Film: From TIFF To Awards Season – Three Films to Watch

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The close of the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is, generally speaking, considered the (unofficial) kick-off for the movie awards season.

Held this year from September 5 to 15, TIFF’s ten-day program presented more than 100 features, amounting to a frenzy of films, many of which are vying to be singled out for Oscars and other awards nominations that guarantee the production a greater box office boom and a secure place in cinema history.

Awards pundits and predictors who attended TIFF19 with scouting eyes wide open are now busy championing their favorites at Gold Derby, Awards Daily and Oscars betting sites.

There’s a long lead up to the Academy Awards ceremony set for February 9, 2020, giving you plenty of time to view all the TIFF19 players that garner a place in the race.

I’ll start you off with three titles that I’d really like to see recognized. They’re all thoroughly entertaining genre-bending highly satirical comedies with offbeat storylines, kooky characterizations, brilliant production values and, beneath all the fun and laughter, social relevance. They are must-sees.

THE WHISTLERS

Romanian writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu’s mysterious “The Whistlers” brings to the screen superbly sophisticated silliness and a thoroughly creative narrative in which events defy expectations at every plot twist.

And, while this clever crime caper keeps you laughing and guessing from beginning to end, the film cuts to the chase on cultural corruption and paranoia, bringing some reflection about issues of surveillance and lawlessness in the modern world.

Christi (Vlad Ivanov), a Romanian cop with undercover (or so he thinks) ties to the Mafia, is dispatched to Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, to free a heavily-guarded mobster, Zsolt, and get him to reveal the whereabouts of US$30 (R$120) million in cash from a drug deal.

For secrecy’s sake, Christi, who is under constant surveillance, learns the local lingo, a whistling code (hence the film’s title) used since ancient times to communicate across the island’s wide valleys.

To the uninitiated, the whistling sounds like ordinary bird twittering (NOT the social media form). Crooks and cops – and you can’t always tell who’s who, including Christi’s wily partner Gilda (Catrinel Marlon) — outflank and often shank each other in pursuit of that cache of cash.

The action advances quickly in a series of chapters, each headlined with the name of the character whose identity, motivation and relationship to the other players are revealed in it.

But, to reveal more here would just spoil the surprises that you will want to savor until the very end – the hugest surprise of all in Singapore! The film’s distributor is Magnolia Films.

KNIVES OUT

Writer/director Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” is another comedic crime caper, a clever and flamboyant send-up of the country estate murder mystery genre a la Agatha Christie.

The plot revolves around the investigation of the death of Harlan Thromby (Christopher Plummer), a famous crime writer found knifed on his 85th birthday. Local police at first assume it was suicide, but there are family finances at stake and private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, with a surprising accent!) uncovers a house full of familial grudges that could easily be construed as motives for murder.

As suspicions land and are lifted, the film’s star-studded ‘family’ ensemble — including Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, and Don Johnson, among others – carries forth with a masterfully deadpan and unfailingly droll style of acting that raises ripples of laughter.

The film’s Gothic mansion setting is cleverly decorated with all sorts of instruments of death that may, it seems, be mobilized at any moment. The mystery’s affluent setting and financial focus introduce consideration of class issues, but the film is mostly pure entertainment of the funniest kind.

So, no spoilers here about “Knives Out”’s quirks and/or denouement. The film is being distributed by Lionsgate.

JOJO RABBIT

Writer/director Taika Waititi “Jojo Rabbit” is an entirely unique coming-of-age story cum uniquely whacky historical satire.

Set in Nazi Germany and character-driven, the plot follows Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a ten-year-old boy whose imaginary best friend is Adolph Hitler (played by Waititi), who fuels Jojo’s youthful fanaticism, guides him through Nazi indoctrination and youth training, and encourages him to do things that are essentially against his better nature but absolutely necessary for him to fit in and be part of the gang (The nickname rabbit was given to him because he was unable to kick one).

Things change for Jojo when he discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is in the resistance and is hiding a Jewish girl, the lovely Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in their house. Jojo hates Jews. He’s ready to snitch on Elsa with the authorities, but decides not to do so because that would expose his mother to prosecution.

As he interacts with Elsa, they become good friends. Hitler is still in the picture and continues to influence the boy. But Jojo must reconcile his fanatic Nazi beliefs with his newly acquired knowledge about Jews and Jewish traditions.

The film’s irreverent and unconventional scenario is full of comic schticks and haute gags that make you laugh and cringe at the same time. Some viewers might find the subject matter unsuitable for humor, but the satirical presentation of Nazi extremism calls for contemplation of the parallels of that ideology with today’s hate-mongering politicians and radical terrorist groups.

There is truth to be found in the laughter brought by Jojo Rabbit. The real lesson is that with knowledge, hatred abates. The film is being released by Fox Searchlight.