I wrote this round-up of my time at TIFF16 for BuffaloSpree.com. Note that my suspicions about La La Land taking the People’s Choice Award were indeed correct.
For me, the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival is over. But TIFF16 actually runs through Sunday, the day we’ll discover which film has won the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. (My money is on La La Land.)
There is plenty more to come from me on the festival, including a feature in the November Spree. But in the meantime, here’s a brief ranking of the 26 TIFF entries I saw during or before the festival. You’re going to hear a lot more about Jackie, Manchester by the Sea, Nocturnal Animals, Moonlight, American Honey, Toni Erdmann, Elle, and Arrival in the months to come. Without further ado, my TIFF16 ranking:
- Jackie
- Manchester by the Sea
- Nocturnal Animals
- Moonlight
- American Honey
- Personal Shopper
- Toni Erdmann
- Una
- Elle
- Arrival
- Lady Macbeth
- Werewolf
- The Birth of a Nation
- We Are Never Alone
- Clair Obscur
- City of Tiny Lights
- Dog Eat Dog
- Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey
- A Monster Calls
- Trespass Against Us
- Marija
- Past Life
- Little Wing
- Le Ciel Flamand
- Pyromaniac
- In the Blood
One film to call attention to is Lady Macbeth. Part of TIFF’s Platform series, the film is a shockingly dark period piece about a young woman in a passionless marriage. What follows involves sex, murder, and some stunning set pieces, all centered on a killer performance from star Florence Pugh. Happily, the film was bought by distributor Roadside Attractions during the festival and will be released in 2017.
A quieter film than many of the festival biggies, Lady Macbeth is the perfect festival find. Keep it on your radar.