Three More Highlights from Tonronto Int’l Film Festival
by Lauren Atkins
I was born in South Africa during apartheid. Although my siblings and I were raised in Canada, my parents ensured we were connected to our roots keeping us aware of the struggles happening back home. Particularly my father, who began his journalism career in Cape Town. Having left South Africa in the 1960s, Ernest Cole was not an artist that myself and my family knew about. So this film directed by Raoul Peck, ( I Am Not Your Negro) was a fascinating history lesson for me.
Winner of the Cannes film festival documentary prize, L’Oeil D’or, Peck teaches a masterclass in filmmaking. Faced with the daunting task of pouring over 60,000 negatives discovered in a Swedish bank vault in 2017, the director painstakingly assembled a portrait of Ernest Cole’s legacy. Peck crafted the script narrated by LaKeith Stanfield ( Judas and the Black Messiah) using Cole’s private writings and interviews with family and peers.
Upon receiving critical acclaim for his photography book House of Bondage depicting the cruelty of the apartheid regime, Cole (pictured above) was stripped of his passport and exiled from South Africa. He landed in New York City and traveled the country photographing the plight of Black America. There is a gorgeous juxtaposition of his photos in the film, where it’s hard to decipher which country is which.
A story about a man whose art mirrored his own painful life and death, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found manages to end on a high note, despite its heartbreaking subject matter. Cole died of pancreatic cancer at only 49 in a New York hospital just days after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and he was able to witness the historic day on TV from his hospital bed. Decades after being exiled, his photography is back in South Africa where it is on display and studied. Ernest Cole is finally home.
Disclaimer
Cate Blanchett shines as Catherine Ravenscroft, a celebrated journalist whose world unravels when a mysterious book exposes her darkest secret. The series premieres on Apple TV+ in October and having seen the first three episodes, I was struck by how the show balances suspense with deep emotional undercurrents.
The standout cast includes Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Manville, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The show weaves in and out of the past and present, and boasts of the beautiful cinematic locations that Apple TV+ productions have become known for. Cuarón excels at creating moments that feel both intimate and dangerous. With each episode inching closer and closer to the truth, Disclaimer promises to be an enthralling exploration of love, guilt, and the secrets that shape our lives.
Babygirl
While Kidman’s portrayal is intense and magnetic, it’s hard to overlook her recent castings as wealthy, high-status women, which risks feeling type-cast, if not overexposed. Still, she delivers a strong performance, and her chemistry with Dickinson and Antonio Banderas (playing her husband) is undeniable, keeping us on the edge of our seats.
One of the film’s strongest elements is Sophie Wilde, who plays Romy’s assistant, Esme. Wilde’s character acts as a moral compass, embodying the aspirations many women have-power, success, family-things Romy seemingly possesses but struggles to find satisfaction in. Esme’s presence reminds Romy (and the audience) of what’s at stake, offering a feminist perspective amidst the film’s erotic and psychological layers. Director Halina Reijn masterfully balances a sexy, thrilling narrative with a deeper exploration of women’s desires and societal roles, making Babygirl more than just a standard erotic thriller.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on September 17, 2024.
