Went to see a bunch of films during the Labour Day Weekend because apparently 27 films I'm going to see in TIFF are not enough.
Little Stranger: a moody little gothic horror that's not particularly scary but has interesting things to say about grief and envy and class shift in post war England. Not too many people in the theater in the opening weekend during my screening, and looks like it's gonna pass through without much fanfare, which is a pity. Performances in it are very fine, especially by Ruth Wilson, whom I adore. I didn't realize this was based on a Sarah Waters novel until afterwards (no lesbians in this, I'm afraid.)
Juliet, Naked: I really liked the Nick Hornby novel this is based on, about a British woman nearing middle age whose boyfriend has a singular obsession with an obscure American indie rock musician. The movie is very well cast (I mean, Ethan Hawke as the '90's indie darling turned a shaggy, endearing mess? Perfect). A slight concoction, but a charming one.
Searching: STARRING JOHN CHO, BUT FOR REALSIES. Cho is a dad gone frantic after his 16 yo daughter goes missing. The big conceit is that the entire movie plays out on screens -- laptop, phone screen, TV -- every single scene. For a gimmicky fare like this, it is surprisingly gripping, and at times emotional (I wasn't expecting to cry in the first 5 mins of the film, for goodness' sake). I'm also chuffed to see two good movies headlined by Asian American actors in my local multiplex within a span of a month, like WHEN has that ever happened? (Never)