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.

Jean (Olunike Adeliyi) is a single mother who is back living with her own elderly mother (Maxine Simpson), raising two teenaged kids Tamika (Zahra Bentham) and Tristin (Micah Mensah-Jatoe) in a cramped apartment in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood. She is trying to save enough cash to get their own place, but is still haunted by the death of her husband and their father.

The feature debut of writer-director Karen Chapman, Village Keeper is a slice-of-life drama set in an underrepresented corner of Toronto. The film’s aims are somewhat admirable, but the biggest drawback is that it feels incomplete. We can see what Chapman is going for in terms of themes about cycles of violence and sons growing up without fathers, but it all feels somewhat thinly sketched out. The story and characters seem underdeveloped, and production feels slightly amateur.

If one gets the sense that we are watching what feels like a first draft, Chapman does show some potential in capturing the rhythms of inner-city life, including moments when Tamika and Tristin wonder if they will ever get out of this place. At best, Chapman does a docent job of capturing the feel of Lawrence Heights, with the film featuring a pleasant score and a somewhat cathartic ending.

Film Rating: ★★ (out of 4)

Public Screenings: Wednesday, September 11th, 7:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre; Thursday, September 12th, 3:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre; Saturday, September 14th, 9:15 AM at Scotiabank Theatre