Toronto International Film Festival — A–Z of films

At the beginning, wit ricochets off the walls [then] the movie loses its spark.

Wells shows how interactions that were solid within their own moment become more ambiguous as time has gone by and the adult understanding of Sophie has grown.

In its subtleties and strength it finds new ways to explore difficult ground.

It is often amongst the international Oscar contenders that one finds the year’s best films. Even after accounting for that, this is something special.

The intimacies are staggering.

The story may be presented in a quirky way, with a highly distinctive visual style, but it’s well observed and relatable.

Banshees is lifted by good performances, particularly from Keoghan and Condon, whose major scene together has a delicacy of emotion that is sharply at odds with the brute force McDonagh more generally employs.

The sense of flow extends to the narrative, which weaves together a series of stories, connected not so much by plot intersection as by existential questions of purpose and loss.

Robert Connolly successfully delivers a story which has enough nuance to keep adults from getting bored whilst remaining accessible to younger viewers.

Covert glances and dauntless gestures between the three protagonists, that keep us guessing about who knows what, weave a web as diaphanous as the stitching on fine cloth.

More pedantic than poetic, making for an unfulfilling watch.

By shining a light on the past, Lifshitz lights a beacon for people who feel outcast in today's world.

There is a great deal to enjoy here in a fast paced, lively tale which highlights the hypocrisy of its characters without demeaning them, and which is full of heart.

For most of the running time, the film is warm and light-hearted, despite viewers’ steadily growing awareness that it might end in bloodshed.

This is hardly a bastion of accuracy, but it does cover its ground well.

Vicky Krieps...is in excellent form and up to the task of presenting to us the icon in all her idiosyncrasies.

Baumeister shows how easy it is for a child to latch on to fantasy when reality is so tough.

Park does it the hard way, building up a complex psychological and intellectual relationship in which sexual desire feels like an emergent characteristic rather than a starting point.

The destination of the film might feel like a bit of a foregone conclusion but the graceful and sometimes unpredictable manner in which Carion arrives at it is impressive.

O’Connor does not fall for the myth of a romantic place which breeds talent. Instead she recognises the pressure cooker effect of a tightly constrained world.

With Roger Deakins handling the cinematography and making the most of the magical light found on parts of England’s south coast, the film never ceases to be visually absorbing.

As in most successful sex comedies, the key to this film is that it’s not really sex that’s the problem, but rather the great weight of other concerns – about self-esteem, social status and ageing – associated with it.

The beast of burden’s travails seem to be a thinly veiled criticism of Polish society which erupts in one sequence into mindless violence.

The trademark Spielberg visual flair is there from the outset and keeps this film interesting at times when the narrative is moving slowly, or when it lapses into melodrama.

Le Bon’s world is so intimately constructed that it’s easy to be immersed in the present moment, as the characters are, and lose sight of the rest.

A lot hinges on Hasson’s performance, and she carries the film’s tonal shifts well.

This documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into how [UBI] might play out in practice.

Rian Johnson's knife is sharper and more precise the second time out.

To refer to something as ‘pure cinema’ is uninspired, but Godland is one of those rare films that has some untranslatable quality that speaks for itself.

White keeps an impressively tight hold on the narrative as he takes us through the ups and downs (literal and otherwise) of the rovers’ adventures.

Chastain is its saving grace.

The style is confused

This is less about the puzzle of who the murderer is... than about the way he slots into society and, after his arrest, is viewed by the public.

It is not so much individual people who cause the problems but rather the constricting cultural circumstances that dictate everyone must play their allocated role.

Shows that escapist films can serve every bit as valid a purpose as anything else when it comes to uniting people.

The deliberate airlessness - which finds contrast in the likes of Miss Harris' joy at her first knickerbocker glory - works well initially, but as Nighy has less screen time and the film slips into considerations of the switch in Williams' life in the past tense, it drifts towards the stagey.

You could argue it's a bit broad but then charming crowdpleasers often are.

Luckich's love of silent comedy is everywhere.

For every shot when you wish Foy would learn melancholy doesn’t have to be meandering, there’s another of striking poignance.

This may become a cult movie.

In this kaleidoscope life, montage becomes an essential tool, illustrating not only the artist’s own work but his many influences, along with the immediate context in which he was living.

Class effects, dashing adventure, a load of laughs and non-stop action.

Guzmán doesn’t need to hunt for symbolism as the protesters are often supplying their own.

This an actors’ film, featuring sterling work from all three leads.

The lighting used by cinematographer Rina Yang is some of the best I can recall in an American independent film since Moonlight.

This movie has such heart and soul that it remains a true children’s classic.

At one point it seems “Panahi” could easily step from one country to the other, but as his film shows, leaving is not always an easy option.

Seydoux is superb as she runs the emotional gamut with subtlety and empathy, demonstrating an extraordinary survival spirit in complicated circumstances.

As richly drawn as it is delicately handled.

The combination of Efira and Magimel proves magnetic.

The film is full of sharp little observations, made in passing, which tell us about this society and the experience of people living it.

An all-action spectacular with some smart ideas which sustains itself surprisingly well over a full two hours.

An accomplished piece of work.

Quietly devastating.

This is career-breaking stuff for Black.

De Filippis understands the value of the small stuff.

This is a film of boundaries and barriers and attempts to overcome them.

Luhrmann combines an orgy of schmaltzy pastiche with satirical fireworks.

It’s Lerman’s shooting style which makes the biggest impression.

The film is full of careful observations, from the looks on the faces of the villagers to the small things Kiran does as she reclaims her place in the world.

A roller-coaster of the effects of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

A natural crowd pleaser.

The stories that bloom here are rooted in the real, jacketed in the bruised flesh of familiar harms.

Blasko tells the story with a plainness which adds to its power, sometimes using news-style framing as if to remind us of the political moment which we’re living through.

Although the drama itself has a generally naturalistic feel, striking visuals embellish the spirit of all those things that are just beyond that realm.

Kat is styled with a punk sensibility which will appeal to young viewers tired of old fashioned notions about how young heroes ought to look and behave.

Here cosmos and chaos, action and reaction, hope and despair, love and anger, all bump and grind together in a Satanic tango.

Songs that had taken place in single locations are given scope to roam, a challenge to all involved but delightful for it.

A platform for some considerable talent both behind and in front of the camera, which will leave you wanting more.

A film that often lacks subtlety in its execution despite the performances and impressive make-up craft.

In addition to attacks from the outside, Shukla shows the erosion from within.

Young star Paul Kircher puts in an impressively sensitive and emotionally raw peformance.

Its the emotional sparring between the women - as fierce as anything on the battle ground - that really holds the attention

Polley has crammed in a lot of good ideas, but they cannot all usefully share the same space.

Pugh's performance, which dovetails nicely with newcomer Cassidy’s devout determination as Anna, can’t quite overcome the uneven plotting and, at times, flimsy characterisation.

Better in its subtler moments, when it explores not just the difference between what is being filmed and reality by the fictions the characters are also inventing for themselves, the film is made compelling by its own immaculate casting.