The 50th edition of the Toronto Film Festival may not have reached its previous heights, but it was the most lively star of years.
The parade of Daniel Craig and the A-listers delivered the loud crowd, “The Man Who Wakes Up and Dead: Sings Mystery.” Channing Tatum and Brendan Fraser enjoyed some of the best reviews of the careers of “Roofman” and “Rental Family” that premiered at TIFF. And Sidney Sweeney took the festival by storm, earning praise for “Christie” and worked the room game-wise at every event she attended.
There may not have been any flashy sales in the past few years, but there are several films looking for distribution, such as Stephen Soderbergh’s “Christopher’s,” Mona Fastbold’s “Anne Lee’s Will,” and Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” after scoring with critics, followed by Daniel Roher’s “Tuner.” It only takes more time to collect these big checks. When Tiff falls there are five takeaways from the festival, which is beginning to regain his Stride.
Make a room, boy!
The best actor races look crowded. After receiving rave reviews in Venice for “Smashing”
Dwayne Johnson continued to gain momentum due to his transformative performance as the troubled MMA fighter Mark Carr, earning another thunder at the film’s Canadian premiere. Farrell portrays a gambling addict in “Ballad of the Small Player,” while Russell Crowe portrays a comeback tour deforce as one of the worst human beings in Nuremberg’s history. And we haven’t seen what Timothy Chalamet does in “The Marty Supreme.”
New kids on the block
You may have heard of it, but it’s not a booming era at the box office. Despite the retreat, several brave souls are still willing to wager a revival of the film business. Blickem bear, who created his own name to support acclaimed indie like “Sing Sing,” recently said he distributes 12 films each year. Tiff took Christy, a lively, true life boxing drama that it funded, which announced it would handle the development of the film’s theatrical play. Next is the row K, backed by media capital technology.
He plans to bring 10 films to the theatres a year. Film dispersion is costly and risky. Ask Annapurna, Broad Green, and other studio hosts who have lost their shirts while trying to make it work. However, Blackbear enlists to oversee the business with Benjamin Kramer, an old hand at the CAA, and Low K is leading the company by tapping former Paramount and IMAX executive Megan Corrigan. Both are veterans with impressive track record, but will their skills translate into the wild west of distribution?
Christie
Courtesy of TIFF
Sydney Sweeney enters the ring
The “Euphoria” star may want to start rehearsaling her acceptance speech after telling the viewer
Tiff in her turn as Christy Martin. Sweeney packs for 30 pounds to play the pioneering boxers.
She fought herself. Oscar voters often reward such commitments (see Charlize Theron in “Monster” or Hillary Swank in “Million Dollar Baby”), and Sweeney, one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, has proven she’s also a terrifying acting talent. Of course, I’m taking part in the awards circuit.
Specific risk. Sweeney has been silent about the controversy that erupted around her Americans
The Eagle Jeans Campaign, but at some point she may need to find a clever way to deal with the backlash.
Horror transforms
In a public talk about the state of the industry, NBCUniversal’s chief Donna Langley revealed that one of the most reliable box office units, Horror, is undergoing a shake-up. The cheaply produced old models of fear are not what they offer as they once did. Witness Blumhouse’s recent struggle with “M3GAN 2.0” and “Drop.” Instead, the audience argued they wanted an auter-driven horror film, including Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” Ryan Coogler’s “The Crime,” Osgood Perkins’ “Long Legs,” and Zack Clegger’s “Weapons.” And it’s not enough to have a murder maniac in the mask and hope for an audience to appear. “Oddly, it’s good,” Langley said. She puts the money in the place where her mouth is. Focus, a division of Universal, is firing $15 million to buy “Obdull,” a YouTube Sensation Curry Barker horror film that puts a bloody spin on the romance genre.
Forget your worries
Award races are often dominated by very serious films on very important topics. but,
World on Fire, that might be the time to expel the Blues. Many of the movies that hit Toronto and other films
The major festivals are surprisingly entertaining. For example, “Roofman” and “Rental Me” are skillfully
With a balance between humor and mind, the twisted joy of “The Man Who Wakes Up and Dead” delighted critics. But in the end, the joy of these crowds may have to overcome a much heavier fare to be declared a winner. “Hamnet,” Chloe Zao’s view of how the death of Shakespeare’s young son affected his artistic life, is widely considered to be the Oscar Frontrunner. It may be great, but it certainly isn’t a fugitive.
