By Anne Brodie
Bobby Cannavale puts in a deeply felt performance as Max, a comedian, alongside William A. Fitzgerald in Ezra. Fitzgerald is a talented autistic actor who plays Max’s autistic son with such power it’s hard to believe this is his debut. Max co-parents with ex Jenna (Rose Byrne) who is now with Bruce, played by Tony Goldwyn, who also directs; their relationship is difficult, particularly around Ezra’s care. His principal asks him to leave as he’s unmanageable and recommends a special needs school which Max rejects and along with suggestions of drug therapy. Max brings him to his late-night comedy gigs and Ezra often takes part. They’re close but Ezra won’t allow touching, no hugging. Jenna and Max’ hard-headed father Stan (Robert De Niro) approve of a special school and drugs. In desperation, Max “kidnaps” Ezra and sets out on a road trip to LA where he will appear on Kimmel’s show. An Amber Alert is issued so they hide out at his friend’s (Rainn Wilson) spiritual retreat, then with an ex- (Vera Farmiga) where Max is welcomed by a troop of kids and a horse. The journey is magical in a sense as Ezra begins to open to new experiences even as there’s a national manhunt in play. It’s wonderfully uplifting, sans cheap emotion, and authentic, and with the stellar cast which includes Whoopi Goldberg, it is pure joy. TIFF Lightbox
Eliot Page co-exec produced Backspot a worthy, complex character study of a cheerleader starring Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs. Her powerful performance as Riley is a difficult one and she nails it, emotionally and as an athlete. Riley’s cheer team faces an important competition and she’s a valued member; she’s strong, flexible, and spirited. But off the court, she’s beset by crippling anxiety. Her mother does as well and it interferes with their relationship and functioning. No one sees Riley during her moments as she has a cheer image to maintain and to add to the stress, the rigid disciplinarian coach (Evan Rachel Wood) drives the team hard and sometimes cruelly. Riley’s girlfriend ad fellow cheerleader Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo), raises her spirits in their supportive relationship, but Riley’s frequent panic attacks only increase, as she obsessively pulls her eyebrows out. On the court, the team suffers frequent injuries but keep on going, as the coach says “‘this is the stuff that gets you trophies”. Kudos for the physical work the actors put in to execute aerodynamic choreography in this story of intense athleticism, and to carry out tough character roles, that require introspection and the joys and terrors they experience. Particularly in the case of Jacobs who is in tight closeup most of the time. This isn’t a teen drama, it’s extremely interior, balancing its youthful exuberance. A captivating, insightful and important film, story and direction by D.W. Waterson in a striking debut. In theatres.
Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson are Bernie and Rene, a long-married couple who met just before WWII and now share a suite in a care home. Netflix‘ The Great Escaper, based on the true story of Bernard Jordan, who in 2014, was left the home alone with his walker and cane to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France. He told no one except Rene who kept it secret until she reckoned he’d had time to get there; alarmed staff report him as missing and eventually French police are oln the hunt. Meanwhile, Bernie’s taken care of by comrades and new friends who served. But something’s bothering him. He like the others remembers what happened as they look out over the beach and for him and find comfort in the pub together but he’s distracted. Rene’s back home, stoic and optimistic and bonding with her carers as he continues to be “missing”. Her unflappable spirit keeps the home fires burning as ceremonies end and Bernie makes his way home, having faced a certain trauma and fulfilled his aim in going. His adventure doesn’t end there! A sweet, sad, and in its way, profound portrayal of Bernie’s story, a generation’s story, and the unbreakable bond between Bernie and Rene. Unsentimental and an important reminder of the Greatest Generation’s sacrifices for our freedom. In theatres.
Perhaps Benedict Cumberbatch is trying to slough off the heartthrob superstar status he’s enjoyed over the years. Netflix’s six-parter Eric could do the job. He’s Vincent, an exceptionally unpleasant creator and puppeteer for the hit kids’ TV show Good Day Sunshine, married to Cassie (Gaby Hoffman). They fight and cuss a lot, their heated words are well within the hearing of their sensitive artist son, 9-year-old Edgar; they seem more interested in hurting one another than caring for him. Edgar offers Vincent drawings for a new puppet character for the show, called Eric, based on the monster that lives under his bed, but Edgar barely notices. Vincent’s marital frustration leads to disaster, as he impatiently tells Edgar to walk the few short blocks to school alone. Vincent’s abrasive, confrontational manner makes him no friends there, either. Edgar never made it to school. Cassie rips him apart for it, while the police investigate. Det. Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) tapes a conversation in a shady, mob-run bar that arouses his suspicion – “I got a near ten-year-old Bourbon in the back tonight. You don’t know what you’re missing”. An elderly man up the stairs who keeps sweets and bicycles for kids in his apartment is arrested, and there are more suspects, but the case moves slowly. The investigation, both police and Vincent’s, leads to the dark underbelly of New York in the scary 80s in contrast to the fake TV sunshine of the puppet show. Vincent gains an unexpected ally; Eric the under bed monster befriends and helps him, encouraging him in the face of personal failure in every aspect of his life. Into the dingy, filthy subway tunnels we go, into seedy discos and bars, interrogation rooms, foreign lands, and the dark, secret corners of people’s minds. It’s an extremely disturbing world presented in Eric in which monsters dictate what goes on. May 30, Netflix
The 32nd annual Toronto Jewish Film Festival is underway with in-person and virtual screenings running until June 9th. Eighty films from Canada, Hungary, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Algeria, France, and more cover the gamut of issues and human interest stories in various genres, styles, and subjects.
Brian Epstein, the man behind The Beatles’ phenomenal rise to fame is the subject of Midas Man, the opening night film that details his works polishing up four Liverpool yobbos and morphing them into international sensations. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd plays Epstein under the direction of Joe Stephenson.
Home Benny Fredman’s fact-based thriller follows newlywed Yair who “dares” to open a tech store in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood which locals see as a threat. He battles hidebound tradition and faces his wife’s judgment.
All About the Levkoviches from Ádám Breieris a family drama with comic elements about a ruptured family trying their best to heal things between Budapest and Israel.
Filmmakers will attend screenings of the comedy Yanev from Amnon Carmi about high school teachers trying to raise cash for the spring musical. Cue the Yanev games.
Canada’s The Boy In The Woods is a fact-based story about a Jewish boy hiding from Nazis, taken in by a reclusive Christian when the unthinkable happens.
Among other notable titles:
Shoshana by Michael Winterbottom
Unspoken by Jeremy Borison
Taboo: Amos Guttman by Shauly Melamed
Where is Anne Frank by Ari Folman
Just Now by Jeffrey Hylton Tannenbaum
Free screenings are available for the new City Spotlight program retrospective of films made in Winnipeg including The Mourning Suit and the series Less Than Kind. The filmmakers will attend and answer questions.
Forty films will be shown in theatres and for those at home, TJFF’s virtual programming can be found at www.watch.tjff.com
The full events and lineup list: https://tjff.com/tjff2024-festival-lineup
Ticketing information: https://tjff.com/tjff2024-festival-passes