“We Live In Time,” “The Nutcracker,” and more

The Toronto Film Festival kicked off on September 5 with an opening night of several films, including The Nutcracker, a family comedy starring Ben Stiller and directed by David Gordon Green. The 49th edition of one of the largest film festivals in North America screened world premieres and buzzworthy films over 11 days.

Other major titles premiering in Toronto include “The Luckiest Man in America” ​​starring Paul Walter Hauser, “Night Bitch” starring Amy Adams, theatre pioneer Marianne Elliott’s “The Salt Path,” DreamWorks Animation’s “Wild Robots” and Mike Flanagan’s “Life of Chuck.”

Potential documentaries that are likely to be popular include “Elton John: Never Too Late” and “Paul Anka: His Way.”

Click below to read Deadline’s review from on-site in Toronto (and keep checking back as more reviews are added over time). The festival ends on September 15th.

Bonjour Tristes

Section: Discovery
Directed and written by: Durga Choo Bose
Starring: Chloe Sevigny, Claes Bang, Lily McInerney, Neilia Harzoon, Ariocha Schneider, Natalie Richard
Deadline says: Montreal-based director and screenwriter Durga Chew-Bose’s film stays true to Françoise Sagan’s novel with a more complex tale that explores the nature of female relationships, the mysteries they harbor and the winding path they take.

The harsh truth

Section: Special Lectures
Directed and written by: Mike Leigh
Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michelle Austin, David Weber, Twain Barrett, Annie Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan Livingston
Deadline’s take: Jean-Baptiste carries this film on his shoulders and delivers a fantastic performance — if you want top-notch acting, look no further, but if you want to be invested in a character worth spending 97 minutes with, look elsewhere.

The Last Showgirl

Section: Special Lectures
Director: Gia Coppola
Starring: Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman
Deadline’s take: This portrayal of the lives of notorious Las Vegas showgirls is smart, moving, funny, honest and wise. It’s Pamela Anderson’s moment to shine, and she really does. Until the ending leaves us with a sense of hope.

The luckiest man in America

Section: Special Lectures
Directed by: Samir Oliveros
Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, Johnny Knoxville, Haley Bennett, Shaunette Rene Wilson, Brian Geraghty, Lili Kaye, James Wolk
Deadline says: With Hauser at the helm, the entire script keeps us hooked thanks to the actor’s ability to infuse humanity into these quirky characters, and it’s easy to see why he couldn’t resist this one.

Nutcracker

Section: Gala Presentation
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Tim Heidecker, Eddie Patterson, Toby Huss, Homer Janson, Ulysses Janson, Atlas Janson, Arlo Janson
Deadline’s take: This is the kind of movie Hollywood used to make a lot but has now forgotten how to make. Director David Gordon Green’s inspirations include The Bad News Bears, Six-Pack, Uncle Buck and Overboard. With John Hughes back from the dead, one might expect the genre to be resurrected.

Unstoppable

Section: Gala Presentation
Directed by: William Goldenberg
Starring: Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña
Deadline says: Unstoppable can’t really be compared to any inspirational sports drama before it, either in terms of what its protagonists accomplish on the track or the obstacles they have to overcome at home. Its fate hinges on lead actor Jharrel Jerome’s ability to make viewers root for and believe in him.

We live in time

Section: Special Lectures
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Heather Clunie, Matt Kennard, Sam Kennard, Laura Guest
Deadline’s take: Through Nick Payne’s sharply written script, we’re presented with individual elements that add up to a strong portrayal of Pugh and Garfield’s characters that wouldn’t be possible with a more linear structure. The whole soufflé would fall apart if we didn’t believe these two were meant to be. They’re not, but the fact that Crowley is in charge should ensure that won’t be the case.