TIFF09: Special Presentations Thoughts

If I’m hard-pressed to find a film to see at TIFF, I always look towards the Special Presentations, since these films are already set for release and they are usually only at TIFF for their premiere.

There have been many great special presentations announced over the last few weeks and I thought I would mention my favourites.

A Serious Man – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, USA
This is the third year in a row that the Coen brothers are showing up at the festival. I saw the trailer for this last week and this black comedy should make stars out of the mostly unknown actors appearing in it.

The Hole – Joe Dante, USA
It’s been a while since I heard from Gremlins director Joe Dante, however this new thriller seems very interesting.

Up in the Air – Jason Reitman, USA
It’s Jason Reitman’s third film and his follow-up to Juno. The film stars George Clooney and I expect it to have a bit more of a Thank You for Smoking vibe than Reitman’s last film.

Capitalism: A Love Story – Michael Moore, USA
This is probably the biggest film in the Special Presentations programme as Michael Moore shows up to debut his newest documentary. Should be interesting.

Whip It – Drew Barrymore, USA
With Ellen Page staring, it seems that Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut about roller derby may attract the Juno crowd.

The Informant! – Steven Soderbergh, USA
There is a big Ocean’s Eleven vibe about this film staring Matt Damon and it should be a fun film.

The Invention of Lying – Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, USA
Ricky Gervais shows up for the second year in a row for what should be a very interesting film.

That’s all for now.