TIFF Digest (Part 1): From 'Dicks: The Musical' to 'Origin' to 'Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero'
Issue No. 5: 'Dicks' gives us gay culture; Ava DuVernay's 'Origin' has a festival glow up; Lil Nas X's docu debuts; Coleman Domingo soars in 'Sing Sing' and more Toronto Int'l Film Festival discourse!
After many films, events, parties, reconnecting with industry folks and connecting with new ones as well as a dope dinner at the Michelin star restaurant Quetzal, I have returned from the Toronto International Film Festival with many a tale to tell.
With a dual strike hovering over the industry, the fest was fairly tame. It was still bustlin’, but the energy was different. Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see the talent there that was able to support their projects (they had waivers so they were allowed so don’t come for them!)
We can’t get enough of Dicks!
One big premiere was that of Dicks: The Musical from Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp based on their off-Broadway musical Fucking Identical Twins.
As A24’s first movie musical, Dicks is right on brand. First and foremost, there’s a song in the movie called “All Love Is Love” which was originally titled “God is a Faggot”.
Dicks is the best chaotic fuckery ever. It's offensive, lewd, absurd, and will make the Catholic gag. Coming from the “School of John Waters Storytelling”, Dicks skewers Hollywood musical tropes and makes itself laugh and doesn't give a fuck if you participate because it is having a damn good time with or without you.
To see Bowen Yang play God is queer representation at its finest and watching Megan Thee Stallion rapping "suck my dick" while walking men on leashes like dogs is everything -- it's an Oscar-worthy song (Eat that Ken!).
And of course, Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane continue to contribute to their gorgeous legacy and deserve a Pulitzer for playing two of the best parents in cinematic history.
With Dicks, Jackson and Sharp have started their journey as culty superstars. Much like Sewer Boys, they are queer culture. I would be happy if they just made more absurd musicals named after body parts. Dicks introduced me to some of the most delightfully demented things that I never knew I needed.
Origin will get people talkin’
Ava DuVernay’s Origin, based on the book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson has one whirlwind of a journey.
The film was acquired by Neon ahead of its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. After receiving an incredible ovation in Venice, DuVernay brought her film to TIFF — and that’s where I saw it!
Origin follows Isabel (played with a quietly powerful and beautiful urgency by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as she travels the world and explores the connective tissue between racism and class. Along the way, she struggles with her own personal battles as she explores a question that would soon become a culturally defining book.
Ellis-Taylor is joined by an all star cast including the Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Leonardo Nam, Connie Nielsen, and the yummy Jon Bernthal.
Origin takes the author's emotional journey and turns it into a beautifully sculpted intimate -- but bold film that will spark conversations — and perhaps some debates that may help us understand each other more. And maybe that’s good.
After the Long Live Montero docu, you’ll love Lil Nas X even more
After watching Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, I am far more interested in him as a person — and that’s not shade. That’s testimony to the filmmaking skills of the documentary’s directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel.
Shot during the titular tour, the documentary, which follows the culture-defining artist, is a joyful and insightful celebration of a young artist that is having a dope ass time while exploring who he wants to be as a human and an artist. The film keeps its head out of the clouds and is for the most part, grounded, as it doesn’t necessarily put Lil Nas X on a pedestal. Instead, we are kind of learning with him as he just tries to figure things out as he continues to rise to fame.
Roger Ross Williams is having a moment
Oscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams is known for acclaimed documentary works like Music by Prudence, Life, Animated and Love to Love You, Donna Summer. He recently made his feature directorial debut with Cassandro starring Gael Garcia Bernal, which is currently in theaters and drops on Prime Video September 22.
He directed episodes of Hulu’s The 1619 Project and also has the docuseries The Super Models debuting on Apple TV+ later this year. But he wasn’t at TIFF for any of that — he was there for Stamped From The Beginning based on Ibram X. Kendi’s book.
The documentary is a mindful mix of information that is enlightening and triggering. It packs a lot in 90 minutes about the (mis)treatment of the Black community and demands your attention no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.
Stamped From the Beginning tells brutal truths about white supremacy and it’s a film that would definitely be banned in Florida — which means it’s doing something right.
Colman Domingo is King of TIFF
Colman Domingo is the MVP of TIFF.
The Emmy-winning actor received the TIFF Tribute Performer Award at the fest. The award recognizes an overall body of exceptional work of a performer and he joins past honorees Jessica Chastain, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate Winslet, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, and Joaquin Phoenix. (I don’t think I have to name the trend here).
He was also there for the premiere of the amazing feature Sing Sing directed by Greg Kwedar. Sing Sing spotlights a theatre troupe that finds escape from the realities of incarceration through the creativity of putting on a play. The movie is based on the real-life arts rehabilitation program founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and includes real-life performers from the program.
Sing Sing is cathartic and between this and Rustin (which was also at TIFF), Domingo is a power player when it comes to award season as well as an actor who is entering a new era that will amplify his talent. The film is an emotional gut punch that puts you through it and Domingo rules the screen while helping everyone else shine along with him.
As for Rustin, Domingo wasn’t able participate in the Rustin festivities because of the strike of it all. The George C. Wolfe-directed story about the real life Bayard Rustin who was the key player in organizing the March on Washington, also told an equally powerful story, with Domingo proving that he is probably one of the few men who can play that titular role. He carried that movie to the credits.
Elliot Page gets Close To You
While some movies aggressively interrogate queerness, Dominic Savage's Close To You infuses it into family dynamics to take us on this hyper empathetic journey where we know everything is not OK and sometimes we have to be fine with it even if it does leave scars.
Elliot Page delivers a wildly personal and raw performance. Close To You can rip your heart out at one moment and quickly turn to comfort you with a cautious warmth. And yes, I cried. A lot.
Devery Jacobs thrives in Backspot
When people ask me what movie I really enjoyed at TIFF, I usually mention Backspot first because I am all in when it comes to movies about competitive cheerleading. It felt like an indie movie from 1999 or the early 2000s — I loved it.
Executive produced by the aforementioned Elliot Page, Backspot follows the wildly driven cheerleader Riley (Devery Jacobs) who strives for perfection with the sport — to an extreme. When she and her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) are selected for an elite cheer squad led by a laser-focused coach (Evan Rachel Wood) and her assistant (Thomas Antony Olajide) the pressure intensifies.
As D.W. Waterson’s feature directorial debut, it lives at this wonderful intersection of a wide-eyed debut and unapologetic auteur. Devery Jacobs is phenomenal. Her commitment is astounding while Evan Rachel Wood is the perfect severe power lesbian cheerleading coach and I didn’t know I needed. Also, special shout out to 40 Days and 40 Nights icon Shannyn Sossamon, who plays Riley’s mom.
Stay tuned tomorrow for part 2 of DIASPORA’s "TIFF Digest”!