Daily TIFF Dispatch: Three Lessons Learned

Saturday the skies opened up over TIFF 2013, leaving one to wonder if a large boat was sitting somewhere in the city and being filled up with animals two-by-two. Around every festival venue, the streets were lined with puddles, umbrellas, and soggy, soggy, moviegoers. The mood however was still jovial, as two full days worth of watching began to give people more answers for the inevitable conversation starter “Have you seen anything good?”

For me, day three was the day of three lessons; Lessons I’ve learned before, but lessons I need to re-learn every year.

LESSON 1: Sometimes, The Hype is Earned…

For me the day began with 12 Years a Slave. The film, the latest from director Steve McQueen, has been receiving a massive amount of praise since it was first unveiled at Telluride last week. The praise from Colorado was echoed tenfold when it got its TIFF bow on Friday night. In passing, one critic even used the word “masterpiece”.

Could this all be true, or was I setting myself up for a major letdown?

Indeed, those who had been talking it up were right. The film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, and a host of other big names is an unflinching look at an era in American history that was in danger of being forgotten. It is mutli-faceted, brutal, elegant, and deeply moving. As the lights came up on its encore screening Saturday morning, it received a well-deserved standing ovation. Director Steve McQueen and the cast took the stage afterwards, and were both proud and humbled by the reception the film had earned.

Some films don’t live up to the big things you hear about them on the festival circuit. This is not one of those films.

LESSON 2: When in Doubt, Check the Resume…

When planning one’s festival schedule, it can get rather daunting deciding which of the few hundred films to see. Certain titles will jump out – for example subjects that appeal, or countries that deliver a preferred flavour.

Sometimes though, a great idea is to look at the bottom of the program listing, where highlights from the director’s filmography are listed. Have they done a film or two you like? Odds are they have more good things in-store for you. For me, that was the case with my second showing of the day, Like Father Like Son.

The film is director Hirokazu Koreeda’s follow-up to the very beautiful I Wish, which wowed TIFF audiences two festivals ago. With that film in mind, I decided to run with this selection without much regard for its plot or cast.

Koreeda’s track record turned out to be a reputable guide, as Like Father Like Son played out with as much heart, emotion, and charm as I’d anticipated. The film centres on two Japanese families linked by a strange mishap surrounding their children. The mishap causes one of the two families – the higher class one at that – to undergo a lot of self-examination. The parents, and the father specifically, wonder just it is to be a dad, and whether the true connection of family comes from blood, love, discipline, or something else altogether.

Like Father Like Son did not disappoint, and if you don’t want to take my word for it, know that Steven Spielberg is already trying to acquire the rights for a North American remake. (See this version first if you can)

LESSON 3: They’re Not All Diamonds…

As the rain finally subsided, and day turned to night, my run of wonderful moviegoing came to a screeching halt.

The film in question is a smaller entry, and one that I don’t believe has any distribution secured. I won’t be referring to it by name, mostly because I don’t believe in beating up on smaller projects.

Unfortunately, the film was a mess. It lacked any fluidity, much sense of logic, and real emotion, or any type of cohesion. It was a story that had potential, but needed a lot more finesse and polish than what was screened at the Scotiabank Theatre on this night.

I only bring it up to point out that not even a film festival is a safe place for quality filmgoing. You’re at the mercy of the tastes of a few dozen people, and even a bit of pr maneuvering. There will be films chosen that just don’t land, and there will be films chosen that are indeed flat-out bad. It’s a pity when such screenings happen, usually because audiences start thinking of what else they could have been watching, but it’s a part of the drill.

Day four promises a quick rebound, with Dallas Buyer’s Club on tap, along with an in-depth discussion with director Spike Jonze.

What’s more, as I look out my window I see the sun shining in a bright blue sky.