Highlights of my Visit to TIFF 2025

I had the opportunity to watch seven films at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) this year (at no charge thanks to my volunteer work as coordinator of the St. Andrews Film Society, which just joined TIFF’s Film Circuit program). Four of those seven films (three of them not in English) stood out for me (i.e. ***+ or better out of ****) and it’s time to write some mini-reviews on the highlights of TIFF 2025:

4. Wrong Husband - Another story about the life of Canada’s Inuit peoples before ‘the white man’ invaded their lands from filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, who brought us the magnificent Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. This one concerns two young lovers whose plans for ‘marriage’ are ruined after the unexpected death of the girl’s father. There are supernatural forces at work. The film drags at places and the supernatural elements can be confusing, but this is a gorgeous, well-acted and thought-provoking film that deserves a wider audience than it will likely get - ***+.

3. The President’s Cake - An incredibly authentic film about two children in Baghdad during the 1990s looking for the ingredients necessary to bake a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday (a school-class requirement for the girl). The acting (especially by the kids) and cinematography are extraordinary and the story, while deeply sad in places, is also moving and often funny. A great debut from writer/director Hasan Hadi - ***+ - ****.

2. Eleanor the Great - Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut received mixed reviews from critics but I was hugely impressed by this beautiful story about the friendship that develops between a 94-year-old woman (June Squibb, who is in her mid-nineties, in a terrific performance) and a college student (a wonderful Erin Kellyman) who has recently lost her mother. Chiwetel Ejiofor is perfect as the young woman’s father (he’s likely going to have two films in my top-ten). The story about an old woman who pretends to be a Holocaust survivor seemed implausible and inappropriate to many critics, but that makes no sense to me. One of those films that connected well with the right side of my brain - ***+ - ****.

1. Sentimental Value - Joachim Trier’s Norwegian comedy drama (mostly drama) is a well-deserved winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes this year. Renate Reinsve is amazing as Nora (yet another woman who recently lost her mother), who’s struggling with anxiety issues in her stage-acting career. When Gustav, her estranged father, a famous filmmaker (a sublime performance by Stellan Skarsgård, who deserves an Oscar), suddenly comes back into her life with an offer for Nora to play his mother in his latest film, Nora’s anxiety becomes a crisis. Elle Fanning provides excellent support as an American actress working with Gustav (note that the film is as much about Gustav as Nora), as does Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Nora’s sister. The thoughtful dialogue and the deep character development of all involved, combined with the marvellous acting, make this a masterpiece - ****.