So, the Toronto Film Critics have released their annual awards, and they include a category for "Best Canadian film," which was won by Away from Her, with Eastern Promises and Radiant City as runners up. So far, so good.
But it does seem a little odd that these same films show up again and again throughout the other, theroretically non-Canadiocentric categories. Away from Her nets a Best Actress tie victory for Julie Christie as well as a runner-up Best Actor for virtually unknown Gordon Pinsent (who is--surprise!--Canadian), and a Best First Feature award for its (Canadian) director Sarah Polley.
Eastern Promises, meanwhile, somehow merits a Best Picture runner-up, with its (Canadian) director David Cronenberg also getting a runner-up for Best Director. And leading man Viggo Mortensen is a surprise (or, in the context, perhaps not-so-surprise) winner for Best Actor.
Meanwhile, the performer sharing the Best Actress tie with Christie is Juno's (Canadian) star, Ellen Page, who evidently shone brightly enough to get her screenwriter, Cody Diablo, a runner-up nod for Best Screenplay.
In honor of cinematic parochialism, I'm hereby declaring Talk to Me the best film of the year, and second-best all-time to Murder at 1600.
--Christopher Orr