People think the job of a film critic is easy, that we just sit around and watch movies all day. Let me tell you, it can actually be pretty rough. Today alone, I have six interviews to do, three articles to write, two more movies to see and a red carpet to work. Don’t get me wrong – I love my job, but I miss the simple things right now, like sleeping or eating, for example.

Still, the 36th edition of #TIFF11 (I’ve tweeted that hashtag so much at this point that this is how I now identify the festival) has provided me with plenty of fantastic filmgoing experiences. Aside from speaking with filmmakers I admire a great deal (Gus Van Sant, Jean-Marc Vallée) and actors I adore (Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling), I have had the pleasure of seeing somewhere around 40 movies. The shocking thing about that is that they have mostly all been great!

It was difficult to narrow down but I’ve managed to compile a list of my five favourite films from this year’s fest. In no particular order, you must be sure to catch the following films when they come to a theatre near you. Although I’m not the biggest Lars von Trier fan, I was fully entranced by his latest take on depression, Melancholia, with Kirsten Dunst. The bleak times continued with the frightening and disturbing We Need to Talk About Kevin, in which Tilda Swinton tries to love her potentially sociopathic son. The silent black-and-white film The Artist is a delightful celebration of the cinema. Michael Fassbender gives an incredibly naked performance in Steve McQueen’s Shame, in every sense imaginable. And there is no denying Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan in Drive.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have 20 more minutes before my next film and I think I could use a shower.

Toronto International Film Festival
To September 18
www.tiff.net/thefestival