Category Archives: Canada

300 films in 10 days. Sickened to only be able to make six of them…

So I’ve finally got all my Toronto Film Festival tickets sorted. The whole thing involved a typically Canadian process where I had to call into the festival box office on King Street three times over the course of a week. First time was to collect my booklet and form. Second time was to drop off this all-important form with some little ticks for my picks. Third time was after a rather strange lottery system to actually collect the physical tickets. You’d kind of feel like telling them to move the whole system online, but hey I’m not going to be the only dissenting voice, and it was nice to go somewhere and feel a bit of “buzz” before the whole thing kicks off.

I got all my first choices and so will fit in 6 movies during the festival. Not quite up there with the 13 I saw in the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in 2009 but still a good haul, plus most of these will be first or second showings anywhere in the world. Which is nice. Anyway, behold!

#1 – Blue Valentine
directed by Derek Cianfrance
[imdb | tiff description]

Blue Valentine is the story of love found and love lost, told in past and present moments in time. Flooded with romantic memories of their courtship, Dean and Cindy use one night to try and save their failing marriage. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this honest portrait of a relationship on the rocks.

I’m not afraid to admit I have a little bit of a man crush on Ryan Gosling. I’ve never actually seen The Notebook which was his breakthrough and his usual calling card, but movies like Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl managed to leave a real impression. I like how he only does a movie or two a year these days too and the fact he spends half his time playing in a decent band, Dead Man’s Bones, makes him a winner.

If reports from Blue Valentine’s first screenings at Sundance last January are to be believed I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re talking about him as an Oscar nominee for his part in this. Also Michelle Williams is always worth the admission price. Even if that admission price is going to be a slightly bonkers $20. Continue reading →