For 10 days every September, Toronto becomes a crazed movie city. TIFF literally take over the entire downtown core. This year I bought a pack and was able to see 6 movie/events over these 10 days.
Now lots of people love to see the obscure foreign films. Not me. The thought of seeing some Icelandic coming of age film is not my thing. I want to see big movies with big names.

My 1st movie was Prisoners. With an incredible cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Terence Howard and Viola Davies. It is about 2 young girls who go missing after Thanksgiving Dinner. First piece of advice if you see this movie. It’s over 2.5 hours so don’t drink anything. Second, make sure you listen very carefully to all the conversations that happen in the 1st part of the movie. Things will make more sense in the 2nd half of the movie.
This movie reminded a little of Silence of the Lambs and Seven. With lots of plot twists, some which are little hard to believe. This movie will have you questioning what you would do if put into the same situations. I don’t want to talk to much about what happens in this movie, although you do leave it knowing the fate of the 2 missing girls. What made this movie for me was the ending! In fact the entire Princess of Wales Theatre let out a gasp once the ending credits started to roll.
Overall I highly recommend this movie with it is released on September 20th.
8/10

Next was All Is By My Side. Andre 3000 from Outcast plays Jimi Hendrix, the year leading up to him becoming the famous musician. If you go to this movie thinking you will hear early works from Hendrix, think again. The makers of this movie did not get permission to use any music for his catalogue. So lets see, you make a movie about an iconic musician but can’t use any of his music?? We see Jimi Hendrix the guitarist, the soon to be drug addict, the womanizer and the Jimi Hendrix who beats his girlfriend over the head with his mic. Wait for the DVD release of this one. It was ok, but nothing that exciting
6/10

How I Live Now was the next movie on my list. It is a movie from the UK, starting people I have never heard of. It was about an American teenager who is sent to live with her Aunt and “cousins” in England during what is WW3. Why someone would leave the US to go to a country that is at war I have no idea. Never mind how all of Europe is at war with something that is never really addressed and that the US seems totally indifferent and uninvolved is really hard to believe. Also hard to believe, how the main character falls in love with her cousin. Did I like this movie? No, not really. I would say pass on this one, unless you like movies that really go nowhere and explain nothing.
5/10

Labor Day became the 4th movie I saw at TIIF. Jason Reitman directed this. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin star as the convict on the run who happens to force the lonely single housewife with a secret into hiding him. It was sort of The Bridges of Madison Country meets The Fugitive. This was a really well acted and written movie. I am going to predict that it will be nominated for Best Actor (Brolin),Best Adapted screenplay and best Director.
8/10

Life of Crime was my final movie of the festival. Based on the Elmore Leonard novel it stars Jennifer Aniston as a soon to be divorced wife to Tim Robbins’s cheating wealthy husband. She is kidnapped for a million dollar ransom. Then her captures realize that her husband has no desire to pay anything because he already sent her divorce papers. Its set in the late 70s so the outfits, hair and set design reflect that. It’s a mildly funny movie and well acted. Its nothing that will dominate the awards season but is an enjoyable 1.5 hours.
7/10

Overall I was happy with my TIFF choices. My 6th selection was called “In Conversation with Spike Jonze.” It was interesting, but the interviewer was a disaster. Do for that its a 6/10. I expected more than a preview for his new movie.

I have to start with saying this. Beyonce has a lot of wind machines. Beyonce has really really huge wind machines. Beyonce will never have a drop of sweat on her. The wind machines won’t allow it.

On Sunday July 21st, four days after seeing her husband in concert I got to see Mrs Carter. Beyonce.

Yes I got to see up close the identical choreography from every single one of her videos in the last ten years. Crazy in Love choreography? Check. Single Ladies choreography? Check. Girls rule the World choreography. You know where I am going with this.

Beyonce does this very well, so well people seen to think she is doing ground breaking innovative stuff. Its good, but really its the same routines that she has done on her last tours, but in new outfits and of course more wind machines.

You are probably thinking I didn’t like show, no I actually really really liked it. She looked fabulous and was highly entertaining. The sound was so good, I could barely hear for two days. I should have brought myself to put the earplugs in that were giving to me before the show started.

Lets start at the beginning, no not the 1st song. The 20 min before where we got to see how great B is. We got to see her H&M inspired clothing collection commercial which is no longer available, but whatever its Beyonce on a beach, rolling around in sand. Then we got to see her pepsi commercial. Clearly she got that body from drinking high calorie sugar drinks. Then we got to see Beyonce talk about her working with a charity for girls rights. Probably the same girls that make her H&M clothes, but whatever. Then (yes it hasn’t stopped) we see Beyonce’s mom Tina and all the good work they do for the Goodwill in Houston and around the US (and I guess Canada but that is never mentioned) Tina Knowles goes to the Goodwill in her designer clothes and $2000 handbag to help spread the word about how this helped her years ago. Honestly she touches the clothes on the rack like they are going to give her a terminal illness or something. It is a good way to make the time go by before the show starts.

Then right a 9pm it begins. She rises from the stage in a white one piece. Dancing, saying to crowd “Lets go!, Come on!, Sing with me.” And the wind machines are on full blast. At times your forgot she was indoors. Those really wind machines really work.

She sings about 2-3 songs before it was time for a costume change. I believe she had about 7 changes. Her hits were played, she flew across the arena in a blue bedazzled jumpsuit. (did she see Pink earlier this year. She does the EXACT same think but on human sling shot)

She told us how much she loved Toronto and how lucky she was, In fact we were able to see a 2min video clip about how lucky she really is. Honestly her life is better than yours. I mean do you lounge on a Yacht in the south of France for something to do. I doubt it, but we saw her video of it.

After exactly 1 hour and 50 min, its time to say bye to Beyonce. She enters singing Whitney’s I will always love you then going into Halo. Side note, we all saw what happened when she sang this song in Montreal the next night. The wind machines had enough.

As much as it seems I picked out the negative things about this show. Honestly I love the Divas and Beyonce is one of the best Divas out there. I can’t wait to see it again in December. Hopefully she will be bloated and we can all guess if she is pregnant.

Below are some shots from the show. Taken from the floor beside the main stage