Toronto Film Festival 2025 Review - YMS #TIFF #TIFF25 #TIFF2025

Quick Overview

The reviewer thoroughly enjoyed the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), highlighting the film "Nirvana, the band, the show, the movie" as a wholly original, once-in-a-lifetime achievement deserving a 10 out of 10 rating, while also praising "No Other Choice" (9/10) and finding "Bushra" a pleasant surprise (8/10), contrasting sharply with disappointing views on "Mellin" (5/10) and "A Poet" (5/10).

Key Points: The film "Nirvana, the band, the show, the movie" received a final rating of 10 out of 10 after the reviewer saw it a fourth time, calling it "a wholly original once-in-a-lifetime film to exist" and "a genuine achievement". "Nirvana" is a comedy from director Matt Johnson, based on his TV show, set in Toronto and utilizing real locations as set pieces, which the reviewer notes should be seen in a crowd. "Bushra," a 3D animated film about a queer Moroccan coyote filmmaker, was a pleasant surprise, earning an 8 out of 10 due to its authentic story, clever cinematography, and motivated sound design, despite low-budget animation imperfections. "Mellin," the slow cinema film from Lav Diaz, was found to be "very slow, not interesting," receiving a 5 out of 10, marked by technical issues like automatic exposure adjustments visible even in promotional clips. "A Poet," a Spanish film that won the jury prize at Cannes, disappointed the reviewer by becoming "heavy-handed" and relying on frustrating tropes where characters fail to explain obvious situations, resulting in a 5 out of 10. "No Other Choice" by Park Chan-wook earned a 9 out of 10, praised for its exceptional music selection, visual depth, and comedic, outrageous energy in a story about a man eliminating job competition, despite comparisons to "Parasite". "Sentimental Value" from director Yuim Tria, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes, received a high 8 out of 10 for its masterful, natural presentation, authentic portrayal of anxiety, and subtle environmental storytelling.

Context: The reviewer attended the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which they consider their favorite festival of the year due to the vibes and audience, and proceeded to review numerous films screened there in a short timeframe, noting that they missed seeing some desired films which they plan to cover later.