No. 1 – SOLO
Québécoise filmmaker Sophie Dupuis stunned in the world premiere of “Solo”—which won the Best Canadian Feature award. This movie has it all: extravagant song and dance numbers set in Montreal’s drag community, a poignant family drama, all driven by the toxic love story at the film’s core. The two leads, Théodore Pellerin and Félix Maritaud, exhibit pathos, heat and menace in equal proportions. A must-see.
No. 2 — RUSTIN
Mark this one down on your Oscars list. Directed by George C. Wolfe, it features a star performance by Colman Domingo with a script by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black. This forgotten story of gay civil rights titan Bayard Rustin is an adrenaline rush, tracing the highlights of the ’60 Civil Rights movement, while zeroing in on the March on Washington and the powerbrokers’ uneasiness with Rustin’s openly gay lifestyle.
No. 3 — ORIGIN
It’s tough to make an engaging movie about the act of writing a book—especially a book of ideas, such as Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste.” Though the film drags a little in its back half, Ava DuVernay largely manages to pull off this impossible task. The film is also a travelogue, of sorts, with stunningly-shot segments in the American South, Berlin and India. Expect acting noms for the lead, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
No. 4 – SEVEN VEILS
Think “Black Swan,” only more psychological, less gothic. Atom Egoyan tells a story on an operatic scale, literally. Incorporating his production of Canadian Opera Company’s Salome, the film tells the twisty story of childhood abuse and professional ambition. Amanda Seyfried excels at portraying the wounded director tasked with remounting a much-loved production of one of her abusers. Visually and aurally stunning.
No. 5 — ANATOMY OF A FALL
This year’s Palme d’Or winner by director Justine Triet is more easily admired than loved. It employs a dissection of the aftermath of one fatal accident to question the unknowability of truth. Played in a bravura turn by German actress Sandra Hüller, the protagonist is the classic unlikeable character. This is not a film where you have people to root for, which makes it an enthralling, but somewhat chilly affair
Other notable films: “The Boy and the Heron,” “Wicked Little Letters,” “Hit Man,” “El Rapto,” “The Dead Don’t Hurt” and “The Convert.”
Major disappointment: “Fingernails,” “Next Goal Wins” and “American Fiction.” The latter won the People’s Choice Award, so go figure…
Fine but nothing to write home about: “Wildcat,” “The Critic” and “Snow Leopard.”
Until next year, we wave a fond farewell to the Q & As, the lineups, the great conversations with seatmates and line buddies.