reviewvancouver:Vancouver International Film Festival 2024

A Private Life (Vie Privée)

France, 2025, dir. Rebecca Zlotowski, 103 minutes

Dates and Venues October 4 at Alliance Francaise, October 7 at Vancouver Playhouse & October 12 at Granville Island Stage

In French with English subtitles

Rebecca Zlotowski’s new film comes across as a tribute to the Woody Allen style of film-making; in as much that his (best) films often portray neurotic and complex characters who struggle with personal anxiety. This trait allows the viewer to observe the subject with humour. Jodie Foster portrays an American psychoanalyst living and working in Paris whose own mental health might be questionable. While Ms. Foster is on screen for almost the entire duration of the film, this is not one of her best; although, she functions in the role speaking remarkably good French.

Zlotowski’s dark comedy (some filmgoers may question this description after seeing it) begins with Dr. Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) losing two long term patients: one through dissatisfaction, the other through death. Dr. Steiner is much more confused about the latter, since she appeared to have had a close personal interest in this particular patient – a mysterious blonde by the name of Paula Cohen-Solal who we see in flashback notably played by the beautiful Belgian actress Virginie Efira.

The good doctor also has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil) who assists her exploits in tracking down the cause of Paula’s demise. The film meanders to a rather anticlimactic, though not necessarily a predictable conclusion without the hoped for plot twist.

Sentimental Value

Norway/France/Denmark/Germany/Sweden/UK, 2025, dir. Joachim Trier, 135 minutes

Dates and Venue October 3 & October 8 at the Vancouver Playhouse

In English and Norwegian with English subtitles

Joachim Trier’s film is a complex family drama about an intergenerational, dysfunctional family. More than that though, it’s a story of forgiveness and redemption. A celebrated film director, whose best work is behind him, Gustav Borg, impeccably played by veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, returns to the family fold after many years of absence. Daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) understandably greet his return with some cynicism.

When Elle Fanning’s character, American actress Rachel Kemp appears, the dialogue switches from Finnish to English. Gustav offers her the lead role in his new film, after Nora gives it a hard pass. Rachel soon realizes that she is a surrogate for Nora, and asks to be released. Renate Reinsve delivers a commendable performance as Nora – a film actress in the role of a stage actress. Watch out for Child actor Oyvind Hesjedal Loven, who acquits himself well in his film debut as Gustav’s grandson.

John Candy: I Like Me

USA, 2025, dir. Colin Hanks, 113 minutes

Dates and Venue October 4 at the Vancouver Playhouse & October 6 at Granville Island Stage

Canadian actor and comedian John Candy died of a heart attack on March 4, 1994 on location in Durango, Mexico midway through filming Wagons East. He was only 43. That was more than thirty years ago. But like the man himself, John Candy’s legend looms large. Colin Hanks (son of actor Tom Hanks) together with executive producer Ryan Reynolds, have assembled a benevolent documentary that puts together the subject’s career highlights that most movie-goers already knew and details of his family life that very few knew.

Candy grew up in Toronto and was a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City sketch comedy team. He was also a big football fan and along with former Ice Hockey player, Wayne Gretsky, Candy was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Hanks Jr. includes interviews with his wife Rose, son Christopher and daughter Jennifer, as well as fellow artists such as Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin who enjoyed working with the big man. The film begins with a tongue-in-cheek tribute from Bill Murray and ends with an emotional eulogy from Catherine O’Hara at John Candy's funeral, at St. Martin's of Tours Church in LA. If you're a Canadian, you won't want to miss this!

It Was Just an Accident

Iran/France/Luxembourg, 2025, dir. Jafar Panahi, 105 minutes

Dates and Venues October 2 & October 9 at the Vancouver Playhouse

In Farsi with English subtitles

A simple single vehicle accident on a dark road on the outskirts of a large Iranian city leads to a catastrophic conclusion, that effects not only the driver and the vehicle’s other occupants, but also a disparate group of denizens that had survived a brutal regime. Jafar Panahi’s film is set in roughly the present time and is a co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg that explores political repression in Iran. Vahid Mobasseri very much commits to the role of the truth-searching protagonist Vahid (his real name matches his character for this film). Mariam Afshari delivers a nuanced performance as a common-sense photographer who has successfully rebuilt her life. Panahi’s story-telling is slow and deliberate.

Christy

USA, 2025, dir. David Michôd, 135 minutes

Dates and Venues October10 at the Vancouver Playhouse and October 12 at The Rio

Notwithstanding Clint Eastwood’s 2004 film Million Dollar Baby, movies that focus on the sport of female boxing are almost unique. David Michôd’s film is a cinematic biography that chronicles Christine “Christy “ Salters’ abusive relationship with husband and trainer Jim Martin and her career, fighting professionally as Christy Martin and under the nom de guerre Coal Miner's Daughter. The film covers approximately a twenty year period from Martin’s time as a university freshman on a basketball scholarship. Sydney Sweeney turns in a tour-de-force performance as a tough-as-nails, trailblazing protagonist. Ben Foster is unapologetic as Christy’s malevolent husband, while Ethan Embry is understated as Christy’s sympathetic father Johnny. Watch out for 2020 Tokyo Olympian and former Army Staff Sergeant Naomi Graham in the role of Laila Ali in a mismatched fight with Christy Martin near the end of the film.