TIFF's 'Eh' List

Michelle Williams and Luke Kirby in Take this Waltz

The folks at the Toronto International Film Festival revealed their list of the Top Ten Canadian Features and shorts for 2011. It's an odd mix of the expected and the unexpected. The list is an eclectic range from Sarah Polley's Take this Waltz to B-grade crap like Hobo with a Shotgun. One could say this list reveals Canada's bipolar relationship with art and commerce. As expected, Cronenberg and Vallée made the cut, as did our sentimental Oscar bid Monseiur Lazhar. Absent, though, are strong films like The Whistleblower and documentaries like Wiebo's War and St. Henri: the 26th of August, or more experimental fare like Ingrid Veninger's much lauded i am a good person/i am a bad person, which had some calling her best film yet when it debuted at TIFF this fall. I'll give the listmakers credit though, for they snubbed the turkey Nuit #1. Anyways, full list of TIFF's Top Ten is after the cut. I haven't had the opportunity to see some of these films yet, so I will withhold my personal 'Eh' list until the end of the month.

***UPDATED! The list now includes shorts! Excited to see that 2 of my faves from 2011 - Rhonda's Party and Choke - made the list!

TIFF's Top Ten features (in alphabetical order):

(links to reviews where applicable)

Café de Flore (Jean-Marc Vallée) 

(opens in Ottawa Dec. 16)

A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg)

(Now playing in major markets; Ottawa release TBA)

Edwin Boyd (Nathan Morlando)

(Release TBA; winner Best First Feature at TIFF)

Hobo with a Shotgun

(available on home vid. Review: ★½) 

Keyhole (Guy Maddin)

(Release TBA)

Marécages/Wetlands (Guy Édoin)

(now playing in Quebec)

Monsieur Lazhar  (Philippe Falardeau)

(now playing in Quebec)

Starbuck  (Ken Scott)

(now available on home video)

Take this Waltz (Sarah Polley)

(in theatres May 2012 - best film on the list in my opinion!)

Le Vendeur from Sebastien Pilote 

(release = ?)

Top Ten Shorts

Choke (Michelle Latimer)

Doubles with Slight Pepper (Ian Harnarine)

The Fuse or how I Burned Simon Bolivar (Igor Drljaca)

Hope (Pedro Pires)

No Words Came Down (Ryan Flowers, Lisa Pham)

Ora (Philippe Baylaucq)

La ronde (Sophie Goyette)

Rhonda's Party
(Ashley McKenzie, who should be happy to know that I've plastered some postcards for her film in the grad office at Carleton U!)

Trotteur (Arnaud Brisebois, Francis Leclerc)

 We ate the Children Last (Andrew Cividino)

Congrats to all the filmmakers whose work made the list! I look forward to seeing your work!

Films begin playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in January.

Thoughts? Do you agree or did one of your favourites miss out?