TIFF 2022 Day 3: ‘Bros,’ ‘Baby Ruby,’ and the Art Gallery of Ontario
By Jake Skubish and Peter Coutu
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JS: Our first movie of the day was Bros, a rom-com starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane as two men interested in pursuing a relationship but struggling to commit to one. We saw this movie inside the beautiful, spacious Roy Thomson Hall. Before the movie started we were pleasantly surprised to see Eichner come on stage to introduce the film, along with the cast members, director Nicholas Stoller, and producer Judd Apatow! Very exciting!
Billy Eichner introduces ‘Bros’ along with the cast, director Nicholas Stoller, and producer Judd Apatow
Bros was my favorite movie of the festival so far — excellent rom-com stuff and an instant classic for the genre. I was laughing the whole time, and it’s a real pleasure to see a comedy like this in a crowded theater. Eichner and Stoller’s screenplay hits the familiar rom-com beats with earnestness; Bros is not afraid to bask in genre tropes while also making clear why this story is different from what came before it. Macfarlane is a real standout.
PC: Bros was a ton of fun. Not the best movie we’ve seen so far — and I definitely didn’t love this one as much as Jake — but still an absolute blast. Macfarlane stole the show, to be honest. He played his role perfectly.
Jake and Peter in the Art Gallery of Ontario
JS: After Bros we made our way over to the Art Gallery of Ontario. A top-rate museum! Nice design and a great collection of art. We made a timed reservation to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibit in the museum, but it turned out you are only allowed to spend one minute in the exhibit before they give you the boot. It was a letdown, but we got some artsy Instagram photos, which is all that matters. At this point I am starving, but Peter drags me down to the lower level of the museum so we can look at a bunch of model ships.
PC: If you are making a trip to Toronto — or really any part of Canada — sometime soon, my recommendation is to mosey your way down to the Art Gallery of Ontario and make a beeline for the model ships downstairs. It evokes the tiny rooms/houses at the Art Institute of Chicago, another absolute home run. The rest of the museum was cool, too. Outside of a room that was extremely dark. That one was scary. No thanks.
JS: After a treacherous walk, on the verge of collapse out of hunger, we make it to Juicy Dumpling. The steamed pork soup dumplings and sesame balls were delicious, but the fried chicken dumplings were a letdown. Overall, a very tasty and much-needed meal. After the meal we strolled through Kensington Market before moseying back to the Airbnb for a rest.
PC: I really liked Toronto’s Chinatown! Ton of fun shops and restaurants, and bigger than I expected. It was an absolutely lovely stroll through the city. Even Jake’s constant whining and belly-aching couldn’t bring me down. I did like the soup dumplings, but they were mini, which isn’t my favorite. Not enough soup!
JS: After a nap at the Airbnb, I was feeling as good as new before we set out for our second screening of the day, Baby Ruby. This screening was in the Scotiabank Theatre, and it felt more like a standard moviegoing experience than the other venues. The quality of the movie matched the disappointing venue — Baby Ruby was a one-note melodrama about how terrifying it is to be a new parent. Kit Harington was a total dud, but I loved Meredith Hagner in a supporting role. She elevates every project she’s in.
PC: After getting Jake some food and some rest, he was like a new man. Scotiabank Theatre was horrible, ugly inside and a Jenga-like monstrosity on the outside. I knew from the visual of the building that we were in for a bad flick. And Baby Ruby definitely matched the venue. No good. I did like Kit though. I always love Kit. He’s just swell. If he was there for the screening, I may have even loved the movie. That may be stretching it, though.
JS: Ending the evening on Baby Ruby was a downer. But seeing Bros earlier in the day made this another successful day overall.