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.
Labor Day
Rating: 3/5
Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin star in this intimate and tense family drama that takes place over the course of an unforgettable Labor Day weekend in the ’80s. Brolin plays Frank, an escaped convict who encounters 13-year-old Henry and his reclusive mother in a department store and forces them to take him to safety.
With his physical prowess, menacing goatee and measured speech, Frank is unpredictable. Winslet’s Adele is soft-spoken and vulnerable, while young Henry watches with protective eyes. As we slowly learn about the past of both Frank and Adele — two people who share more in common than it initially seems — they start to form a bond. Frank, Adele and Henry all have voids in their lives that need to be filled, and each will see their life change dramatically with what transpires.
Beautifully shot and directed by Canadian filmmaker Jason Reitman, Labor Day is powerful and poignant, lifted by great performances from the leads and youngster Gattlin Griffith. Subtle and nuanced, this film festival entry looks to make big waves come award season.
Sept. 8, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 9 a.m.
Sept 14., Ryerson Theatre, 6 p.m.
The Armstrong Lie
Rating: 4.5/5
In 2009, director Alex Gibney set out to make a documentary about Lance Armstrong’s dramatic return to cycling. Armstong was seeking an eighth win at the Tour de France while continuing to shrug off accusations of doping.
What happened during filming, however, was something that seems to happen with the best documentaries — the narrative changed drastically as Armstrong was stripped of his titles for using illegal drugs to enhance his performance.
Gibney, like so many others, was duped by Armstrong. He chronicles the plight of those harmed by Armstrong’s insatiable desire to win, and is also given an exclusive interview with the controversial Armstrong in this comprehensive and riveting documentary.
Sept. 8, Ryerson Theatre, 2:45 p.m.
Sept. 9, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 2:15 p.m.
The Unknown Known
Rating: 4/5
Famed documentarian Errol Morris creates an engaging film around a lengthy interview with former U. S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. A man who has been at the ear of many Presidents, Rumsfeld wrote hundreds of thousands of notes and memos to himself and staff, and Morris dives into these correspondences.
The title refers to the Iraq War, a phrase crafted by Rumsfeld, who seemed to embrace words and language. While Morris discusses post-9/11 America as well as Rumsfeld’s rise through politics, he paints a beautiful picture on-screen with words and haunting images, propelled by a curious Danny Elfman score. Rumsfeld is candid and charming, and Morris’s questions elicit fascinating answers from a man who loves to talk.
Sept. 8, TIFF Lightbox 1, 6:45 p.m.
Sept. 10, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 9 a.m.
