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Silver Linings Playbook wins the Cadillac People's Choice Award |
Eleven days and thirty-four films later, the 2012 Toronto
International Film Festival has come to a close. A big thanks goes out to all
the programmers, staff, and volunteers for putting on the best edition of the
festival I’ve seen so far. Thanks also to all the friends – new and old – who joined
me for movies this year. The only thing better than seeing so many great films is
chatting about all the goodies I missed. One of the best things about TIFF is
that the festival is so large that one can see 3-4 films per day and still have
lots to look forward to in the upcoming months. The size of the festival might
now be one of its only shortcomings, though, for it’s impossible to see
everything and it’s even harder to gain much consensus since so many people see
so many films. I sometimes found it frustrating when I would hear good word on
a film, but only after it has quickly come and gone. Cough, cough, Silver Linings Playbook, which won the
Cadillac People Choice Award. (Festival award winners can be found here.) On
the other hand, it really is nice to know we’re in for some exciting months
ahead.
Anna Karenina (Joe
Wright, UK)
Runner-up: Quartet
(Dustin Hoffman, UK)
It’s hard for me to narrow down the list of best
performances. I could list at least seven for Best Actress alone; eight
depending on where you Helen Hunt. To keep it brief, though, I’ll name Keira
Knightley’s stunning turn as Anna
Karenina as the standout and give my top picks in each category in alphabeltical order:
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone; Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina; Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha; Maggie Smith, Quartet; Mary Elizabeth Winstead; Smashed,
Best Actor: Tom Courtenay, Quartet; John Hawkes, The Sessions
Best Supporting Actress: Seema Biswas, Midnight's Children; Pauline Collins, Quartet; Helen Hunt, The Sessions; Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Best Supporting Actor: Billy Connolly, Quartet; Jude LawMatthew MacFadyen, Anna Karenina)
Best Performance in a Canadian Film: Evelyne Brochu, Inch’Allah (runner-up: Seema Biswas, Midnight’s Children)
Other kudos:
Best Canadian Feature: Midnight’s
Children (Dir. Deepa Mehta)
Best Short: Frost
(Dir. Jeremy Ball)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Tom Stoppard, Anna Karenina (runner-up: Ronald Harwood, Quartet)
Best Original Screenplay:
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha (runner-up: Michelle Morgan, Imogene)
Best Cinematography:
Seamus McGarvey, Anna Karenina (runner-up: Emmanuel Lubezki, To the Wonder)
Best Score:
Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina (Runner-up: Nitin Sawhney, Midnight’s Children
Best use of Katy Perry:
"Fireworks", Rust & Bone
Best Line that I want to make part of everyday speech:
"Ahoy, sexy!", Frances Ha
Most Debatable Film:
To the Wonder (runner-up: Passion)
Best 'Peeing on Zac Efron' Moment:
The Paperboy
The Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Award for Most Ham-Fisted Use of 9/11:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
"Fireworks", Rust & Bone
Best Line that I want to make part of everyday speech:
"Ahoy, sexy!", Frances Ha
Most Debatable Film:
To the Wonder (runner-up: Passion)
Best 'Peeing on Zac Efron' Moment:
The Paperboy
The Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Award for Most Ham-Fisted Use of 9/11:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Worst Film:
Passion
Best Q&A:
Margarethe von Trotta, Pamela Katz, Barbara Sukowa, Hannah Arendt
Best onstage cocktail:
Jude Law, Anna Karenina
Best Overall Celebrity Moment:
Marion Cotillard translates for Jacques Audiard and then claps at Rust & Bone:
Passion
Best Q&A:
Margarethe von Trotta, Pamela Katz, Barbara Sukowa, Hannah Arendt
Best onstage cocktail:
Jude Law, Anna Karenina
Jude Law with a mojito at the Visa Screening Room. (Take that, Cannes!) |
Marion Cotillard translates for Jacques Audiard and then claps at Rust & Bone:
And here is a list of all films reviewed at TIFF this year
with their star ratings.
Films are rated out of five and are list in order in which they screened. All titles link to reviews.
American Beauty Live Read (not starred)
Rust & Bone ★★★★½
On the Road ★★½
Anna Karenina ★★★★★
What Maisie Knew ★★★★
Frances Ha ★★★★½
Imogene ★★★★
Inch'Allah ★★★★
Thanks for Sharing ★★★½
Something in the Air ★★★★
Midnight's Children ★★★★½
Quartet ★★★★★
Writers ★★½
To the Wonder ★★★
Byzantium ★★★
The Sessions ★★★★½
The Lesser Blessed ★★★
Therese Desqueyroux ★★★½
Great Expectations ★★★★
All That You Possess ★★★★
Smashed ★★★★½
Middle of Nowhere ★★★½
Hannah Arendt ★★★½
Jump ★★★
Twice Born ★★★★½
Passion ★
Burn it up Djassa ★★★
The Paperboy ★★★½
Ginger & Rosa ★★
Jackie ★★★
Rebelle ★★★★
Dangerous Liaisons ★★★
Lore ★★★★½
The Reluctant Fundamentalist ★★½ (reviewed by guest critic Lois Griffin)
TIFF Shorts:
Frost ★★★★★
Asian Gangs ★★★★
Rust & Bone ★★★★½
On the Road ★★½
Anna Karenina ★★★★★
What Maisie Knew ★★★★
Frances Ha ★★★★½
Imogene ★★★★
Inch'Allah ★★★★
Thanks for Sharing ★★★½
Something in the Air ★★★★
Midnight's Children ★★★★½
Quartet ★★★★★
Writers ★★½
To the Wonder ★★★
Byzantium ★★★
The Sessions ★★★★½
The Lesser Blessed ★★★
Therese Desqueyroux ★★★½
Great Expectations ★★★★
All That You Possess ★★★★
Smashed ★★★★½
Middle of Nowhere ★★★½
Hannah Arendt ★★★½
Jump ★★★
Twice Born ★★★★½
Passion ★
Burn it up Djassa ★★★
The Paperboy ★★★½
Ginger & Rosa ★★
Jackie ★★★
Rebelle ★★★★
Dangerous Liaisons ★★★
Lore ★★★★½
The Reluctant Fundamentalist ★★½ (reviewed by guest critic Lois Griffin)
TIFF Shorts:
Frost ★★★★★
Asian Gangs ★★★★
And when one festival ends, another begins. I'm headed back to Ottawa and will be covering the annual Ottawa International Animation Festival, so please stay tuned for updates!
In the meantime, though, what were your favourite films at TIFF?