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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 6 September 2019
At Toronto, audiences to feast on a fall film omnibus

By JAKE COYLE ater got a look at it — and
Associated Press loved it. A cult sensation
NEW YORK (AP) — When a was born.
movie first comes in con- The story of that quixotic
tact with an audience, movie, and of Moore’s
strange things can hap- whole-body transforma-
pen. Take, for instance, the tion into his famous pimp
case of “Dolemite,” Rudy alter ego, is told in Craig
Ray Moore’s classic 1975 Brewer’s “Dolemite Is My
Blaxploitation film. Name.” Led by a radiant
A shambling, cheaply performance by a rejuve-
made, mostly non-profes- nated Eddie Murphy, it’s
sional production seemed a loving portrait of fly-by-
surely headed for the dust- the-seat-of-your-pants film-
bin before a crowded the- making and the unpredict-

This image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy in a scene from “Dolemite Is My Name,” which
will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival.
Associated Press
able, transformative nature not so much like ‘Roma’ cially for this film, which at
of movie theaters. where you’re like, ‘Oh, its core we definitely made
“Dolemite Is My Name” — I wish I could see it on a for everybody.”
along with 132 other world large screen,’” says Brew- “Just Mercy,” starring Mi-
premieres — will make its er, whose film will open chael B. Jordan as activist-
own collision with movie- in theaters Oct. 4. “What lawyer Bryan Stevenson,
goers later this week at the they were seeing is, ‘Oh won’t be released until
Toronto International Film my God, we’ve never seen Dec. 25.
Festival. Beginning Thurs- crowds react this way.’” But for many films, espe-
day, some 245 films are set Coming close on the heels cially those expected to
to unspool in Toronto, North of the Venice and Tellu- contend for Academy
America’s largest film festi- ride festivals, Toronto dif- Awards, the already-trun-
val — a red-carpeted om- fers from those launching cated awards season (the
nibus of nearly all the fall’s pads in one dramatic as- Oscars will be held Feb. 9)
biggest movies. pect: It has a city teeming means a sped-up race.
“I’m curious what an audi- with real audiences. Actual And Toronto has regularly
ence of film lovers will think. ticket-buying people, not been an important gate-
At least for me, it’s a love just well-dressed insiders way. Last year’s conten-
letter to that spirit of guer- and critics. That has made tious best picture winner,
rilla filmmaking and inde- TIFF, now in its 44th year, not “Green Book,” premiered
pendent filmmaking,” says just an Oscar-season bell- at TIFF where it won the fes-
Brewer, who grew up in wether but a vital proving tival’s top honor: the Peo-
Memphis, Tennessee, mak- ground for those films first ple’s Choice Award.
ing shorts, as he says, with appearing — among them As proof of the significance
a pawn shop-bought video “A Beautiful Day in the of Toronto audiences,
camera. Neighborhood,” ‘’Knives every Toronto audience-
Of course, the theatrical Out,” ‘’Harriet,” ‘’Jojo Rab- award winner in the past
experience exalted in To- bit” — and those that have decade has scored a best
ronto is under siege from already garnered warm picture nomination.
a number of directions, notices in Telluride and The festival reflects the di-
among them Netflix, which Venice, including “Joker,” verse city of Toronto, says
releases some films for a ‘’A Marriage Story,” ‘’Ford Cameron Bailey, artistic di-
shortened window in the- v. Ferrari,” ‘’Waves” and rector and co-head of the
aters and others directly “The Two Popes.” festival. This year’s program
to its streaming platform. “You’re not just screening features 36% films directed
For all its celebration of an- for a room full of critics and by women, a rate higher
other age of moviemaking, agents and producers, but than many other major film
“Dolemite Is My Name” is a you get a reaction from an festivals.
Netflix release — an irony audience that represents a And while festivals like Ven-
Brewer says isn’t lost on the little more of how the world ice have programmed films
streaming company. might respond to your by controversial filmmakers
“It was perhaps different movie. That’s exciting,” like Roman Polanski and
from some of their other says Destin Daniel Cretton, Nate Parker, Toronto has
movies that maybe they whose “Just Mercy” is one charted a different path,
would have been inspired of the festival’s most an- making inclusivity a focal
to release theatrically. It’s ticipated premieres. “Espe- point.q