Wednesday, July 4, 2007

New TIFF07 films announced

Last week, The Toronto International Film Festival announced the titles of 32 new films making their premieres this September. The one garnering the most attention is ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE, a sequel of sorts that features Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush reprising their roles from the original 1998 ELIZABETH. It's being touted as a Gala presentation, the most prestigious of the premieres in Toronto. Galas, which generate a considerable amount of pre-festival buzz, are typically reserved for more commercial Hollywood fare than that of your typical festival screening. Held at the magnificent Roy Thomson Hall with a long red carpet sprawled down the walk, the stars always make a point to show up and support their films. And while the press is always present and the tickets are in constant demand, their hype sometimes overshadows the films, as buzz does not equate to quality. Case in point: last year's snoozer ALL THE KING'S MEN.

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE may be an exciting premiere considering it's high profile stars and familiar subject matter, but the film I'm most excited about is the highly praised Cannes selection NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. It's the latest from the acclaimed Coen brothers and after taking a couple comedic detours, this one promises a return to their pitch-black thriller territory they nailed so well with FARGO and BLOOD SIMPLE. Initial word is Javier Bardem (no stranger to quality) steals the show as a vicious drug trafficker.

You can read about all 32 international releases here in the TIFF press release here.

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