September 15, 2020

Day five of the Toronto International Film Festival premiered two star vehicles: the Mark Wahlberg vehicle Good Joe Bell and the Idris Edra romp Concrete Cowboy. The former sees Wahlberg as a parent walking across America on an anti-bullying campaign after his son (Reid Miller) encounters violent homophobia in their small town. The latter film offers a portrait of Black cowboys with another father-son tale about finding one’s place in America. Both films drew mixed responses from TFCA members. Our critics mostly praised the performances of Good Joe Bell, but suggested that the  well-intentioned script by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry  didn’t meet the bar set by their Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain. One member likened its level of nuance to Green Book, which might mean that we have a People’s Choice contender on our hands. First reactions to Concrete Cowboy on the Twitterverse suggested that coronavirus wasn’t the worst thing to happen to Idris Elba this year. However, our members were somewhat kinder to the festival favourite.

Here’s what TFCA Members have to say about yesterday’s TIFF premieres:

GOOD JOE BELL: Bullying of his gay son (Reid Miller) prompts title dad (Mark Wahlberg) to walk across America preaching change. Reinaldo Marcus Green risks the maudlin mainstream but "Brokeback Mountain" scribes Diana Ossana & Larry McMurtry keep it tough and truthful. #TIFF20 pic.twitter.com/8rZXtlFl9e

— Peter Howell (@peterhowellfilm) September 15, 2020

GOOD JOE BELL is a touching drama in the fashion of BOY ERASED by exploring dynamics of love & inclusion throughout the family. Mark Wahlberg is surprisingly emotive, but film features one of #TIFF20's breakout perfs in Reid Miller. Don't read about it beforehand for full effect!

— Pat Mullen (@cinemablogrpher) September 15, 2020

GOOD JOE BELL – Went in pretty damn skeptical, and tale of Walhberg walking on a mission takes while to get on its feet, but by second half the Ossana/McMurtry scripts elevates away from the simple to the more introspective and complex. Going in raw will help (as always) #Tiff20

— Jason Gorber – #tiff20 adjacent (@filmfest_ca) September 15, 2020

GOOD JOE BELL: A drama that will expand narrow minds (good, Joe Bell!) but does so in a heavy-handed manner reliant on an unnecessary twist (bad, Joe Bell!). Is it crass to say that this is to LGBTQ victimization as GREEN BOOK was to race relations? Maybe, but also… #TIFF20

— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) September 14, 2020

A few ‘neighs’ on Concrete Cowboy

Concrete Cowboy – moseys along a predictable path with Idris Elba as the big sell but a character needs to be more than a hat and smoke in your mouth. Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things) carries the weight of the story & carries it well as a teen caught between two lives. #TIFF20 pic.twitter.com/4vIWvmUc3g

— Eli Glasner 🎥 (@glasneronfilm) September 14, 2020

CONCRETE COWBOY: Idris Elba rides a horse. What more could you ask for? Director Ricky Staub's look at a little-known American subculture is fascinating, but it's also in service of a predictable coming-of-age story. But, again: Idris Elba rides a horse. #TIFF20

— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) September 14, 2020

My review of CONCRETE COWBOY is up at @nowtoronto, which, eh. #TIFF20 https://t.co/i1fS5X7hux

— Norm Wilner (@normwilner) September 14, 2020

CONCRETE COWBOYS – A nice ride through the subculture of equestrians in North Philly, this father/son drama has all the hallmarks of an old-timey on-the-range morality story with a welcome inner-city twist. #TIFF20

— Jason Gorber – #tiff20 adjacent (@filmfest_ca) September 14, 2020

CONCRETE COWBOY: Giddy-up for a unique oater. Unruly teen (Caleb McLaughlin), paired with taciturn cowpoke dad (Idris Elba), saddles up in Philly 'hood where horses roam & Black westerns live. Ricky Staub's feature directing bow gets unruly, but father-son story clicks. #TIFF20 pic.twitter.com/HtXFgLbXCR

— Peter Howell (@peterhowellfilm) September 15, 2020

The annual “TIFF brain” seems to be settling in, even at home.

#TIFF20 brain: Watching a movie and suddenly remembering something you need to do but didn't and thinking "I'll do that as soon as I get home", and then realizing, you ARE at home.

— karen gordon (@kargor) September 15, 2020

TIFF runs until Sept. 19.