TIFF 2014

The women filmmakers of TIFF are not confined to certain sections, and the result is a film schedule that boasts a bevy of names that film fans should be on the lookout for, from the recognizable to the brand-new. Are women taking over TIFF? Not yet, but here a few features that prove that maybe they should.

'The Drop' may well be known as the late James Gandolfini's last film, but that's not all it should be known for. It also features Tom Hardy cuddling with puppies. Okay, okay, it's actually an effective and intense crime drama, which features yet another impressive performance from Hardy, as well as a gentle reminder of just how good Gandolfini really was (answer: so good)...

First of all, Antoine Fuqua – who directed ‘The Equalizer’ (which premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival) and directed Washington in his Oscar-winning performance in ‘Training Day’ – is the definition of the word “character.” When you enter a hotel room to interview Fuqua, personality is just bouncing off of the walls.

‘Foxcatcher’ – directed by ‘Moneyball’ director Bennett Miller – premiered Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival after a highly successful debut at Cannes earlier this year. It’s the true story of the intricate relationship between two brothers and Olympic wrestlers -- Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) and Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) – with their wrestling team financier and sort of coach, John du Pont (Carell), of the famed and extremely wealthy du Pont family … a relationship that ends in paranoia and disaster.

“Do you want to do an interview in bed? It’s never happened. Come on. It’ll be fun.” These are the words Rene Russo said to me when I entered her hotel room to interview her at the Toronto International Film Festival for the movie ‘Nightcrawler’ -- which just happens to be written and directed by her husband, Dan Gilroy, who (A) I had just met and (B) who had just left the room.

Will he? Won't he? Will he? There's been a lot of speculation about whether Robert Downey Jr. will star in a potential 'Iron Man 4' -- most of those teasing remarks coming from the actor himself -- but Downey recently spoke at TIFF 2014 and set the record straight.

I am fascinated by Adam Sandler’s career. More specifically, I’m fascinated by Sandler when he decides to challenge himself with more “serious” roles, or at least work with directors that aren’t Dennis Dugan. Sandler has two movies at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The first is Jason Reitman’s ‘Men, Women and Children,’ in which Sandler gives what is the most understated performance of his career. The second is Thomas McCarthy’s ‘The Cobbler,’ which is bone-headedly awful.

It’s a weird thing to openly root for a movie that you find yourself not enjoying. This is how I felt while watching Bill Murray in ‘St. Vincent’ on the second day of the Toronto International Film Festival. I can’t be the only one who does this, right? It’s a situation in which you deeply admire the actors in a movie – in this case, Murray and Melissa McCarthy – and for the first, say, 45 minutes, you’re trying to convince yourself what you’re watching is “good.”

A few weeks ago, I was in a local drug store by my apartment in New York City. Near the back of the store, there’s a discount rack where everything is 25 percent off its the original price. Mixed in with overstocked seasonal items was a LEGO set for the 2010 movie ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.’ Included in the set was a mini LEGO figure of Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s riding an ostrich. As I stared in disbelief at LEGO Jake Gyllenhaal riding an ostrich, it was like staring into an alternate future where these were the kind of movies that Gyllenhaal was still making … instead of a glorious movie like ‘Nightcrawler.’

There’s a scene in ‘Clouds of Sils Maria’ where Val (Kristen Stewart) is trying to vouch for the popularity of a troubled, hellion of a starlet named Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloë Moretz). Maria (Juliette Binoche), a veteran and acclaimed actor who may star alongside Ellis, is the person who needs convincing. In Ellis’ defense, Val, Maria’s assistant, mentions that Ellis is very popular among pre-teens. Maria laughs at this statement before Val cuts her off and says, “Watch out, there are a shit-ton of them.”