TIFF Movies 2016 – Best and Worst

Saw 21 films, almost all of them enjoyable. Due to a broken neck, (I kid you not), caused by a very bad fall in early August, I had to construct a list of films where I didn’t have to switch theatres during the day. I also needed decent access because of my walker, so there are more big-budget English language movies than I would usually choose. My directors were largely women, although that was happenstance and not design. By coincidence, I also happened to see the top three People’s Choice Award films (La La Land, Lion, and Queen of Katwe) which is a first for me.

tiff-2016Top of the LineA United Kingdom (UK – Interracial marriage of future king of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and British government’s relentless campaign against the couple).

Very Strong Heaven Will Wait (France – teenage girls being radicalized into jehadis), Aquarius (Brazil – the great Sonia Braga as a woman fighting against developers trying to evict her), In Between (Israel/France – travails of three young Arab women living in Tel Aviv), Christine (USA – news anchor in Florida who committed suicide on air), Burn Your Maps (USA – a little boy who thinks he’s Mongolian), Safari (Austria – droll exposé documentary of big game hunters).

Most Artistic/Cinema As ArtBrimstone (Netherlands et.al. – incest and revenge in the american old west).

Most PeculiarSalt and Fire (Germany et.al. – kidnapped research scientist abandoned in the Bolivian salt flats with two blind Indian children – Werner Herzog strikes again).

Bottom of the Gene PoolLa La Land (USA – a derivative, unoriginal, predictable attempt at a movie musical with insipid score and routine performances – won the People’s Choice Award proving that you can fool some of the people some of the time).

The Rest of My TIFF Films 2016 – The Rehearsal (New Zealand), Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces (Egypt), Their Finest (UK), In Dubious Battle (USA), The Exception (UK), The Secret Scripture (Ireland), Loving (USA), Lion (Australia), Queen of Katwe (Uganda/South Africa), Strange Weather (USA), Mascots (USA).