TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
There is nothing subtle in Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund’s over-the-top tale of hypocrisy, greed, and ambition.
Divided into three sections, it begins with an examination of the dynamic between men and women, in the form of supermodels Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, who passed away at age 32 in August). The second, must-be-seen-to-be-believed sequence is social satire of the highest and grisliest order. Both dovetail into an apocalyptic third section that examines social hierarchies, and what can happen when the powerless get a taste of control.
This social satire is as delicate as a punch to the jaw. The middle section is not for the faint of heart, but not simply because the satire cuts so deep. Ostlund turns a captain’s dinner on a luxury yacht into a burlesque of barf so vivid it makes the Mr. Creosote sequence from “Monty Python's The Meaning of Life” seem restrained.
As social satire goes, “Triangle of Sadness” is a delicious mix of Luis Bunuel and “South Park.”
WOMEN TALKING
An all-star cast of Frances McDormand, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara and Jessie Buckley headline “Women Talking,” Sarah Polley’s latest directorial effort.
Based on a 2018 Miriam Toews novel of the same name, in the film, the women of a tightly knit religious colony gather, in the wake of terrible, on-going sexual abuse by the men, to choose between three options: do nothing in retaliation, stay and fight, or leave.
Polley stages the bulk of the film as a spirited debate between the women as they decide what path they will take. Timely social issues of justice, autonomy and unanimity among victims collide in a movie that captures the extended conversations, highlighting their harrowing nature, while slyly mixing in some unexpected humour.
It is elegant, emotional filmmaking buoyed by powerhouse performances that is sure to be Oscar bound.
PEARL
A scene from 'Pearl.' (Courtesy of TIFF)In the psychological horror film “Pearl,” Mia Goth plays a young woman with a bad case of FOMO, a head full of dreams and murderous thoughts.
In her pursuit of a more glamourous life, her ambition, temptations and repression all meet head on with deadly results.
“Pearl” is being billed as a slasher, but it’s really a cinematic patchwork of styles with star Goth as the glue that binds them together. It is a character study of a troubled young woman, anchored by a fearless performance from Goth.
In work reminiscent of Anthony Perkins in “Psycho” by way of director Douglas Sirk, Goth is both over-the-top and understated, switching from demur to wild-eyed to sympathetic with her malleable, expressive face.
This film has some brutal moments, but doesn’t have many real scares. There are unpleasant moments, but this is an homage to the heightened melodramas of the 1950s and 60s... But with more axes, scarecrow sex and hungry alligators than Sirk could ever have imagined.
THE SON
A scene from 'The Son.' (Courtesy of TIFF)“The Son,” director Florian Zeller's follow-up to the Oscar winning “The Father,” is the story of a fractured family and a son struggling with mental illness.
The drama, adapted for the screen by Christopher Hampton from Zeller’s stage play, involves lawyer Peter (Hugh Jackman), father of teenager Nicholas (Zen McGrath) and ex-husband of Kate (Laura Dern). He has rebooted his life, marrying Beth (Vanessa Kirby), a much younger woman who is the mother to their baby, Theo.
When Nicolas begins skipping school and acting out, Kate asks if Peter can step up and give the boy some guidance and a place to stay.
“The Son” is the story of intergenerational trauma, of the sins of a father (Anthony Hopkins in a fiery cameo) being visited upon his son and grandson, and a child’s cry for help. Compassion abounds and Jackman astounds in a performance that is tinged with vulnerability, tragedy and guilt, but the script offers few surprises.
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