On the tenth day of the Toronto International Film Festival, I watched three features, including this year's People's Choice Award winner, La bola negra.
La bola negra
Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who jointly won Best Director at the festival. The star-studded cast includes Miguel Bernardeau (Elite), two-time Spanish Goya Award Best Actress winner Lola Dueñas (The Sea Inside), Oscar winner Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), and Golden Globe Best Actress winner Glenn Close (The Wife).
At the cusp of the Spanish Civil War, a young man confronts his ideology and sexuality as he is conscripted into the fascist army where he becomes fascinated by a prisoner of war. Another young man in pre-dictatorship Spain finds himself blackballed from his father’s prestigious social club due to rumours about his sexuality. Finally, a young gay historian manoeuvres through his complicated family history and a unique inheritance decades after the dictatorship has ended.
Structured around three timelines spanning different eras, the film opens in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War as villagers line the streets playing instruments to welcome marching troops, only to be ruthlessly gunned down. It is a striking, visceral opening sequence reminiscent of a sweeping historical epic. As the narrative begins intercutting between the other two timelines, the thematic connections may initially feel elusive, causing the midsection to drag slightly. However, the energy shifts dramatically when Penélope Cruz makes her grand entrance as Nené Romero. Though her screen time is limited, her luminous presence and captivating musical sequence serve as a major highlight, injecting fresh momentum into the narrative.
From that point forward, the storytelling tightens significantly as Sebastián (played by Guitarricadelafuente) faces a pivotal choice, while Alberto (Carlos González) begins weaving the three narrative threads together. Ultimately, the film charts Sebastián's tender exploration of identity and sexuality, culminating in a poignant love story marked by tragedy. Yet the narrative extends beyond romantic tragedy: as Alberto unlocks the film’s long-buried clues, the story transforms into a moving testament to how art and literature endure across generations to preserve vital ideas and human emotion. It makes for a deeply resonant, powerful finale.
Club Kid
Written, directed by, and starring Jordan Firstman (I Love LA), the film co-stars Cara Delevingne (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Killing Eve) and Diego Calva (Babylon). The creative team features cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra, the Creative Arts Emmy winner for The Studio, and composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer, the three-time Creative Arts Emmy winner for The White Lotus.
For Peter Green (Jordan Firstman), a promoter and purveyor of… shall we say… stimulating party favours in the queer New York club scene, the party never stops. Each revelry blurs into the next, with restraint and responsibility perpetually foisted upon others, especially his fed-up business partner Sophie (Cara Delevingne). But on the precipice of losing another decade to the rhythm of the night, reality bites in the form of his surprise parentage to 10-year-old Arlo (Reggie Absolom), the result of a half-remembered hookup. When his mother unexpectedly dies, the boy is thrust straight into Peter’s carousing care.
At its core, Club Kid charts the deepening bond between Peter and Arlo, detailing how caring for young Arlo forces Peter to confront his past and grow into a better person. While father-son bonding narratives are familiar cinematic territory, setting the story within New York's queer nightlife scene provides a fresh perspective. Peter, a gay man accustomed to a chaotic lifestyle fueled by parties, alcohol, and substances, is suddenly thrust into fatherhood. Navigating this newfound responsibility brings a delicate balance of humor, heart, and emotional trials.
Through a conventional lens, Peter and the surrounding characters might seem deeply flawed: his partner abruptly leaves him for a female neighbor downstairs, his business associate betrays him terribly, and his burgeoning intimacy with his son's social worker blurs professional boundaries. Yet the film approaches these characters without moral judgment, maintaining a warm, empathetic tone throughout. It gently reminds viewers that perfection is an illusion; regardless of flaws, past mistakes, or sexual orientation, everyone remains worthy of love, growth, and redemption.
Wild Horse Nine
This highly anticipated film is written and directed by Martin McDonagh, the two-time Golden Globe winner and creative force behind Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin. Keeping with his preference for remote and atmospheric locations, McDonagh filmed this project on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile. The film features an ensemble cast, including several of McDonagh's frequent collaborators: Oscar winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), Parker Posey (The White Lotus Season 3), Golden Globe Best Actor winner Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Tom Waits (Licorice Pizza), and Mariana di Girolamo. Oscar winner Mikkel E. G. Nielsen (Sound of Metal) serves as the editor while Creative Emmy winner Carter Burwell (Mildred Pierce) serves as the composer of this film.
Like any excellent buddy film, contrasting personalities are key. Chris (John Malkovich) is an aging, eccentric officer in charge of mentoring Lee (Sam Rockwell), the brash, foul-mouthed protégé who just wants to enjoy the exquisite scenery. Conspiracies abound, paranoia ensues, and their trust in one another is pushed to the limits by their handler MJ (Steve Buscemi).
Along the way, the duo cross paths with two rebellious young women and the encounter spurs the ailing Chris to look back on his actions as a spy, unsettling Lee and threatening to derail the assignment. What was supposed to be a typical case of foreign intervention begins to spiral out of control.
這電影與之前介紹的《突緣其來》(All of a Sudden)及 “Elsinore”一樣，都是以「死亡」為主題。但這電影的主角並不是一個舞台劇導演或演員，而是一個間諜———一個曾策劃和執行無數政變，造成很多傷亡的間諜。因此，這角色在面對死亡時，有另一番的感受———他需要回顧自己的一生，正視以往所做過的事情、所犯下的錯，思索自己為世界帶來的改變。作為一個信徒，他相信自己即將面臨審判，他一生的作為將會被一一審視。與此同時，他發現自己逐漸失智，開始忘記以往的事情，亦開始懷疑身邊的人。這電影說的是我們大部分人都要面對的年老和死亡，但題材涉及政治、意識形態等，本來應該十分沉重，但導演Martin McDonagh一如往作般為電影注入獨有的幽默感，其中有關美國前總統John F. Kennedy的主題貫穿了整部電影，充滿玩味。John Malkovich這次飾演年老的Chris，角色的情感仿佛沒有太多起伏，亦沒有太多賣弄演技、煽情的場面，但看起他獨自一人回顧往事、思考人生，以及看著他似乎放下包袱、對年輕女子暢所欲言，觀眾必能感覺到他的唏噓、超脫。這樣毫不費力、自然的演出，或許就是演員本人經過數十年的演出所領悟的演技。
Like All of a Sudden and Elsinore, Wild Horse Nine tackles the theme of mortality. Here, however, the protagonist is not a theater artist, but a intelligence operative—a man who engineered coups and left a trail of political fallout in his wake. Facing the end of his life forces him to reckon with his legacy, evaluate his past actions, and weigh his impact on the world. As a person of faith, he anticipates divine judgment and an accounting of his soul. At the same time, onset dementia chips away at his memories, stoking paranoia toward those around him.
While combining aging, mortality, and political ideology could yield a heavy drama, director Martin McDonagh infuses the story with his signature dark humor, incorporating a playful, recurring motif centered on President John F. Kennedy. John Malkovich delivers an effortless, understated performance as the aging Chris. Avoiding dramatic histrionics, Malkovich conveys profound regret and eventual transcendence through quiet introspection and candid exchanges with a young confidante—a masterclass in acting forged over decades on screen.
Photo: TIFF