Star-crossed love, jealous intrigue and murderous mayhem make these picks of the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival ones you won't want to miss.
There's Oscar-buzz brewing about these high-profile flicks, the stellar lot of them featuring Hollywood A-listers like George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in fine form. Get out your autograph books film fans and let the festival frenzy begin!
Star Watch: Spot these celebrities who've confirmed they'll be walking the red carpet in Toronto.
Atonement
(Joe Wright, special presentation)
Based on the award-winning novel by Ian McEwan, this sweeping saga reunites Keira Knightley with "Pride and Prejudice" director Wright. Troubles begin in this stylish period piece when a 13-year-old writer accuses the man who loves her sister (Knightley) of a crime he did not commit. What follows are decades of grief, some memorable scenes from screen legend Vanessa Redgrave and the kind of Kleenex-wielding, star-crossed ruin that only a classic romance can deliver.
Star Watch: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Joe Wright.
Cassandra's Dream
(Woody Allen, gala)
Money woes, two troubled brothers and a beautiful woman weave this masterful web of intrigue from Oscar-winner Allen into a screen stunner. Set in contemporary London, the two men are drawn into a sinister series of events after a young actress sweeps into town looking to find fame and fortune. It's a gem made even juicier by the original musical score by Philip Glass.
Star Watch: Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor and newcomer Hayley Atwell.
Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
(Julian Schnabel, special presentation)
In this true story, Julian Schnabel tells the inspirational tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the charismatic editor-in-chief of French Elle. After suffering a stroke in 1995 that paralyzed his entire body, Bauby, then 43, faced a bleak future. Yet by blinking his left eye -- the only thing he could still move -- he eloquently described the torment of being trapped in his body and how imagination helped him achieve a life without boundaries. This pick scored Schnabel a best director prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Star Watch: Julian Schnabel, Marie-Jos�e Croze and Max von Sydow.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
(Shekhar Kapur, gala)
Treachery, empire building and unrequited love spice up this delicious historical thriller. At the onset of this lavish period piece, Queen Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) battles internal bloodlust for her throne, Spain's attempt to restore England to Catholicism and the vulnerability she feels with her deepening love for Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). With her trusted, spy-sniffing advisor Sir Francis Walsingham by her side (Geoffrey Rush), Queen Bess busts an assassination plot, crushes her enemies and secures her throne like a monarch who means business.
Star Watch: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush.
No Country for Old Men
(Joel and Ethan Coen, special presentation)
With their usual twisted wit, the acclaimed Coen brothers prove that there are no clean getaways in life -- particularly in this mayhem-filled confection about a hunter who stumbles upon some inconveniently dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande.
Star Watch: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Kelly Macdonald.
Across the Universe
(Julie Taymor, gala)
Amid counterculture movements and turbulent anti-war protests of the '60s, two star-crossed lovers are torn apart in this posh musical. Swept up by generation-defining tunes of that era ("Hey Jude," "All You Need Is Love"), "Dr. Robert" (U2's Bono) and "Mr. Kite" (Eddie Izzard) guide the lovers through the dockyards of Liverpool, down Detroit's riot-torn streets and into the killing fields of Vietnam until the couple is reunited. Guaranteed to leave you singing in your seats.
Star Watch: Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess.
Michael Clayton
(Tony Gilroy, gala)
Office intrigue, scandal and seedy corruption shine in this directorial debut from the screenwriter of "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy." In this deliciously nasty mix in-house "fixer" Clayton (George Clooney) takes care of the dirtiest jobs at a prestigious New York law firm. The jaded Clayton hates his job and loathes his life. Yet mounting debt keeps him under the thumb of his sleazy boss and hurls him into the most dangerous career battle of his life.
Star Watch: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack.
Rendition
(Gavin Hood, gala)
Still riding high on her hot Hollywood wave, Reese Witherspoon portrays an American hunting for her husband after the Egyptian-born chemical engineer disappears on a flight from South Africa to Washington. An all-star ensemble cast including Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin boosts the suspense factor in this nail-biter from Oscar-winner Hood.
Star Watch: Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
(Andrew Dominik, special presentation)
Private drama and public exploits churn the action in this roaring tale about famed outlaw, Jesse James (Brad Pitt). Guns are slung and saddles secured as James plans his next great robbery and wages war on the enemies who are out for his head. But the biggest threat to Jesse in this flick (which also stars Sam Shepard and Mary-Louise Parker) comes from the people the elusive criminal trusts the most.
Star Watch: Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.
Eastern Promises
(David Cronenberg, gala)
Murder, deceit and retribution fuel this harrowing new thriller from Canadian director David Cronenberg. A ruthless Russian gambler (Viggo Mortensen) has been busy protecting his identity and his connections to one of London's most notorious organized crime clans. When he crosses paths with an innocent midwife who uncovers evidence that could finger his mob family, the bodies start dropping like flies. Chilling and thrilling down to the last second.
Star Watch: Viggo Mortensen, David Cronenberg and Naomi Watts.
Shake Hands with the Devil
(Roger Spottiswoode, special presentation)
Horrifying. Shocking. There's no other way to describe this tough tale about political "humanitarianism" gone terribly wrong. Based on the acclaimed book by Lieutenant-General Rom�o Dallaire, Roy Dupuis shines as the Canadian commander dispatched to Rwanda to oversee a fragile cease-fire. Amidst mounting civil chaos, harrowing mass murders and the dirty politics that lead to a long-planned genocide campaign, Dallaire is rendered helpless by his superiors and left to choose between his duty and his conscience.
Star Watch: Roy Dupuis and Roger Spottiswoode.
L'�ge des t�n�bres
(Denys Arcand, gala)
In his dreams meek, clock-punching civil servant Jean-Marc is a famous author, a star of stage and screen and the desire of every woman walking the planet. Yet this happy fiction cannot replace the mundane reality of his daily existence. Determined to make the misery of his boring life a thing of the past, the desperate Jean-Marc sets out, like so many of us do, to find a place where he truly belongs. (Look for singer Rufus Wainright in Arcand's new film, too.)
Star Watch: Denys Arcand and Marc Labr�che.
The Brave One
(Neil Jordan, special presentation)
After a brutal attack that leaves her fianc� dead and her once-perfect life in ruin, New York radio host Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) wants revenge, prowling the city streets at night to find the men responsible for her tragic loss. When the exploits of this anonymous "defender of justice" come under the watchful eye of the NYPD, Bain must decide whether to go on with her fight in this flick by Jordan ("Interview with the Vampire," "The Crying Game") or stop becoming the very thing she hates.
Star Watch: Jodie Foster, Neil Jordan and Terrence Howard.
Nightwatching
(Peter Greenaway, special presentation)
At the insistence of his pregnant wife, Rembrandt (Martin Freeman) agrees to paint the Amsterdam Musketeer Militia in the group portrait, "The Nightwatch." As he sets about his work, he discovers conspiracies afoot when a man is killed during a musket practice and the Amsterdam merchants begin jockeying for greater power. Infuriated by what he sees, Rembrandt uses the painting to reveal the dirt he's uncovered. The decision marks a terrible turning point for the artist, one that transforms the wealthy, respected celebrity of 1642 into a discredited pauper.
Star Watch: Martin Freeman and Peter Greenaway.
Emotional Arithmetic
(Paolo Barzman, closing night gala)
Redemption, healing and reconciliation swirl in this heart-tugging film based on Matt Cohen's eponymous novel. Set in 1985, three friends and Holocaust survivors (Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne and Max von Sydow) reunite 40 years after being imprisoned in a French internment camp during the Second World War. When they finally do meet again for a celebratory dinner, the lingering memories of their horrific past unhinge the bonds they share and their present-day lives. Sarandan, Hollywood's true unfading beauty, never shone brighter.
Star Watch: Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne, Max von Sydow and Roy Dupuis.
- Constance Droganes, entertainment writer, CTV.ca
