It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Toronto International Film Fest is in full swing and that means interesting movies from directors I love who gamely subject themselves to earnest questions from an adoring crowd afterwards. What makes TIFF so awesome is that with a little planning, anyone can perch themselves in the front rows to listen to their favourite writers/directors/actors/producers talk about the art they have made. Last night we saw Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach who has made some great movies including The Squid and the Whale and one of my all-time favourites Kicking and Screaming (NOT the Will Ferrell soccer movie- the 1995 film about college students about to be thrust into the real world trying to figure it all out starring Josh Hamilton and Eric Stoltz. Favourites lines: “I’m nostalgic for conversations I had yesterday” and “Oh, I’ve BEEN to Prague.”
On stage for the Q&A after the film, from left to right: Noah Baumbach, co-writer Greta Gerwig who also stars as Frances, and actress Mickey Sumner who plays her best friend Sophie. Frances describes their friendship as being “like a lesbian couple that doesn’t have sex anymore.” This offbeat black-and-white flick follows the floundering Frances as she tries to pull her scattered life together. It’s funny, edgy, modern, and also features the unique and adorably weird Adam Driver from the HBO series Girls.
