This Beautiful City Showcases Toronto

Ed Gass-Donnelly, in his recent film This Beautiful City, features Toronto at its grittiest. And for that, I’m proud.

We’re all used to Toronto playing the stand-in for New York or Boston in big-budget films. Seeing our city play herself on screen is a rare enough treat, but in Gass-Donnelly’s movie, she not only stars, but shines. For those of you that didn’t get the chance to see Toronto’s starring role at TIFF last year, This Beautiful City opens tomorrow at The Royal for a limited engagement.

Set in and around Ossington and West Queen West, This Beautiful City tells several stories where the characters struggle in their interactions with each other and their city. One of the highlights of my year in Toronto film, the film has beauty hidden its desolation.