TIFF Jury of One: Nathaniel
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 2:00PM 
Channing & Chastain hit TIFFAnd now, a superfluous but fun-to-write "awards" wrap of the 25 films I saw at TIFF to close out the coverage. I did a little wrap post for Towleroad as well, focused on the LGBT content and the celebs, but if you're a TFE regular I know what you like: awards and lists!
I had intended to see 40 films but with only 8 days of actual screening time (travelling the other 2 days) that proved ridiculous to even try for, impossible really. Especially since I was planning to AND DID write up everything I saw before the festival actually ended. I've never written this quickly so excuse the typos (yeesh).
If you were reading along the whole time this might feel redundant but who doesn't love to box their experiences up in list format? In a festival with hundreds of films everyone has a different experience so this was mine... with nominations only. Don't even ask me to pick winners because I like things to marinate. It's good to get a little distance before bold decrees of "THE BEST!"
BEST PICTURE
links go to the reviews
Xavier Dolan and Anne Dorval on the set of "Mommy"
- Force Majeure (Sweden) -Magnolia Pictures. Opens October 24th
- Mommy (Canada) - Roadside Attractions will release. When though? Unfortunately they aren't exactly a swift distributor. (A headscratcher addendum: Xavier Dolan's Tom at the Farm, which debuted last year at TIFF is still without a US distributor. US audiences just can't jump on the Dolan train without hitting festivals. Maybe that will change with all three of his first features currently winning new fans on Netflix Instant now)
- A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden) - Currently without US distributor
- Wild (USA) - Fox Searchlight. Opens December 5th
- Wild Tales (Argentina) - Sony Pictures Classics will release. When though?
My favorites at the fest turned out to be this eclectic mix of two Swedish comedies, one hyperstylized the other realistic and intellectually provocative, one Canadian melodrama about a bad seed and his wild mommy, one Oscar bound US solo hiking trip, and an exciting Argentian anthology mixing revenge, thrills and comedy.
Favorite Scenes and Performances After the Jump
10 FAVORITE SCENES
- 'Nature's Supermarket' Charlie's Country
- 'Second Couple Ripples,' Force Majeure
- 'Joan's Test,' Imitation Game
- 'Miyazaki & The Cat,' Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
- 'Dance Studio,' A Pigeon Sat on a Branch
- 'Third Encounter with Death,' A Pigeon Sat on a Branch
- 'The Owl Witch's Defeat' Song of the Sea
- 'Alice Discovers Her Own Instructions,' Still Alice
- 'Bridge of the Gods,' Wild
- 'Vertical Cars,' Wild Tales
I don't like to spoil any great moments but once you've seen these pictures you can return to this post later and nod through my brilliant assessment. It's too early to say that I'll never forget these scenes but they're the ones that I'm constantly flashing back to and thus became my takeaways from the movie binge.
BEST MUSICAL MOMENT
1943 via "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch"
- 1943 in A Pigeon Sat on a Branch
- Drag Show in The New Girlfriend
- "The Next Ten Minutes," from The Last Five Years
- Schoenart Sings in A Little Chaos
- "A Summer in Ohio," from The Last Five Years
The write-up on The Last Five Years was the single most popular post this month so obviously a lot of people are curious about the film. I wish I had had better news than "strong in ways that really count (performance/music), very weak in others that also really count (direction)" but I had to tell it like it is. That said, I hope to be able to ignore the flaws and just enjoy the music next time now that I know how the film turned out because this musical score is heaven, as is (even more) the act of hearing only actually gifted singers sing in a movie musical again.
I mean, it's been since, what, arguably Dreamgirls? But even that one had that Jamie Foxx number. And before that god knows how far back.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Alejandro Pérez - Behavior
- Fredrik Wenzel -Force Majeure
- Óscar Faura - Imitation Game
- André Turpin - Mommy
- Yves Belanger - Wild
COSTUME DESIGN
- Sammy Sheldon - Imitation Game
- Kasia Walicka-Maimone - Foxcatcher
- Consolate Boyle - Miss Julie
- Xavier Dolan - Mommy
- Steven Noble - Theory of Everything
ART DIRECTION
- Astrid Strøm Astrump & Tim Pannen -1001 Grams
- Jess Gonchor - Foxcatcher
- Maria Djurkovic -Imitation Game
- ??? - A Pigeon Sat on a Branch
- John Paul Kelly - Theory of Everything
EDITING
- Pedro Suarez - Behavior
- William Goldenberg - Imitation Game
- Amdrea Mertens - Labyrinth of Lies
- Martin Pensa - Wild
- Pablo Barbiere Carrera & Damián Szifrón - Wild Tales
SOUND DESIGN
ORIGINAL SCORE / ADAPTED SCORE / MUSIC IN GENERAL
- Jason Robert Brown -The Last Five Years
- Ramón Cordero, Benjamin de Menil, Edilio Paredes - Sand Dollars
- Jóhann Jóhannsson - Theory of Everything
- ??? -Wild
- Gustavo Santaolalla - Wild Tales
BEST ACTRESS
Oscar loves a senior citizen/young person drama. Cuba best submit "Behavior"
- Anaïs Demoustier as "Claire" in The New Girlfriend
Great at opening the secret compartments in this woman's inner life and slamming them shut again without warning. This fresh ginger beauty (was new to me as an actress and I am ready for more. - Anne Dorval as "Die" in Mommy
Never less than riveting in this star turn that's both vulgar and vulnerable, highwire and well modulated - Julianne Moore as "Alice Howland" in Still Alice
Alice may be losing herself, but Julianne refinds that minimalist wonder we first spotted in Vanya on 42nd Street and [safe] - Alina Rodriguez as "Carmela" in Behavior
A heroic teacher but her inflexibility and superiority also cues you in to why she's such a handful for the school board - Reese Witherspoon as "Cheryl Strayed" in Wild
Subtly confident and with a wide range of feeling, particularly those directed inwardly as befits the subject matter
BEST ACTOR
He does, yes. Fehling knows just how to carry a movie.
- Benedict Cumberbatch as "Alan Turing" in The Imitation Game
Multifaceted playing and vanity free and great with other actors - Alexander Fehling as "Johann Radmann" in Labyrinth of Lies
Expert modulation from another day at work to sleepless and haunted - Armando Valdez Friere as "Chala" in Behavior
A naturalistic wonder with a broad range of vulnerabilities and fronts - Eddie Redmayne as "Stephen Hawking" in Theory of Everything
Expert mimicry with touches of humor, despair, and observational survival compromises - Channing Tatum as "Mark Schultz" in Foxcatcher
An astonishing submersion into this inarticulate bruised man-child
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Suzanne Clement as "Kyla" in Mommy
Arguably a lead but I'm not fussy about this case. Love this movie - Keira Knightley as "Joan Clarke" in Imitation Game
Exactly what her movie needs... on such a roll right now - Erica Rivas as "Romina" in Wild Tales
Here comes the Bride(zilla)... but you can't say she wasn't provoked - Alina Rosen as "Yana" in The Farewell Party
Terse and angry but also unexpectedly warm and generous - Kristen Stewart as "Lydia" in Still Alice
Holding her own surprisingly well with real cluttered affection for her screen parents
SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Matthew Goode as "Hugh Alexander" in Imitation Game
The kind of performer and role that's strong in ways people don't even notice. And I swear he's not here just because he's the most beautiful British man on earth - Kristofer Hivju as "Mats" in Force Majeure
Beautifully sympathetic in his diplomacy and super funny, too. Plus so memorable looking, this giant ginger Viking - Kompheak Phoeung as "Douch" in The Gate
An untrained actor but he makes good as the curious antagonist who decides to be merciful... at least to one in a thousand - Ze'ez Revach as "Yehezkel" in The Farewell Party
Arguably the lead as the tinkererer who can't bear to see people suffer. But it is an ensemble movie through and through. - Mark Ruffalo as "David Schultz" in Foxcatcher
Brilliantly paternal, patient and tactile as this brother who has always been a father
LIMITED ROLE / CAMEO
- Rita Cortese as "Cook" in Wild Tales
I can't imagine Almodóvar isn't now interested in casting half of these actors - Jennifer Ehle as "Madame de Montespan" in A Little Chaos
Just superb in her one important scene. 'Such kindness!' - Practically Anyone in Wild
the film gains a lot from its mosaic of brief impressions of people along Cheryl's path - Vanessa Redgrave as "Jean Du Pont" in Foxcatcher
Infinitely superior than thou! - not sure of her name in Force Majeure
a polyamorous friend
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
SEXPOT
- Ole Giaever as "Martin" in Out of Nature
- Hera Hilmar as "Eik" in Life in a Fishbowl
- Michiel Huisman as "Johnathan" in Wild
- Yanet Mojica as "Noeli" in Sand Dollars
- Matthias Schoenaerts as "Andre Le Norte" in A Little Chaos
...and can I just say how thoroughly unnerved I continue to be that every other foreign actor of note that pops up in any festival movie from Norther Europe or Scandinavia has appeared on Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones is to European actors what Law & Order once was to NYC SAG-holders.
25 FILMS / REVIEWS IN ALPHA ORDER
1001 Grams | Behavior | Charlie's Country | Cub
The Farewell Party | Force Majeure | Foxcatcher
The Gate | The Imitation Game | Kingdom of Dreams...
Labyrinth of Lies | The Last Five Years | Life in a Fishbowl
A Little Chaos | Miss Julie | Mommy | The New Girlfriend
Out of Nature | A Pigeon Sat on a Branch...
Sand Dollars | Song of the Sea | Still Alice
The Theory of Everything | Wild | Wild Tales
Reader Comments (16)
I guess you didn't see Phoenix which was one of my favorites of the festival and had two wonderful lead performances.
Glad you found some good things in a A Little Chaos which I enjoyed despite its flaws. Some lovely performances. Matthais S. is really a magnetic actor on screen -- reminds me of Viggo when we first discovered him.
This post is killing me. Your Top Five films has four in common with my "most anticipated from TIFF" list (Wild Tales is the odd film out). And it will surely be forever before Mommy and 'Pigeon' get US release. Le sigh.
Daveylow - i meant to see Phoenix on my last day but i was just way too tired and needed to get writing done. and the Viggo / Matthias thing is so true. I wish i'd thought of it!
So glad to see so many mentions for Wild Tales. It recently surpassed two million sold tickets in Argentina, which is really huge. And an Almodovar movie with Erica Rivas and Rita Cortese would be amazing, Maybe make it a trio with Cecilia Roth?
It's so funny that you mention Goode's beauty - that's EXACTLY what I thought of when I saw his name. To me he was good but not exceptional. Not his fault though, the movie is only interested in Alan and Joan. I thought Matthew Beard was given more to play.
You didn't really say why he's one of the best though... I'm curious.
murtada - i wrote about that in the Imitation Game review
Was the Imitation Game near to making it into your best film list or way off?
Nathaniel, a lot of Game of Thrones is filmed in Iceland so it's not surprising.
You need to get on the Anais Demoustier bandwagon. The two movies you absolutely need to watch to notice her brilliance is Michael Haneke's "Time of the Wolf" and the Binoche movie "Elles."
HELEN -- it was in the second tier just outside these nominees with Behavior, Labyrinth of Lies , and Song of the Sea. I liked it !
Great list--I'm so excited to see most of the movies on this list, and you mentioned a couple that weren't on my radar but that I need to check out.
It's cool to see Keira Knightley here. She's done incredibly work for years, and I feel like a lot of people are only just now getting over how gorgeous/thin she is and seeing her talent. I've been very impressed with Matthew Goode in the few things I've seen him in, and of course Benedict Cumberbatch is always great, so I'm very excited for that movie.
Also so excited for Still Alice. Any movie that allows Julianne Moore to rip into a character is one I want to see.
Matthias Schoenaerts sings! Can I take it that he sings well, being a Best Musical Moment?
Steve - i honestly can't remember. i was just so stunned that it stuck
Whoa, force majeure really is opening next month! Hw exciting! I just assumed it wouldn't come out until next year. Now if only roadside would put mommy out before the end of the year, I would be a completely happy camper.
Erica Rivas and Rita Cortese are on my supporting actress longlist for the year! Loved those performances. Sad I didn't see Labyrinth of Lies now (and Still Alice). Also love Force Majeure.