TIFF Reviews: Cate Blanchett and Roy Dupuis as G7 leaders in Guy Maddin’s Rumours & more

The 2024 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival began on Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 15.

Conclave

Set in the aftermath of the unexpected death of a Pope, Conclave follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who is tasked to oversee the selection of the new leader of the Catholic Church. As cardinals from across the world assemble at the Vatican, suspicions and tensions emerge as various ideological and personal factions vie for power. Structured as a detective film, Lawrence must ensure things go smoothly. Gripped by a crisis in faith and identity, though, he struggles in his role, unable to shake the judgement of the recently deceased Pope who called him a “manager” rather than a follower.

One by one, we get to know the various competing religious beliefs at play within the Church. Pulled between tradition and liberalism, as well as various linguistic and national factions, the Church seems irreparably divided. Though we scarcely see beyond the walls of Vatican City, the violence and tensions of the real world bleed over into their decision-making process. While the film pales in terms of depth and absurdity to Paolo Sorrentino’s double-bill miniseries The Young Pope and The New Pope, Conclave nonetheless suggests cleverly the weight of what is at play.

The film has already been discussed as a kind of parallel to the upcoming American election. It’s a movie about the ugliness of blind ambition and it offers a cautionary message about choosing between two evils and the challenging work of creating change. Conclave loses some of its edge in this analogy, which cheapens the specifics of Catholicism’s battle for relevance and influence. While consistently entertaining, the film flattens questions of competing ideologies and the magical decadence of religious belief in favour of something with a broader appeal. It also means that the film’s final “twist,” though handled well by the actors, loses its potency. Instead of a significant or miraculous revelation, it becomes merely a plot contrivance. (Justine Smith)

Conclave is scheduled to open in Montreal theatres on Nov 8. 

Rumours

In a strange, violet-tinted comedy about a G7 meeting gone wrong, Guy Maddin with frequent collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson co-direct a bewildering and often laugh-out-loud hilarious reflection on politics and national identity. Roy Dupuis (doing his best Justin Trudeau) steps in as the proud and sensitive Canadian prime minister, Maxime. Along with the other leaders of the free world, he’s tasked to compose a joint statement on an ongoing and unnamed global crisis. Cate Blanchett, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Charles Dance and Takehiro Hira all step into play as leaders of Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, the USA and Japan, respectively. As they get to work writing their statement, night sets in and it’s not long before they realize their phones aren’t working and the staff has abandoned them. 

With a dash of Buñuel (specifically The Exterminating Angel) and an unmistakably Winnipegian sense of humour, Rumours gently pokes fun at the follies of political theatre. The name of the game isn’t sustainable change or meaningful rhetoric, but the most plausibly generic and inoffensively garbled of political slogans and buzzwords. The film’s drama otherwise swirls around hilarious high-school level conflict involving the leaders of the free world as cliquish behaviour and adolescent lust rule the game. The world leaders are painted as fallible and fragile, but also embarrassingly earnest. They’re not duplicitous monsters but self-involved outsiders who are removed from the concerns and challenges of the real world. As Rumours thrusts them into increasingly bizarre scenarios (including the discovery of an enormous brain in the woods), they adapt but only just barely survive.

Though perhaps a touch too long, Rumours is one of the most ruthlessly entertaining films of the year, and a potent portrait of Canada’s place within the socio-political sphere. The entire cast dives into their roles, and represent delightful (though also horrific) avatars for each nation. (Justine Smith)

Rumours is scheduled to open in Montreal theatres on Oct. 18. 

A Sister’s Tale

The film opens with a card that reads: “Since the revolution in 1979, Iranian women have not been allowed to sing publicly in Iran.” In the first shot, we meet Nasreen, singing in her dark, enclosed room, with her back to the camera. Leila Amini’s film chronicles her sister’s seven-year battle to reclaim her dream of becoming a singer in Tehran. 

Nasreen Aimini, a mother of two, balances domestic responsibilities with her deep passion for music, determined to defy patriarchal norms and an absent, unsupportive, religious husband. Her growing independence unfolds before the camera, as we witness her personal and musical struggle. At the heart of A Sisters’ Tale is Nasreen’s voice — not just in her music but in her moments of defiance, frustration and reflection. Her songs, recorded in secret (sometimes in a car, in a sketchy dark field away from prying eyes ,where gang members and racers go to roar their car engines at night), are symbols of both personal and collective resistance. Through her music and lyricism, we find a candid portrait of her inner journey, as if we’re overhearing her deepest thoughts and feelings.

In participatory documentaries like A Sisters’ Tale, the camera becomes an active participant, working in synergy with its subjects and their communities to expose a reality most outsiders forget exists. The subjects here are hyper aware of the potentially judging eye of the camera lens. Whether consciously or unconsciously, they perform for the camera, trying to manage how they are perceived, fearful of slipping into something less than favourable.

What makes Amini’s film stand out is its juxtaposition of the deeply personal with the highly political. The sisters’ journey isn’t just about film or music, it’s about navigating a society determined to suppress women. Nasreen says she wants to sing to inspire other women like her to have dreams: “Not losing hope is the key to achieving your dreams.”

Shot with remarkable intimacy, the film itself becomes a quiet act of rebellion and solidarity. Through the act of filming, Amini uses her closeness to her sister to express herself artistically while simultaneously sharing her sister’s artistic expression and journey to give us an unfiltered look at the quiet courage of Iranian women finding ways to defy the constraints imposed upon them, proving that even in the most suffocating environments, dreams should, can and will still be fought for. (Chico Peres Smith)

A Sister’s Tale does not currently have a scheduled Montreal release date. 

Sweet Angel Baby

Set in a small Newfoundland fishing community, Sweet Angel Baby is a “slice of life” film with growing tension, following the day to day life of Eliza. Working to help save the local church, which has recently been put up for sale, Eliza also has a secret Instagram account where she posts provocative pictures; a kind of hobby and artistic outlet to keep her busy. As she’s a bit of an outsider, rumours and distrust already circle around her. The rather conservative town wonders if she might be a lesbian, due to a close relationship she has with Toni (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers). Some of her former classmates think she’s stuck-up and spoiled. After an encounter with a married man, Eliza finds her secret life exposed. With nowhere to run, she has to grapple with suddenly being thrust into the small town spotlight. 

In many ways a rather conventional narrative film, Sweet Angel Baby excels on the strength of its cast. Michaela Kurimsky’s performance is raw and tender, equal parts revealing and mysterious. For those who follow Canadian cinema, Kurimsky was already a budding star thanks to her incredible performance in Firecrackers (2018). Here she’s older and rougher, but channels an openness that feels singular, marked by a deep interiority that translates effectively onscreen. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is similarly an exciting screen presence, who brings a weariness and depth of performance that seems to transcend the film’s writing. Without it being laid out bare, we sense a life that exists beyond the confines of the story that lends tension and intrigue to her character. 

Sweet Angel Baby lacks somewhat in offering an especially interesting story, but the characters are enough to make the film worth watching. Christopher Mabley’s cinematography has a hazy dreaminess that helps root the film within its locale, bringing specificity to an otherwise straightforward narrative. While Sweet Angel Baby leaves much to be desired, it’s nonetheless reflective of a great shift in English Canadian cinema over the past decade. No longer stale and overly relying on stereotypes, movies like this reflect a willingness by Canadian filmmakers to create something personal and regional. (Justine Smith)

Sweet Angel Baby does not currently have a scheduled Montreal release date. 

Sad Jokes

A festival like TIFF often highlights the big and bold releases from major European festivals, big-name auteurs and (increasingly) Hollywood award contenders. It can be easy to get caught up in the glamour and FOMO, neglecting the festival’s other programming. Fabian Stumm’s Sad Jokes, included as part of TIFF’s Discovery program, is the sophomore feature by the German actor turned director. An absurdist, clinically cold comedy of misunderstandings, the film is told mostly as a series of vignettes. Stumm, who also stars, plays Joseph, a film director searching for a new project. He’s in a sexual dry spell after breaking up with his long-term partner, Marc, and the mother of his child, Sonyo, is suffering from a mental health crisis.

Set in almost too-white environments, the film’s title alludes to the sombre unhappiness that underlines its sense of humour. Joseph seems to be suffering from an epidemic of bad luck. Not only is his personal and professional life in shambles, but not long after the film’s running time begins, he gets his hand stuck in a vending machine. While he can’t seem to catch a break, it doesn’t stop him from trying his best, fighting to be a good father, friend and filmmaker. The film’s pendulum swings from despair to pleasure always sway back towards moments of joy, however fleeting. It’s a movie that captures the hauntingly familiar frustrations of modern life that never gives way to outright pessimism. Stumm has a strong sense of framing and enough confidence in his mise-en-scène to allow shots to run long, which contributes to the film’s awkward but compelling set-pieces. While not every comedy vignette is entirely successful, zz is far more hits than misses. Stumm is unquestionably a talent to watch. (Justine Smith)

Sad Jokes does not currently have a scheduled Montreal release date. 

For more on the Toronto International Film Festival, please visit the TIFF website.

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