TIFF10: Special Presentations Thoughts

The Special Presentations programme is probably second only to Galas in terms of making up the celebrity presence at TIFF (and in the last few years, Special Presentations started to cost the same premium price as Galas).

I already mentioned a few Special Presentations (along with Galas) in a previous post, however now that most of the films have been announced, I thought I would mention a few of the films that stick out.

127 Hours – Danny Boyle, USA
It’s not surprising that Danny Boyle would return to TIFF after the success of Slumdog Millionaire, which debuted at the festival two years ago.  The most interesting thing about this film is that, like Buried, the bulk of the film focuses solely on James Franco‘s character as he is trapped by a boulder.  This would definitely be an interesting film to see.

Everything Must Go – Dan Rush, USA
FINALLY!  I loved it when Will Ferrel took a slightly more serious turn in Stranger Than Fiction and I was waiting for him to do another “dramedy” for ages.  This one looks like it could be a bit more dramatic than the previous film and I looking forward to see if Ferrel pulls it off.

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie – Sturla Gunnarsson, Canada
It is impossible to grow up in Canada and not be familiar with David Suzuki, who has been a staple on CBC for what seems like forever.  As such, I would be quite interested in checking out this new documentary on him.

Hereafter – Clint Eastwood, United Kingdom
Apparently it has been two decades since the last time Clint Eastwood brought a film to TIFF, making this film one of the highlights of this year’s programme.  This film is a bit different than Eastwood’s previous films in how its a bit more of a thriller that deals with the afterlife.  Should be interesting.

I’m Still Here – Casey Affleck, USA
It’s hard to tell if this film about Joaquin Phoenix‘s breakdown is a serious documentary or a tongue-in-cheek mockumentary.  Either way, I think this is a can’t miss film.

Let Me In – Matt Reeves, United Kingdom/USA
It’s still being debated whether this remake of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In was truly necessary.  However, based on the trailers, the film looks decent and it would be interesting to see how the film was updated for North American audiences.

And those are my highlights from the Special Presentations programme.  Check back later and I go through some of the interesting documentaries in the Reel to Real programme.