‘Nightbitch’, ‘We Live In Time’, More

The Toronto Film Festival kicked off September 5 with a multi-move opening night that included David Gordon Green’s family comedy Nutcrackers starring Ben Stiller. It kicked off a slate of world premieres and buzzy movies across 11 days for the 49th edition of one of North America’s biggest film festivals.

Other key titles making their debuts in Toronto include The Luckiest Man in America starring Paul Walter Hauser, the Amy Adams-starring Nightbitch, theatre guru Marianne Elliott’s The Salt Path, DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot and Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck.

Documentaries set to make a splash include Elton John: Never Too Late and Paul Anka: His Way.

Click below to read Deadline’s reviews from the ground in Toronto and keep checking back as we add more. The festival wraps September 15.

Bonjour Tristesse

Section: DiscoveryDirector-screenwriter: Durga Chew BoseCast: Chloe Sevigny, Claes Bang, Lily McInerny, Nailia Harzoune, Aliocha Schneider, Nathalie RichardDeadline’s takeaway: This in debuting Montreal-based director and screenwriter Durga Chew Bose‘s hands feels more true to Françoise Sagan’s novel and becomes a more complex tale of the nature of female relationships, the mysteries within and their winding paths.

Hard Truths

Section: Special PresentationsDirector-screenwriter: Mike LeighCast: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan LivingstoneDeadline’s takeaway: Jean-Baptiste carries the film on her shoulders and she is magnificent. If you want to watch acting of the highest order look no further, but if you want to invest in a character worth spending 97 minutes with, look somewhere else. 

The Last Showgirl

Section: Special PresentationsDirector: Gia CoppolaCast: Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Jason SchwartzmanDeadline’s takeaway: This look at the lives of the infamous Vegas showgirls is smart, touching, funny, honest and wise. It’s Pamela Anderson’s moment to shine and, boy does she ever shine — right up to an ending that leaves us hopeful.

The Luckiest Man in America

Section: Special PresentationsDirector: Samir OliverosCast: Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, Johnny Knoxville, Haley Bennett, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Brian Geraghty, Lilli Kay, James WolkDeadline’s takeaway: With Hauser in charge, this whole scenario keeps us engaged thanks to the actor’s ability to breathe some humanity into these oddball characters. You can see why he couldn’t resist this one. 

Nightbitch

Section: Special PresentationsDirector-screenwriter: Marielle HellerCast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Zoe Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Ryan, Jessica HarperDeadline’s takeaway: There is simply no way this movie could have been written or made by a man, at least to get the kind of stellar effect this amusing and moving valentine to moms achieves. Heller does an exceptional job guiding it behind the camera. It may even bring a tear to your eye.

Nutcrackers

Section: Gala PresentationsDirector: David Gordon GreenCast: Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Tim Heidecker, Edi Patterson, Toby Huss, Homer Janson, Ulysses Janson, Atlas Janson, Arlo JansonDeadline’s takeaway: This is the kind of movie Hollywood used to deliver all the time but has clearly forgotten how to make — until now. Among the inspirations for director David Gordon Green were The Bad News Bears, Six Pack, Uncle Buck and Overboard. You might expect John Hughes was back from the dead, along with this genre.

On Swift Horses

Section: Special PresentationsDirector: Daniel MinahanCast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Sasha Calle, Diego CalvaDeadline’s takeaway: The movie version of Shannon Pufahl’ placed her’s debut novel becomes a more complicated romantic drama, mixed with gambling, noir-ish tones, horse racing and a complex love triangle that don’t all mesh as well as they might. But give this attractive and talented cast an “A” for trying to make it all plausible.

Unstoppable

Section: Gala PresentationsDirector: William GoldenbergCast: Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Don Cheadle, Michael PeñaDeadline’s takeaway: You really can’t compare Unstoppable to any inspiring sports drama that has come before, either in terms of what the main subject has achieved in athletics or the obstacles he had to overcome at home. Its fate rests on the ability of star Jharrel Jerome, in making us root for him and to believe.

We Live In Time

Section: Special PresentationsDirector: John CrowleyCast: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Heather Cranney, Matt Kennard, Sam Kennard, Laura GuestDeadline’s takeaway: Through it all in Nick Payne’s sharply written screenplay we add up the individual pieces we are being presented and get a strong picture of Pugh’s and Garfield’s characters, something that wouldn’t be possible in a more linear structure. If we didn’t believe these two were destined for each other, the whole soufflé would fall. It doesn’t, but the fact Crowley is in charge should guarantee it won’t.