Closing the Toronto International Film Festival, Paolo Barzman's Emotional Arithmetic opens in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, where a family's awaiting the arrival of a guest. But it's not a normal family, and it's not a normal guest. Melanie (Susan Sarandon) is looking forward to the guest's arrival; her husband David (Christopher Plummer), less excited. The guest is Jacob (Max von Sydow), who Melanie hasn't seen since the darkest days of World War II, where Jacob looked out for her and a young Irish boy, Christopher at a French transit camp. At the airport, Melanie's surprised to find that Jacob, just released after 35 years in a prison psychiatric camp, is accompanied by the now-grown Christopher (Gabriel Byrne). Memories, regrets, past pain and and what-could-have-been hang in the air. ...

Based on Matt Cohen's novel, Emotional Arithmetic is earnest and fact-filled ... and completely inert; it's like looking at a civics class diorama. The problem isn't primarily the actors, all of whom are fine; it's more that they aren't asked to do much more than show up and be who they are -- Plummer brisk and brusque, Sarandon flighty-yet-flinty, Byrne handsome but haunted, von Sydow weary but wise. Roy Dupuis, playing Melanie and David's son, actually stands out even though his character's not given much to do; it may be because Dupuis isn't simply coasting on his familiarity and prior roles.

Just last night, I was discussing TIFF with my favorite fest-buddy. No matter what we do, we keep finding ourselves in disappointing final films. To stop this, we tried to come up with a game plan for this year, so that on that final day, we could wrap up the fest with a hearty "huzzah!" or, at least, not feel weary and disappointed after a few dozen films. Where we are looking for something light, TIFF has chosen to close with something dark -- but presumably much better than my previous final picks. The latest news from the Toronto International Film Festival is that Emotional Arithmetic, a Canadian drama about the reunion of three Holocaust survivors, will close the fest.

TIFF co-director Noah Cowan says: "The inclusion of this powerful film reflects the robust nature of our industry." Yet it's more than just a Canadian film, it's quite a star-studded affair, moulded by the hands of director Paolo Barzman. The film stars Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne, Christopher Plummer and Max von Sydow. The film is about Sarandon and Byrne, who are playing survivors of a Jewish internment camp from World War II. "They make plans to reunite after discovering the political dissident (von Sydow) who had protected them at the camp did not die at Auschwitz as they had thought, and is still alive." Meanwhile, Sarandon's character is trying to deal with her experiences from the camp, while also fighting depression and a poor relationship with a philandering husband, played by Plummer. It's a pretty interesting mix of high-profile talent, and looks to be a serious but worthy wrap up to this year's festival.

In my mind, there's nothing more intense and powerful than a story that revolves around those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis in concentration camps during WWII. As I write this, two of my favorite films on the subject come to mind: Life is Beautiful and Schindler's List. While both were extremely different in tone, there's no escaping the horrific setting each of them share.

For a different take on how these camps affected those that actually survived, Paolo Barzman will direct (off a script from Jefferson Lewis) an adaptation of Matt Cohen's novel, Emotional Arithmetic. The book centers around three people who reunite on a renovated farm forty years after they formed life-long bonds while prisoners in a concentration camp. Signing on to star in the pic are Gabriel Byrne, Christopher Plummer, Max von Sydow, Roy Dupuis and Susan Sarandon. As each of them struggle to play with the hand they are dealt, a darkly disturbing past continues to remind them that "moving on" might not be so easy.