With multiplexes playing the usual dreck coming out after December (Mortdecai? You serious?), and the only films worth seeing right now being the Oscar hopefuls we haven’t seen yet, it’s going to take some time before some truly interesting new movies come out. So why not spend this time watching some films from last year that were slept on? As we mentioned previously on the site, there were over 1,000 films released in 2014, and with a large number like that some films are bound to slip through the cracks.

That’s why some of us decided to profile those films that got too small of a release, made too little at the box office, or didn’t end up getting much love on year-end lists. These are the good, the great, the little-seen and overlooked films of 2014. And luckily for you, a lot of these picks are available right now. So why not spend this weekend catching up with some of last year’s hidden gems? You certainly won’t go wrong checking any one of these out, and you might end up singing their praises along with us. Read on to see our picks, and let us know in the comments what films you thought were overlooked from last year.

Actress

Interview with director Robert Greene and star Brandy Burre

When Brandy Burre got pregnant while working on HBO’s The Wire, she made a dramatic change in her life. Putting her acting career on hold, Burre embraced the role of a stay-at-home mom, raising her two children while her partner played the role of breadwinner. Director Robert Greene started filming Burre as she tried to start acting again, showing the difficult process while exploring some fascinating themes on subjectivity in our own lives as well as documentary filmmaking. Things eventually take an unexpected turn once some information about Burre comes to light partway through, but the universality of Greene’s themes wind up playing directly into the film’s “twist.” By putting an actress front and centre, Greene puts viewers in a state of constant awareness about the validity and authenticity of what’s on-screen. And through watching the ups and downs of Burre’s personal and professional life, it’s easy to recognize how all of us play some sort of role in our lives at one point or another. Actress is a documentary about the roles we choose to play, the roles we have to play, and the struggles that come with trying to get the roles we want to play. [C.J.]

Availability: In limited theatrical release from Cinema Guild. Expect a DVD and/or Blu-Ray release later this year.

Bird People

Review

An American man and a French woman, both staying at the same hotel. He’s there on business, while she works at the hotel as a maid. Both people go through a transformative experience and must deal with the consequences. Revealing any more about Bird People would ruin the surprise. Pascale Ferran’s diptych is by far one of the most balls-out original films of 2014, and a total delight to watch unfold. It’s hard to describe without revealing too much, but few films gave me as much pleasure last year as watching Bird People open up in ways I never could have expected. The sudden shift from small-scale to large-scale, from low-key to something more like a dream, and seeing how both parts connect thematically is nothing but sublime. My recommendation: Watch Bird People with as little knowledge as possible about what to expect, and enjoy the ride. [C.J.]

Availability: IFC will release Bird People on DVD on January 13th. The film should also be available on VOD.

Cheap Thrills

Review
Interview with director E.L. Katz and star Ethan Embry

After a husband and father (Pat Healy, terrific) gets laid off, an unexpected reunion with an old friend (Ethan Embry) leads to a tantalizing opportunity once they bump into an arrogant rich man (David Koechner). He offers the two down on their luck friends a chance to earn up to $250,000. All they have to do is participate in a series of bizarre, grotesque challenges for Koechner’s own entertainment. Director E.L. Katz starts Cheap Thrills off as a sort of funny crossover between Saw and Jackass before gradually turning the film into something as vicious as Funny Games. At the heart of the film is one hell of a nasty message about class differences, one that makes Cheap Thrills feel like a modern-day update of the ’70s exploitation films not afraid to put politics front and centre. Katz’s film certainly has scorn for its rich villains, but in watching the two lower class protagonists degrade themselves to fight over cash (what essentially amounts to scraps for Koechner’s character) it’s impossible to not sit there and wonder why they’re even playing by this guy’s rules in the first place. Cheap Thrills is an angry film, one that puts viewers through a wide range of emotions before knocking them out with a stunner of a final shot. [C.J.]

Availability: Available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and streaming on Amazon Prime.

Cold in July

Review

Jim Mickle has shown a lot of potential in the past, but hasn’t been able to get past a certain barrier with his films that really make me sit up and applaud. Things changed in 2014 when he released his gritty pulp noir thriller Cold in July. I remember hearing about it and being more ambivalent towards it than anything. Then a friend texted me: “Cold in July. Now this is a fucking movie.” I got a chance to finally see it, and as White Lion’s “Wait” played over the end credits, I had to pick my jaw up from the floor. Mickle’s film is drenched in blood, mood, atmosphere and style. If 1980’s John Carpenter made a revenge thriller in the vein of Rolling Thunder, this would be it. Assisted with a synth score straight out of the ’80s, and led by one of the best lead performances of the year (Michael C. Hall), Mickle’s film swerves from left to right, going from one dastardly deed to another. That’s what makes the film so good; you never know where it’s going until the final 30 minutes. And when you arrive at the gore soaked finale, you’ll be struggling to remember how our hero even got into this mess in the first place. [Blake]

Availability: Available now on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD.

The Den

When my girlfriend and I peruse the selection on Netflix, I usually just let her pick something as I can get too picky. She chose The Den, and as I clicked on the icon to start it, I couldn’t have rolled my eyes any harder at the horrendous cover art (bad cover art usually equals bad movie). Boy was I wrong. Running at a lean 75 minutes, The Den is a very strong entry into the found footage genre. A young woman decides to experiment with a new website allowing users to talk to one another in rapid succession (exactly like Chatroulette). She stumbles upon a user that looks to have been murdered on camera and decides to investigate. The deeper she goes into this grotesque rabbit hole, the more dangerous her every turn becomes. The Den expertly builds tension with each subsequent scene, and the way the film shows the walls of one’s privacy slowly crumbling around them is chilling. The film also has a lot of its scares during the day in sunlight, which is something I really admire, and it all builds to one of the most intense endings 2014 had to offer (I remember turning to my girlfriend at one point during the finale and saying “Oh my god.”) While The Den isn’t a game changer by any means, it’s one of the best found footage movies in years. [Blake]

Availability: Currently available on DVD and streaming on Netflix Instant.

Grand Piano

Review

Grand Piano is nothing more than plain, absurd fun. Its premise is like a laughable remake of Phone Booth or Speed (after telling a friend of mine the premise, he said that a more appropriate title for this would be “Tempo.”) The film takes place during a pianist’s (Elijah Wood, continuing a string of great work in genre films) comeback performance after coming out of retirement. Before he starts the concert, he’s given a message from a man hiding in the building. Apparently a psychopath has a gun aimed at the poor pianist, and if he plays one false note he’ll get shot in front of everyone. It turns out there’s a reason why Wood’s character can’t play one false note, and it’s the definition of ridiculous. But so is all of Grand Piano, which knows how to take its silliness seriously. Director Eugenio Mira goes full Brian De Palma here, and screenwriter Damien Chazelle (yes, that Damien Chazelle) continually ups the absurdity without slowing down the film’s lean pacing (seriously, between this and Whiplash, Chazelle has mastered how to write a film without any fat whatsoever). This is the perfect kind of film to watch when you just want to sit back, turn your brain off and have a good time. [C.J.]

Availability: Currently on DVD, Blu-Ray and streaming on Netflix Instant.

Housebound

Housebound introduces a simple yet kind of ingenious twist to the standard haunted house movie: What if you couldn’t leave a house you know is haunted? That’s the case for Kylie (Morgana O’Reilly), a young criminal sentenced to house arrest at her childhood home. Kylie’s talkative, overfriendly mom (Rima Te Wiata) drives her nuts with claims of hearing ghosts, but soon Kylie starts noticing strange things backing up her mom’s claims. Writer/director Gerard Johnstone deliberately plays into narrative conventions at first before cleverly revealing he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve: the officer assigned to look over Kylie responds to her claims of paranormal with excitement instead of skepticism (turns out he’s an amateur ghost hunter), and Kylie soon learns her mom might be hiding dark secrets about the home’s past. To reveal any more of Housebound’s curveballs would ruin the fun of watching the narrative frequently reboot itself into a completely different film. Those twists end up turning the film into a case of too many spinning plates, but Johnstone makes up for it by masterfully switching between tones with complete ease. Housebound is wicked fun, and one of the few horror/comedy hybrids that excels in handling both genres. [C.J.]

Availability: Currently available on VOD and iTunes, and you can purchase the DVD or Blu-Ray for the film exclusively from Amazon.

It Felt Like Love

Review

One of the most fearless movies of the year, It Felt Like Love centers around Lila, a young teenager starting to experience her sexuality. Where most coming-of-age dramas wear a hopeful badge of honor, as sex is something that may be initially awkward but ultimately rewarding, Lila’s path feels dangerous and dirty. Lila fixates on an older teen with a reputation of sleeping around. He’s the type of bad boy usually idolized in this type of story, but he has a rough edge here. He mostly ignores Lila, but as she grows more confident and promiscuous, his response is cruelly realistic. That’s what makes It Felt Like Love so transfixing – using our expectations of the genre, looking upon a coming-of-age as some sort of fairy tale (that’s how Lila sees it herself), when it is actually realistic in the worst way possible. Debut filmmaker Eliza Hittman tells the story with an appreciable amount of grace, however, keeping the film from beating down its viewer as it does to its main character. Gina Piersanti, in her first acting role, shows a desperation and sadness well beyond her age. [Aaron]

Availability: Currently out on DVD, streaming on Netflix, and available to rent/buy on iTunes.

Life of Riley

Alain Resnais, one of the greatest directors of our time, passed away in early 2014 at the age of 91, mere weeks after unveiling his latest film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The fact that Life of Riley won an award at Berlin dedicated to opening new perspectives on film showed that, even at 91, Resnais continued to excite and innovate. Adapted from Alan Ayckbourn’s play, the film opens with three couples learning their mutual friend Riley has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, giving him a few months to live. They invite him to join their theatre group, but soon the complicated histories between Riley and the three wives begin to emerge, causing tensions to rise between all three couples. Resnais fully embraces the artificiality of theatre in his adaptation, using sound stages with painted backgrounds and hand drawings for establishing shots among several other distinctive visual styles throughout. Resnais makes it all work, and with the help of his amazing cast (Sabine Azéma, his wife and longtime collaborator, is especially great), Life of Riley is always light on its feet, even when dealing with such somber material. Resnais’ final film, an unintended swan song, also happens to be one of 2014’s liveliest movies. [C.J.]

Availability: Still in a (very) limited theatrical release by Kino Lorber. A Blu-Ray and DVD will be released on March 10th.

Los Angeles Plays Itself

I’m going to do a bit of cheating here. Los Angeles Plays Itself originally came out in 2003, but 2014 saw a  proper release of the film with remastered video and audio. Before 2014, you could only see Thom Andersen’s incredible video essay through crappy online copies or a rare screening. Now the film is available for all to purchase and watch, and if you have any interest in Los Angeles it’s absolutely essential viewing. Andersen opens the film with an idea: if people can appreciate documentaries for their fictional qualities, why can’t the opposite be true? So he does exactly that, using countless features taking place (or shot) in Los Angeles to show the development of the city, as well as how decisions on and off the screen impact each other (one of my favourite parts: when Andersen explains how the city’s modernist architecture was devalued by having the movies always associate the look with antagonists). Andersen’s incredible, in-depth research and personal touches elevate the film into more than just an academic piece, and it’s so involving the nearly 3 hour runtime flies by. In fact, by the end you’ll wish it kept going. [C.J.]

Availability: Available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD, and currently available to stream on Netflix Instant.

Lucky Them

In last year’s feature on overlooked films, I put Megan Griffiths’ underseen thriller Eden on the list. Now, one year later, I’m putting yet another film by Griffiths on this list. Why is it that her films seem to attract little attention? Lucky Them is a really solid work, a grade above a lot of romantic comedies because of its cast, screenplay and themes. Toni Collette plays Ellie, a music journalist ordered by her boss to cover the disappearance of her ex-boyfriend, a legendary musician who vanished over a decade ago. Ellie teams up with an eccentric aspiring filmmaker (Thomas Haden Church) to travel across the country and find out what happened to her ex. Collette and Church have great chemistry, and both actors do a terrific job making their characters feel like fully realized people despite their eccentric qualities. Griffiths also does a great job sustaining a low-key, breezy tone to her film, one that makes it effortless to invest in Ellie’s quest to confront her past. Lucky Them is far from extraordinary, but so what? I wish more movies could be as consistently charming as this. [C.J.]

Availability: Out now on DVD and available to rent or buy on iTunes.

Open Windows

I’m going to take a bit of a defensive stance here, since Open Windows got a thrashing from critics when it came out (its average rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 33%). One of the main criticisms lobbied against Nacho Vigalondo’s film was its stupidity, dumb plot twists piled on top of each other, technology that made no sense, and an intriguing gimmick that eventually gets tossed off. But give Open Windows a break. Do you honestly think a movie that casts Sasha Grey as an A-list actress not willing to do nude scenes doesn’t know what it’s doing? Open Windows is as fun as it is silly, a visually inventive little thriller taking place entirely on someone’s computer screen. Vigalondo throws some clunky messaging about the dangers of technology in there, but he’s far more impressive when he prefers showing over telling. One of the film’s gimmicks is a piece of software (seriously, the programs in this movie make the “Zoom, enhance” stuff on CSI look 100% real) that renders people and locations into abstract, polygonal shapes made up of multiple camera angles. It’s a strange sight to behold, and a pretty fascinating way of showing how modern technology distorts the way we see things. The originality in something like that alone makes it easy to forgive any shortcomings Open Windows might have. [C.J.]

Availability: Available to rent or buy on iTunes.

The Overnighters

Review
Interview with director Jesse Moss

When I caught The Overnighters at Hot Docs last March, I felt it was going to make waves when it finally got released. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way; it’s in the running for a Best Documentary nomination at the Oscars, but despite critical praise The Overnighters hasn’t taken off with audiences. It’s a huge shame too, since The Overnighters feels like the kind of documentary people will look back on and revere years from now. It’s a remarkable look at the town of Williston, ND, one of the only towns in America that found itself booming during the country’s recent economic hardships. Jay Reinke, the town’s Lutheran minister, allows people arriving in town looking for work to sleep in his church, and his commitment to helping out those in need of shelter triggers a disastrous chain of events. It’s incredible filmmaking, and my pick for the best documentary of 2014. Run to catch this one if it’s playing near you; calling The Overnighters unforgettable feels like an understatement. [C.J.]

Availability: Drafthouse Films currently have the film rolling out in a limited release across the US. No word on home video/VOD availability yet, but you can arrange a screening in your town through here.

Pride

Review
Interview with screenwriter Stephen Beresford and Jonathan Blake

As I’ve gotten older, I’m become more and more cynical about movies that seem like blatant crowd pleasers – I can see right through those middlebrow films taking on fairly obvious and safe political stances, playing them off as something progressive. Matthew Warchus’s Pride fits this description, and yet it somehow hit just the right spot for me. The mid-80s true-life story of a group of young gay and lesbian activists raising money for a small community of striking miners is incredibly sweet, big-hearted and funny. It hits many of the well-trodden gay and lesbian cinematic tropes, but the relationship between the two groups gives a new perspective on the issues, with a bit of fish-out-of-water humor that feels refreshing. Pride also scores one of the year’s best ensembles, with great performances from veterans Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine and Bill Nighy, along with relative newcomers Ben Schnetzer and Faye Marsay. And if that’s not enough, what other film features an extended dance sequence with Dominic West and disco? Despite being one of the most successful indies in its native UK (it beat out Mr. Turner, Calvary and The Imitation Game, all films with a much higher profile, for the British Independent Film Award), and a decent theatrical release, I don’t feel Pride got much love stateside. Outside of a rather surprising Golden Globe nomination in the Best Musical or Comedy category, I haven’t seen the film get much mention with critics as one of the year’s best. Pride certainly deserves more attention from us yanks. [Aaron]

Availability: Out on Blu-ray/DVD and available to rent/buy on iTunes.

A Spell to Ward off the Darkness

Review

A film I saw very early in 2014 that still feels like I only saw it yesterday, A Spell to Ward off the Darkness follows a quiet, unnamed man (Robert A.A. Lowe) as he tries out three completely different lifestyles: living on an Estonian commune, living alone in a Finnish forest, and fronting a black metal band in Norway. Directors Ben Rivers and Ben Russell come from a background that includes experimental filmmaking and ethnography, and through their film’s structure put a heavy emphasis on how location defines a person, as well as throwing in plenty of existential and philosophical themes. Their approach is completely absorbing, but it’s in the film’s final third that Rivers & Russell let out a loud, transcendent howl as they observe Lowe perform a concert with his band. Not many people had the chance to catch A Spell to Ward off the Darkness last year, but in my eyes it’s one of the year’s biggest cinematic achievements. It’s a truly unique and transfixing experience through-and-through. [C.J.]

Availability: Still in limited theatrical release at the moment, and currently streaming on Fandor. Readers across the pond (or people with region free capabilities) can purchase a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack in the UK.

Stop the Pounding Heart

Since 2011, Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini has made three films taking place in Texas, using nonprofessional actors and seamlessly merging documentary with fiction. Stop the Pounding Heart is the final film in this trilogy (note: the films aren’t linked narratively, so you don’t have to see the other two first), and quite possibly the best one out of the lot. Minervini follows Sara, a 14-year-old living with her Christian family on a goat farm. Her family is extremely devout, with her mother home schooling Sara and her siblings with teachings from the Bible. Sara starts hanging out with Colby, a young bull rider, and soon goes into a crisis of faith over whether or not she should follow her desires or the role God intends for her. It’s hard to find a moment in here that feels forced or set-up; Minervini appears to create a fictional narrative from his documentary footage, and it’s fascinating to see how well his methods evoke Sara’s inner struggles with such potency. Minervini never shows an ounce of judgment towards his subjects’ lifestyle either, and by doing so he opens the film up to explore fascinating issues delving well below the surface. [C.J.]

Availability: Big World Pictures are currently showing the film in limited release across the US. No word yet on when the film will be available on home video.

Vic + Flo Saw A Bear

Review

Released early in 2014, Denis Cote’s Vic + Flo Saw a Bear is quite a beguiling film. It’s quirky, but Cote’s approach is so precise (yet off-kilter at the same time) it’s on a completely different planet than the sort of indie comedy you’d expect. It’s like a thriller that doesn’t realize what it is until much later. The title characters are lovers from prison. At the beginning, Vic goes to stay at a dying relative’s after she’s out of jail on parole. Flo eventually joins her, and the two try to start a life together in rural Quebec. For a time, Cote hits a really funny groove with his film as his characters’ uncompromising attitude clashes with everyone they encounter (including Vic’s parole officer). Eventually things take an unexpected turn, although it’s easy to go along with the film’s abrupt shift in tone. Vic + Flo is the best kind of unexpected movie, one where it’s impossible to guess what will happen from one minute to the next. And in case you’re wondering: they don’t see a bear. You’ll have to watch the film to take a guess at the title’s meaning. [C.J.]

Availability: Available now on DVD, Netflix Instant, iTunes and other VOD services.

Watchers of the Sky

Review

Raphael Lemkin dedicated his entire life to stopping genocide from ever occurring again (he actually invented the word “genocide” as part of his quest to make it a recognizable crime), but his efforts were barely noticed. He died penniless, with less than a dozen people showing up to his funeral. Edet Belzberg’s documentary aims to give Lemkin the treatment he deserves by focusing on several people around the world still continuing his fight today. What her documentary shows is a beautiful portrait of the human condition, of people continually fighting against the current to make the future a better place. Lemkin, as well as the different subjects Belzberg profiles, know they’ll face impossible odds. They know they’ll go to their grave without seeing their dreams and goals realized, and with little appreciation from others for what they’ve done. But they know their actions will make it easier for the next generation to continue the fight, and that their own needs are trumped by the scale of their battle. There’s nothing more awe-inspiring than seeing that level of selflessness on display. [C.J.]

Availability: Currently in a limited theatrical release.

White Bird in a Blizzard

Review

Not many people liked Gregg Araki’s latest film (including some of us on this very site), but count me as a fan of White Bird in a Blizzard. Taking place in the ’80s, White Bird focuses on the coming of age of Kat (Shailene Woodley), a bored suburban teenager with little else to do besides sleep with the cute boy across the street. One day her mom (Eva Green, in full-out Virginia Woolf mode) disappears, and from there the film turns into a sort of lazy mystery. Yes, Kat wants to find out what happened to her mom, but she’s also busy trying to figure out herself as she transitions from high school to college. Araki shoots the film with a unique, melancholy tone, underscored by gorgeous cinematography and a killer soundtrack (no matter what your opinion of Araki is, his music taste is impeccable). And it should be mentioned that this is by far Woodley’s best work to date, showing that she’s the real deal within her group of young, up and coming actors. In my eyes, this is Araki’s best film since Mysterious Skin. [C.J.]

Availability: Currently on VOD, and will get a DVD & Blu-Ray release on January 20th.

Zero Motivation

2014 saw a lot of great new talent emerging behind the camera, including Israeli writer/director Talya Lavie. Zero Motivation, her debut feature, focuses on young female soldiers counting the days until their mandatory conscription finishes. Close friends Zohar and Daffi can’t stand their boring office work, but soon a strange series of events leads to a falling out between the two. Lavie structures her film in a way similar to her characters’ feelings of frustration and boredom. She’ll switch focus at times, suddenly following a different character on the base, or even introduce some surreal elements into the mix. It all comes together to make a confidently pleasant experience, one that’s surprisingly funny and likable. The film’s episodic structure (split into three parts), and emphasis on character over narrative make Zero Motivation feel like an extended pilot for a TV sitcom about soldiers dealing with their humdrum day-to-day lives. And I won’t lie: if it actually was a TV show, I’d probably tune in every week. [C.J.]

Availability: Currently in a limited theatrical release.

With Toronto now in our rearview mirror, we’ve had time to reflect on which films at the festivals left the greatest impression on us as well as ones that left us with a bad taste (check out our coverage hub). Unlike last year’s 12 Years a Slave or Gravity, the lineup this year seemed to lack a headliner film that everyone flocked towards, but this allowed us to put on our exploring gear to discover some hidden gems. And we certainly found some surprises. We compiled our favorite and most disappointing films of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, listing any films we already saw at other festivals like Cannes and SXSW as part of our honorable mentions.

Favorite Films of TIFF 2014

Bird People

Pascale Ferran’s film defines whimsy, but don’t take that as a red flag. Split into two parts, Bird People (review) tells a similar story through two slightly connected lives. An American businessman on a trip in France makes a major, life-changing decision in the first part, and in the second one of the cleaners at the hotel the American stays at has a life-changing decision made for her. It’s best to go into Bird People not knowing too much, because the shock of where Ferran takes her film is a large part of what makes the experience so pleasurable. By finding an utterly audacious way to tell the same story twice, Bird People serves as a reminder of the limitless possibilities of storytelling. [CJ]

The Duke Of Burgundy

Wonderfully acted, sumptuously shot, vibrantly edited, Peter Strickland’s The Duke Of Burgundy (review) was one of those festival films that floored most critics, and became the unofficial recipient of the “Critic’s Choice Award.” You can count me among those who fell ecstatically in love with this intoxicating and deliciously spirited picture. Tracing the waning stages of a relationship, it may sound conventional on paper but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single conventional frame here. Chara D’Anna and Sidse Babett Knudsen play lesbian lovers Evelyn and Cynthia, deeply involved in a relationship founded on BDSM and Cynthia’s profession in lepidoptera, and the emotional core of the film is the lovers’ attempt at holding on to the passion that binds them. It’s creative in every imaginable cinematic way, and with US rights secured by IFC Midnight, I urge readers to keep a look out for release date because this is one you won’t want to miss. [Nik]

In the Crosswind

Director Martti Helde’s debut, based on Stalin’s purge of Baltic residents to Siberia, was one of the fest’s more surprising discoveries. Shot in black and white tableaux vivants, the camera slowly floats around each meticulously staged scene (each shot took months of preparation) while the protagonist narrates her experiences. It’s a bold stylistic move that pays off in spades, providing one moving image after another. At its worst, In the Crosswind (review) can be admired for its exquisite cinematography, but it’s much better than an excuse to show off some terrific camerawork. Helde merges the story’s emotional impact with the meticulous staging, delivering something completely unique and awe-inspiring. [CJ]

La Sapienza

Eugène Green’s newest work sounds trite on paper. When a famous architect loses the passion for his livelihood, along with his marriage, he sets off with his wife to study a famous Baroque architect’s work in Italy. A stop along the way has them crossing paths with two young siblings, and their experience with the brother and sister cause the couple to fall back in love again. But leave it to Green, whose formal approach is something entirely his own, to make La Sapienza (review) a thought-provoking, altogether pleasant experience. Even if one can’t adjust to Green’s habit of placing the camera directly in front of his actors, the inventive and evocative ways he films Baroque architecture will surely wow viewers. [CJ]

Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a creepy thief who stops at nothing to earn himself a buck in Dan Gilory’s directorial debut Nightcrawler. Shot by the extraordinary Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia), the film shows a side of Los Angeles that you’ve never seen before. Eager to get into any job field that will accept him, Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) stumbles into the dark and dirty world of racing ambulances to crime-scenes to capture gruesome footage for local television stations. Gyllenhaal plays a perverse anti-hero who somehow has us rooting for him in more times we care to admit. Nightcrawler keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns down to the very end. For my money, it’s a better version of American Psycho. [Dustin]

Phoenix

Christian Petzold returned to the festival circuit this year, to remind us why he’s one of Germany’s most accomplished and leading directors working today. In a sixth collaboration with his muse Nina Hoss, he has directed the most sophisticated film I saw at TIFF. Phoenix (review) tells the story of Nelly, a Holocaust survivor who returns to her native Berlin to try and piece her broken life back together. She searches for her husband Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld, also fantastic) who may or may not have betrayed her to the Nazis, and in an intricate narrative, ends up pretending to pretend to be herself. It’s a brilliant storytelling move by Petzold, who explores an identity crisis and symbolizes it in the context of post-war Berlin. The ending is probably the greatest thing Hoss and Petzold ever achieved together; it will eat you alive. [Nik]

A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence

Featured in our Top 15 Most Anticipated films for TIFF, it’s safe to say that Roy Andersson’s Golden Lion winner did not disappoint in the slightest. With a title you just want to hug, A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence begins in typical Andersson style; a stationary camera angled at a beige-colored museum room, and a pasty-white overweight man walking around, looking at fossils and relics, with his wife impatiently waiting in the background. One of these fossils turns out to be a dusty pigeon, sitting on a branch, frozen in stuffed reflection. A series of vignettes proceed to flow and connect in Andersson’s philosophizing world full of contemplative, existentialist, and often hilarious, characters and actions. Some of the scenes, including one where two eras meet in a café, are reminiscent of the superior Songs From The Second Floor in their astounding choreography and technical fortitude. For the third part of his trilogy about “being human,” Andersson has proved yet again that he is one of the most fascinating directors working today. [Nik]

The Theory of Everything

Here’s a challenge for you. Try watching the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything (review) without shedding a tear. Based off the memoir of Jane Hawking, the film chronicles the life of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking from the time the two met at Cambridge and the difficulties they faced after Stephen was diagnosed with the paralyzing Lou Gherig’s disease. Most people only hear the scientific side of Stephen’s achievements, but this film sheds light on his personal life and the emotional struggles he and Jane went through trying to raise a family while battling a vicious disease. Don’t be surprised if you hear Eddie Redmayne’s name called come Oscar time. Portraying Stephen Hawking before and after the disease required a difficult physical transformation that Redmayne brilliantly performs. It may be a little sappy and conventional at times, but The Theory of Everything remains an incredibly uplifting film about love and hope. [Dustin]

Tokyo Tribe

Sion Sono tops himself yet again which his biggest and most ambitious film to date. Taking place over one night in a dystopian Tokyo run by 23 different gangs, Sono’s hip-hop musical/action/comedy/horror/whatever-you-want-to-call-it throws everything it can on the screen at once. At times overwhelming and exhausting, Tokyo Tribe (review) is nonetheless frequently hilarious and twisted, filled with incredible scenes and violence galore. This might not be the best introduction to Sono’s insanity (last year’s Why Don’t You Play In Hell? might work better for that), but fans of the Japanese madman have no need to worry. Sono continues to fire on all cylinders, and for all we know this could be his masterpiece. [CJ]

Wild Tales

The Argentina film Wild Tales (review) was easily the most fun experience I had at the festival. Consisting of six completely insane short stories, director/writer Damian Szifron takes these episodic segments to hilarious levels by combining pitch-black humor with creative ways to show vengeance. Each story begins with an ordinary situation most people can relate to, but as they unfold Wild Tales shifts into overdrive with exaggerated circumstances filled with irony. For example, one of the stories involves a slow driving hillbilly who serves across lanes so that they only other car on the country highway can’t pass him. When the guy finally manages to pass the slow driver, he makes an explicit gesture towards him and speeds off, only to get a flat tire a few miles later. The scene becomes chaotic and ends on an epic note. Wild Tales is packed with a lot of laughs, claps, visual style, and plenty of shock value that you would expect from a film produced by Pedro Almodóvar. [Dustin]

Most Disappointing Films of TIFF 2014

Cub

Ever read a synopsis for a movie and thought “that sounds so fantastic, it’s almost impossible to mess up,” only to walk away totally disillusioned and disappointed? That’s pretty much exactly what happened to me and this promising Belgian horror film about a 12-year-old boy scout caught in a booby-trapped forest with his troop, trying to avoid the fatal antics of a “wolf-boy” called Kai. Playing in the Midnight Madness, promoted with a tasty festival trailer, Jonas Govaerts’ Cub is, sadly, a neutered, declawed and defanged puppy, completely harmless in terms of true horror. With a unique setting in the woods, in the context of scouts and their “be prepared” motto’s, and the deliciously-sounding booby trap techniques, Cub has all the potential to be an inventive, visceral, experience. It’s nothing of the sort; relying on conventional scares, uninteresting characters, and a painfully flat finale. [Nik]

Mommy

Xavier Dolan wants you to know he’s a serious director. The Quebecois filmmaker with many job titles to his name (including actor, director, writer, producer, and editor, to name a few) made a huge splash this year when Mommy received a rapturous response at Cannes, getting a 12-minute standing ovation and a Jury Prize. Count me as someone who doesn’t get the fervent support around Dolan. With almost no plot or story, Mommy follows a mother and her troubled teenage son around as they befriend their new neighbor. Dolan shoots in a 1:1 aspect ratio, a completely useless gimmick, and tends to repeat a formula of shrill, violent fights between mother and son before dancing the pain away to a poorly chosen pop song played in full. Mommy is bad melodrama, plain and simple, a surprising step down for Dolan after his previous two features, Laurence Anyways and Tom at the Farm, showed a lot more promise. [Nik]

The Voices

The only time I felt the urge to walk out of the theater at the festival was during incredibly underwhelming The Voices. Unfortunately, I didn’t leave early thinking (nay hoping) the film would get better, a decision I would later regret. Jerry Hickfang (Ryan Reynolds) plays a seemingly normal blue-collar worker, but his home life reveals a dark secret behind this disturbed man. He hears the incredibly silly voices from his evil cat and angel-like dog who convince him to do unthinkable things. None of the performances are especially good in the film, which is disappointing considering Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver were involved. The tone of The Voices is completely inconsistent, beginning with an overly playful musical then shifting into a dark comedy, and eventually ventures to nonsensical horror, without an ounce of cohesiveness. During moments when the film was trying to be funny I found myself laughing at it instead of with it. Despite being a rather stylish film, The Voices is an awkward mess of genre mashing gone horribly wrong. [Dustin]

Honorable Mentions

Other films that are definitely worth checking out that played at TIFF (and other festivals): Adam Wingard’s rapturous and playful The Guest, Palm d’Or winner Winter Sleep, latest from master filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Two Days, One Night, 3 and a half hour epic Li’l Quinquin, harrowing street life portrait Heaven Knows What, ambitious and transcending Jauja, and Mike Leigh’s exemplary Mr. Turner.

Bird People begins with a montage of people coming and going on subway trains throughout Paris. It’s a bit of an odd start until the perspective changes: suddenly everyone’s thoughts on the train can he heard, the camera profiling each person in a train car before settling on hotel maid Audrey (Anaïs Demoustier). It’s a delightfully executed sequence, mainly due to its unexpected shift from observational filmmaking to something more fantastical. And it’s not the only surprise Bird People has in store.

In a lengthy prologue, Bird People introduces its two central characters before splitting off into two parts. The first part dedicates itself to Gary Newman (Josh Charles), a Silicon Valley businessman staying at the same hotel Audrey works at. After a day of boring business meetings, Gary makes a sudden decision to throw his entire life away. He resigns from his job, telling his wife (Radha Mitchell) he’s leaving her, opting to stay in Europe and start over. The film’s primary location, a Hilton hotel standing next to an airport runway, gives insight into why Gary wants to abandon everything. It feels detached from the world, surrounded by paved runways and people transitioning from one place to another. Director Pascale Ferran puts a heavy emphasis on themes of loneliness and alienation in Gary’s story, something that runs throughout the second half but in a lesser capacity (more on that later).

Rather than use Gary’s decision as a launching pad for the narrative Ferran, along with co-writer Guillaume Bréaud, dwell entirely on the ramifications of Gary’s actions. Despite Gary expressing his desire to break free from his suffocating lifestyle, he never leaves the hotel, instead fielding calls from his co-workers and lawyer as he sorts out the logistics of resigning and selling off several assets. This culminates in a 15 minute sequence where Gary and his wife argue over their marriage. Ferran and Bréaud’s detail-oriented approach, along with Josh Charles’ excellent performance, make Gary’s story a compelling drama about the difficulties of starting a new life.

But when the story’s second part kicks in, swinging the focus back on to Audrey, Bird People makes a significant shift. Discussing what happens would ruin the fun in watching such an audacious, baffling reveal. It’s better to leave it at this: Audrey spends her days cleaning hotel rooms bored out of her mind until something significant occurs. In this way, Audrey and Gary’s stories are the same; both experience something major in their lives, and both have to do with their desires to experience some sort of freedom from their mundane existence. It’s just that Audrey’s story goes down such a surprising path, a sort of magical realism on a larger scale than the opening, it raises the film to a whole other level.

Ferran’s direction takes on another life once Audrey’s story kicks in, and the results are incredible. The camera, mostly locked down in Gary’s storyline, begins roaming all over the place, whether it’s swooping aerial shots or low, canted angles. The hints of eccentricity early on, including the aforementioned train scene and the sparing use of a narrator (Mathieu Amalric), end up taking over every frame. Add to that some incredibly subtle and impressive use of CGI, and suddenly Bird People feels like it’s free of constraints that weren’t at first evident. It’s delightful, go-for-broke filmmaking, a ballsy cinematic choice making the film one of 2014’s more unique viewing experiences.

And while Anaïs Demoustier doesn’t have the opportunity to show off the same dramatic chops as her co-star, she does a fantastic job making Audrey into a likable, fully realized character. A lengthy 130 minute running time, along with a disappointing final scene, put a small damper on things, but there’s no denying how powerfully delightful the film’s sea change feels. Through such a bold stroke of originality, Bird People highlights the boundless opportunities makes available through storytelling.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. As the summer begins to wind down, cinephiles begin to flock to Canada as the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off another year. With almost 300 feature-length films playing over 11 days (along with over 100 shorts), for some people this is more of a marathon than a festival. And for film-obsessives like ourselves, it’s like being a kid in a candy store.

Now, we won’t lie: when we saw this year’s line-up we weren’t as excited as we were in the last few years, but there’s still a lot to watch. There aren’t as many films coming in with the levels of hype as 12 Years A Slave or Gravity, but that’s because it’s a different year. The Oscar race is wide open at this point, and a lot of films this year are wild cards rather than sure bets. Could it mean another out of nowhere discovery like Slumdog Millionaire or The Hurt Locker?

We got a bit of a head start on TIFF this year with our coverage at Cannes, so myself, our editor-in-chief Dustin and fellow WTI writer Nikola put our heads together and came up with our 15 most anticipated films at TIFF this year. We’ve got some new discoveries, films we couldn’t get to at Cannes, exciting follow-ups, legendary auteurs and more in our list, so take a look below to read what we picked and why. And if you happen to be in Toronto between September 4th and 14th, be sure to check out one of these movies at the festival.

Our 15 Most Anticipated Films of TIFF 2014

Bird People

I don’t know much about Bird People, and yet it’s something I’m dying to see this year at TIFF. Why? Well, back when Bird People premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard sidebar, it wasn’t on my radar. Then the reviews started coming in, with people comparing it to In the City of Sylvia. I adore that film, and even wrote about it for the site earlier this year. Anything similar to In the City of Sylvia will immediately pop up on my radar, and when critics also said the film has a major surprise that people should avoid finding out about before watching, I was sold. I haven’t read anything about Bird People since, and that mystery is largely why I’m making sure I watch it at TIFF. [C.J.]

Eden

I was completely enamored with Mia Hansen-Løve’s previous film Goobye First Love, which perfectly captured relationship quarrels. In her third feature film, Hansen-Løve recalls the rise of French electronic music that gained popularity in the 1990s. While EDM is at the heart of the story (and likely the soundtrack too), Eden also contains a relationship-observation vantage point we come to expect from Hansen-Løve. The other reason we’re excited for the film is it stars two indie darlings, Brady Corbet (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Simon Killer) and Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Lola Versus). This is one of those films that might not have a lot of attention before the festival, but could have people buzzing afterwards. [Dustin]

Goodnight Mommy

Before the official lineup for TIFF came out, some of the early rumors predicted Ulrich Seidl’s In the Basement to be at the festival. Being a huge fan of the director, I was saddened to learn the film would show in Venice instead. But Seidl will still have a part in this festival, credited as a producer of the bizarre looking Goodnight Mommy. The film is about two young twins who begin to question their mother’s identity when a cosmetic surgery leaves her buried beneath bandages. All cooped up in an isolated countryside home, the two boys become restless and out of control. It sounds equal parts absurd and nerve-wracking, a combination we don’t mind here at Way Too Indie. [Dustin]

Horse Money

Pedro Costa has scuffled around the arthouse circuit since the 80s, but it’s the Fontainhas trilogy (Ossos, In Vanda’s Room and Colossal Youth) and their subsequent Criterion packaging, that perked up people’s ears and opened up most cinephiles’ eyes on this Portuguese master’s mesmerizing works. This is cerebral, poetic cinema of the highest order, choreographed mise-en-scene fit to be framed and admired in the most respected of museums. Costa mostly focuses on the bottom-of-the-barrel lost souls in impoverished surroundings of his home country, and this year we will finally see his follow-up: Horse Money. The movie continues to follow Ventura, the main person of interest from Colossal Youth, as a revolution is bubbling. He’s already won Best Director at the Locarno Film Festival, which is a good sign as any that Horse Money is much of the same cinema magic as his indelible trilogy. [Nik]

It Follows

First making a splash at the Critics’ Week sidebar in Cannes, It Follows now makes it way over to North America for a midnight premiere. Writer/director David Robert Mitchell’s horror film deals with a 19-year-old girl receiving a sexually transmitted curse (yes, you read that right). Her curse is an entity taking the form of any person, an apparition only she can see, who begins slowly following her. When it catches up to her, she’ll die. She can outrun it, but it’ll always be following. Mitchell’s premise sounds like wondrously creepy fun, an American take on something that sounds like it came straight out of J-horror. Buzz has been building steadily on this one since May, and we can’t wait to check it out during TIFF. [C.J.]

The Keeping Room

Brit Marling is one of my favorite upcoming actors, so any film with her name attached to it instantly sparks my interest. In The Keeping Room, she and Hailee Steinfeld are sisters who must defend their farm during the end of the American Civil War. Fighting along their side is their family’s young slave (Muna Otaru) as two Yankee scouts aim to ravage their land and prosperity. The Keeping Room is based on a screenplay that ended up on the esteemed Black List back in 2012. And it’s easy to see why considering the powerful subject matter. This remarkable story touches on several important historical events; the Civil War, women’s rights, and slavery. American History films tend to sit well with Academy voters (Lincoln, 12 Years A Slavery), so don’t act too surprised if The Keeping Room ends up being an early Oscar candidate. [Dustin]

Luna

Admittedly this one might fly over many people’s heads, and with 143 World Premieres at TIFF this year, it feels like Dave McKean’s Luna is destined to be seen only by the major McKean fans. I count myself among this crowd, as many a night his art in comic books and graphic novels (particularly those written by Neil Gaiman,) kept me permanently stuck to the pages, jaw-dropped in a mixture of horror and awe. Check out Batman: Arkham Asylum written by Grant Morrison, or the covers of Gaiman’’s Sandman series, to get the idea. MirrorMask was McKean’s debut as a filmmaker, and it’s a visual feast with art direction as darkly intriguing as some of his best artwork on print. Luna’s trailer gives some cause for pause when it comes to the dialogue and performances, but there’s a taste of what the story will look like, as it surrounds the death of a child and the re-imagining of said child’s death through batshit fantastical scenarios. Sounds about right. Those of you following McKean will likely have been waiting for this one, but those who are yet to discover the man’s artistic prowess are strongly advised to take a leap of faith with Luna. [Nik]

Miss Julie

Everyone knows Liv Ullmann as one of Ingmar Bergman’s main muses during his peak years, since she’s helped make films like Persona, Shame, and Cries and Whispers some of the greatest from Bergman’s canon. But, she’s also pretty handy behind the camera as well. With the help of Bergman’s natural talent for scriptwriting, she’s directed Private Confessions and Faithless into compelling and potent chamber pieces. Now, after 14 years, Ullmann makes her comeback with a film adaptation of infamous Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Set in Ireland, starring on-fire Jessica Chastain and fired-up Colin Farrell, the film details the power struggle between a countess and her valet, wrought with sexual tension. Austere Swedish cinema, two wonderful actors (say what you want about Farrell, then watch any of his arthouse roles and you’ll see he’s pretty great), Ullmann directing a Strindberg play, gorgeous Irish landscapes. Is it possible for this movie to be anything but absolutely fantastic?  [Nik]

The New Girlfriend

Toronto absolutely adores François Ozon. And there’s no reason to blame them. The French auteur has shown fourteen of his films at the festival and his newest film The New Girlfriend marks his fifth in a row. Ozon tends to explore taboo topics and The New Girlfriend is no exception. A young woman (Anaïs Demoustier) discovers the husband (played by Romain Duris of Mood Indigo) of her late best friend enjoys cross dressing. Needless to say, we won’t be surprised if the lines are long at TIFF for this film. [Dustin]

Nightcrawler

Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler wasn’t even supposed to make my list. But after reading more about it and, especially, after watching the trailer, the movie skyrocketed into my must-see list at TIFF. Apologies to Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye To Language 3D which I’m sure is awesome. Gilroy’s film deals with the underground world of freelance crime journalism, and it stars Jake Gyllenhaal. Sounds like ol’ Dan stepped into a world designed by David Fincher, you say? Not so; Dan is the younger brother of Tony Gilroy, the director behind political super-thriller Michael Clayton and writer of the three original, adrenaline-injecting Bourne movies. Dan is a successful screenwriter in his own right, and now Nightcrawler is his directorial feature debut (he’s also the sole writer credited.) Sounds like he’s got more than enough pedigree and experience to tell a suspenseful crime story, and I for one am really excited. Just watch the trailer again, you’ll see what I mean. [Nik]

Phoenix

Personally speaking, all I needed to see were two names before deciding to put Phoenix high on my most-anticipated list: Christian Petzold and Nina Hoss. This pairing of director and actress might be one of the best ones in cinema right now. If you haven’t seen Barbara, their last collaboration, do yourself a favour and watch it as soon as possible to understand why Phoenix is one of TIFF’s more anticipated titles. Hoss plays Nelly, a Holocaust survivor undergoing facial reconstruction surgery after getting injured while imprisoned in a concentration camp. Nelly returns home after surgery searching for her husband, and in the process learns her husband might have been the one to hand her over to the Nazis. Petzold knows how to create brilliant drama, and with a plot like this it’s hard to think Petzold will go wrong here. Phoenix will have its World Premiere at TIFF, and we’re excited to be one of the first people to see it. [C.J.]

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

It’s finally happening you guys. Roy Andersson is back after seven long years, and his latest is getting its North American premiere at TIFF. After the news of no Inherent Vice softly devastated me, I practically jumped up like a bona fide film geek when I heard that the other Andersson (the extra s means he’s Swedish) will be coming to Toronto with A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence. Yep, still my favorite title of the year. I’m expecting the usual dose of existentialism and sandpaper-dry humor that made his Songs From The Second Floor (2000) and You, The Living (2007) such joys to watch. Though Andersson is mostly popular with reclusive cinephiles like myself, it’s nice to see that Pigeon has been garnering hype since it’s been on festival prediction lists for a few years now; hopefully this means more people will get to experience the bizarre, hilarious, and foppish world Roy Andersson so meticulously crafts with his distinctly angular, motionless camera style. Yum. [Nik]

Spring

While fellow writer Bernard Boo wasn’t a big fan of Resolution, I thought it was one of the best horror debuts in years. A smart, clever and refreshingly self-aware film, Resolution found a way to craft a compelling mystery while breaking down horror tropes and audience expectations – think of it as a cross between Cabin in the Woods and Funny Games, except with less finger-wagging and more creepiness. Spring is directors Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s follow-up, and it sounds like an interesting change of pace from their first film. After a young man’s (Lou Taylor Pucci) mother dies, he heads off to Europe and ends up falling in love with a woman while visiting Italy. Sounds romantic, but this is a horror film, and it looks like this mystery girl has some sort of dark secret. Colin Geddes, the programmer who selected Spring for TIFF, calls the film “Before Sunrise with a supernatural twist.” Maybe it’s just me, but that alone has me looking forward to Spring. [C.J.]

Tokyo Tribe

I’m an unabashed fan of Sion Sono all the way back to when I first saw Suicide Club. Last year at TIFF I reviewed Why Don’t You Play in Hell? and thought it was a fun time. Tokyo Tribe looks like Sono has, once again, outdone himself. The incredible trailer, incomprehensible and so batshit-crazy you can’t help but grin, looks like it’ll be an uber-violent story about gang warfare with hip-hop musical numbers thrown in for good measure. May sound crazy to you, but it’s par for the course in Sono’s off-kilter imagination. Tokyo Tribe opens Midnight Madness this year, and it’ll be one of the hottest tickets to get in that programme. Midnight Madness crowds love Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell? won the audience award for the programme last year), so if you can snag a ticket be sure to go. [C.J.]

While We’re Young

Noah Baumbach schmoozed Toronto audiences two years ago with his delightful indie comedy Frances Ha, so it’s no surprise a lot of attention surrounds his newest film While We’re Young. While the previous film focused on an free-spirited twenty-something dancer who was anything but mature, Bamubach’s latest focuses from a different perspective. Here a middle-aged couple (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) begin to question themselves after meeting a much younger and hip couple. Using New York City as his backdrop once again, Baumbach explores how relationships and ambitions can fade with age. If While We’re Young is even remotely as good as Frances Ha, we’ll be in for a real treat. [Dustin]