Behind the camera

At the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival there was a theme that really stood out. That theme was movies directed by A-list actors. This week we take a look at some of those movies and see if they are worth watching.

Anna Kendrick is known for her roles in the “Twilight” and the “Pitch Perfect” franchises. However, she took a step back to be behind the camera for the period crime drama, “Woman of the Hour.” While Kendrick does act in the film, she also directs and produces the movie which tells the true tale of a serial killer who appeared on an American game show in the middle of his killing spree in 1978. The movie premiered at Toronto and has had great reviews from critics.

Ethan Hawke takes to writing and directing with the biographical drama “Wildcat,” about the American novelist Flannery O’Connor, who is struggling to publish her first novel. His daughter, Maya Hawke, stars in the main role of the film which also features Laura Linney, Philip Ettinger and Rafael Casal. The movie’s world premiere was at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado at the beginning of the month after which it showed at Toronto to positive reviews.

Kristin Scott Thomas takes to directing for her first time with the movie “North Star.” Thomas has worked with plenty of famous directors where she will have, no doubt, picked up plenty of award-winning tips. “North Star” has an ensemble cast with the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Freida Pinto and Thomas herself. The British drama film tells the story of three sisters and their mother who live very different lives.