TIFF DAY 8 - THE PRIVATES LIVES OF PIPPA LEE AND LONDON RIVER REVIEW

I enjoyed two very good films today starting with a screening of director Rebecca Miller's The Private Lives of Pippa Lee this morning at Scotiabank Theatre. The film stars Robin Wright Penn playing the role of Pippa who is married to a made almost twice her age, Herb (Alan Arkin). The story of her life prior to meeting Herb runs in tandem with her current story, with Gossip Girl's Blake Lively playing a younger Pippa. Lively puts on an impressive performance as does the always excellent Maria Bello as her mother.

Pippa devotes herself completely to her husband in relocating from the city to a suburban retirement community, where she is miserable. Mysteriously, she starts sleepwalking and this leads her to build a bond with Chris (Keanu Reeves) who works at a convenience store where she buys cigarettes during these nocturnal occurrences. Wright is absolutely amazing in a challenging role that requires her to be lifeless yet endearing for most of the film. Definitely a film to look out for if you are into strong female characters. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee hits theatres November 27, 2009 and as an aside, is produced by Brad Pitt. Grade: A-

This evening I attended the gala for French director Rachid Bouchareb's London River at Elgin Theatre. The film stars Oscar-nominated British actress Brenda Blethyn who plays Elisabeth and African actor Sottigui Kouyaté who plays Ousame. The story takes place in 2005 after the well-documented terrorist subway bombings had occurred. Elisabeth and Ousame who come from completely different worlds, are brought together in a search for their missing children. We learn that they are actually quite similar despite their obvious differences and also discover that their children are romantically involved. The audience is caught in limbo along with the two principal characters, waiting to learn the fate of Elisabeth's daughter and Ousame's son. London River is heartbreaking and I left the theatre tonight deeply affected by Blethyn's chilling performance. Grade: A

After the screening, I had the opportunity to meet Blethyn and congratulate her on a fantastic performance. She even posed for some photographs with my friends Mary and Cathy. Her performance should generate some buzz come awards season in what is shaping up to be a very competitive match for Best Lead Actress at the Oscars.

Another busy day ahead for me tomorrow as I'm catching a screening of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits starring Lisa Kudrow and Natalie Portman. There is lots of buzz surrounding their performances. I'll also be getting some snaps of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and more Colin Farrell (!). All three are scheduled to arrive at the gala of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, more known as Heath Ledger's last film. Although things are winding down at TIFF, there's still plenty left to be excited about.

If you're in the Toronto area, I'll be on CP24 between 9 to 10 PM EST along with entertainment reporter Liz West to recap the best and the worst of this year's TIFF. Remember to tune in or set your PVRs!

xW