(via Shutterstock)
One of the things that cinematic storytelling does so very well is to let us stop and soak in the humanity of a person’s lived experiences.
Sure, other media do that, but in different ways, and there’s something truly rich and special about a couple of hours in the company of a character who is baring their soul and hopefully teaching us something about what it means to be human.
These three films appear to live up to that promise in beautifully impactful ways, giving us insight and empathy and letting us live in someone else’s shoes so we might live in ours just a little bit better.
(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
Sam (Page) hasn’t been home since his transition, and after four years in Toronto, he takes a long-dreaded trip back to Cobourg for his father’s birthday. On the train there, he runs into Katherine (Baack), a friend from high school with her own complicated life now, and feelings from their unresolved past begin to bubble to the surface. It’s a serendipitous encounter, as Sam worries about seeing his family after so much time apart — not for fear that they’ll reject him, but because of the unsolicited comments and questions he’ll receive about his transition, placing the weight of his family’s ignorance and discomfort squarely on his shoulders. Close to You is directed by the English writer / filmmaker Dominic Savage, of the films Love + Hate and The Escape previously, plus TV work including True Love, The Secrets, and I Am … The screenplay is written by Dominic Savage, from a story by Savage & Page. It’s produced by Daniel Bekerman, Krishnendu Majumdar, Dominic Savage, Richard Yee, Chris Yurkovich, Elliot Page. (courtesy First Showing)
Close to You opens on 16 August in U.S. and 23 August in Canada and UK (Australian release date TBA).
(courtesy IMP Awards)
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Helen (Louise Brealey) lives with her ex-husband, his young girlfriend, their new baby – and his dying mother Gwen. Her life is a grind, and like all the other women she toils with at the local chicken factory, is spent in service of the clock. She lives only for laughing with her friends at work, caring for Gwen, and music. When Joanne, the girl she secretly loved at school, returns to town, Helen’s world is turned upside down. Chuck Chuck Baby is written and directed by Welsh writer / filmmaker Janis Pugh, director of the films Conversations with My Aunt and The Befuddled Box of Betty Buttifint previously. Produced by Anne Beresford, Peggy Cafferty, Andrew Gillman, Adam Partridge. (courtesy First Showing)
Following 2023 premieres at the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, Chuck Chuck Baby opens in UK on 19 July (Australian release date TBA).
(courtesy IMP Awards)
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Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in John Crowley’s decade-spanning, deeply moving romance. We Live in Time is directed by the acclaimed Irish writer / filmmaker John Crowley, director of the films Intermission, Boy A, Is Anybody There?, Closed Circuit, Brooklyn, and The Goldfinch previously. The screenplay is written by Nick Payne. It’s produced by Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Benedict Cumberbatch, & Guy Heeley. (courtesy First Showing)
We Live in Time premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September with releases in U.S. on 11 October (limited) and Australia on 23 January 2025.