TIFF10: Submarine, Game of Death, and Buried

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Chris Sparling, Rodrigo Cortés, and Ryan Reynolds

Yesterday was my first full day of viewing TIFF films and I thought that I would post brief thoughts on all of them.

Submarine
This was a quirky British comedy and definitely one of my favourite films of the fest.  It’s full of a wonderful ironic humour and I think its description as a Welsh Rushmore is quite true.

8/10

Game of Death
This French documentary updates the 1960s Milgram experiment into a game show format.  Contestants are asked to “shock” a man (really an actor) whenever he gets a wrong answer.  The results are shocking and film really gives questions about human nature and obedience.

9/10

Buried
This was my most anticipated film of the festival and it more than met my expectations.  The film does indeed only consist of Ryan Reynold buried in a box, however there are other characters in the film that appear only in voice-over phone conversations.  The film is quite gripping and suspenseful, has some great editing, and is without a doubt my favourite film of the festival so far (maybe even the year).

Screenwriter Chris Sparing, Director Rodrigo Cortés, and star Ryan Reynolds were is attendance afterwards for a Q&A.

And that’s my second day of screenings.

10/10

Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.