More Canada represent at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival! Another movie that I felt was overlooked at TIFF this year is the Toronto feature YOUNG WERTHER which has a really cool concept.
The TIFF Lowdown: Inspired by the popular 1770s novella The Sorrows of Young Werther, this modernization stars Douglas Booth and Alison Pill in a fast-paced and bright romantic comedy, set in Toronto.
Wit and unrequited love are at the core of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 18th-century novella The Sorrows of Young Werther, and those elements are updated and adapted beautifully in this snappy, humorous reimagining, set in modern-day Toronto.
Werther, played by Douglas Booth (Shoshana, TIFF ’23), is making a brief pit stop to retrieve a statue before departing on a European adventure with his best friend, but a chance encounter with Charlotte (Alison Pill, All My Puny Sorrows, TIFF ’21 ), puts those plans on hold until he can win her over. He falls more in love with her as they spend time together. She’s introverted, loves to read, and has been the main caretaker of her siblings since the deaths of their parents. A small snag to their union, however, is that Charlotte is engaged to successful lawyer Albert (Patrick J. Adams, The Swearing Jar, TIFF ’22).
Reaction: A delightful mix of new and old, YOUNG WERTHER immediately grabbed me with admitting right up front that it’s adapted from a book but is modernized, right in the opening titles. The movie starts somewhat seriously but then goes right into a total comedy of manners that showcases the comedic talents of both Douglas Booth (who I liked from SHOSHANA at TIFF last year) and the always reliable Alison Pill (who was also terrific in the recent TRAP by M. Night Shaylaman) who have solid chemistry, and still so Canadian that also doesn’t shy away from its Toronto setting either. There’s lovely shots of Union Station, King Street and many downtown areas but that also doesn’t call attention to itself, all the while we see a fresh and lovely farce that I hope gets more positive reviews and more eyes on it, leading to what I hope is a successful theatrical release. The wide, scope look also looks great on the big screen too, and I would love to see this in a theatre again when it gets a release. The always wonderful LevelFilm (which we do many contests with) is the distributor, and we will update when it comes out!
Thanks to TIFF Media for assistance with this reaction article. This is one of the many movies playing at TIFF this year. For more information, point your browser to www.tiff.net!