In a perfect world, film festivals are ephemeral spaces in which audiences can temporarily cast aside their Hollywood-centric prejudices and explore the enriching qualities of international art cinema. But let’s be real, a heck of a lot of people wandering our city streets during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival–arguably the biggest film festival in the world–are more interested in the stars coming to this 10-day party than they are in the latest Romanian abortion drama. And really, who are we to judge? TIFF is a major economic driver in Toronto, and if that means they have to woo media outlets with star-studded galas and high-profile premieres, then so be it. So here’s a preview of the fest’s star vehicles for those of you who just want to be part of the action.
Don Jon, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Scarlett Johanssen, and Julianne Moore
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, once the strange long-haired alien kid from 3rd Rock From The Sun, has been splitting the difference between indie-darling and burgeoning movie star for half a decade now. In Don Jon, his first effort as a director, Gordon-Levitt plays the titular New Jersey loverboy that learns to buck his porn addiction. Why? so he can have a meaningful monogamous relationship with Scarlett Johansson’s Barbara. In other words, it’s a bit like Shame, Steve McQueen’s haunting film about sex addiction, but funny and sexy instead of sad and moody. Is it vain for Gordon-Levitt to cast himself as a bonafide ladykiller in his own movie? Perhaps it is, but reviews from Sundance (where it was known as Don Jon’s Addiction) suggest the movie is a breezy good time. Also, Tony Danza plays Jon’s father. Now who wouldn’t wait outside that theatre for a chance to see Tony Danza!
You Are Here, starring Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Poehler
Before creating Mad Men, a serious drama with a troubled, womanizing, alcoholic ad-man at its centre, Matthew Weiner was a staff writer for The Sopranos, a serious drama that featured a troubled, womanizing, alcoholic gangster as its protagonist. Given his history, you might expect You Are Here, Weiner’s first attempt at directing a feature film, to be in the same wheelhouse. But Weiner cut his teeth a writer for the Ted Danson sitcom Becker, so perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that You Are Here (not to be confused with the 2010 You Are Here from Toronto-based Daniel Cockburn) sounds more like a buddy comedy than a drama. Owen Wilson and Zach Galifianakis star as a couple of childhood friends that team up for a court battle against Amy Poehler. There’s no trailer out, so this assumption may be premature, but I’ve got a feeling this won’t be nearly as depressing as that seventh season finale of Mad Men.
Joe, starring Nicolas Cage
A couple years ago, Nicolas Cage came to Toronto to support Trespass, a low-rent thriller filmed on the cheap in the wilds of eastern Europe and selected for TIFF’s list of Gala Presentations for the sole purpose of giving the fest some star power. Two years later and he’s back. More accurately, he’s back and he’s bearded. Apparently, Cage took a break from paying off his backtaxes with cheap action films in order to make a movie with some real pedigree behind it. That movie, Joe, is a lyrical Southern tale about an ex-con who takes a troubled 15-year-old boy under his wing. It’s the latest film from David Gordon Green, who, like Cage, has recently spent some time in filmmaking wilderness, most recently helming The Sitter with Jonah Hill. Thankfully, Joe looks like it’ll hew a lot closer to Undertow, Green’s Terrence Malick-inspired fairytale from 2004.
The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman
The Railway Man, with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, is the most star-studded film to play at Roy Thomson Hall as one of the festival’s fancy red carpet galas. Like almost everything Colin Firth does, The Railway Man sounds very respectable and Oscar-ready, so one hopes that Ms. Kidman didn’t shock Mr. Firth too badly with her stories of peeing on Zach Efron for The Paperboy. (Actually, The Railway Man is about British prisoner-of-war enduring forced labour for the Japanese in World War II, so it’s entirely possible that Firth’s character might endure worse things than being peed on.) The director of The Railway Man is Jonathan Teplitzky, whose only previous credit is a little seen thriller from 2011 called The Burning Man. Something tells me this film will garner a bigger audience.
All Is By My Side, starring André Benjamin
One of the more controversial entries at this year’s festival is All Is By My Side, a biopic of Jimi Hendrix with former Outkast rapper André Benjamin (aka André 3000) in the lead role. You might be thinking the 38-year-old rapper is a little too old to play a musical icon that died at the age of 27, but the controversy actually stems from a dispute between Hendrix’s estate and the producers of the film. Given that Hendrix’s estate controls the rights to all songs written and recorded by Hendrix, you might not want to purchase a ticket for this expecting to hear about the creation of “Purple Haze.” Fortunately for the producers, a few of Hendrix’s most well-known songs are covers, so it’s safe to expect a reasonable facsimile of his “All Along the Watchtower.”
TIFF commences its 10-day duration on September 5. A schedule for the festival’s public screenings hasn’t been announced, but it will be posted on the festival’s website on August 20. You can buy ticket packages now. Also, if you, like me, are interested the fest’s more outré offerings, then keep an eye on Toronto Standard’s upcoming coverage.
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Alan Jones writes about film for Toronto Standard. You can follow him on Twitter at @alanjonesxxxv.
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