Toronto Stories
Encyclopedia
Toronto Stories is a film in four segments bound together by a young boy, lost in an unknown city. After the prologue, the four segments are directed by different people: "Shoelaces" by Aaron Woodley, "The Brazilian" by Sook-Yin Lee, "Windows" by David "Sudz" Sutherland, and "Lost Boys" by David Weaver.
and the many diverse faces that populate the city’s landscape, a young boy, presumably of African descent, arrives at a customs desk unaccompanied and with no papers. He is taken into the custody of the immigration office, but when a back is turned he is drawn by curiosity into the throng of the airport. He then makes his way onto an express bus and into the city alone. An amber alert is issued signaling that a child has gone missing.
That same day…
…two children embark on a quest to find a reported monster living beneath the picturesque neighbourhood of Cabbagetown. Over the course of that day and into the night, they share a number of profound experiences involving love, death and their very first kiss.
…in Kensington Market a lonely woman and a young man who has never been in love come up against their fundamental differences in their search for understanding and connection.
…Alton and Doug reunite by chance on the streets of Toronto. These former partners in crime have to reevaluate their toxic relationship while staring down the barrel of a policeman's gun.
…a broken man fallen from grace and now inhabiting the streets and alleys around Union Station spots the lost boy, but when he approaches the authorities his mental illness causes the credibility of his discovery to be questioned.
(TIFF). It then went on to screen at the Possible Worlds Film Festival and the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. It was released in select theatres on December 12, 2008.
, reviewing the film after its September 2008 premiere at TIFF, called it a "complete zero" that represented the nadir of the "omnibus city film concept"; they acknowledged the "major Canadian talent behind and in front of the camera" but said the film "manages to leave no memorable moments over the span of four wan short pieces about Torontonians in search of a city" After its limited Canadian release three months later, Bruce DeMara of the Toronto Star
was much more positive, giving it a (three stars out of 4); DeMara, acknowledging he was an "unabashed city booster", said "cinephiles looking for the next generation of directors to follow in the footsteps of James Cameron
, David Cronenberg
and Norman Jewison
may find it in this cadre of filmmakers." DeMara called Gil Bellows
's performance a tour-de-force and said the "vignettes make Toronto look very good indeed, by turns accessible and mysterious, livably bourgeois in some places, raw and gritty in others, hip and modern, but with a sense of history." E.C. Woodley's music score was given special praise by DeMara, who wrote that the score "deserves special mention for its orchestral manoeuvres, by turns lively, languid and moody, evoking a sense of place in a city whose diversity makes it so difficult to define." Now
called it a "plodding, uninspired collection of four short films — each written and directed by a well-regarded local filmmaker — that never rise above mildly engaging, are often just plain lousy and fail to use the city in any creative or interesting way." Eye Weekly
gave it (three stars out of 5), saying it was "disappointing that the results are so inconsistent, with none of the contributions matching their creators’ best efforts in the past. Nor, despite all its proud displays of local colour, does it present Hogtown as memorably as such other recent Toronto-centric indie pics as Monkey Warfare
, Sabah
or In Between Days
."
Synopsis
Opening on the arrival of several overseas flights at Pearson InternationalToronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
and the many diverse faces that populate the city’s landscape, a young boy, presumably of African descent, arrives at a customs desk unaccompanied and with no papers. He is taken into the custody of the immigration office, but when a back is turned he is drawn by curiosity into the throng of the airport. He then makes his way onto an express bus and into the city alone. An amber alert is issued signaling that a child has gone missing.
That same day…
…two children embark on a quest to find a reported monster living beneath the picturesque neighbourhood of Cabbagetown. Over the course of that day and into the night, they share a number of profound experiences involving love, death and their very first kiss.
…in Kensington Market a lonely woman and a young man who has never been in love come up against their fundamental differences in their search for understanding and connection.
…Alton and Doug reunite by chance on the streets of Toronto. These former partners in crime have to reevaluate their toxic relationship while staring down the barrel of a policeman's gun.
…a broken man fallen from grace and now inhabiting the streets and alleys around Union Station spots the lost boy, but when he approaches the authorities his mental illness causes the credibility of his discovery to be questioned.
Cast
- Gil BellowsGil BellowsGil Bellows is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in The Shawshank Redemption, Billy Thomas in the television series Ally McBeal and as CIA agent Matt Callan in the television series The Agency.-Early life:Bellows was born in Vancouver, British...
... Henry - Sook-Yin LeeSook-Yin LeeSook-Yin Lee is a Canadian musician, filmmaker, actress and media personality.-Background:Lee grew up in a Vancouver suburb, the second-oldest daughter of immigrants. She was raised as a devout Roman Catholic. Her father was a post-World War II orphan from Hong Kong, her mother an escapee from...
... Willia - K.C. Collins ... Alton Morris
- Carly PopeCarly Pope-Early life:Pope was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, with an older brother, Kris, also an actor, and a younger brother, Alexander. She began acting during her high school years in Vancouver where she appeared in stage classics such as The Odd Couple, playing Mickey, and A Midsummer...
... Roshanna - Lisa RayLisa RayLisa Ray , born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Lisa Ray was born in Toronto to a Bengali Indian father and a Polish mother and grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke...
... Beth - Ricardo HoyosRicardo HoyosRicardo Hoyos is a Canadian teen actor, best known for his role as Ricardo in the TV series Dino Dan. He will also portray the new character "Zig" on Degrassi: The Next Generation for the upcoming season.-Filmography:...
... Jacob - Samantha Weinstein ... Cayle
- Tygh RunyanTygh Runyan-Life and career:Runyan was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. His father is an environmental science professor at the University of British Columbia, and his mother is a poet...
... Boris - Toka Murphy ... Boy
- Olivia Palenstein ... Jacob's Mother
- Cameron KennedyCameron KennedyCameron Kennedy is a Canadian actor known for his roles of Zach in Toronto Stories and Rory in My Babysitter's a Vampire.-Career:Cameron Kennedy began his acting career as Zach in the ensemble film Toronto Stories...
... Zach - Frank MooreFrank MooreFrank C. Moore II was a New York-based painter, winner of the Logan Medal of the arts, and a member of the Visual AIDS Artist Caucus—the organization responsible for the Ribbon Project, A Day Without Art, and A Night Without Light.Born in Manhattan in 1953, Moore moved with his family to Long...
... Stevenson - Mike McPhaden ... Father
- Michael Rhoades ... Inspector Kane
- Judy Sinclair ... Shelagh
- Joris JarskyJoris JarskyJoris Jarsky , also known as Joris Jorsky, is a Canadian stage, film and television actor who has received recognition for being a versatile actor, and is known for his role as Marty Strickland in the series Vampire High....
... Doug Shannon - Ingrid Hart ... Chantal
- Shauna MacDonaldShauna MacDonaldShauna MacDonald is a Canadian television and film actress and radio announcer.-Life and career:MacDonald was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She graduated from Dr...
... Lowry - Daniel Park ... Asian Man
- Ellora PatnaikEllora PatnaikEllora Patnaik is a Indian Canadian film and theatre actress and Odissi dancer.-Early life:Ellora was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ellora is the first child of her parents , Promod and Chitralekha Patnaik, who were born in the state of Orissa, India, and emigrated to Canada in the 1960s...
... Caroline - Elva Mai Hoover ... Dog Walker Lady
- Louise Naubert ... Eastern European Lady
- Maxwell McCabe-Lokos ... Eddi
- Richard LeacockRichard LeacockRichard Leacock was a British-born documentary film director and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema and Cinéma vérité.-Early life and career:...
... Police officer Bell - Stephen R. HartStephen R. HartStephen R. Hart is a Canadian actor known for his tall height "6'11" and sonic boom voice. He is also known for his role as "The Voice" on The Current. Hazel-eyed, with pitch black hair and clothes, Hart has a reputation for playing sinister villains. His credits include notable films such as...
... Greely - Carly Street ... Immigration Officer
- Ajit Zacharias ... Indian Man
- Julian RichingsJulian RichingsJulian Richings is an English-born Canadian actor. He appeared in over 50 Canadian films and 20 separate television series.-Life and career:...
... Leather Jacket - James LafazanosJames LafazanosJames Lafazanos is a Canadian actor most noted for playing the lead male Wraith characters in Stargate Atlantis seasons 1 - 2.-Filmography:-References:...
... Night Manager - Gene Mack ... Perry
Release
Toronto Stories premiered at the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
(TIFF). It then went on to screen at the Possible Worlds Film Festival and the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. It was released in select theatres on December 12, 2008.
Reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, reviewing the film after its September 2008 premiere at TIFF, called it a "complete zero" that represented the nadir of the "omnibus city film concept"; they acknowledged the "major Canadian talent behind and in front of the camera" but said the film "manages to leave no memorable moments over the span of four wan short pieces about Torontonians in search of a city" After its limited Canadian release three months later, Bruce DeMara of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
was much more positive, giving it a (three stars out of 4); DeMara, acknowledging he was an "unabashed city booster", said "cinephiles looking for the next generation of directors to follow in the footsteps of James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
, David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
and Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
may find it in this cadre of filmmakers." DeMara called Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in The Shawshank Redemption, Billy Thomas in the television series Ally McBeal and as CIA agent Matt Callan in the television series The Agency.-Early life:Bellows was born in Vancouver, British...
's performance a tour-de-force and said the "vignettes make Toronto look very good indeed, by turns accessible and mysterious, livably bourgeois in some places, raw and gritty in others, hip and modern, but with a sense of history." E.C. Woodley's music score was given special praise by DeMara, who wrote that the score "deserves special mention for its orchestral manoeuvres, by turns lively, languid and moody, evoking a sense of place in a city whose diversity makes it so difficult to define." Now
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
called it a "plodding, uninspired collection of four short films — each written and directed by a well-regarded local filmmaker — that never rise above mildly engaging, are often just plain lousy and fail to use the city in any creative or interesting way." Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
gave it (three stars out of 5), saying it was "disappointing that the results are so inconsistent, with none of the contributions matching their creators’ best efforts in the past. Nor, despite all its proud displays of local colour, does it present Hogtown as memorably as such other recent Toronto-centric indie pics as Monkey Warfare
Monkey Warfare
Monkey Warfare is a 2006 Canadian drama film written and directed by Reginald Harkema, starring Don McKellar, Tracy Wright and Nadia Litz. The film received multiple awards at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2006, and won "Best Canadian Feature Film - Special Jury Citation" at the 2006...
, Sabah
Sabah (film)
Sabah is a 2005 film directed by Ruba Nadda.The film stars Arsinée Khanjian as Sabah, a traditional Muslim woman living in Canada. She falls in love with a non-Muslim Canadian man ....
or In Between Days
In Between Days (film)
In Between Days is a 2006 film directed by So Yong Kim about a young girl from Korea and her coming of age in her new surroundings. The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and was released into select theaters on June 27, 2007.- Synopsis :...
."