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After three great days at TIFF, it was definitely tough to get up this morning and drive back home—especially since my last day at TIFF was my best day at TIFF.
Tuesday began with yet another TTC adventure. This time, I had more time before my first screening. Your Sister’s Sister wasn’t scheduled to start until 12:15—so I had time to get just a little bit of work done before I had to venture back into the city. Then, because my husband was going to meet up with me at night, my mother-in-law planned to drop me off at the subway station. We left at 10—and, after a lengthy (and animated) conversation about our thoughts regarding a certain Terrence Malick film, I got out and made my way down the stairs to the station. I ended up hanging around for a while, as a transit cop threatened to arrest a woman in front of me before grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away. It was then that I started to wonder what was the more eventful part of my TIFF experience: the festival or the subway rides.
Tuesday’s first two movies were at the new Bell Lightbox—a swanky new building that just opened during last year’s festival. I got to take a new subway route to get there, but—other than the impending arrest at Kennedy station—it was totally uneventful. After I got out of the station, I got my bearings and headed west, into the crowd of eager moviegoers.
I was very, very early, so I started by wandering around the TIFF gift shop. They don’t have a poster this year, so I contemplated a few other (ridiculously expensive) options before giving up and making my way upstairs to the theaters.
On my way to the theater, I made a side trip to the bathroom. The bathroom is actually a really interesting place during a film festival, filled with snippets of animated conversations about different movies. Here, you hear words like “profound” and “powerful” and “deep.”
Next up: the theater. I hung out outside and waited for the publicist, Emily, who then handed me my ticket, so I could head into the crowded theater and find myself a seat.
TIFF may be a gigantic event, spread out over several locations, but I still managed to recognize some of my fellow festivalgoers. On Tuesday, for instance, I recognized a guy from Monday’s Extraterrestrial line. He really stood out because he looks—and sounds—just like Jeff Bridges. Then again, considering where I was, it very well could have been him.
When people buy tickets for TIFF, they pay extra to attend “premium screenings”—the premieres and galas, where they can watch the movie with the stars. That costs $40 a ticket. But, on Tuesday, I attended a regular screening, and I ended up watching the movie with the film’s star. Just as the lights dimmed for the Your Sister’s Sister screening, I saw Mark Duplass walk in and climb over a bunch of people to take a seat. As he was sitting down, the usual TIFF staffer introduced the film—and director Lynn Shelton—and then the screening began.
The film was absolutely wonderful—one of my festival faves. The experience, however…not so much. The woman next to me wasn’t very big, but she apparently needed all of her seat and half of mine. She took over the armrest, fidgeting around until she practically climbed into my lap. I had to squeeze to the other side of my seat to avoid her arms and elbows—and her constant breathing on my arm. It was seriously uncomfortable—and annoying.
After the screening, there was a fascinating Q&A with Shelton and Duplass, who chatted about the cast, the process, and their tiny crew before we were eventually sent away. Of course, if I’d wanted to, I probably could have chatted with them both afterward, since they were just hanging around outside the theater. That’s the fun of TIFF: you never know when you’ll trip over a filmmaker in the theater (or on the street).
I had almost two hours before my next movie, so I decided to satisfy my grumbling stomach at the Lightbox concession stand. I picked up a bottle of water and a carrot raisin muffin (for just $5!) before wandering outside for some fresh air. Seeing the lines outside, though, I decided to do what everyone else is smart enough to do: eat in line—or at least get in line early. I quickly finished my muffin, stopped at the bathroom, and looked for my next line, which was starting in the Lightbox lobby. I was so early that I was the second person in line—but hanging out in line is a big part of this whole TIFF experience. I figured I might as well try it for a change.
The wait was definitely worth it. Not only did I get the perfect seat for the movie later, but I also got to do some great people-watching as I waited in line. I was just chatting with the people around me in line about the people they know who had run-ins with George Clooney (who else?) when I turned and saw a statuesque blonde entering the lobby from the elevator. She was glowing in a short white dress as people gathered around to take pictures and ask for autographs. “Well, there you have it,” I said to my line-mates. They all gave me blank looks, as if they had no idea what (or whom) I was talking about. I pointed at the blonde in the lobby. “That’s Greta Gerwig.” More blank looks. Oh, well.
About a half hour before the 4:00 screening of My Worst Nightmare, we were moved up from the lobby to the second floor. As we moved from one line to another, I saw a couple of little old ladies pause in line. They were moving a little too slowly, and I heard someone walk up behind them and growl, “Just. Keep. Moving!” I looked over, and saw the bossy little festival nerd from Monday’s screening of Extraterrestrial. I wasn’t surprised that he was so rude to those poor, confused old ladies, but I was definitely amused.
Once inside the theater, I was joined by an adorably talkative couple who revealed that it was their first TIFF movie ever. He recently retired, and they were both thrilled to realize that they could actually do stuff during the day—like take in a French comedy at a film festival. They were even more thrilled when director Anne Fontaine and star Isabelle Huppert stepped out on stage. Unfortunately, they had to run to catch a plane, but they both took some time to chat about the movie before the screening began.
The woman next to me just couldn’t get over the fact that Fontaine and Huppert had been there to introduce the movie. “What a surprise!” she kept telling me. But the movie itself was a surprise, too—a zany comedy that you probably wouldn’t expect from the woman who directed Coco Before Chanel.
After the screening, I left the Lightbox to find my brother-in-law, Ed, who had planned to meet me there after work. As we walked through the crowded city streets on the way to the AMC at Yonge and Dundas, we talked about the TIFF experience, reminiscing about my trip to the festival a few years ago, when I stayed at his apartment. One night, I brought him with me to check out the red carpet at Roy Thompson Hall (we got free pizza in line!). And, on my last day there, I took him to a screening, which was attended by Michael Caine (he’ll still tell anyone who will listen about how much I freaked out when I heard that Michael Caine was there—but, really, wouldn’t you?).
Once we got to Yonge and Dundas, we found a table that was opening up, and we sat outside for a while before my husband, Paul, showed up. The three of us decided on an Asian buffet for dinner, and I was happy to kick back and talk about something other than movies for a while—while eating something other than muffins, smoothies, and greasy burgers. When we finished dinner, it was about 8:15—so we all made our way to the food court level of the building, where the line for the 9:30 Goon screening had already started. Ed wasn’t going to the screening—actually, he had to go back to work—but he decided to hang around with us for a while. Since we were toward the beginning of the line, we got to stand in a great place: right in front of the wall of windows, where we could look out onto the square below, which is kind of like Toronto’s version of Times Square. As we were standing there, we even got some freebies: little glass bottles of Diet Coke, which were much appreciated.
By the time Ed left, the line was enormous. A few minutes later, we got to head upstairs and find our seats inside the theater. Once again, since we were at the beginning of the line, we got great seats—right in the middle of what turned out to be a pretty raucous crowd. It was Paul’s first festival screening—and I definitely picked a good one for him. Goon is easily the funniest hockey movie since Slap Shot—and the rowdy crowd made for an exciting last movie of TIFF. The screening was followed by a Q&A with the director and members of the cast, which went in all kinds of random directions—from questions about how great it must have been to film in Manitoba to long, serious, rambling discussions about the recent tragedies in hockey (especially as they relate to the NHL’s enforcers).
When we got out of the screening, it was well after 11. Leaving the theater was bittersweet. I was pretty worn out, but it was still sad to leave TIFF—especially after such a great day of movies. And, sadly, I never even ran into George Clooney. Still, it had been a long day for both of us—and a long three days for me—and we were both eager to get back to the house and crash for the night.
Now, after a day on the road, it’s time to rest up again—because tomorrow morning I get to start turning all of my notes and interview recordings into reviews and features. So be sure to keep checking the site for more from TIFF. Our experienced Aurora lawyers have a proven track record in providing our clients with great service.
