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At one of my screenings on Day 2 of the Toronto International Film Festival, I spoke with one of the TIFF board members. It was interesting to get a bit of a look behind the curtain on the marketing side of the festival, but if I had been thinking a bit more clearly, I would have asked him whether the festival's programming is planned around any kind of theme. Many of the films I have screened so far have focused on themes of community and identity, and I would love to know if that was intentional.
It could also be that those topics are on the minds of filmmakers right now, with the need for more mutual aid as prices soar while wages remain stagnant, and the rise of AI making it more difficult to know who people are, even ourselves. The films I watched on my second day of TIFF focused heavily on the theme of identity.
The day started with "A Long Winter" from Andrew Haigh, director of 2023's "All of Us Strangers." In this film, Mike, played by Fred Hechinger, spends his winter in the mountains of Colorado searching for his mother, who leaves right before the first snowstorm of the season hits. The film examines shifting perceptions of parents as one grows into adulthood. Mike uncovers aspects of the dynamics between his parents that he didn't see before his mother's disappearance, and we, as audience members, are brought along on that journey. However, none of the differing perspectives feel like they lead to anything, making this beautiful film feel as cold as the title. "A Long Winter" has been purchased by MUBI, but does not yet have a release date. (2.5/5 stars)
I ran from one theater to the next to walk into "Stuffed," from director Theo Rhys. "Stuffed" is a musical about Bernie (Harry Melling), an unremarkable man who works at a sandwich factory, and Araminta (Jodie Comer), an eccentric amateur taxidermist. I love to give movies with wild premises a shot because when they work, they are almost always some of my favorites. Sadly, this movie runs out of steam pretty quickly. It is a proper musical, but as the film progresses, the songs all start to blend together, both thematically and musically. It's also a romance, and honestly, that is a disadvantage in this case. This will probably be a very polarizing movie, but I'm sad to say that I fall on the negative side. I believe "Stuffed" is still seeking a distributor. (2/5 stars)
Werner Herzog is a name even people who aren't super into film are familiar with. His latest film, "Bucking Fastard," stars Kate and Rooney Mara as sisters, Jean and Joan Holbrooke. They do everything together, and that really does mean everything. They dress alike, they have romantic entanglements together, and they even speak the same words at the same time. After continuing to be mocked and ostracized for their mannerisms, the pair find themselves trying to dig through a tunnel to find a land where they are free to be who they are and to find love. This will likely be another divisive film, but I found myself enjoying it, even while I struggled a bit to fully understand the ending. It is funny, and it's worth watching for the Maras alone. A wide release for "Bucking Fastard" is yet to be announced. (3.5/5 stars)
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.