In just a few days, on July 24th, the first set of TIFF 2012 films are going to be announced. To kick start the thought process, The Arts Scene has made a short list of 12 films we think will hit the streets of Toronto come September. This of course excludes Ben Affleck’s Argo, which Bryan Cranston has kindly confirmed.
Midnight’s Children – Based on a book by Salman Rushdie of the same title, this new film by Canadian director Deepa Mehta was shot in 2011 and is scheduled for a late 2012 release. Mehta, known for her boundary-pushing films, has showcased her last few films at the festival, including The Republic of Love (2003), the critically -cclaimed Water (2005), Heaven on Earth (2008) and Cooking with Stella (2009). This film, featuring both an ensemble cast and a rare collaboration with Salman Rushdie, is bound to get the TIFF treatment; especially with the City-to-City focus on Mumbai. It would be great to see legends such as Shabana Azmi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda grace the red-carpet. Not to mention, Canada’s very own Zaib Shaikh is in this film!
Life of Pi – Ang Lee’s adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling book is on everyone’s radar as of late. The film stars legendary bollywood actors Irrfan Khan and Tabu, along with hollywood’s very own Tobey Maguire. Lee’s last major films at the festival were 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, which gave Lee the Academy Award for Best Director. TIFF has definitely been a place to shine for Lee and with recent TIFF films at the Academy Awards, he will no doubt want to bring his latest to the festival. In addition, his film has alot of relevance to the City-to-City focus on Mumbai. All together, his latest film is definitely a contender for the TIFF 2012 lineup.
Les Misérables – If there is a feature in the works that has got everyone thinking, its Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. This musical-turned-movie, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel by the same name, is gathering alot of buzz especially with the release of its first trailer. Hooper really made a mark at the 2010 festival with his award-winning film, The King’s Speech, which blew audiences away and not only took home the TIFF People’s Choice Award but followed with 7 BAFTA’s and 4 Academy-Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Hooper knows how to create great film and we can be pretty sure that TIFF knows this as well. Having Les Misérables at the festival would be treat, especially if its stunning cast – Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne & Sacha Baron Cohen – were to grace the red carpet. We are crossing our fingers this becomes a reality.
Anna Karenina – If there is one gal we seem to see at the festival often, its Keira Knightley. She has attended the film festival the past couple of years, promoting various films. From those, the most notable include Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. Both films garnered Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Knightley for her performance in Pride & Prejudice. Joe Wright has yet again collaborated with Pride & Prejudice co-stars Matthew Macfadyen & Keira Knightley in his new film, Anna Karenina, which also features Jude Law, well know now for his work as Dr. Watson in Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes, and Kelly Macdonald, known for her a fantastic voice work in Disney’s Brave. The film definitely has the character and flare that you would expect a TIFF film to have. Perhaps we shall be seeing Keira Knightley again soon?
Antiviral – There is nothing that says “TIFF-film” more than Cronenberg. Brandon Cronenberg – son of David Cronenberg – recently debuted his first feature film, Antiviral, and that too at Cannes 2012! Featuring a talented cast, including Canada’s very own Sarah Gadon and legendary actor Malcolm McDowell, this film has the potential of being screened at TIFF 2012. If so, we might get to see a different Cronenberg this year.
Hyde Park on Hudson – Bill Murray is easily one of the finest actors of all time and his upcoming drama-comedy as Franklin D. Roosevelt is certainly a film to watch out for. Directed by Roger Michell, the film boasts a brilliant cast which, along with Murray, includes Laura Linney and Olivia Williams, to name a few. Michell’s Venus screened last at the festival, starring Peter O’Toole. His latest film definitely has a TIFF-quality about it, just in the cast and story alone.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – RENT Screenplay writer Stephen Chbosky brings to the big screen what seems to be his biggest project to date. One look at the cast is easy to spot why. Featuring Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, Logan Lerman and Paul Rudd, the story is about an introvert kid who is made to belong by those around him, at a time when he experiences both pain and love. TIFF is essentially a proving ground, where both veterans and new-comers are given a chance to shine. Chbosky’s new film has the potential to go far and with a stellar cast, including Canada’s very own Nina Dobrev, there is a chance this film might get the TIFF nod.
Killing Them Softly – No TIFF is complete without a drop-by from either George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Pitt’s upcoming film, Killing Them Softly has every potential to screen at TIFF with its ridiculously talented cast: James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn and of course, the dude himself, Brad Pitt. Director Andrew Dominik’s last film was The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which screened at TIFF in 2007. With that fact, and the release date perfectly timed, we may get to see Brad Pitt again at TIFF 2012.
Won’t Back Down – Daniel Barnz hasn’t made too many films but his latest just might get the nod from the TIFF committee. Starring Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ving Rhames, Won’t Back Down revolves around two mothers who set about to fix their failing inner city school, for the future of their children. The film has the same vibe as Precious and a feel-good story similar to those in previous festival years. That coupled with the fact that it has some great talent may just give it a spot at the festival.
House at the End of the Street – We’ve been chatting about a certain selection of genre’s but we cannot forget the horror genre and the folks at TIFF’s Midnight Madness series. Directed by Mark Tonderai, House at the End of the Street features Jennifer Lawrence & Elizabeth Shue in primary roles and is a horror film that’s on everyone’s radar. With a mid-September release date, Tonderai’s film has every possibility of being a Midnight Madness contender at TIFF 2012. Now that would be one crazy midnight madness screening!
The Paperboy – A new film by Precious director Lee Daniels starring Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron & John Cusack. After Daniels’ success with Precious at TIFF 2009, there is every possibility that TIFF would bring him back to feature his latest work, which was given the Cannes treatment not too long ago.
Looper – The last time director Rian Johnson was in Toronto was in 2008 when he brought his movie The Brothers Bloom, starring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz. The film created alot of buzz for Johnson as a director, gathering significant positive reviews. His latest film, Looper, features an excellent cast – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Piper Perabo and Jeff Daniels – all of whom have either attended the film festival or have filmed in Toronto in the past. TIFF 2012 would serve a nice boost for Johnson and in return would bring a great cast to Toronto. One look at the trailer and you can tell that this film has a great chance of being in the TIFF 2012 lineup.
