The 2008 Toronto International Film Festival returns with a vengeance with more studio product being screened than ever before. From Brad Pitt to Keira Knightley, stars shine in abundance, while the usually calm Canadian city is a frenetic jungle of media, personalities, filmmakers and the general public on the lookout for a star or two.

But ultimately, Toronto remains a haven for cinema, from Hollywood's mainstream to that odd cinematic jewel, yet to be discovered. Paul Fischer has been covering the Festival for over a decade and continues with his regular report. Already, some great films are ready to be devoured by an eager festival audience:


The Lucky Ones
Directed by Neil Burger ("The Illusionist"), here's a film that one thinks is about Iraq [yawn] but evolves into something fresh and funny. After suffering an injury during a routine patrol, hardened sergeant TK Poole [Michael Pena] is granted a one-month leave to visit his fiancée.

However, when an unexpected blackout cancels all flights out of New York, TK agrees to share a ride to Pittsburgh with two similarly stranded servicemen: Cheaver, [Tim Robbins] an older family man who longs to return to his wife in St. Louis, and Colee, [Rachel McAdams] a naive private who has pinned her hopes on connecting with a dead fellow soldier's family.

What begins as a short trip unexpectedly evolves into a longer journey. Forced to grapple with old relationships, broken hopes and a country divided over the war, TK, Cheaver and Colee discover that home is not quite what they remembered, and that the unlikely companionship they've found might be what matters the most.

"The Lucky Ones" is a film that explores family and relationships, sexuality and one's priorities in a life turned upside down amidst the chaos of war. Yet at the same time, thanks to a razor-sharp script by director Burger and Dirk Wittenborn, this cinematic road trip is not only a truly exquisite character study and a densely thematic piece, but it is surprisingly hilarious, with the humour derived from a realistic sense of character.

"The Lucky Ones" does of course examine the Iraq war, but never hits you over the head with simplistic political diatribes. More importantly, here is a film that blends and weaves into many facets of human behaviour, and done with humour and emotional honesty. The film's trio of actors is consistently sublime. Robbins is beautifully understated, while McAdams is a revelation here, breathtakingly and disarmingly funny.

Superbly directed by Burger and beautifully shot in a vast array of locations that serve to further heighten the film's themes, "The Lucky Ones" is a richly entertaining film and one that works on so many fascinating levels.


Happy-Go-Lucky
British director Mike Leigh returns to Toronto with his latest, joyous offering, "Happy-Go-Lucky", featuring a hypnotic performance by the exquisite Sally Hawkins. She stars as Poppy, a primary school teacher from north London whose life, at first glance, seems to be full of complications. It is hard to figure if she is a little crazy and irresponsible or deeply sane and sensible. Either way, everybody falls in love with her for better or for worse, including her highly-strung driving instructor.

While we all know Leigh's process, creating a sense of improvisation, there is no sense of that at all in his work. There is a seamless fluidity and genuine sense of character, in particular in this film, which is both delightfully funny and quirky, yet honest and credibly emotive. Poppy is the perennial optimist, and the film becomes this wonderfully wise look at optimism and how important it is to view the world in a positive way.

Hawkins' Poppy is a refreshing cinematic character, which leaps out of the screen and enchants you from the outset, and through the exquisite work of Hawkins, Leigh's latest film is so beautifully charming. Leigh of course continues to keep us guessing as to what he does next. Every film is a unique journey, and this one is another superb triumph.