Another day, another round of great films! The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full swing and we are diligently covering as many films as we can possibly see in a day, surviving off movie popcorn and coffee. Lots and LOTS of coffee. With so many films to see, we always like to take a break from the big gala premieres and Oscar contenders and check out some of the smaller, hidden gems that deserve some shine.
So here are 5 more films we saw to add to our review roster.
“Really Happy Someday“
I love a film that festers over time once you’ve had some time think on them. The kind of brain worm cinema that doesn’t quite grab you at first but every day it rattles around in your head with an inescapable replay. “Really Happy Someday” is that kind of film, one that I wasn’t over the moon for at first glance but has since continued to shoot up my TIFF rankings the more I think on it. A beautifully crafted personal story about becoming; not just transitioning or transgender identities, but embracing those changes and learning how to truly be who you are. Z (Breton Lalama) is a talented musical-theater performer with a wonderful voice, but has recently transitioned and begins to struggle with his vocal range changing as well. Feeling as though his dreams will never be realized despite finally being about to be himself, Z begins a journey to rediscover himself and reclaim his new range.
Lalama is a terrific lead, capturing a life in transition and the confusion that comes with change, big and small. “Really Happy Someday” is small in scale and scope, feeling more like a slice of life film than a larger commentary on gender identity. But it also never shies away from putting trans life front and center with empowering empathy and sincerity. It moves slow and gets slightly muddled in the middle, but Z’s journey is one that leaves you filled with joy and triumph, and singing his dream song long after the credits role. Also, the film avoids the trauma pitfalls that are often associated with this kind of subject matter without ever downplaying the struggles, a tricky balance that most films falter in achieving but “Really Happy Someday” does well. This is a great film that will leave your heart singing
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Beloved Tropic“
This is one of those surprisingly effective films that I can’t quite explain why it touched me so. Ana Endara’s feature film debut “Beloved Tropic” is soft, quiet portrait of unlikely bonds between two women who couldn’t be further apart. Ana María (Jenny Navarrete) is a pregnant caregiver and Colombian immigrant who gets a job caring for well to do matriarch Mercedes (Paulina García) with early onset dementia. After a rocky start, both women begin to see themselves in each other, and the relationship grows as two lonely women find solace in their budding friendship. “Beloved Tropic” is an observed, lived in character piece that allows each woman room to breath and develop in ways that are fully realized. Their complexities only grow as they grow closer together, and this simple story is teaming with life, death, and togetherness. Even in the end, there is beauty in love, and “Beloved Tropic” carefully examines these lives with such care and honestly it will surely evoke emotional responses from the audience.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Crocodile Tears“
Billed as suspense thriller, “Crocodile Tears” is more of a slow burn family drama that only earns its thrilling stripes in the third act. That’s not to say that the film isn’t exciting, because the fragile, toxic relationship between mother and son is constantly intriguing and hurls us towards a nail biting conclusion. “Crocodile Tears” follows Johan, a young boy who lives in isolation on a scarcely visited crocodile farm with is overbearing mother. She controls his every move and keeps him largely removed from the outside world maintaining the farm together. That is until Johan meets a young woman and discovers that there is more to life than his mother and the farm. This sets in motion and upheaval between mother and son, one that culminates in a complicated struggle between everyone.
Tumpal Tampubolon injects “Crocodile Tears” with a strong sense of layering and nuance, utilizing crocodile’s behavior as a metaphor for their characters. It is beautifully shot, and takes some big risks into darker themes that eventually pay off and leave some ambiguity in the end. “Crocodile Tears” was yet another small film with big surprises, one that kept glued to the screen even during its slower start which in turn made its final act all the more thrilling. It really goes places you don’t fully expect, and the cast is exceptional in their performances. And yes, “Crocodile Tears” features lots and lots of crocodiles. So if giant lizards getting fed live chickens freak you out, maybe sit this one out.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
“Mr. K“
I’m not entirely sure what to do with “Mr.K.” On the one hand, I admire the gorgeous production design and elegant cinematography, even the Kaftaesque atmosphere and manic editing. But sometimes a film can be too bold and too ambitious for its own good, and “Mr.K” is a hard one to decipher. Tallulah H Schwab is intentional in her disorienting vision, and is willing to immerse viewers into a menagerie of color and absurdity with its purpose buried under the same maze as the exit of the hotel. Crispin Glover is perfectly cast, as his offbeat persona matches the strange tones and visually off-putting experiences. I don’t know that a plot synopsis would serve “Mr.K,” as it doesn’t really explain anything that happens as we follow the titular character through hotel hallways and rooms with no way out. It feels like a Lynchian adaption of Hotel California, with its meaning buried in ambiguity and known only to its creator. “Mr. K” isn’t a bad film, but its one that requires a lot of patience and a certain love of uncertainty to be fully enjoyed.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
“The Party’s Over“
Another directorial debut with a ton of promise, “The Party’s Over” explores class disparities and immigrant exploitation in unique ways that beautifully balance humor and poignancy. Elena Manrique examines her fully realized characters from all different walks of life; the manipulative but charming rich divorcee living it up off her inherent wealth, the sensitive but smart immigrant who seeks refuge in that divorcee’s lofty, isolated manner, and the stern, take no prisoners housekeeper. All three women intersect in different ways, and “The Party’s Over” explores the prison of luxury offered under false pretenses and loneliness manifested in destruction. The characters and even plot is simple, but the depth of each is far from shallow as the film becomes more and more engaging and unsettling as each life collides and limits get pushed further and further.
“The Party’s Over” is largely elevated by its excellent cast, with Edith Martínez-Val, Sonia Barba, and Beatriz Arjona all shine bright, with Manrique giving them plenty of rope to explore their characters and make bold choices throughout. There’s a confidence in Manrique’s command of her story, and without the surprisingly experienced eye for balance would crumble under its tricky subject matter. “The Party’s Over” takes these complexities head on, and approaches them with an alluring nature that traps you once you realize that this lavish lifestyle and seeming safe haven can also be a prison.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
That’s all for this round. Keep checking back as we have plenty more films to see and bring you coverage for!
