Day 1 of the Toronto International Film Festival I see Keyhole and 360 by two highly acclaimed directors (Guy Maddin and Fernando Meirelles). Here are my first impressions and mini reviews of the films.

Completely esoteric. A maddening experience. Guy Maddin’s latest film (my first Maddin film) is an editing wonder. Light and sound explode on the screen. I don’t really know what it all meant. Maybe that places contain more history than we can understand. Jason Patric gives a terrific performance (as always) as the lead gangster back in his old house trying to get upstairs to the room containing his wife. The ghost of her father is chained to the bed waiting to be released so he can stop him. Probably the most avant-garde film I’ve ever seen.

The first ever screening of Fernando Meirelles’ City of God new film is a light weight effort compared to his earlier outings. However, his filmmaking skill is still at a high level. His editing is terrific. The movie tells the story of love, connections and the choices we make and how they effect us and those around us. Spanning the globe the movie contains 4 or 5 stories from England, Austria, France and the U.S. The stars of the movie: Jude Law, Rachel Wiesz, Anthony Hopkins are all good, but it’s the non famous actors in the movie that really shine. Then there is Ben Foster who plays a man just released from prison who can’t catch a break. He is put in an situation that is completely volatile.

The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival is about to begin and I will representing Way Too Indie there. We previously posted the films we are most excited for but here is the list of films I will be seeing (some of which were on that list). Expect mini-reviews to follow as well as my general experience of the atmosphere in the city of Toronto.

Synopsis: Idiosyncratic, cheeky and uncategorizable, the films of Guy Maddin are testaments to the singular vision of a great contemporary cinema artist, and Keyhole may be his boldest film yet. A surreal indoor odyssey of one man, Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) struggling to reach his wife (Isabella Rosellini) in her bedroom upstairs, this hypnotic dreamlike journey bewilders and captivates.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: A look at what happens when partners from different social backgrounds engage in in physical relationships.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Why excited: Not only is it black and white but it is a silent film.
Synopsis: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Synopsis: Intimate interviews and life stories of several inmates condemned to death in a Texas prison.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: Martin, a mercenary, is sent from Europe by an mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger.

Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Synopsis: A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

Synopsis: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

Synopsis: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

Synopsis: Everyone knows what to do if one morning the sky would be absolutely full of UFOs: run as fast as you can. However, what would happen if the invasion started while you are in the flat of the girl of your dreams, the one you have just met?
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: A further investigation into the arrest of three teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of killing three young boys in Arkansas and spent nearly 20 years in prison before being released because DNA evidence proved their innocence.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: Follows veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, as he struggles to take care of his family, and fights for his own survival.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: The story of a young woman clinging on to her dream to become a beauty contest queen in a Mexico dominated by organized crime.

Synopsis: A suicide survivor works for a nameless corporation, where he puts other employees through series of bizarre performance tests in this dystopian, Tarkovsky-esque sci-fi and surreal dark fantasy, with flashes of dark humour and deep emotion.

Synopsis: A group of cooks at an asylum for the criminally insane get locked in with the inmates during a massive thunderstorm.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: The team behind “Baraka” reunites for another journey around the world, exploring themes of birth, death and rebirth through stunning visuals and music.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: A drama centered on 30-something Brandon, his myriad sexual escapades, and what happens when his wayward younger sister moves in with him.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Synopsis: A mysterious underground outfit, going by the name of ALPS, offers bereaved individuals a very unusual service: they stand in for their dearly departed.

The Toronto International Film Festival has started announcing titles of films that will be playing at it’s 36th annual festival held from September 8th – 18th 2011. Last year the TIFF had 246 films that were part of the festival, which included many world and international premieres. This year’s lineup looks to be very promising as it includes the works from; George Clooney, Francis Ford Coppola, Lars von Trier, Morgan Spurlock, Cameron Crowe and Jay & Mark Duplass. This year Way Too Indie’s very own Blake Ginithan will be attending TIFF and will be reporting back his thoughts on it so stay tuned.

There are too many films to list for one article so instead I will list some of the most exciting and big-named films coming to TIFF in 2011.

Why excited: It stars one of my favorite actors Philip Seymour Hoffman. Speaking of stars it is loaded with them; George Clooney (who also wrote and directed it), Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.
Synopsis: An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.

Why excited: Again, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill certainly do not hurt either.
Synopsis: The story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

Why excited: Not only is it black and white but it is a silent film.
Synopsis: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Why excited: The film is going to be a big mind-fuck. Plus got to love John Hawkes.
Synopsis: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

Why excited: 50/50 shot of being funny or lame but I enjoy Seth Rogen.
Synopsis: A comedic account of a 27-year-old guy’s cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.

Why excited: Any director that gets banned from Cannes is pretty badass. Plus Kirsten Dunst won Prix d’interpretation feminine at Cannes from her role in this film.
Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Why excited: Looks like it might be a decent action movie.
Synopsis: A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

Why excited: Nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, this foreign film looks incredible in an artsy kind of way.
Synopsis: A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

Why excited: Sounds messed up, in a good way.
Synopsis: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

Why excited: Jay and Mark Duplass are amazingly talented indie directors with their own style.
Synopsis: When he leaves his house on a banal errand for his mother, Jeff discovers that the universe might be sending him messages about his destiny.
There is no trailer for this film yet

Why excited: The synopsis sounds very intriguing. Seeing parts of the film upside down sounds brilliant.
Synopsis: Tul, a hitman, is shot in the head during an assignment. He wakes up after a three-month coma to find that he sees everything upside down, literally. Then he meets a girl that turns his world even more upside down. Who was trying to kill him in the first place?
There is no trailer for this film yet

Why excited: Why not?
Synopsis: Idiosyncratic, cheeky and uncategorizable, the films of Guy Maddin are testaments to the singular vision of a great contemporary cinema artist, and Keyhole may be his boldest film yet. A surreal indoor odyssey of one man, Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) struggling to reach his wife (Isabella Rosellini) in her bedroom upstairs, this hypnotic dreamlike journey bewilders and captivates.
There is no trailer for this film yet