Steven Soderbergh's Bubble

Some kid totally freaked out Steven Soderbergh. "Do you like Toronto? Can I give you this?" Here was a kid - probably somewhere in his late teens who wanted to deliver the Oscar winning director a letter. Soderbergh took it all in stride, noting that he did like the city, until now.

The context was the post-screening Q&A for the movie Bubble, a plot twisting story set in and around a doll making plant in smalltown USA. In what is perhaps a sign of things to come, Bubble is being released simultaneously in movie theaters, on DVD, pay-per-view cable and satellite television.

The film was shot using amateur actors, mini-DV and supposedly with footage which was a result of usually one or two takes. It looked great on the digital projector at the Varsity. The director watched from 30 rows back and remarked that Bubble - which previously screened in Venice - never looked better.

For some reason - oh, maybe it was the debacle of Ocean's Twelve - I didn't expect to like Bubble. But low expectations aside, I actually found this to be the most intriguing film I've seen during TIFF so far.