Veteran director Manoel de Oliveira marked his 100th birthday with the adaptation of José Maria de Eça de Queiroz’s short story. It is a fascinating tale set in 18th century Portugal about a young accountant named Macário who, while peering through his office window above his uncle’s cashmere store, instantly falls in love with Luisa who lives in the building next door. He rushes to pursue her only to have his uncle prohibit the relationship and making his employment conditional upon this command. But of course, love must have its way and Macário travels to Cape Verde where he could raise funds to ask for Luisa’s hand. It is unquestionably a romantic premise although with an interesting twist that proves Macário’s efforts to have been in vain.

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With over 300 films playing at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, the likeliness that you’ll find that one gem in the haystack is, well, highly unlikely. You’ll probably see more lacklustre films than anything else, but if you’re lucky enough, you’ll find that one film that’ll make your entire Film Festival experience absolutely unforgettable. So let me tell you, I’ve been lucky enough to find that treasure in Rebecca Miller’s wonderfully woven film, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

Adapted from her own book, director Rebecca Miller chronicles the life of the enigmatic Pippa Lee, played by the always beautiful and never disappointing Robin Wright Penn. But who exactly is Pippa Lee? It’s a question that’s on the minds of everyone…the audience, the characters within the movie, and even Pippa Lee herself. Though at first glance, so seemingly inexplicable and impenetrable, Miller masterfully sheds the various masks Pippa Lee wears, layer by layer allowing the audience to learn more and more about the twists and turns this modern woman’s life has taken.

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