Toronto International Film Festival 2022: SUSIE SEARCHES, THE BLUE CAFTAN & SUBTRACTION

This Toronto International Film Festival has flown by in the usual festival fashion. Along for the ride is another batch of reviews, highlighting the eclectic energy that film festivals provide. This time in my report I’ve got a true-crime podcast satire, a beautiful rumination on love, and a dramatic thriller about doppelgängers. Let’s begin.

Susie Searches (Sophie Kargman)

Despite this being a satire (and a very effective one -for three acts at least) this is also a film steeped in loneliness. Susie Searches plays on our societal love for true crime, and our unabashed quest for fame. With some bitingly funny moments and clever surprises along the way, its combination of genres and tones makes for a promising and snappy debut feature from Sophie Kargman.

College student Susie Wallis (Kiersey Clemons) has her own true crime podcast, but it’s not getting the traction she’s hoping for. This doesn’t affect her determination and Susie is persistent in making a name for herself. In a world of fans, how can you stand out? When fellow well-known and beloved student Jesse (Alex Wolff) goes missing, she’s quick on the case and when success knocks upon her door, she’s flooded with fans and fame.  There’s an element of the “search” as much as there is a degree of internal discovery as we learn more about Susie’s character. What does she really want? What are her motivations? She’s a meticulous girl and nothing, even early on before we get to the real discoveries, seem happen-chance.

The color schemes and cinematography by Conor Murphy deliver an intriguing perspective as we keep Susie in our own investigative sights. Jon Natchez composes a score that accompanies the ups and downs of our protagonist’s moods ensuring that the thrilling nature of the story is pronounced.

What occurs after is most enjoyed by the discovery but ends up being both light-hearted and fun, obsessive and sad. Susie isn’t a selfless character, nearly not likable on paper, but Clemons insists that she is. That strength in conviction makes Susie Searches much more, and  Clemon’s affable demeanor helps elevate it.

There are also some terrific supporting comedic roles with sheriff Jim Gaffigan and Ken Marino, both are winningly charming (or disconcerting) in their own ways.  Also shoutout to Rachel Sennott as Susie’s co-worker, stealing most scenes that she is in.

What I liked most about Susie Searches is its take on the culture we live in, without settling for a lack of intelligence in the writing, with Kiersey Clemons proving she can run a film.

The Blue Caftan (Maryam Touzani)

In this beautifully touching TIFF gem, Mina (Lubna Azabal) and Halim (Saleh Bakri) own a caftan shop, where he hand sews garments in the Moroccan town of Salé. From its opening, with careful admiration on the smooth blue fabric, there’s a richness invoked, one that remains for the film’s entirety. It’s a film about traditions, relationships, and the vibrant colors of the connections we create.

At first glance, it seems like Mina (whose illness- though not specified, has her in a decline throughout the film) and Halim’s marriage is strained and distant. But, after a closer look, the marriage at The Blue Craftan‘s center is more resilient. Halim hides his sexuality from his wife and the world, frequenting bathhouses for anonymous sex, while Mina is distrustful of the new apprentice they’ve hired, the young Youssef (Ayoub Messioui) noticing the attraction between Halim and him. The performances are terrific; the desire and sadness in the eyes of both Lubna Azabal and Saleh Bakri are heartbreaking and soulful.

As Mina’s health becomes worse, Youssef becomes closer to the couple, and the three unite in a way that feels genuine. The Blue Craftan takes its time telling us its tale, but each moment ends up becoming an important thread in the final tapestry that’s created.

Patient and carefully crafted as the fabric for which our characters work, The Blue Craftan has intimacy and a gentle timing that illuminates the moments of love and guidance that impact our lives. I was blown away by this one, and I really appreciated the warmth between the characters despite the difficult situations at work. Our three leads seemed at ease together, with mutual respect that felt lived in and pure. There’s a keen sensuality to the film, that makes you feel as if the director is always handling its audience and characters with the same level of consideration that Halim does his garments.

The camera work of Virginie Surdej makes it easy to marvel at, lingeringly longingly on the intricacies of stitching and the exquisite design of one particular Blue Caftan that Halim is hired to make. This craftan in particular holds significance to the story, and its creation and the dedication that goes into it is timed with the storytelling and how the story is delivered.

The director spoke at the Q&A of this tradition and how it was disappearing. In ways, I think of how rare the sort of unconditional and selfless love displayed in this film is too. There’s no doubt that The Blue Caftan is wrapped in a sheer dressing of heavy sadness, but the emotional fervor is also hopeful. The final act will undoubtedly move you to tears with its earned catharsis.

The acting was superb, and the story wonderfully poignant. It’s a story about the complexities of love and craft, and the way these can be intertwined. This is a film that has lived in my heart since I saw it, and quickly became my favorite of the festival.

Subtraction (Mani Haghighi)

This was another gem for me, Subtraction was a real surprise that kept me fully intrigued and invested in unraveling what was to come.

Farzaneh (Taraneh Alidoosti) is teaching a driving lesson when she sees who she think is her husband Jalal (Navid Mohammadzadeh) getting on a bus. She follows him, and sees him enter a women’s apartment.  When she brings it up he denies that it was him, and she’s left wondering if she was seeing things.

The film then takes a turn as we soon learn there is another couple, doppelgängers (Mohsen and Bita) of our leads, with different jobs, names, and demeanors. In dual roles, these two aptly feel like other people. It’s not an easy task, but throughout the film you find yourself questioning your own frame of mind because they are so believable. The two versions as you will, are quite different with one for each in a couple being darker and making questionable choices. The other two, however, are inherently sweeter, and these pairings play a big role in the overall themes of the story. The physicality at display and even subtle expressions or posture that is distinct to a specific character is incredible.

Each of the couples finds their way to this realization uniquely, which includes Jalal’s father, who seems reasonably okay with it despite the strangeness of the situation. Mohsen and Bita have a child together, while Farzaneh is pregnant with their first. The duality and comparable sides of the two couples and the way their lives are irrevocably changed after meeting are quite enthralling. The music by Ramin Kousha is integral in amplifying the stress of the film as things become murkier and jealousy comes into play. With some interesting visual choices, particularly the rain (so much rain and thunderstorms) Mani Haghighi ensures that the audience feels that once the storm has come, it’s tough to shake.

Subtraction was a twisty, compelling thrill, this was not what I was expecting and somehow just what I wanted. With acting that’s chillingly real, it makes this mystery worth seeking out.