Toronto Wrap

32 films in the end. A pretty glorious week to be honest.

If I balance the wins against the misses, it would seem that I came out ahead by a mile. I missed only a couple of must-sees (most of which I can make up in regular theatres in the weeks and months to come) and saw virtually all of the top titles on my list.

In summary, here's what worked and what didn't, pretty much in the order in which they thrilled me...

Best Of The Best
(aka the titles I can't wait to watch again and again!)
One Week (favourite by a mile),
O'Horten
Hunger (unlike anything I've ever seen)
The Wrestler
Unmistaken Child
Waltz With Bashir

Excellent
(aka worth seeing again, strong recommendations; this is what the festival is all about!)
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Synecdoche, New York
It Might Get Loud
The Hurt Locker
Pontypool
Not Quite Hollywood
Dungeon Masters
Fauborg 36

Very Good If Flawed
(aka titles that really want to be on the Excellent list, but which stumbled in or out of the gate):
The Brothers Bloom
Appaloosa

Great, Not For Everyone
(aka titles I enjoyed a lot but which made me want to throw up in my mouth a little)
Martyrs
Vinyan

Not Bad, Not Great, Just Fine
(aka not necessarily worth paying for parking, but certainly worth an inexpensive rental)
Wendy and Lucy
Zift
Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist
The Burrowers
Is There Anybody There?
The Sky Crawlers

Is It Too Late to Exchange the Tickets for Something Else?
(aka we live to learn)
Adam Resurrected
Toronto Stories
Good
$9.99
Universalove
Blind Loves

Nothing to Say, Move On
Passchendaele

Disappointed That I Missed...
(in order of disappointment)
Slumdog Millionaire (the great must-see of the week that I couldn't see; it burns me all the more that it's won the People's Choice award)
Lovely, Still
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (rotten new TIFF Elgin policies...grumble...)
Chocolate (the last Midnight screening!)
Tokyo Sonata
Tears for Sale
Still Walking
Disgrace
Gigantic
Rachel Getting Married

Sounds Like It Was a Good Thing I Traded My Ticket
(aka buzz pretty ugly, no make-up required)
Uncertainty
Sauna