By Charles Liu and Celina Tang
Disclaimer: Mild spoilers
The following is a transcript of a conversation by Charles Liu & Celina Tang discussing their highlights and lowlights from their experiences at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival .
AWARDS (to note):
The Platform category consists of 8-12 films that highlight bold voices. Movies in the lineup are eligible for a cash prize of $20,000 — one of the most prestigious awards at TIFF, right below the People’s Choice Awards.
Next Wave tagged films are selected and tagged by a group of 12 GTA high school students who program & aid TIFF in youth oriented initiatives. 10 films are tagged each year to help youth discover films that speak to them.
The Discovery program showcases talent & film from around the world, focusing on championing 1st & 2nd features that might be undiscovered.
TIFF Special Presentations and Gala Presentations are high profile releases by world’s leading filmmakers. These films have large buzz from celebrity stars or directors that are destined to be favorites on the international scene.
CONTENTS
Highlight Films
- Riceboy Sleeps
- Soft (Pussy)
- Causeway
Lowlight Films
- The Blue Caftan
- Roost
Unexpected Highlight Films
- Viking
Unexpected Lowlight Films
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
- Joyland
OUR HIGHLIGHT FILMS:
Riceboy Sleeps dir. Anthony Shim
- Platform Program
- Next Wave Tagged
Anthony Shim’s second feature is a reassuring telling of the coming of age of a young Korean boy and mom after they immigrate from Korea to Canada for a fresh start.
Charles: While this might fit into typical tropes you see with immigration and immigrant experiences, I can guarantee right here that there is a lot more to this movie than generally expected. One of the things in the story that really struck me was how it was not only about trauma, but also the journey of self healing. We see this childhood trauma occur, how it manifests in a variety of ways, and how it ultimately affects future interactions of the characters at hand. By the third act, you’re able to see this whole healing process and how they all let go.
Celina: Totally agree. And although the story is a popular trope, especially with themes of second generation immigrant identity, it isn’t any less riveting––the cultural significance is still relevant and important. As a second generation East Asian immigrant myself, I was able to deeply connect with the themes of identity. I still often find myself navigating between two vastly different worlds, and this movie gave me a lot of solace and reassurance. I will admit, there is a critique to be made that because such experiences are so personal and niche, people from outside of the community might not be able to connect with the topics at hand or enjoy the film. I understand the critique, however, I’d argue that Riceboy Sleeps is still a very touching story that’s easy to sympathize with.
One thing that really stood out to me was all the symbolism pointing to David’s (the protagonist) struggle with self identity. It’s all too familiar; the dyed blonde hair, the blue contact lenses, and the overall self-separation between him and his culture. It almost felt like I was watching a compilation of my own childhood.
Charles: Oh, actually, some people I talked to actually didn’t really like it. One person I spoke to found that the tropes were a bit overused, and that Shim’s film seems to fall into the clusterfuck of East-Asian-Immigrant tropes rather than re-inventing or reclaiming them.
Celina: The thing about that take is that––while it’s completely valid––I don’t think Shim’s movie ever claims to be revolutionary. It’s just a story; a retelling of his life. The reason that these tropes are so popular is because they are true experiences of East Asian individuals. It’s difficult to flip it on its head. I will say, there’s a subversion of the “submissive asian mother” trope that felt very refreshing to watch. It’s very common to see depictions of Asian mothers as unable or unwilling to stand up for themselves––they are constantly written to try to blend in. Instead, So-Young (the mother) is unapologetically fierce, confident, and unafraid of calling people out. This is not to say that EA women must subvert stereotypes in order to be a valid person or character––I’m just happy to see a different illustration of them. In addition, it doesn’t feel like Shim forced So-Young to check all these ‘anti-stereotypical’ boxes. It all felt very natural and somewhat liberating.
Charles: Right. These tropes are undeniably very popular, but Shim’s writing is less about recycling these tropes than it is about adding layers of nuance and provoking thought. He hones in and tries to answer the question of “what does it look like for a teenage EA boy to assimilate into his white school and culture?” Those symbols of blonde hair and contacts were motifs that sustained this beautifully crafted throughline without it feeling overbearing. The story feels so reassuring because it’s not just a trauma dump. You see the healing, you see the journey of liberation. It’s not just a holistic “oh we’re fucked.” type movie. Shim conveys that you can liberate yourself from these dominant narratives that oppress you. It’s why I also disagree with the superficial comparisons to the Oscar-nominated film Minari from 2020––it’s much different in its approach and message.
Soft (previously announced as Pussy) dir. Joseph Amenta
- Next Wave Tagged
- Discovery
Follows 3 adolescent queer friends who live in the underbelly of Toronto. With summer break upon them, they revel in their newfound freedom, roaming the city and becoming enraptured in the nightlife scene.
Celina: If you liked Mid 90s (2019) or Scarborough (2021), you’ll be head over heels for this film. This was my personal favorite feature of the festival (that I’ve seen). Everyone that I’ve discussed this film with has said how much they appreciate its authenticity and ingenuity––it feels real and intimate from start to finish. The camerawork makes you feel as though you’re another member of the friend group; Amenta mentions this in their Q&A and I think it translates perfectly onto the screen. I have never been so immersed in a movie before, especially during those montage sequences. (I am a montage fiend.)
Overall, the movie just felt extremely familiar to me. I mean, it was based in Toronto and follows a group of queer children that’s lowkey reminscent of my own friend group. Now, I can definitely see the bias in my admiration and can understand why different audiences did not resonate with it as much as I did. There were a ton of low reviews with one common denominator: people hated the profanity and the depiction of sexuality because the movie revolves around children. To that I say, come on. Have you ever met a child? The reason that it resonated with me so much is because of its freedom and unapologetic authenticity. Children swear, children question about sex, children talk about ‘taboo’ subjects shamelessly. These dynamics within young friend friengroups are very genuine, especially within queer friendgroups that typically intend to break the boundaries set to oppress them. These are not things we should supress because they don’t fit into a cis-heteronormative perception of the world. Like, the writing rarely ever seems forced. Amenta told the audience how they didn’t know what to do with the opening scene, so they gave the kids a bunch of flavored condoms and let them run wild. From that, we get a genuine and freeing introduction that’s hard to find or calculate.
I also really appreciate the subtle visual symbolism in the cinematography, such as the use of hands — symbols that are extremely significant in the ballroom community and vogueing. I love how Amenta takes these experiences from queer and trans subcultures and brings them to life on the big screen. It was so revitalizing to see typically underrepresented communities be such a crucial aspect of the story. Oh, and the name of the movie is so clever. The name (changed to SOFT now) was originally PUSSY. Someone during the Q&A asked, “why Pussy?” Taking it at face value, it seems random and absurd. However, Amenta explains how kids use this word derogatorily towards each other, and gild it under the notion of it being a joke, despite there still being a malicious intent behind the word. The irony is that they don’t know that this word is used against people like them, especially people in queer communities. Unfortunately, the name has been changed because of good ole palatability issues! (I’m smiling through gritted teeth.)
Charles: First, I wanted to say that I agree with your description of the opening scene. It’s representative of Amenta’s style and I can understand that it can be hit or miss. It really works with the shock of the opening scene––just seeing these kids be absolute pieces of unapologetic shits. Sometimes, though, it felt like some scenes might’ve benefited overall if Amenta had given more guidance to these non-actors. Again, directing is not an exact science and just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it is necessarily wrong. Moving on, I honestly disagree with the name change. This movie is about celebrating its vulgarity and authenticity but through changing the name, there’s a contradiction of these values. I was taken aback and disappointed with the change, but, at the end of the day, it’s ultimately the director’s choice. I still respect it and understand their perspective and the importance of gaining a larger audience, especially with those where social norms haven’t turned the corner yet. I guess I just personally don’t vibe with it and view the role of art in society differently.
Celina: I get that, I wish the name didn’t have to be changed either, but you have to also understand that this film is still a smaller and emerging title. It deserves to reach as many platforms and audiences as possible. It’s not uncommon for marginalized communities to adapt and change to appeal to a larger audience, unfortunate as that is. This reality does exist but I hope for a day that it won’t in the future. It’s more of a commentary on the industry itself than Amenta’s individual choice.
- Special Presentations
Lynsey, a U.S. soldier, experiences a traumatic brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan which forces her to return home. She struggles to return to her daily life with her mother as she waits for her eventual redeployment.
Celina: In all honesty, I haven’t seen Jennifer Lawrence in any other roles besides Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movies, so it was refreshing to see her in an authentic, intimate role that heavily contrasted against her action-thriller ones. I really appreciated the focus on post-incident trauma instead of typical trauma porn. The focus works well especially with a small cast––it’s easy to direct all your attention to Lynsey’s (Jennifer Lawrence) story and not have to navigate a million others. Jennifer Lawrence handles her character with extreme delicacy, and it never has those ‘this feels like acting’ moments. These thematic ideas of healing and trauma really hit the spot for me, especially in the scene where Lynsey has a deep internal revelation––it stuck with me. I also loved how natural the comedic timing felt. Jokes never felt out of place or forced in any way, it truly felt like two friends bantering rather than a director itching to force in comedic relief for the viewers. I feel like with serious or intense movies, comedic timing can be really difficult to integrate.
Charles: Before you move on, I wanted to jump in and say that I am so glad to see Lawrence in her indie roots. I haven’t seen the film yet, but you talking about Lawrence in of itself makes me want to see it. Lawrence started off with indie early in her acting career and this full-circle back was both surprising and exciting to see. I’m happy to hear the buzz was worth it.
Celina: The only complaint I do have is how they clearly establish Lynsey as a lesbian, but then make her kiss a man??!!?? Like, it didn’t add to the plot and there was absolutely no need for it. There were numerous ways they could’ve worked around it, or even added to it after the fact to make it seem relevant. Honestly, it felt a little like queer erasure and lesbiphobia.
OUR LOWLIGHT FILMS:
The Blue Caftan dir. Maryam Touzani
- Special Presentations
The Blue Caftan is about the arrival of a young apprentice in an old medina to learn the Caftan trade. Soon, the young apprentice and mentor lock eyes and gets swirled in a fury of troubling love when the mentors wife watches them form a connection.
Charles: This pains me to say, but I did not like The Blue Caftan as much as I wanted to like it. I went into it with an idea of what it was about and with optimism. In some ways, it did fulfill that optimism. I loved the movie’s thematic engagements with love and family. It had a lot of shit to say on these topics and undermined the rom-com type of chaotic and drama-filled love with this and that. This is the type of the film that you really love after coming back to it in 6 months and reviewing the rating you give it. In post-reflection, there is a unique phenomenon where you forget how bored you are while watching the movie. I promise you there is scientific evidence to back this up. Anyways, I want to shout-out the cinematographer, Virginie Surdej, for their amazing work on this film. The camera is built to be a fourth character, an uncomfortable bystander anxiously watching as tensions grow more fervent day by day in the movie. It digs deep into those complex loves, the ones where you love someone but you don’t know why.
However, Maryam Touzani couldn’t fix a lot of errors that felt flawed within the overall writing and tone. One thing I want to point to is the character’s motivation. Granted, this movie is meant to be minimalistic and slow-paced, but a whole lot of nothing happens and that is an issue because when Maryam attempts to boldly insert a plot point that provides nuance. I want to buy what just happened as realistic since I think it’s insightful and typically realistic but I also don’t see why the specific character would do it. There is ambivalence between wanting minimalistic and non-verbal-centrism in your movie while lacking proper foundations to go for gold.
- Gala Presentations
Part thriller, part domestic drama, Roost looks at troubles that arise between a mother and her teen daughter after the latter is seduced online by a 28-year-old man.
Celina: I was pretty interested in this film because, 1) this is Grace Van Dien’s debut lead, and 2) the film had an intriguing premise so I wanted to check it out. I didn’t go into it with any expectations either and it wasn’t a terrible feature but definitely had its faults. I will say that it had my jaw on the floor the entire movie but not … in a good way.
Charles: Amen.
Celina: There was a great opportunity for this to be an insightful commentary on growing up on the internet or the continuation and generational nature of trauma. However, the second-half of the movie felt like a clusterfuck of weird twists and turns that didn’t create a good plotline. It just felt like everything was thrown in there to make a better plot but ended up working against it entirely. It felt shallow and the dialogue never went deeper than the surface. Like, I really wanted to see relationships develop, especially between the mom and daughter, but it all felt like a Notes App apology. A whole lot of words yet saying absolutely nothing.
Charles: *Laugh* That is low. I believe this used to be a play and it definitely falls into the stereotype of movie adaptations that flop (Post-editing note: Dear Evan Hansen is a great example and I’m not apologizing for it). Still, I think everyone needs to watch it.
Celina: Yeah, this movie was not that good but everyone needs to watch it because it is crazy. Like I’m telling you, I’ve never been more shocked coming out of a movie and I’ve seen Vivarium. Anyways, I also hated how Grace Van Dien felt like she was dropped in the second half. They literally completely forgot about her character––she felt so unfinished.
Charles: I need to watch Stranger Things so I can watch Grace Van Dien in a non-flop movie to accurately judge her acting. I think Dien did a great job in this film to be honest …and I think Amy Redford simply needs to stop.
Celina: *laughs* No, yeah, Grace Van Dien is an amazing actor. She reminds me a lot of Kristine Froseth in Looking for Alaska. Like, identical.
Charles: Honestly, you can put an amazing actor in this position, like Saorise Ronan, and still struggle. I think for an actor like Grace who is still rising and not as experienced, she needs a lot more intervention and curation from the director. I think the downfall was Amy Redford getting the job. I think that was the mistake from the beginning.
Celina: Yeah, Redford is an actress! This was a nepotism movie apparently, and you can really, really tell.
UNEXPECTED HIGHLIGHT FILMS:
- Platform Program
In this dystopian sci-fi film, normal humans mirror real life astronauts to solve interpersonal conflicts on their trip to Mars: Only the question becomes less about solving conflict but what is real and what isn’t.
Charles: Stéphane Lafleur is legendary. If I were to make movies in the future, this is what I’d aspire to create. A flavourful mixture of absurdist humor and poignant philosophical commentary. This movie was so. Good. Let’s first talk about the thematic ideas. His insight is revolutionary and different from common existentialist ideas that are recycled over and over in movies. Movies like Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse and Soul were great movies in my opinion, but are overlapping in the way they approach these metaphysical, existentialist questions. Viking is a refreshing new take while still existing in this absurdist/existentialist trend. This movie truly changed how I view the world, and how I view my life. This movie made me feel small and insignificant, and yet so happy about it. There are a multitude of levels and interpretations available for this movie, and I truly think it’s a hit amongst anyone who has had an existential crisis at least once in their life.
Steve Gravestock, champion of Canadian cinema and leaving TIFF (I think), said in the intro remarks that this was filmed by one the best Canadian cinematographers. After seeing this movie, I cannot agree more. Sara Mishara is a force to be reckoned with. The shots are poignant, and utilize space and mise-en-scene extremely well. She is able to capture big landscapes and silly medium shots. I am still in awe that the decision to buy a ticket to this film on a Thursday and on a whim was one of my best decisions during this festival.
UNEXPECTED LOWLIGHT FILMS:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe dir. Aitch Alberto
- Discovery
- Next Wave Tagged
Follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, & family relationships.
Celina: I wanted to love this movie. I’m a queer YA media fanatic who really tried to like this but found it really disappointing. My main complaint is that this film was a poor adaptation of the book. The pacing is clunky; the writing rushed. There were too many character arcs and plot points that were left unfinished or were completely unnecessary. The movie was only 1 hour and 30 minutes long and I wished it were stretched out more because it’s abundantly obvious that they had to cut some major things out.
There is a staggering lack of cohesiveness: in the book, Dante is a fully fleshed out character but in the movie, he’s painted as a Manic Pixie Dream Boy. I wished the struggle with his cultural identity was more fleshed out. He mentions it in the movie twice at most, and it is clearly troubling him, but completely dropped afterwards. In addition, Ari’s character was too quiet in the movie––which is understandable because he is shy––however, his relevant inner monologues in the book were not followed through in the movie. He almost felt like a jerk even though he is just a nice, quiet shy kid canonically. There were these random moments that made me ask ‘what the hell is going on?’ You can interpret these random moments as coming-of-age revelations, but it wasn’t framed like that at all in the movie.
Also, there was an action sequence in the movie where Ari beat up some homophobic kids, which was very… questionable??? …to be honest. It was very jarring––the entire tone of the movie shifts. I’m not saying we should be making queer films palatable to non-queer audiences, but this painted queerness in a weird light in a not-unique-nuanced way. Overall, there were a lot of questionable decisions and a lot of things lacking. It would’ve really helped if the movie was more concise and didn’t attempt to juggle a bunch of different topics at once. It is cute and sweet and I’m sure many queer teenagers will probably like it, but I’ll say this––not all representation is good representation.
Charles: I didn’t read the book or watch the movie, but I wanted to second your comment on violence in coming-of-age and/or YA media. If it is to be done, I think it must be done exceptionally well. There are movies that do it justice like Waves and God’s Own Country. However, violence can just be seen as super unrealistic and jarring as you mention, in movies such as Summer of 85.
Celina: It had a really good soundtrack though and I really wanted to find it. If you find it, let me know.
- Special Presentations
Set in Pakistan, a wife who has a job reckons with the limitations put on her by patriarchal society and a husband discovers sexuality and identity as he reluctantly takes up a backup dancer gig for a transgender woman who performs erotic dance.
Charles: I want to clarify that this movie is not bad at all. This movie just did not hit as much as I wanted to. Alongside Riceboy Sleeps, I was certain I was going to see this movie and I was willing to pay any amount of money for it. Saim Sadiq has an amazing voice coming out from Pakistan and this movie was powerful. Saim Sadiq is one of the few artists that comes out swinging, ready to shout his message out there no matter what. The movie was immensely creative, and truly a transformative piece of work. The concepts it engages with are tenacious in Pakistan and throughout the world. It poses questions and undermines our preconceived ways of understanding how life can look like. Still, I wish there was more fleshing out of certain character arcs and plot points. There was a lot of dead space and potential that was lost in the movie. Though the ending and overall plotline were riveting and gripping, I wish the moments in between such points were stronger. Nonetheless, for a first feature, this movie is stunning, struggling with minor errors and lost potential.