As the major film festival circuit nears, Canadian Film Fest begins at The Royal this week, offering up the best films the nation has produced this year. Dramas, comedies, documentaries and films that mesh genres are on display, with many entries making their world premieres. Here are our best bets.
The Storm Within — March 20
This French language entry — alternately titled Rouge Sang — offers a tension-filled historic vengeance story. The female victim-turned-aggressor genre is redone here, set in 1799, with a quintet of British soldiers as the unwelcome male predators. The film is more disciplined than most in the genre, and it builds to an exciting finish.
Please Kill Mr. Know It all — March 21
This quirky and hyperbolic comedy stars Brampton native Lara Jean Chorostecki as an anonymous advice columnist who quickly loses control of her life. With massive success dishing out tips to the world, her alter ego, Mr. Know It All, needs a face. Searching the streets for the right look, she attributes a handsome man to the column, not yet realizing he is an assassin who is none too pleased to be recognized. Hijinks ensue.
The Disappeared — March 22
A simple, powerful drama, The Disappeared is instantly uncomfortable, and tense throughout. A group of fishermen lose their vessel and take to a pair of lifeboats, where they try to survive starvation, dehydration and each other. Directed by East Coast novelist Shandi Mitchell, and starring Newfoundland native Shawn Doyle, The Disappeared is chilling and effective.
The Scene: an Exploration of Music in Toronto — March 23
A bit of musical documentary fare during a week that celebrates Canadian music as well as film, The Scene is an enjoyable film for any music fan living in Toronto. Bands young and old offer up their notions of Toronto as a music city in a film that will make you want to see a show right away.
Mr. Viral — March 23
Jefferson Brown gets two starring roles this festival as he plays both the leading man in Mr. Know It All and the titular ad exec in Mr.Viral. A dark, sinister comedy about cutthroat people and impressionable youngsters, Alex Boothby’s entry is both funny and uncomfortable, and it features a great performance by Montreal-born actress Alex Appel.
Canadian Film Fest, The Royal, March 20-23