That's a wrap on another Toronto International Film Festival! 10 days, 36 films and many hours in dark theatres later, I've emerged with a round-up of my favourites, in no particular order: (1) The Two Popes, for the laugh out loud opening that carries through to the final scene and the on-screen chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Price (2) I Am Woman, for transporting me back to my feminist roots and for Tilda Cobham-Hervey’s breakout performance as Helen Reddy (3) The Personal History of David Copperfield, for its colourblind casting, fantastical story and Wes Anderson-esque scenes (4) Black Bitch, for depicting colonialism and racism in contemporary Australian society while illustrating the beauty and complexity of Indigenous communities (5) And The Birds Rained Down, for Quebecois actress Andrée Lachapelle’s performance of an older woman’s second chance at life and first opportunity for love, as well as the many beautifully shot, tender scenes between her and actor Gilbert Sicotte n (6) Hearts and Bones for the outstanding performances and juxtaposition of the lives of a war photographer and a refugee from a war-torn village that was the subject of a series of photographs (7) Judy for Renee Zellweger’s tour-de-force performance of Judy Garland (8) Harriet, for lifting Harriet Tubman off the pages of history books and showing us what a fierce and fearless woman she was (9) Portrait of a Lady on Fire, for its beautiful love story, sumptuous costumes and scenery, and absolutely brilliant final scene (10) Three Summers, for cleverly and humorously depicting the economic divides in Brazil and the resiliency of the working class (11) Keussipan, for giving us a compelling glimpse into the realities faced by children growing up on an Innu reserve in northern Quebec (12) A Herdade, for its fascinating story of the fate of three generations of a prominent land-owning family in Portugal that parallels the history of Portugal post World War II and the outstanding cast. Other films I’d recommend seeing: How to Build a Girl, Arab Blues, The Perfect Candidate, Frankie, Jordan River Anderson, Incitement, Lyrebird, Flatland, The Burnt Orange Heresy, Proxima, American Son, Bombay Rose, Our Lady of the Nile and Heroic Losers.
Not wanting to sacrifice good eating in between films, let me also share my favorite restaurants within walking distance from the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatres - most are places I go to year-round. Again, in no particular order, (1) Byblos has amazingly delicious and innovative Mediterranean food ideally shared by a group (I pretty much always order the Geographer gin-based cocktail, Turkish dumplings, fig salad, truffle pide, fried chicken and roasted lamb shoulder) (2) Pai has a lively atmosphere, speedy service and tasty Thai fare (the squash fritters are a MUST) (3) La Carnita serves Mexican street food in a fun setting (don't miss the Mexican street corn, Baja shrimp tacos and pitchers of Sangria!) (4) Yuzu No Hana is one of the best reasonably priced sushi spots in town and if you're a sea urchin fan like I am, they usually have melt-in-your-mouth uni from Japan and BC (5) Aloette, the lower-brow but delicious diner-ish cousin of Alo (one of the best restaurants in Canada) has several stand-out dishes, including crispy oyster mushrooms and stracciatella cheese served on sourdough with burnt honey, piquillo pepper and pine nuts. Last but not least, staying caffeinated during TIFF is essential! My "go to" coffee spot is Dark Horse on John Street. It's a few steps down from the street and easy to miss, but well worth it for the espresso drinks, ham and cheese croissants and two unisex bathrooms with no lines!
