My First TIFF Experience: the Gala Premiere of "Cold Eyes"

Last Friday, I had the extreme pleasure of going to my first TIFF movie thanks to my friend and fellow blogger, Holly, who had invited me to the gala premiere of the South Korean thriller, "Cold Eyes". 

Dinner at Patria
Our evening began with dinner at Patria (480 King Street W), a tapas restaurant that Holly had chosen from BlogTO's list of best restaurants in downtown Toronto. We walked in just after 6:30PM and, after a few minutes, were seated beside the floor-to-ceiling windows adjacent to the patio. After looking at the menu for some time, we decided to stay true to the tradition of tapas and share four plates. We ordered the ensalada de aguacate con queso de cabra y membrillo, datiles con tocino iberico, costillas de cordero encebollada, and empanadas con carne mixto. The dates arrived first,  followed by the salad, the lamb chops, and the empanadas.

The dates above were easily Holly's and my favourite tapas menu item of the night and were slightly reminiscent of the jalapops I had during my visits to the CNE because of the sweet and salty aspect of the dish (read about it here!). Initially, I had a hard time deciding what my favourite tapas was and had pegged the lamb as my favourite but, after some time, I realized that the dates were really the best menu pick of the evening. I love dates, I love manchego cheese, and, most of all, I love bacon. From the name alone, it could do no wrong and it certainly did not as I had learned after my first bite.

The avocado salad was also delicious. Holly and I both love goat cheese and it definitely complimented the crisp butter lettuce and crunchy marcona almonds in the salad. The portion was also a good size for two to share and, together with the dates, the salad set a precedent for the rest of the meal.

The salad was followed by the pricey yet tasty lamb chops. Accompanied by caramelized onions, olives, and romano sauce, the lamb chops themselves were cooked to a medium hue of pink. I am more of a medium-well person myself but I did not mind it. In fact, I really loved that it was cooked medium because the meat was tender and juicy. I honestly could have gone for seconds.

Last but not the least, we each had an empanada stuffed with mixed meat. Although this was not my favourite tapas item of the evening, it was still delicious. I just wish it was larger! Hahaha.

"Cold Eyes"
Our dinner was followed by a quick pumpkin spice latte for Holly and an apple cider for myself at a nearby Starbuck's and a short walk to Roy Thompson Hall to pick-up our tickets and line-up for "Cold Eyes", the preview for which is below. 


While Holly was picking up the tickets, I ventured out to the square where I got the chance to see the actors and actresses of the film whom were hitherto unknown to me. However, it was hard to get a clear shot of any actor or actress because there were mobs of Korean fans lining the railings along the perimeter of the red carpet.  

After we had picked up our tickets, we made our way to the entrance of Roy Thompson Hall to meet up with Holly's friend, Stella, and were met with a long line of eager movie goers and fans. However, thanks to Stella, we bypassed what must have been at least thirty people to get main floor seats at the theatre. Within minutes, we made it into Roy Thompson Hall and were seated stage left, seven rows from the screen itself. We had a really good view of the live broadcast from the red carpet, the film later on, and the short speeches given by the directors, the actors, and the producer prior to the commencement of the presentation.

The film began at 9:30 in the evening and, in two hours, took us on a whirlwind foot and car chase through Seoul for a killer who did not seem like he could be outsmarted. "Cold Eyes" may have been extremely gory and "cold" but I really, really enjoyed it. The actors played their roles well when they needed to and were funny when a scene called for it. Moreover, the cinematography and the production value were extremely high and I certainly would enjoy seeing movies like this one again in the future. Two thumbs up from this aspiring critic! :D

In summary, both Holly's and my first TIFF experience was extremely fun and I thank Holly for inviting me to my first gala premiere. I cannot wait for next year! :D
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Read about the TIFF experience from Holly's point of view here.
Thank you to "weatethat" for the names of each dish. Read about his/her experience at Patria here.