Toronto Rolls Out Its Red Carpet to the World

September 7, 2007 by Erin
Filed under: Movie News

Toronto rolled out its red carpet to the world yesterday with the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival.

In keeping with tradition, the Festival’s first gala screening was a Canadian film. This year, Fugitive Pieces, a film by Toronto native Jeremy Podeswa, was the opening film both at Roy Thomson Hall and the Elgin Theatre.

Based on the award-winning novel by Canadian author Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces recounts the journey of Jakob, a young boy who is spared while his family perished during World War II. He is discovered by Athos, a Greek who is in Nazi-occupied Poland directing an archeological dig. Athos saves the boy’s life by smuggling him to Greece. After the war, they emigrate to Toronto to start a new life but, unfortunately, leaving the memories of his family behind is no easy task for Jakob. The film follows him into adulthood, and examines the persisting effect of his childhood trauma upon the course of his life.

Fugitive Pieces stars Stephen Dillane, Rosamund Pike, Rade Sherbedgia, Robbie Kay and Nina Dobrev.

Two other films were also screened during special presentations.

Persepolis, an animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s acclaimed series of autobiographical graphic novels, depicts her experiences as a spirited young Muslim woman coming of age in Tehran. Delicately balancing drama and humour, the film follows Marjane from her childhood in Iran, to her education in France, to her return to Iran and to her ultimate emigration back to France. It is a submission from France, and is directed by Satrapi and french comic artist Vincent Paronnaud. Persepolis won a Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

The film features voicework by Catherine Deneuve, Simon Abkarian, and Danielle Darrieux.

The Brave One is an American film starring Oscar winner Jodie Foster and Oscar nominee Terrence Howard. It tells the story of Erica, a public access radio show host whose life is irreparably altered when her fiancee is brutally murdered and she is left for dead by a gang of thugs. Following her recovery, she embarks upon a vigilante killing spree, which brings her into the sights of a police officer, played by Howard.

The Brave One is directed by Neil Jordan, whose past credits include The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire.

The Brave One is a film that has generated a lot of interest, in part because of an aggressive marketing campaign by Warner Brothers. I had an opportunity to view it and was disappointed to discover that the film’s real victim was the audience, who had their senses assaulted by a predictable, implausible Hollywood tale. This film could have been a scathing commentary about how victims of crime continue to be victimized by the criminal justice system. Instead, it devolves into absurdity. On the bright side, Jodie Foster delivers a stellar performance which, in a better film, could have garnered her a fifth Oscar nomination.

Today will be a whirlwind of press conferences and film screenings. Tomorrow’s coverage will include my press interviews with Jeremy Podeswa and the cast of Fugitive Pieces, with Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard and the director and producers of The Brave One and with Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and the director of their new film Rendition. Provided that I survive the stampede of his adoring fans, I will also give you the details of George Clooney’s appearance at the gala screening of his new film, Michael Clayton.