TIFF '23: Bening swims for gold in "Nyad"

by Cláudio Alves 

Amid arthouse offerings and experimental fare, daring feats of international cinema and midnight madness, the traditional Oscar movie can have a hard time standing out. Still, coexistence is possible, and there's always that beautiful occurrence, once every blue moon, when a festival's boldest piece is its most likely to succeed with awards. I wish I could say Nyad was that movie, but Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi's narrative feature debut falls short of such lofty expectations. Yet, don't let this curmudgeon film critic's dissatisfaction dissuade you from predicting it in several categories. Sink or swim, Nyad is going for gold…

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TIFF: Julian Dennison in ‘Uproar’

By Abe Friedtanzer

Courtesy of TIFF

By Abe Friedtanzer

The intersection of inherently comedic characters and unexpectedly dramatic situations can be a difficult thing to get right, but when it is, it’s quite satisfying. Uproar introduces a misfit protagonist who uses humor as a defense mechanism to mask his own discomfort with and uncertainty about his identity, and it warmly and effectively traces his journey towards self-discovery and an untapped passion for activism... 

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TIFF '23: "A Ravaging Wind" delivers an acting masterclass

by Cláudio Alves

Sergi Lopez and Alfredo Castro work miracles in "A Ravaging Wind"

I swore to myself that, if ever I got to attend TIFF, I wouldn't capitulate to the tyranny of awards buzz. Smaller pictures and international sensations deserve as much attention as those movies bound for Academy consideration. Now that I'm here, that intention remains true, though new frustrations compound with old ones, especially concerning actors. In such a wide array of world cinema offerings, it's dispiriting that the only thespians that can headline articles and cause social media stirs are either Hollywood institutions or Sandra Hüller.

That's not a dig at those lucky few, merely an appreciation that there's greatness beyond the mainstream spotlight. In other words, everyone at TIFF should be talking about what Chilean star Alfredo Castro and Catalan star Sergi López  achieve in A Ravaging Wind… 

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TIFF '23: “Youth (Spring)” brings notes of optimism to Wang Bing’s cinema

by Cláudio Alves

Over a decade ago, Wang Bing’s first film explored the decline of an industrial district, state factories dying away as privately-owned businesses took over the Chinese economy. Since Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks, the director has applied the same ‘fly on the wall’ technique to various other projects, each growing in size until his filmography resembles a collection of non-fiction epics. The 2002 picture clocked at over nine hours, edited down from 200 hours of footage. For his most recent endeavor, Wang recorded 2,600 hours of material, deciding to present it as a trilogy named after one of the most exploited demographic in the nation’s industry – Youth. The three-and-a-half-hour Youth (Spring) represents the first chapter in the director’s new opus, introducing new tonalities to his work…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2023)

By Christopher James

Jeremy Strong has won Lead Actor in a Drama Series once before, for the second season of Succession in 2020.

Another day, another category that Succession has dominated. Of the six slots in the category for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Succession takes up half the category. However, this isn’t necessarily a huge bonus for the show. The other Drama Series acting categories seem relatively locked up (take the time to prepare speeches, Sarah Snook, Matthew MacFadyen, and Jennifer Coolidge). Yet, the Lead Actor in a Drama Series race feels much more open. Multiple Succession cast members have narratives for a win, while the non-Succession men are putting up a great fight.

Who will prevail in this tight race? Let’s take a look at the episode submissions...

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