Exclusive articles:
25 Alternative 2011 TIFF Picks: Yorgos Lanthimos’ Alps
Lanthimos' Un Certain Regard winning Dogtooth has charted a course towards the stars (I vividly remember the viewing experience back in Cannes) and there are bandwagon filled with cinephiles who are very much looking forward to seconds. Primed for a big showing in Venice, Alps is the Greek helmers' third film and is closer in DNA to his first 2005's Kinetta.
TIFF 2011 Buyer’s Club: #1. Lasse Hallstrom’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Written by Slumdog Millionaire's Simon Beaufoy and helmed by the director who did The Cider House Rules and Chocolat, we presume that this is a premium title with Oscar potential with an already built in demographic via the popularity of the novel.
TIFF 2011 Buyer’s Club: #2. Tanya Wexler’s Hysteria
With the foul sounding idea of goofy male doctors playing with the most intimate parts of women, this costumey ensemble comedy choose the perfect lieu to preem this laugher as Toronto's baby boomer generation should be rolling in the aisles and giving this a standing or sitting O... pun intended. The distributor who picks this up will either be SPC or the company that bids higher than SPC.
TIFF 2011 Buyer’s Club: #3. Fernando Mereilles’ 360
An emotionally naked and distraught Rachel Weisz could be a major kudos mention and in what should be an astute pen-job by Peter Morgan, we think this has the potential to cross into several demos. Bidding war should involving the likes of Focus, Searchlight and the Weinsteins is a certainty.
TIFF 2011 Buyer’s Club: #4. Oren Moverman’s Rampart
The Messenger was/is distinct indie fare, but Moverman's sophomore effort might fall into the "Drive" category -- accessible, larger audience films with an auteur treatment with plenty of attention to the details (look, performance, tone). The James Ellroy adapted dirty cop tale is based on true events and with a larger, more recognizable cast, and a re-pairing of Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster, there would appear to be more guarantee for the buck (award nominations, wide theatrical release).
