TIFF: Day Two

Don't be afraid if this blog goes quiet over the weekend -- many, many movies to see, and many, many coffees to drink. I'll try to post if I get a minute, but in all likelihood my spare time's going to be spent taking the dog out for some air.

In the meantime, here are today's Metro picks. Hope you find something you can get into.

"Citizen Duane"

Michael Mabbott, who brought "The Life and Times of Guy Terrifico" to last year’s festival, returns with this slightly absurd and wholly entertaining comedy about a teenager (Douglas Smith) who challenges the power structure of his small town by running for mayor. Smith is great as the flawed hero who’s not quite as resourceful or as smart as he thinks he is, the script (by Jonathan Sobol and Robert DeLeskie) never quite goes in the direction you’d expect, and Donal Logue, Alberta Watson, Jane McGregor and Rosemary Dunsmore turn in strong supporting performances.

8:45 pm at the Paramount 3; repeats Sunday, 3:30 pm at the Paramount 3.

"The Host"

Korean director Bong Joon-ho, of the genre-hopping 2004 thriller "Memories of Murder", delivers this spectacular monster movie about a giant mutant fish thing running amok along the Han River. Entirely satisfying as an effects romp, "The Host" is also the surprisingly emotional tale of a dysfunctional family knitting itself back together in the wake of the monster’s rampage. Hell, it even works as a clever allegory for modern Korean society. Why isn’t this a Gala?

12 am at the Ryerson Theatre; repeats Sunday, 3:45 pm at the Paramount 2.

Also worthwhile:

"The Italian"
9:45 am at the Paramount 3; repeats Sunday, 7:30 pm at the Varsity 3

"Requiem"
11:45 am at the Paramount 1; repeats Thursday, 9:30 pm at the Varsity 2

"The Best of Norman McLaren"
4:45 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre

"Volver"
9:30 pm at Roy Thomson Hall; repeats Saturday, 9:30 am at the Ryerson Theatre

"Suburban Mayhem"
10 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre; repeats Sunday, 10:45 am at the Paramount 3

"La Tourneuse de Pages"
Saturday, 9:15 at the Paramount 4

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley"
Saturday, 12 pm at the Elgin

"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Saturday, 1:15 pm at the Paramount 2

"The US vs John Lennon"
Saturday, 3:30 pm at the Ryerson Theatre; repeats Monday, 8 pm at the Varsity 2 & 3

"Fido"
Saturday, 3:45 pm at the Paramount 2

"Lake of Fire"
Saturday, 5:30 pm at the Varsity 8; repeats Monday, 9 am at the Varsity 8 and Sept. 16, 4:30 pm at the Cumberland 3

"Stranger Than Fiction"
Saturday, 6 pm at the Elgin; repeats Monday, 12:30 pm at the Ryerson Theatre

"Family Ties"
Saturday, 8 pm at the Varsity 3; repeats Monday, 11 am at the Paramount 3 and Sept. 16, 6 pm at the Cumberland 4

"Venus"
Saturday, 9 pm at the Elgin; repeats Monday, 12:15 pm at the Paramount 1

"Picture of Light"
Sunday, 10 am at the Al Green Theatre; repeats Sept. 16, 5 pm at the Varsity 7

"Radiant City"
Sunday, 2:15 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre; repeats Tuesday, 8:45 pm at the Cumberland 2

"Pan’s Labyrinth"
Sunday, 3 pm at the Elgin; repeats Wednesday, 11:45 am at the Varsity 8

"For Your Consideration"
Sunday, 6:30 at Roy Thomson Hall; repeats Monday, 12 pm at the Elgin

Technorati tags: Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF