A few people refer to last year’s TIFF as "the year Oprah invaded Toronto". While the big O was the focal point for a lot of the press, she could not take the shine away from usual level of top notch films we have come to expect from the Toronto International Film festival. Although I saw several good films, 2009 ended up being a rather “Whale Rider” heavy year for me.
Total Number of Films Watched: 27
My Top 5:
Micmacs
A Serious Man
Ajami
Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire
The Art of the Steal
Honourable Mention: The Loved Ones, Cleanflix, Year of the Carnivor, The Ape, If I Knew What You Said, Good Hair, The Road
The Disappointments: The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Warrior and the Wolf, Vengeance, Like You Know it All
The Whale Riders (aka. I regret passing on these films): A Single Man, Lebanon, Mr. Nobody, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, The White Ribbon, A Prophet, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Mao’s Last Dancer, Enter the Void, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Lebanon, Mother, Harry Brown, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Memorable Moment: The question and answer sessions that Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Terry Gilliam held after the screening of their respective films Mimacs and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Jeunet and Gilliam are directors whom often incorporate fantastical elements in their films. So it was a pleasure to listen to each of them explain their creative process. Especially in regards to how they come up with such imaginative tales.
Random Star Sightings: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Cera, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Lee Daniels, Sook-yin Lee, Terry Gilliam
**Tune in tomorrow to see my 2010 TIFF Schedule!**
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