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.
Tracks
Rating: 3.5/5
The talented and captivating Mia Wasikowska stars in three films at TIFF. In this one, the Australia-born actress finds herself portraying Robyn Davidson, a famed trekker in Aussie history. In 1977, Davidson decided to cross the Australian desert alone.
Why exactly? Well, the film doesn’t dig too deeply into Davidson’s past, but it does embrace her curiosity and determination.
Tracks is bathed in sunlight. The heat is palpable, and Wasikowska is shown with all the effects that an isolated sun-soaked trek would have. Davidson’s animal companions — a quartet of camels and her faithful dog — keep the film noisy and cinematic.
It’s more about the journey than the destination, and more about the how than the why, but it’s a fascinating tale to watch unfold, with a very refreshing ending.
Sept. 10, Visa Screening Room (Elgin), 6 p.m.
Sept. 11, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 2:45 p.m.
The Sacrament
Rating: 3/5
An entry into the Vanguard programme, this tension-filled, moody, psychological thriller is brought to us by the surging young director Ti West. The Sacrament is not for everyone, as this found-footage film is a slow, determined look at fanaticism and cult behavior.
Provided you buy into the conceit, which follows a three-man team from Vice magazine as they investigate a remote commune, you will find much to enjoy. West stays dedicated to his cause, bringing the audience on the same journey as his protagonists. Their initial hesitation is heightened upon arrival to the rural escape, then alleviated by charm, then once again enforced as secrets are revealed.
We all know something is coming, we just don’t know what. West takes his time, keeps his film focused and takes us through a simplistic yet terrifying finale. This one may divide audiences, but it’s surely memorable.
Sept. 10, Scotiabank 7, 9:45 p.m.
Sept. 13, Scotiabank 3, 8:45 p.m.
When Jews Were Funny
Rating: 3/5
Alan Zweig’s personal and curious documentary centers on one simple question with many different answers. Zweig feels that all the comedians that he idolized from the ’50s and ’60s were Jewish, but he isn’t quite sure why he feels that way. He also wonders if the kind of comedy created in that era might ever exist in the same way again.
Interviews with a variety of Jewish comics produce opposing thoughts and many funny jokes. Older comedians such as Shelley Berman and Jack Carter deny Zweig’s notion, contesting the idea of a Jewish comic. The comedians of the next generation, though, including Howie Mandel and Bob Einstein, offer different theories.
What makes When Jews Were Funny interesting is that the director doesn’t have a specific answer in mind, so he allows for all kinds of thoughts and theories, even if they challenge his initial idea. Viewers will have their own opinions too, and so with lots of think about, and lots to laugh at, Zweig’s doc is refreshingly open-ended and witty.
Sept. 10, Scotiabank 13, 9:15 p.m.
Sept. 15, Scotiabank 9, 4:45 p.m.