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šŸ"Chasing the Buzz": 36 films coming to TIFF 2021 that film lovers really want to see


Dystopian thriller "Night Raiders," the feature debut by Cree-MĆ©tis filmmaker Danis Goulet, topped the Toronto Star's annual "Chasing the Buzz" poll of hot films heading to the Toronto International Film Festival.


Peter Howell

Movie Critic


The Delta blues canā€™t drown out TIFF buzz.


Like the rest of us, the Toronto International Film Festival is still battling COVID-19, this time the worrisome Delta variant that is much easier to catch.


But reel life must go on ā€” and so must our annual hunt for the most buzzworthy films at the fest.


The festā€™s 46th edition is scheduled to run Sept. 9 to 18, with both in-person screenings (theatres and drive-ins) and online viewings. With 132 features and 37 shorts, itā€™s less than half the size of a usual TIFF, but itā€™s hoping to punch above its weight the same way TIFF 2020 did.


So itā€™s time for the 21st edition of ā€œChasing the Buzz,ā€ the Starā€™s annual dive into the hive of pre-TIFF anticipation, taken from a poll of film critics, writers, programmers and scholars.


Thereā€™s a runaway winner this year, a movie thatā€™s as unsettling as a nightmare and as urgent as a headline: ā€œNight Raiders,ā€ a dystopian sci-fi thriller by Torontoā€™s Danis Goulet, a Cree-MĆ©tis filmmaker. Set in a military-run North America following a ruinous future war, the film stars Elle-MĆ”ijĆ” Tailfeathers as a Cree mother seeking to save her daughter (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart) from a forced education camp that recalls the horrors of residential schools.


Women filmmakers also dominated the next most popular choices, five films that took three votes apiece: ā€œBeba,ā€ an unflinching and racially aware self-portrait by filmmaker Rebeca Huntt; ā€œEarwig,ā€ a trippy drama by Lucile Hadžihalilović about a girl with ice cubes for teeth; ā€œLast Night In Soho,ā€ Edgar Wrightā€™s time-travelling psycho-thriller starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie as two sides of the same woman; ā€œThe Power of the Dog,ā€ a fraternally fraught western by Jane Campion starring Benedict Cumberbatch that arrives with much Oscar speculation; and ā€œTitane,ā€ Julia Ducournauā€™s Palme dā€™Or-winning shocker that gives a shocking twist to auto-eroticism.


There were also nine films with two votes apiece and 21 films with one vote apiece.


A total of 36 films shook our hive this year, which we hope will assist you in selecting from the 132 features coming to TIFF 2021.


Films that score in ā€œChasing the Buzzā€ are often seen on the road to Oscar glory. That was the path followed last year by ā€œNomadland,ā€ one of our 2020 top buzz picks that went all the way to Best Picture, Best Director (ChloĆ© Zhao) and Best Actress (Frances McDormand) at the Academy Awards. Previous buzz quests have also turned up Oscar winners: ā€œMoonlight,ā€ ā€œLa La Land,ā€ ā€œ12 Years a Slaveā€ and more, although the awards potential is really just a bonus. The goal of our poll is to find the best movies among the many unspooling at the festival.


Each of our 30 panellists was asked to name and explain the movie theyā€™re most keen on. Just for fun, and additional insights, we asked them to name a ā€œwild cardā€ pick with no explanations given. Letā€™s get buzzing:


šŸ MOVIE WITH SIX VOTES


Night Raiders (Danis Goulet)


ā—† ā€œCree and MĆ©tis filmmaker Danis Goulet draws on Canadaā€™s painful ongoing history of colonization to deliver a propulsive piece of genre fiction. The dystopia is us. Brilliant.ā€ ā€” Cameron Bailey, TIFF artistic director and co-head (Wild card: ā€œMontana Storyā€)


ā—† ā€œYou had me at Cree dystopian thriller. Danisā€™s debut feature uses a sci-fi prism to reflect on Canadaā€™s shameful residential school past, present and future, resulting in an unforgettable ride.ā€ ā€” R.T. Thorne, producer, director, screenwriter (Wild card: ā€œColin in Black & Whiteā€)


ā—† ā€œItā€™s a dystopian thriller that looks to be an exciting entry into the Indigenous futurism genre.ā€ ā€” Kelly Boutsalis, freelancer writer, journalist (Wild card: ā€œThe Rescueā€)

(The other three votes are wild card picks.)


šŸ MOVIES WITH THREE VOTES


Beba (Rebeca Huntt)


ā—† ā€œRebeca Hunttā€™s intimate documentary memoir is a love letter to Black womenā€™s exceptional existence. Created by a rebellious crew of mostly women, Bebaā€™s journey illuminates the stories seldom told.ā€ ā€” Maxine Bailey, executive director, Canadian Film Centre (Wild card: ā€œDionne Warwick: Donā€™t Make Me Overā€)


ā—† ā€œAt age 31, Huntt makes a stunning debut exploring family dysfunction, racial identity and coming of age.ā€ ā€” Thom Powers, TIFF programmer, podcast host (Wild Card: ā€œListening to Kenny Gā€)


ā—† ā€œFirst-time filmmaker Hunttā€™s personal ruminations on her Dominican-Venezuelan heritage as she navigates race/class issues in young American adulthood sounds like lovely and consequential breakout material (and one thatā€™s especially resonant for this Colombian-American writer).ā€ ā€” Eric Kohn, vice-president, editorial strategy, IndieWire (Wild card: ā€œEarwigā€)


Earwig (Lucile Hadžihalilović)


ā—† ā€œHadžihalilovićā€™s latest sounds like a parody of her work for the still-too-small coterie of people who would get such a joke. ā€˜A young girl with ice cubes for teeth begins a mysterious journey.ā€™ Of course she does.ā€ ā€” Donald Clarke, critic, Irish Times (Wild card: ā€œYou Are Not My Motherā€)


(The other two votes are wild card picks.)


Last Night In Soho (Edgar Wright)


ā—† ā€œI have yet to miss an Edgar Wright film. This sounds very trippy and it stars Anya Taylor-Joy, who is a hypnotic presence in everything.ā€ ā€” Jim Slotek, critic, editor, Original-Cin (Wild card: ā€œTitaneā€)


ā—† ā€œEdgar Wright worships at the shrine of genre cinema, and his foray into psychological horror looks like a giallo-tinged love letter to ā€˜Repulsionā€™ and ā€˜Donā€™t Look Now.ā€™ ā€” Victor Stiff, senior critic, That Shelf (Wild card: ā€œNight Raidersā€)

(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)


ā—† ā€œCampionā€™s first film in 12 years is a triumph worth waiting for. The film is a mesmerizing, revisionist take on the American western featuring a career-best performance from Benedict Cumberbatch.ā€ ā€” Joana Vicente, TIFF executive director and co-head (Wild card: ā€œCharlotteā€)


ā—† ā€œThe big-screen return of Jane Campion with a Western about warring brothers adapted from Thomas Savageā€™s groundbreaking novel and a cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Thomasin McKenzie, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Iā€™m all in.ā€ ā€” Linda Barnard, freelance film critic (Wild card: ā€œLast Night in Sohoā€)


ā—† ā€œBuzz is very strong for the only film to be chosen for each of the big four fall festivals ā€¦ Campion won the Palme dā€™Or in 1993 for ā€˜The Piano,ā€™ but Oscar has never come knocking at her door. This film could change that.ā€ ā€” Jordan Ruimy, critic, World of Reel (Wild card: ā€œUnclenching the Fistsā€)


Titane (Julia Ducournau)


All three votes for ā€œTitaneā€ were wild card picks.


šŸ MOVIES WITH TWO VOTES


All My Puny Sorrows (Michael McGowan)


ā—† ā€œIā€™m looking forward to McGowanā€™s film, adapted from Miriam Toewsā€™ novel. It was a favourite book club selection and the casting of Alison Pill and Sarah Gadon as the troubled sisters is genius.ā€ ā€” MichĆØle Maheux, former TIFF executive director (Wild card: ā€œLo Invisibleā€)


ā—† ā€œIā€™ve been a Michael McGowan fan since ā€˜Saint Ralph.ā€™ I love that he leans into emotion. The pairing of Sarah Gadon and Alison Pill in this adaptation of a beloved Canadian novel is gold-star talent from this country.ā€ ā€” Teri Hart, producer, host, Super Channel (Wild card: ā€œNight Raidersā€)


Benediction (Terence Davies)


ā—† ā€œThe combination of Siegfried Sassoonā€™s famed poetry and books on the First World War, and the fierce determination of Terence Daviesā€™ unerring instinct to uncover unsettling truths is irresistible.ā€ ā€” Piers Handling, former TIFF CEO (Wild card: ā€œEarwigā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Dionne Warwick: Donā€™t Make Me Over (Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner)


ā—† ā€œIā€™m a sucker for music documentaries so Iā€™m all in for this. It promises rare footage, great music and an in-depth look at a very private superstar.ā€ ā€” Richard Crouse, host, ā€œPop Lifeā€ (Wild card: ā€œCompartment No. 6ā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Learn to Swim (Thyrone Tommy)


ā—† ā€œMaking the leap to feature films, Tommyā€™s tale of a stormy romance between two jazz musicians is a must-see love story for me.ā€ ā€” Courtney Small, film critic, That Shelf (Wild card: ā€œDug Dugā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)


ā—† ā€œApichatpong Weerasethakul teaming up with Tilda Swinton is definitely going to spark up the screen!ā€ ā€” Alice Shih, critic, Fairchild Radio (Wild Card: ā€œTitaneā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


The Rescue (E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)


ā—† ā€œThe ā€˜Free Soloā€™ Oscar winners follow their death-defying mountain movie with a deep dive on the 2018 Thai cave rescue.ā€ ā€” Pat Mullen, publisher, POV Magazine (Wild card: ā€œDrunken Birdsā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Spencer (Pablo LarraĆ­n)


ā—† "Pablo LarraĆ­nā€™s gift for unresolvable tension and the ever-deepening talent of Kristen Stewart means we are in for an insightful and vividly emotional profile of the peopleā€™s princess." ā€” Sherry Coman, media professor, Martin Luther University College (Wild card: ā€œNight Raidersā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Unclenching the Fists (Kira Kovalenko)


ā—† ā€œIn an industrial town in the North Caucasus, a middle child struggles to escape the stifling grip of the family she both loves and rejects. This claustrophobic second feature from co-writer and director Kira Kovalenko was the winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at this yearā€™s Cannes Film Festival.ā€ ā€” Dorota Lech, TIFF programmer (Wild card: ā€œThe Hill Where Lionesses Roarā€)


(The other vote is a wild card pick.)


Charlotte (Eric Warin, Tahir Rana)


(Both votes for ā€œCharlotteā€ are wild card picks.)


šŸ MOVIES WITH ONE VOTE


Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)


ā—† ā€œMaybe itā€™s thanks to Lee Chang-dongā€™s ā€˜Burning,ā€™ but a Murakami adaptation is my kind of ride. Based on some reactions at Cannes, this film sounds stylish, contemplative, even a little sleepy. Iā€™m buckled in.ā€ ā€” Jake Howell, writer, freelance film programmer (Wild Card: ā€œSpencerā€)


A Hero (Asghar Farhadi)


ā—† ā€œFew directors set up scenarios that so astutely and subtly capture the foibles and complexities of relationships like Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.ā€ ā€” Karen Gordon, critic, Original-Cin (Wild card: ā€œMemoriaā€)


The Mad Womenā€™s Ball (MĆ©lanie Laurent)


ā—† ā€œThis exquisitely made feature debut by MĆ©lanie Laurent is a heart-wrenching portrait of a woman locked up and tortured because she sees spirits.ā€ ā€” Anne Brodie, critic, What She Said! (Wild Card: ā€œBenedictionā€)


Official Competition (Mariano Cohn, GastĆ³n Duprat)


ā—† ā€œOscar Martinez? Antonio Banderas? PenĆ©lope Cruz? Por favor. Itā€™s going to be magical.ā€ ā€” Maria Alejandra Sosa, TIFF head of media relations and strategy (Wild card: ā€œThe Boxā€)


Petite Maman (CĆ©line Sciamma)


ā—† ā€œTwo years later and I still havenā€™t fully recovered from the devastating final act of ā€˜Portrait of a Lady on Fire.ā€™ If CĆ©line Sciamma has a movie, Iā€™m there ā€” no synopsis needed.ā€ ā€” Jerry Nadarajah, movie lover (Wild card: ā€œTitaneā€)


Scarborough (Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson)


ā—† ā€œThis talented Toronto duoā€™s first narrative feature ā€” Catherine Hernandezā€™s adaptation of her own acclaimed novel ā€” is a quietly powerful story of love and community.ā€ ā€” Jennie Punter, writer, editor, Variety, Musicworks (Wild card: ā€œWildhoodā€)


The Survivor (Barry Levinson)


ā—† ā€œBen Foster, one of the best actors we have working today, plays a boxer forced to fight for his life and the sadistic amusement of his Nazi captors in a Second World War concentration camp. Jumping between that previous timeline and post-captivity, director Barry Levinsonā€™s true-story drama is sure to be ā€¦ a compelling testament to the fighting power of the human spirit.ā€ ā€” Matt Neglia, editor in chief, NextBestPicture.com (Wild card: ā€œCharlotteā€)


The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier)


ā—† ā€œLongtime TIFF favourite Joachim Trier returns with the third instalment of his trilogy, which began with ā€˜Reprise.ā€™ This may be his most vibrant film yet. It stars Renate Reinsve (Best Actress at Cannes) as a woman determined to live her life in her own terms.ā€ ā€” Steve Gravestock, TIFF senior programmer (Wild card: ā€œLearn to Swimā€)


The remaining one-vote films, all wild card picks, are: ā€œThe Boxā€ (Lorenzo Vigas); ā€œColin in Black & Whiteā€ (Ava DuVernay); ā€œCompartment No. 6ā€ (Juho Kuosmanen); ā€œDrunken Birdsā€ (Ivan Grbovic); ā€œDug Dugā€ (Ritwik Pareek); ā€œThe Eyes of Tammy Fayeā€ (Michael Showalter); ā€œJaggedā€ (Alison Klayman); ā€œListening to Kenny Gā€ (Penny Lane); ā€œMontana Storyā€ (Scott McGehee, David Siegel); ā€œThe Hill Where Lionesses Roarā€ (LuĆ na Bajrami); ā€œLo Invisibleā€ (Javier Andrade); ā€œWildhoodā€ (Bretten Hannam) and ā€œYou Are Not My Motherā€ (Kate Dolan). šŸŒ—


(This story originally ran in the Toronto Star.)


Twitter: @peterhowellfilm



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