Three studio pictures and plenty of indie fare — including two of the year’s best films — jostle their way onto Toronto’s screens today, so you should start planning your weekend sooner rather than later.
Oh, and I’m judging a barbecue contest on the Danforth Saturday afternoon, if things weren’t weird enough in this city.
Bird Co. Media: Jason Bourque’s new movie — about idiot marketing bros in Mumbai — is being sold as a documentary. I don’t believe for a second that it is.
Boyhood: Now, here’s a dramatic feature that feels absolutely real. As I said at NXNE, Richard Linklater’s fantastic character study — of a boy, and a nation — is a miracle two times over. The first time because it exists, and the second because it is absolutely wonderful. You need to see this in a theatre.
Cinemanovels: Terry Miles, the strangely TIFF-beloved director of A Night for Dying Tigers, returns with another murky family drama — this one about a young woman (Laurel Lee Smith) trying to organize and understand her late father’s legacy. Rad likes certain bits of it, but doesn’t think it works as a whole.
The Dance of Reality: Given what may be his last kick at the can — and his first in a quarter-century — Alejandro Jodorowsky shoots the works with a semi-autobiographical and utterly surreal look at his own history. Crazy bananapants, in the best possible way.
Planes: Fire & Rescue: Yeah, they made another one. Poor Rad.
The Purge: Anarchy: Yeah, they made another one. Poor Rad.
Sex Tape: Bad Teacher buddies Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel and Jake Kasdan reunite for an unrelated farce, the best part of which — according to Andrew — is Rob Lowe. Well, that makes sense.
Snowpiercer: Bong Joon-ho’s long-awaited gonzo post-apocalyptic thriller is here, and it is also crazy bananapants in the best possible way. Also: dear god, are Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton great in it.
Video Games: The Movie: Jeremy Snead’s look at gaming and gamers is, sadly, as substantial as its title.
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago: Susan is profoundly unimpressed with this documentary about the epic journey narrator Martin Sheen (fictionally) took in The Way.
Wish I Was Here: A decade after Garden State, Rad finds, Zach Braff is still Zach Braff. I guess I’m not surprised, though since I really liked Garden State I hope I like this one too.
Boom! Roasted! Well, barbecued, I guess. You get what I’m going for.