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.

Last month I got pretty excited about seeing Jindabyne, the new film from Australian director Ray Lawrence (Lantana), which premiered earlier this year at Cannes. On a few sites around the internet, its release date was listed as July 20, but it turned out that the date was only for distribution Down Under. At the time, I couldn't even get a response from producer April Films about when or how it would be brought to the U.S. Now, though, it has been announced that Sony Classics will be releasing the title here some time in the spring of 2007. For those who can't wait until then, it will also be screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film tells the story of four men who discover a body while on a fishing trip, an incident which consumes their lives. If the plot sounds a little familiar, that's because it's based on a short story by Raymond Carver, which was also adapted as part of Robert Altman's Short Cuts (the part with Huey Lewis' penis). This version stars Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney, whose talent seems to be deteriorating from film to film, and shows promise of being a terrific psychological drama (watch the trailer). It's already a big hit in its homeland and has a strong rating on the IMDb.

Hopefully Sony will have a more specific release date soon.

If there is one underrated character actor in the world it is Richard E. Grant. Since his breakthrough role in Withnail and I, the actor has appeared in over 50 films and therefore has one of those faces that has audiences asking, "Where have I seen him before?" With a rubbery face and a remarkable skill with dialects, he seems comfortable with broad and dry comedy, serious drama and crazed villainy, all of which he's exhibited in films ranging from Spice World to The Age of Innocence. He has played the lead in quite a few movies, and carried them very well -- I especially like him in the little-seen A Merry War -- but he is most easily recognizable for supporting parts in which he tends to stand out. He was the one enjoyable part of Hudson Hawk (not that it was hard) and was a piece of the brilliant ensemble in Gosford Park.

After watching his directorial debut, Wah-Wah, I'd like Grant to stay in front of the camera. The film, which he also wrote, is not a wasted effort, but there is nothing about it that is evidence he should be making movies rather than stealing scenes in them. The only significance it holds is that it is based somewhat on his own coming of age in the South African country of Swaziland during its transition to independence from Great Britain. But that is only of significance to Grant, and not to viewers, who, if they are anything like me, could do just fine, thank you, without another cinematic memoir of alcoholic fathers and distant mothers and incoherent scenes that add up to a whole without a center.

Insane-in-a-good-way actor Richard E. Grant's directorial debut Wah-Wah has its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival tonight. The film, which Grant wrote and based on his own childhood, explores the life of a boy in Swaziland as his family falls apart, thanks to an abusive father and an adulterous mother. Jeez-- get me a ticket to that right away. Though it sounds profoundly depressing, the Festival's website insists that the film is actually "life-affirming, funny and wise." Depressing or not, the cast is an embarrassment of riches including Emily Watson (known for the uplifting Breaking the Waves), Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, and Julie Walters.

Despite Grant's stature (he admits that his name at least got him meetings), the film was plagued by difficulties, from the aging of its teenage star to the departure of a producer who made a sudden life-change and became "a drugs counsellor in the West Indies."  The film was shot on location in Swaziland and, despite all of the problems it encountered, was apparently brought in on budget.  If he can combine that miracle with some ticket sales, Grant might just have a new career on his hands.