The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.
12 Years a Slave
Rating: 5/5
Steve McQueen’s historical drama about a free black man kidnapped into slavery is flooring and utterly unforgettable. With an A-list cast, and a stirring performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead role, 12 Years a Slave is arguably the best film in the festival this year.
Solomon Northup is living a happy existence in pre-Civil War America with his wife and two children in upstate New York before being conned by two men, then drugged and transported to the south — without any papers proving he is in fact free. Subjected to the horrors of slave life, Northup is sent on a harrowing journey, passed from slave owner to slave owner and forced to endure humiliations, degradations and torture.
McQueen does not hold back, challenging the viewer to endure Northup’s shame and pain. It is shocking throughout, with unsettling and powerful performances by Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson and a very maniacal Michael Fassbender. It’s heart-wrenching and evocative, and a piece of filmmaking that is unparalleled in potency and meaning.
Sept. 14, Visa Screening Room, 9 p.m.
Sunshine on Leith
Rating: 4/5
It’s a Scottish musical, and as strange as that might sound, Sunshine on Leith is an irresistible, charming, engrossing pleasure. Based on the stage musical, which was crafted by the songs of famed Scottish band The Proclaimers (of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” fame), this cinematic adaptation is the right blend of humour, drama and energy.
Davy and Ally return home from war. As Ally reconnects with his girlfriend Liz (who is Davy’s sister), Davy begins a romance with Liz’s friend Yvonne (even though she’s English). Meanwhile, Davy’s and Liz’s parents are celebrating their 25th anniversary as a revelation threatens to break them apart.
Amid these parallel romantic storylines, not all of which end up as one would expect, there are some wonderful musical interludes, seamlessly integrated into the story and engagingly performed by a very talented cast. It’s hard not to be won over by the infectious sounds and gorgeous sights (Edinburgh is stunning), and by its stirring finish, you’ll be singing and dancing too — if not out loud, then in your head, at least.
Sept. 14, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 9:15 p.m.
Love is the Perfect Crime
Rating: 4/5
This French film starring the incomparable Mathieu Amalric is chilling — and not just because its addled characters live in the Swiss Alps.
As a professor of literature at one especially beautiful campus, Marc has a penchant for charming and bedding beautiful young coeds. He also has a peculiar relationship with his sister, who he lives with. A student goes missing at the school, however, and as an investigation proceeds, Marc becomes entangled with the student’s beautiful stepmother. He is warned against it, but can’t help his curiosity, and he enters into a mysterious relationship amid so many uncertainties.
Beautifully shot, this film also displays a wry sense of humour, where not only are you unsure of what will happen next, it’s hard to say what exactly is going on in the first place. Almaric is captivating, and this witty and at times deranged film is guiltily fun and gripping until its fateful conclusion.
Sept. 14, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 3:30 p.m.