My fourth day at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival could have been subtitled “The Gang’s All Here.”
You wouldn’t think that sitting around in dark rooms for hours on end would be a very social event, but in the age of social media, meeting up with friends at various points in the city has become a huge part of the week. Some might even say it’s the very best part of the week. It really has given the festival an added element of fun that wasn’t there in years past; I dare say that it’s even more fun than the screenings. With that in mind, Day Four was about finally getting some face-time with some of the out-of-towners I had yet to track down.
As the sun rose on Sunday morning and dried out the last of Saturday’s rain, there was a great deal of excitement on Yonge Street before today’s screening of Dallas Buyers Club. The film is the latest from director Jean-Marc Vallée and follows one Texas man’s attempt to keep himself and others alive during the AIDS crisis in America in the 1980s. A big part of the film’s allure is certainly Matthew McConaughey, who with this role continues his run of stellar performances. He’s startlingly gaunt in this film–as in, approaching Machinist territory. With his belt cinched impossibly tight, he wears a haunted expression on his sunken-in face, at least until he wants to charm or con. The film delivers the goods and will hopefully be on a lot of film fans’ radars going into the autumn months.
The next event was a little bit different. Sunday afternoon brought with it a Q&A with director Spike Jonze. Discussions like this happen often during TIFF, not just during festival week, but actually year-round at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. What made this one special was the fact that it was being moderated by Jonze’s friend, fellow director Kelly Reichardt.
Listening to the two directors speak began a little bit awkwardly. Both seemed slightly nervous, and neither seemed to be dead-certain on what road the discussion should take. While this could have been off-putting, it actually made the whole event feel genuine. Neither one seemed to like being the center of attention, and nobody seemed to want to bring up the usual talking points (“Discuss your process,” “What was your inspiration for…,” etc). Instead, it was a moment spent with two kids who play in a particular corner of the sandbox, as they expressed their graciousness for being able to keep playing there.
The only real awkwardness came when a member of the TIFF programming team stepped in to help field questions from the audience. In the moments to follow, Jonze made an impromptu comment about cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s work having a “feminine quality.” This caught Reichardt’s attention, and she pressed Jonze to clarify as she’d never heard any style of photography described as feminine. Has anyone?
Unfortunately for everyone present, the programmer didn’t understand what had just materialized in the conversation. She couldn’t grasp that Jonze and Reichardt had not only just tripped over the most intriguing bit of the afternoon, but also an idea that was completely unique. The programmer wanted to keep the line moving and interrupted to push Jonze and Reichardt to take the next question.
In closing, if anyone reading this is ever at an event where Spike Jonze is taking questions, please ask him to get into the nitty-gritty of “feminine cinematography.” The rest of us thank you.
More tomorrow with Kelly Reichardt, Richard Ayoade, and a lot of drinking.
