Doubtless Cameron Bailey, host of the Toronto Film Critics Association gala at the Carlu last night, had no idea he would trigger a tsunami of phallic gags when he suggested 2014 was the year gender issues were huge.
But first presenter Patricia Rozema, who gave out the Jay Scott Prize to best emerging filmmaker Albert Shin (In Her Place), got the balls rolling when she suggested the only reason Bob Martin was invited to give out an award was because he has a big dick. Her point was that that’s what you need to succeed in the film industry.
Later, Martin took up the theme – allowing that he did indeed have a big dick – when he presented the student award to Eui Yong Zong, director of Leftover, a poignant film about Korean refugees, suggesting the filmmaker’s name was really dong.
These and other penile preoccupations were interspersed with more f-words (I’m not referring to The F Word, nominated for best Canadian feature but, rather, fuck, fucking, etc.) than usual. As a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, I favour the profanity, and even the dick jokes, if they keep the TV cameras out of the gala. Better this sophomoric stuff than a stuffy, bland made-for-TV awards show.
There were occasional bursts of soulfulness, including the gracious acceptance speeches by Shin, Eui and documentary winner Jesse Moss, who made a point of thanking Hot Docs for giving The Overnighters a boost. And the message sent from Ritesh Batra, best first feature winner for The Lunchbox, was truly touching. He wished there were an app to put tear stains on his email so he could express how moved he was by the honour.
There was huge irony in the filmed acceptance speech sent by Force Majeure director Ruben Östlund, best foreign film winner. The camera work was shaky and the sound was dreadful, but his argument that the film was really a Canadian, French, Swedish co-pro was hilarious.
And Richard Linklater, who took the best picture and director honours for Boyhood, got a laugh when, speaking in a video message from Palm Springs, he expressed his regret that he couldn’t be with us to experience Toronto in January.
Wayne Clarkson went a little long in his presentation of the Clyde Gilmour Award to Piers Handling for his contribution to Canadian cinema. But it’s possible he began losing the room because of the sketchy sound system, which made it hard to hear in the back of the packed room.
The evening peaked when a very dignified (somebody had to be) Deepa Mehta, presenting the $100,000 prize for best Canadian feature, wondered about the $5,000 prizes to the runners up.
“Why don’t they just split the award three ways?,” she laughed.
Whereupon Denis Villeneuve, director of Enemy and the big winner, accepted the cheque, telling nominee Michael Dowse (The F Word) that he’d split the prize with him. Not sure he was serious or whether he’ll give some of the dough to the other nominee, Mommy director Xavier Dolan, who was not present. Indeed some audience members hollered back at him, “Don’t do it,” but it was a lovely moment anyway.
At the end of an evening when all the awards, except the female acting prizes, went to men, host Bailey suggested that maybe next year, the TFCA should get a female to helm the proceedings.
But watch out. She may start things off by declaring she has a big clit.
