By John Corrado

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5th to 15th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

The latest quasi-experimental genre-bender from Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin and co-directors Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, Rumours is a mix of bizarre fever dream and political satire that pits the leaders of the G7 nations against each other in the woods of Hungary.

Leading the group is German chancellor Hilda Ortmann (Cate Blanchett). She is overseeing the leaders of the United States (Charles Dance), France (Denis Ménochet), the United Kingdom (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Italy (Rolando Ravello), and Japan (Takehiro Hira), as well as the Prime Minister of Canada Maxime Laplace (Roy Dupuis); a sensitive, womanizing man undergoing marital troubles who can’t reject the advances of “strong women” (yes, it’s a silver-haired riff on Trudeau).

They are trying to write a provisional statement in response to an unspecified global conflict, but find themselves having to contend with their own egos and personal insecurities, as well as (in more typical Maddin fashion) bog people and the appearance of a giant brain. But this is mainly a talkative satire of corrupt, useless politicians, and the fantastical nightmare setting is just sort of window dressing.

It’s also a hundred minutes in the company of pretty insufferable bureaucrats, which is sort of the point, but the premise ends up feeling somewhat stretched thin. The film has its moments, and there are some enjoyable performances including Blanchett doing a German accent, but your mileage may vary.

Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)

Public Screenings: Monday, September 9th, 8:30 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre; Tuesday, September 10th, 4:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre