5 movies that could win the People's Choice Award at TIFF
Predicting the winner of TIFF's People's Choice winner has often been a fool's challenge - just look at the likes of Tsotsi or Whale Rider for some under the radar films that still took the big prize. In other years the likes of home-grown films like Firecrackers or Mouthpiece might have stood a chance.
Of late, however, the bigger profile films have been getting all the attention, be it due the the increase in social media response or the shift of the award to be a kind of prognosticator for Oscar nominations.
Here then are five films that are seriously vying for the TIFF 2018 People's Choice awards, with the winner to be announced on Sunday followed by a free screening at 5:30 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón's Roma was supposed to play Cannes, where it almost surely would have taken the Palme do'r. It won top prize in Venice, and with its emotionally rich and technically astonishing filmmaking it could easily mirror that success here in Toronto.
ROMA absolutely wrecked me. It’s a work SO rich in postcolonial context that is leisurely mounted but implies the wealth of discomfort/sadness/injustice that exists for the lives of indigenous people in Latin America. #Tiff18
— Andrew Kendall (@DepartedAviator) September 11, 2018
First Man
TIFF audiences granted Damien Chazelle's La La Land with its big prize a few years back and they could do so again with this film that manages to be both intimate and enormous in scope at the same time.
FIRST MAN: what by all rights should be a dumb as shit biopic about a boring hero unexpectedly becomes a treatise on how space is fucking terrifying and going to it is nothing less than an act of math Viking insanity. #TIFF18
— Jake Cole (@jake_p_cole) September 12, 2018
If Beale Street Could Talk
Barry Jenkins has followed up his Oscar-winning Moonlight with a challenging, emotionally rich and politically astute film. It would make for a welcome win indeed.
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK: another masterpiece from Barry Jenkins, a soulful, aching romance that recalls the work of Wong Kar-wai and Spike Lee as much as it does Baldwin. Looks BEAUTIFUL, and everytime a character locked gazes with the camera my heart stopped #TIFF18
— kambole @ TIFF (@kambolecampbell) September 10, 2018
A Star Is Born
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga wowed audiences here, and the musical, emotionally captivating film stands a good chance at the top prize.
I was reluctant to buy into the hype for A STAR IS BORN but damn. What a gut punch. #tiff18
— Anne Cohen (@anneesthercohen) September 7, 2018
Green Book
The audience was extremely enthusiastic for this story of race relations in the American South, and if they get out to vote expect this Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen headliner to surprise the prognosticators.
I also saw the premiere of 'Green Book' tonight at #TIFF18 and I have to say I really enjoyed this film and loved the performances by both Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. It received a standing ovation at the Elgin. I think it's definitely a people's choice award contender. pic.twitter.com/XpRfxEyqhv
— Britany Murphy @ #TIFF18 (@britany_murphs) September 12, 2018
A Star is Born
