TIFF Me!

For the first time in Toronto, I actually felt like I was IN Toronto. I've said before in the past that this city lacks a certain personality, or character, but from September 7 - 16 when the Toronto International Film Festival was on, the city was alive. There was nothing but good things said about this city and how the people of Toronto year after year welcome the diversity of films and give great reception to all the A-List celebrities that come to the red carpet.

Scoring free tickets from work, my colleague and I went to see the closing film of the festival, Amazing Grace, a British film directed by Michael Apted (of documentary series 7-Up etc fame). The director himself spoke about the film before the screening. It is the story of William Wilberforce who lead the bill to abolish the slave trade in Britain. Whilst it may not have been the usual choice of a Saturday night movie, the film is very well done with plenty of witty dialogue, fused with great drama giving the subject matter the importance it rightly deserves, bringing to life one of history's unsung heros. Wilberforce is in fact buried at Westminster Abbey. All in all an uplifting and inspirational film with a faultless cast. 5 stars.

Not to take away from the importance of a film like Amazing Grace, but I was actually more impressed with the fact that my friend saw the new Jude Law film a few days earlier, and actually sat in the same row as Jude Law himself. Yes, she saw the man in flesh and blood. In the theatre. Just a few seats away. The luck of some.