TIFF 2019 round-up: Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikattu, Tom Hanks' A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood premiere at Toronto

The second day of 44th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) saw the world premiere of Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu. According to Manorama Online, Chemban Vinod, Antony Varghese and Santhy Balachandran attended the premiere along with the director, music composer Prashant Pillai and cinematographer Gireesh Gangadharan.

"Jallikattu" is a very entertaining comic action movie about a village in India that descends into chaos after a buffalo begins to run rampant. The spectacle is amazing and the action is visceral, even if the story gets a bit repetitive after a while. pic.twitter.com/ONPrf8soTb

— Kevin Klawitter (@KevinKlawitter) September 7, 2019

JALLIKATTU @TIFF_NET is a wild ride that pulls you along like the film’s escaped buffalo. The chaos of the chase is captured through a frenetic pace, sweeping visuals, and a story that reveals how the chase for the animal leads to animality. #TIFF19

— Daniel Scott Tysdal (@dstiz) September 7, 2019

Here's my full review of JALLIKATTU which is such an intense ride and I wish every movie at #TIFF19 could be this mesmerizing. https://t.co/eMEng6MD61 via @GoombaSt0mp

— Christopher Cross (@HammerkopCross) September 7, 2019

“As you can see there are many people in the movie and they are unprofessionals. I never prepared them for the movie. In fact most sequences turned so because I never prepare the artistes in my movies, rather their instinct works for me,” the director said. Just Mercy Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx’s Just Mercy  also had its world premiere. According to The Associated Press, the starry based-on-a-true-story social-justice tale made a powerful impression.

.@michaelb4jordan hopes that JUST MERCY will inspire people to contribute to a cause that they believe in.

"Talk about emotional currency. How can you deposit that back into a movement?" #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/1Yp3x0RBtN

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 7, 2019

Initial reviews were warm for what critics called ‘a respectful and earnest message movie.’ But praise was especially heaped on the movie’s performances, including Jordan and Foxx. Both stars are expected to be contenders for next year’s Academy Awards. Warner Bros. is set to release Just Mercy, which co-stars Rob Morgan, Brie Larson and O’Shea Jackson Jr., on 25 December. Hustlers The cast and crew of Hustlers, a movie about strippers in New York City, hit the red carpet for the film’s premiere on Saturday, and their main message was the empowering experience of working on a female-led project.

In case you were wondering, @JLo's clutch is a bedazzled wad of cash. 💵 #TIFF19

Captured #WithGalaxy pic.twitter.com/rfvE7QrR2G

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 8, 2019

Based on a true story, the film was written, directed and produced by women. “You know how moms become superheroes to their kids? That’s how it was” on set, Palmer said. “Not saying that guys can’t get stuff done, but women really be getting all the stuff done.” To Wu, the female leadership in creating the movie was made all the more important given the subject matter. The strippers are people “who society has judged and marginalized, and we got the opportunity to humanize their stories,” Wu said. “It’s the greatest potential of art.” (Also read -  _Hustlers early reactions: Jennifer Lopez gives 'career-best performance' in 'a welcome twist on the crime thriller genre'_ ) Dolemite is My Name Eddie Murphy’s comeback film Dolemite is My Name, is based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore, star of blaxploitation Dolemite films. It will stream on Netflix in October later this year. The film received a standing ovation from the audience.

The man, the myth, the legend, Eddie Murphy has arrived. #TIFF19

Captured #WithGalaxy pic.twitter.com/cRWK4C3eVW

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 8, 2019

Standing ovation for Eddie Murphy at the TIFF premiere of Dolemite Is My Name pic.twitter.com/aOrrjL6k5v

— Albert Tello (@Albert_Tello) September 8, 2019

Standing ovation for Eddie Murphy and the team behind DOLOMITE IS MY NAME #tiff19 https://t.co/oqu39AcSQR

— Jason Gorber (@filmfest_ca) September 8, 2019

Craig Brewer’s Dolemite Is My Name is hilarious fun with Eddie Murphy in fine fettle. The #TIFF2019 audience ate it up. So will @NetflixFilm subscribers. Writers @Karaszewski & Scott Alexander and Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter also kick ass. pic.twitter.com/HEjE1Tdszk

— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) September 8, 2019

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME - a delightful tribute by Eddie Murphy and co. to Rudy Ray Moore's tenacity and legacy. With the warmth of ED WOOD, a perfect foray into that era complete with committed performances and slick style, it's motherfuckin' fun. #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/l5lPhMl8q4

— Jason Gorber (@filmfest_ca) September 8, 2019

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Hanks as the host of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, premiered Saturday night at the Toronto International Film Festival. It revealed a nuanced and layered performance by Hanks that goes well beyond the cardigan.

Watch #TIFF19 Live from the 🔴 Carpet Presented by @hudsonsbay:

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, with dir. Marielle Heller and stars @TomHanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson (@skelechiwatson), and Chris Cooper. https://t.co/v2f7lzTiHZ

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 7, 2019

“We never make fun of Fred. We slow down to listen to him,” Hanks said following the film’s screening. “It was always going to be, I think, deconstructing the myth of it to show he was a regular guy who went out for Chinese food. At the same time, there is this mystery. What’s his motivation?” “One of the most wonderful things, too, is he was actually an ordained minister who never mentioned God on his show,” Hanks said. Indian delegation promotes government’s initiative towards ’ease of filming’ in country The visiting Indian delegation to the festival held discussions with representatives of various film forums as part of their global outreach for the golden jubilee of International Film Festival of Indian (IFFI) and to promote the country as a suitable filming location. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is participating at TIFF. “The discussions were wide ranging which included participation at the golden jubilee edition of IFFI, possibility of taking forward government thrust of ’ease of filming in India’, recent initiatives to promote film facilitation in the form of single window clearance and the growth potential of different verticals under the M&E sector of India,” a press release stated. (With inputs from agencies)