After two-and-a-half weeks, two countries, four flights and 22 reviews, I'm home. It's been a pretty exhilarating journey from
my first Venice to my 11th Toronto, and I'm still processing the whole adventure.
But in terms of discoveries, let me focus on Darius Marder's
Sound of Metal, which I've been raving about to anyone who would listen. Starring Riz Ahmed as a rock drummer losing his hearing, this is an addiction-and-recovery drama like no other; its potential conventionality is wiped away by what Marder and his capable cast have come up with. Amazon bought
Sound of Metal at Toronto, and I hope it finds its audience. (One thing: I've had people express hesitation about seeing the movie because they don't like metal. That is a very small component of the film, and it's dispensed with pretty early on.)
Below is a ranking of every Toronto film I saw, either at TIFF or before, including at
Sundance and
Cannes. (Links lead to individual reviews.) For now, the adventures are over, and the passport and foreign currency are back in the drawer. It's very nice to be back with Susan, who has gotten hooked on
Queer Eye while I've been gone. She also met Peter Farrelly at a screening. I think she was even busier than I was.
46.
The Goldfinch 45.
Jojo Rabbit 44.
Wasp Network43.
Abominable 42.
My Zoe 41.
Blackbird40.
Martin Eden 39.
The Traitor38.
Lucy in the Sky 37.
Honey Boy 36.
Les Misérables35.
The Climb34.
Bad Education 33.
Atlantics32.
Pelican Blood 31.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band30.
Radioactive 29.
The Laundromat 28.
Zombi Child27.
Adam26.
Dolemite Is My Name 25.
Deerskin 24.
The Truth 23.
Hope Gap 22.
Ema 21.
Bacurau20.
Sorry We Missed You19.
A Hidden Life18.
Pain and Glory17.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire 16.
The Perfect Candidate 15.
Knives Out14.
The Kingmaker 13.
State Funeral 12.
Waves11.
Clemency 10.
Parasite9.
Frankie8.
The Wild Goose Lake7.
Synonyms 6.
The Whistlers5.
Sound of Metal 4.
Joker3.
Uncut Gems 2.
Marriage Story 1.
The Lighthouse
