Hello Dayton937 & NEON Fans,

My last day was short but very sweet. The morning was spent exploring Toronto a bit…and then in the afternoon, Jake and I attended two films – both of which were treats for very different reasons.

My first film of the day is almost certainly getting a big Hollywood release – ROOFMAN (dir: Derek Cianfrance – USA) “Starring Channing Tatum and Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst, this wildly entertaining drama from Oscar-nominated director Derek Cianfrance (TIFF ’10’s Blue Valentine) tells the real-life story of Jeffrey Manchester, the “Rooftop Robber,” and his efforts to evade capture.” (TIFF Catalog) Though I came away wondering a bit more backstory and motivation, the film ultimately worked for what it set out to do. Tatum and Dunst have incredible chemistry on screen, and the performances are fun and embraceable. It’s a fascinating story with documentary footage at the end to clarify the “reality” of it all, and overall, I was glad to be along for the ride.

My last film of the festival is from a TIFF favorite – Guillermo del Toro – who has played films like PAN’S LABYRINTH and THE SHAPE OF WATER here – FRANKENSTEIN (dir: Guillermo del Toro – USA) “Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro’s visually sumptuous adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece finds Oscar Isaac as the brilliant scientist whose unearthly creation, eerily and ingeniously conjured by Jacob Elordi, blurs the boundaries between life, death, and madness.” (TIFF Catalog). Going into this film, it seemed like it would be ready-made material for del Toro (and perhaps treading old territory)…and that notion isn’t wrong. But I was somehow still surprised at how much I liked this film. The 2.5 hours seemed quite tight, and the production designs (mostly practical and not so much CGI) were stellar. I’ve read a couple reviews that say the film lacked intimacy, and I think they’re terribly wrong. There are some really tender moments, and though quite different than the novel on which it is based, I think it poses many of the same great questions that Shelley had in mind.

So that’s it! 32 Films over 9 Days, great Q&A’s, running into old friends and colleagues, appreciating the community’s embrace of great cinema…Toronto knows how to throw a festival, and TIFF is a special time of year for me. I appreciate you reading about my adventures, and I can’t wait to bring some of these films to our screens at THE NEON.

Thank you so much to Dayton937 for allowing me to use their platform!

My best,
Jonathan

Catch Jonathan’s previous tiff posts: