The best and worst movies at TIFF 2015 so far
We're now officially halfway through TIFF, which means it's a good time to take stock of the dozens of movies that have screened over the last five days. What movies have wowed audience? What movies have sent them fleeing from theatres? I gathered together some social media reactions to get a gauge of what's succeeding and bombing at the festival.
Here are the best and worst movies at TIFF 2015 so far.
THE BEST
Brooklyn
In 1950s Brooklyn, a young Irish girl arrives to try and start a new life in the United States, she begins to wrestle with her loyalties to her new home and her old one.
BROOKLYN ****: Fantastic performances across the board and a wonderfully heart-warming tale. One of the best so far #TIFF15
— Max Covill (@Impsndcnma) September 14, 2015
Loved BROOKLYN (the movie). Such a great portrait of the immigrant experience, and tugged hard at the heartstrings for a good hour. #TIFF15
— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) September 11, 2015
BROOKLYN: lovely period drama with a fantastic performance from Saoirse Ronan. One of my favorites of #TIFF15 so far.
— Rob Trench (@robtrench) September 11, 2015
Anomalisa
The latest from Charlie Kaufman (screenwriter of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation) is a stop-motion animation love story and fairy tale that only Charlie Kaufman could do.
ANOMALISA (Kaufman/Johnson): Movie of the festival so far. Kaufman's tormented soul continues to yield dividends for the rest of us. #TIFF15
— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) September 13, 2015
I have now seen 14 films at #TIFF15 and can report that, without a doubt, my favourite has been ANOMALISA.
— Stuart Henderson (@henderstu) September 13, 2015
ANOMALISA is my favorite of #TIFF15 so far. A miniaturized version of of C Kaufman's usual grandiose navel-gazing, but still funny, aching.
— Noel Murray (@NoelMu) September 13, 2015
ANOMALISA; Unspeakably beautiful, crushingly moving. Makes everyday life look terribly sad and also amazing. Plus it's funny. #TIFF15
— Tim Grierson (@TimGrierson) September 13, 2015
Dheepan
The Palme d'Or winner follows the life of a make-shift refuge family from the Sri Lankan civil war, trying to start a new life in suburban France .
DHEEPAN (B+): Sometimes it takes a war to make a family. Beautiful, emotional and a great way to start #TIFF15
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) September 10, 2015
DHEEPAN is dheeply moving! (Seriously, it's an honest and empathetic refugee tale worthy of its acclaim) #TIFF15
— Matt Goldberg (@MattGoldberg) September 10, 2015
Jacques Audiard's DHEEPAN (A-) tackles topical issues of immigration within the context of a slow burn thriller. Beautifully shot. #TIFF15
— Eric Marchen (@EM6211) September 10, 2015
Green Room
Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to the excellent Blue Ruin, Green Room finds a struggling punk band playing a gig in a rural dive, and get caught in a conflict with some local Neo-Nazis.
So GREEN ROOM is the best Horror film of the decade. #TIFF15
— Jeff Wright (@jeffreyjeffrey) September 11, 2015
GREEN ROOM, like BLUE RUIN is the real deal. Violent and intense. Old school but still feels fresh. #TIFF15
— Erik Childress (@EriktheMovieman) September 11, 2015
Green Room is superb. Twists the "siege movie" in thoughtful ways just as Blue Ruin did for revenge. Thrilling, horrifying must see. #TIFF15
— Mathew Kumar (@mathewkumar) September 11, 2015
The Martian
Matt Damon plays an astronaut who, during a mission to Mars, gets stuck on the red planet and has to find a way to survive till he can be rescued.
THE MARTIAN is fantastic. Nerdy, clever, beautifully built and cast, tense and thrilling. Plus Jessica Chastain does a lot of space #TIFF15
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) September 11, 2015
THE MARTIAN: ridley scott nails it. a sweet, effective space ode to the power of humanity. we conquer all - even mars. lots of fun. #TIFF15
— josh lewis (@thejoshl) September 11, 2015
Leave your cynicism at the door. Feel like a kid at the movies again. Go see THE MARTIAN. Four stars. #TIFF15
— Noah Gittell (@ReelChanger) September 11, 2015
Spotlight
Based on a true story, Spotlight follows the efforts of Boston Globe reporters trying to uncover the massive Catholic church cover-up of priests who abuse young boys.
SPOTLIGHT: This. THIS. The movie I have been waiting for #TIFF15 to deliver. Tense, crackling, meticulous, scandalous, damaging. Essential.
— Sean O'Connell (@Sean_OConnell) September 14, 2015
SPOTLIGHT is tremendous. Thomas McCarthy directed my least favorite movie of 2014, he has now directed my favorite movie of 2015. #tiff15
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) September 14, 2015
SPOTLIGHT is flawless: A rigorous, humane investigation story that left this lapsed Catholic (and child of newspaper people) teary. #TIFF15
— Brian Raftery (@BrianRaftery) September 14, 2015
Sicario
The latest from French-Canadian Denis Villeneuve, Sicario takes a deep-dive into the chaotic and violent world of the US vs. Mexico drug war.
SICARIO: the hyperbolic rhetoric is warranted. Found myself consistently moved in watching the erosion of someone's principles. #TIFF15
— Sam Fragoso (@SamFragoso) September 11, 2015
Villeneuve's SICARIO is a grim, taut crime drama. Superb cinematography, pacing, score, & a fine performance by Emily Blunt. #TIFF15
— Glenn Sumi (@glennsumi) September 10, 2015
Sleeping Giant
Set in Ontario cottage country, Sleeping Giant is the coming-of-age story of three teenage boys during one fateful summer.
Sleeping Giant: so good it elicited a round of applause from a press & industry audience. #tiff15
— Katarina G (@katarinag) September 12, 2015
sleeping giant is the best canadian movie i've ever seen #TIFF15
— Chandler Levack (@clevack) September 13, 2015
My most pleasant surprise of #TIFF15: the great Canadian coming-of-age film Sleeping Giant.
— Christopher Schobert (@FilmSwoon) September 12, 2015
Son of Saul
A Jewish man responsible for guiding prisoners into the gas chambers of Nazi concentration camps, comes across the body of a child he then desperately tries to arrange a proper Jewish burial for.
SON OF SAUL kind of defies twit-reaction, but to keep my #TIFF15 up to date: I saw it, and you should to.
— Sam Adams (@SamuelAAdams) September 12, 2015
Saw SON OF SAUL this morning at #TIFF15. Absolutely brutal film, but masterful filmmaking. Unbelievable.
— Andrew (@jupin) September 11, 2015
Just saw powerful 'son of saul' - incredible piece of work by laszlo nemes, performances, cinematography, must be seen. #TIFF15
— Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman) September 11, 2015
THE WORST
Freeheld
Based on a true story, a New Jersey police officer (Julianne Moore) with a fatal condition seeks to ensure her partner (Ellen Page) will receive her pension when she passes away.
FREEHELD: Stiflingly worthy, often condescending, the rare movie that gets worse when Steve Carell shows up. http://t.co/0vlG9onWTN #TIFF15
— Justin Chang (@JustinCChang) September 14, 2015
FREEHELD is a Lifetime Movie nightmare, albeit one with a beautiful heart. a worst of the year contender if not for Michael Shannon. #TIFF15
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) September 14, 2015
FREEHELD: A pure crowd-pleaser, for better and (too often) for worse. Played like gangbusters at the public screening, #TIFF15
— Noah Gittell (@ReelChanger) September 14, 2015
I Saw the Light
A biopic of legendary country singer Hank Williams, starring Tom Hiddleston.
Like many biopics, I SAW THE LIGHT has powerful performances (Hiddleston & Olsen are perfectly paired) but the movie falls flat. #TIFF15
— Jason Guerrasio (@JasonGuerrasio) September 12, 2015
I SAW THE LIGHT is one of the most meandering and poorly crafted music biopics Ive ever seen. #Tiff15
— Erik Childress (@EriktheMovieman) September 12, 2015
One massive disappointment: I Saw the Light, the Hank Williams biopic starring Tom Hiddleston. Has no POV, stultifyingly linear. #TIFF15
— Christian Blauvelt (@ctblauvelt) September 12, 2015
Man Down
Set in a post-apocalypse, Man Down is about two men (Shia LeBeouf and Jai Courtney) trying to survive the doomed world they live in, as well as the struggles with their own psyches.
MAN DOWN:
💩💩💩😠🔫💩💩💩
#tiff15 #emojireviews
— Katarina G (@katarinag) September 13, 2015
Man Down: I have no words. That was truly, truly awful. #TIFF15
— Matt Rorabeck (@mattrorabeck) September 12, 2015
MAN DOWN: first walkout of the fest for me. one of the most embarrassing films i've ever seen, even by jai courtney standards. #TIFF15
— josh lewis (@thejoshl) September 12, 2015
What are your picks for the best and worst movies you've seen at TIFF 2015 so far? Let us know in the comments.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @alxhuls for all the latest on TIFF 15, including snap reviews.
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