by Baby Clyde
7 hours of glorious sleep at a festival! Knowing that nothing could compare to my Tanya T adventure the day before, I sensibly hadn’t booked any further films for the evening, so I was home in bed by midnight. I know it sounds ridiculous when some people work in mines and on 16-hour shifts of emergency wards, but film festivals are exhausting! Not proper, real-world exhausting but certainly no-time-to-do-anything-else or call your mum exhausting. I also of course have to find time every day to send these lightweight bulletins for the millions of you eagerly awaiting my next update. All refreshed at 7am I was ready for the days entertainment. As you will discover that early start came back to bite me by the end of the day.
I started my viewing in style, Harry Styles in point of fact. After dabbling in acting the last few years, he’s been handed actual leading-man status. By the evidence of this offering, it may be a bit too soon...
Still, I was far more positive on it than it seems many critics were. My Policeman is a quietly powerful meditation on lost love, with impeccable period details and a first-rate cast, even if the central relationship doesn’t quite ring true and Harry is slightly out of his depth at times. Still an admirable attempt!
There were no films booked for the afternoon, so I used it to catch up with one of my favourite things about Toronto, Supermodel Legend and Canadian Icon Stacey McKenzie. I hadn’t seen her since we crashed Grace Jones’ Bloodlight and Bami afterparty back in 2017. We had LOADS to catch up on so I was a bit gutted to get back to my movie-watching. Especially when the movie was the disappointing but much-anticipated The Banshee of Inisherin.
You’d have thunk after his successful but wildly divisive last outing Martin McDonagh would have the self-awareness not to make the exact same choices this time round. It’s an almost carbon copy of before. Trademark droll humour and intriguing set up followed by third act of such tone shifting mean-spiritedness it left a bad taste in my mouth. Revenge arson is a narrative trope with diminishing returns!
In left my last film of the day, Decision to Leave, early though this is no fault of Korean master Park Chan-wook. I had a great seat front and centre of the balcony but anticipating my flagging energy. I quietly sat at the back so as not to make a commotion if I had to leave. And leave I did after nodding off on at least 3 occasions and losing any notion of what was going on (the plot is complicated).
Making a quiet exit was the correct choice. Some years back I made the unfortunate choice to have a coffee and wake myself up when nodding off. Coffee and me are not a good combination. I NEVER drink it because it sends me mad. This time was no exception. After downing a quick Latte, I arrived late at Pablo Larraín’s Neruda (2016) just as the credits went up. It was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing. Thinking I’d finally found my seat I sat down in a very surprised ladies lap, jumped up walked into a wall, fell down the stairs and made a highly undignified exit through the fire door! These are true stories. I told you film festivals were exhausting.
Film Of The Day: My Policeman by default.
Oscar Buzz: Decision to Leave is the current International Feature frontrunner, right? So, I suppose the correct answer is that. But being in no position to comment I’ll have to go with the always amazing Barry Keoghan in Banshees of Inisherin. Assuming Banshee gets any awards traction he cannot fail this time. He's the absolute standout in an otherwise dubious production. Pity Rupert Everett doesn’t have more to do in My Policeman as an overdue first nomination would have been nice.
Star Spot: I was introduced to Emily Hampshire who plays Stevie in Schitt’s Creek over lunch and saw the back of Olivia Coleman’s head as she got out of a car. #Winning