Irish Film at Telluride, Toronto and Venice Film Festivals: Review Round-Up
With Telluride, Toronto and Venice, September is a busy month in the film festival calendar. Irish cinema was well-represented at all three festivals, with no less than eight films screening in official selection. We have compiled a roundup of the best reactions from critics at the various festivals.
Lenny Abrahamson’s latest film Room stars Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay in an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s acclaimed novel, screening in both Toronto and Telluride. Vanity Fair commented that “young indie actress (Brie Larson) is gaining Oscar buzz for her performance in the adaptation of the hit novel.” The New York Post said Room was amongst the “most talked-about films at the Toronto International Film Festival ... But see it you must for the Oscar-caliber Larson and young Tremblay, whose remarkable mother-and-child bond is nothing sort of astonishing to watch.”
Another Irish film to create awards buzz at Toronto was Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson. In a 4-star review, The Telegraph commented that “In the tingling chemistry between two of her young leads, Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen, Weir and the film’s director, John Crowley, achieve something close to a miracle – the kind of old-fashioned, shivers-down-the-spine serendipity that’s hushed and special, and can’t be taught.” The New York Post meanwhile noted that “Ronan could very well end up with an Oscar nomination.”
Following its acclaimed debut at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize, Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster had its North American premiere at Toronto. Stephen Marche writing for Esquire hailed it as “easily the year's most original film, and genuinely unforgettable in places” and as “laugh-out-loud funny”. Chris Nashawaty writing for Entertainment Weeklydescribed it as “one of the most beautifully strange movies I’ve ever seen” and that “It opens your eyes to a new way of storytelling. It’s a love story unlike any I’ve ever seen.”
Also premiering at Toronto, Anthony Wonke’s Being AP, the eagerly-awaited documentary on legendary jump jockey AP McCoy was acclaimed by The Racing Post for being accessible for both fans and newcomers to the sport. “This is race jumping at its most vivid, with the man who came to dominate his profession portrayed with a level of sometimes brutal honesty that will leave those new to his genius both shocked and in awe.”
My Name is Emily is director Simon Fitzmaurice’s feature debut following his short films Full Circle and The Sound of People and screened in Toronto. Canadian publication Exclaim praised the film’s “clever dialogue and thoughtful composition”, its “learned, irreverent sense of humour” and Evanna Lynch’s “natural” performance.
Irish-Polish co-production 11 Minutes is the latest from director Jerzy Skolimowski (Essential Killing), and screened in selection at both Venice and Toronto. Scannain.com said of the film: “it runs at top speed, building tension across all its narrative strands before bringing them together for a truly incredible climax.” It also stated: “Hitting the ground running and never pausing for breath, the riveting and riotous 11 Minutes is a triumph for writer/director Jerzy Skolimowski”. Screen Daily said of the film “Handsomely mounted with a deluxe design sheen and a plethora of sneaking Steadicam shots, the film also offers a masterclass of virtuoso editing from Agnieszka Glinska.”
In addition to Room, two further Irish films premiered at the exclusive Telluride festival. Viva is the latest film from director Paddy Breathnach (I Went Down, Man About Dog) and writer Mark O’Halloran (Adam & Paul, Garage). Crave Online described it as “a hard-hitting yet ultimately uplifting drama with great performances”. Indiewire meanwhile commented on the “shrewd choice Breathnach makes is not to subtitle the drag performers' songs; the incredible emotion is evidenced by the music alone. This decision allows non-Spanish-speaking viewers to concentrate on the actors' expressions and body language.”
Mom and Me, the new documentary from Ken Wardrop (His and Hers, Useless Dog), also premiered at Telluride. The Guardian said that “the relationships Wardrop depicts are all touching and involving... The subjects he assembled - who come from all walks of life, despite hailing from the same state - all act as if the camera’s not there. Their candour is fascinating.” The review concludes that “Together, each portrait melds to create a heartrending whole guaranteed to make men think to call their mothers more often.”