The three sisters, played by Amber Midthunder, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, and Isabel Deroy-Olson, are separated after the violent death of their mother and go on to live vastly different lives. The film addresses things like how Native Americans were (and sometimes still are) portrayed in film, especially in Westerns. It also looks at the practice of government-sponsored forced sterilization. Despite the heavy subject matter, "How We Stand" does a beautiful job of combining the three storylines and adding humor and pathos to balance the horrors. This film is seeking distribution. (5/5 stars)
Third on my list was the absolutely delightful "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York." John Turturro plays Harry, an old-school pickpocket who has staunchly refused to adjust to the times. This has worked for him until he fences a USB card from someone connected to the mob. A man resigned to his fate, he has one afternoon to return the card in order to save his wife. This movie has the feel of a 1970s-style thriller, but with a modern sensibility. Writer and director Noah Segan uses his cast brilliantly, and the score from Gary Lionelli is the best I've heard in a minute. This film is being distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and is expected to release in late October. (5/5 stars)
My final film of the first day of TIFF was the new Martin McDonagh movie, "Wild Horse Nine." McDonagh is among my favorite directors, due to his ability to create a story that is both uproariously funny and deeply poignant. The less you know about "Wild Horse Nine," the better, but John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell feel like guys who have been friends forever, and I loved every second they were on screen together. "Wild Horse Nine" will almost certainly be a top 10 movie for me this year, and I will be (inappropriately) quoting from it for the foreseeable future. This movie is being distributed by Searchlight Pictures and will be coming to theaters on November 6. (5/5 stars)
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.