One of the most buzzed-about films that came to international festivals across Canada this season was Close To You. Premiering at TIFF, this slow burn of a modern family drama was helmed by British director Dominic Savage and stars long-time Canadian favourite Elliot Page. A slice of life diving into the complex familial conflict and navigation that comes from returning home post-transition, this film’s broadly improvisatory formula makes for something understated yet lively, but perhaps a little too loose.

Page plays the central character of Sam, returning home to his family in Cobourg for the first time in several years after having transitioned. The film begins with a meditatively gradual awakening in his rented room at a friend’s house in Toronto and discussing his anxieties about the reunion for his father’s birthday. Taking the train, we experience the first flicker of Sam’s past in his friend Katherine (Hillary Baack), who appears to still hold some form of candle for Sam but becomes guarded the moment they disembark. We’re then privy to immediate joy and celebration of Sam’s family at his return which quickly devolves into constant needs of explanation, support, and comfort on his part as they broach his absence and transition, all spiked by genuine bigotry from a sibling’s partner.

To start, this film is an important conversation. The journey of Sam is one had by countless individuals across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and is a caring, insightful depiction of trans experience put forth through a major platform. Having this content that evokes not only valuable representation but particularly in a grounded realm of small-ish-town Canada is a meaningful mirror to have in our cinematic spectrum. Through Page’s rooted performance and a wealth of strong delivery across the board from the actors, something very real is conjured.

But there is something about Savage’s approach that also often leaves an aimless or disjointed feeling in the story’s beats, and some scenes’ dialogue feels weaker for it. While the progression of the familial drama makes logical sense, it is broken up by a bouncing back-and-forth between Sam and Katherine walking along the beach and digging into their past and present. It doesn’t quite work as a framework in a film that’s otherwise so linear, and despite their connection being a necessary win emotionally for the otherwise arduously taxed Sam, more often than not the scenes between the two of them seem to be lacking narrative connective tissue to make the payoff impactful.

All of this isn’t to say that Close To You isn’t an enjoyable watch. It highlights a poignant family situation in a multi-faceted manner that has a layered weight on the character of Sam and the audience. What could be an overbearing experience of emotional baggage is often broken up by moments of true reconciliation and even surprisingly sharp bits of humour. Even if the film meanders at times, it stays true to the heart it intends to evoke, and that alone makes it a worthy watch.

This past August saw the death of a massively influential member of the American music industry—Jerry Moss, the co-founder of A&M Records alongside legendary bandleader Herb Alpert. As Moss’ art collection goes to auction at Christie’s, one painting in particular seems to shine: a painting by Frida Kahlo entitled Portrait of Christina, My Sister—the only known work she painted of her.

Portrait of Christina is a notably simple composition by Kahlo, perhaps unsurprisingly as it was made in the artist’s very early 20s. Depicting her younger sister in a simple white gown with an austere demeanour, a gradient sky of blue and pink greeting a murky green land with two simple pieces of foliage is the entirety of the work. A perfectly pleasant honour to give one’s sibling, and understandably the only given that Christina would have an affair with her husband not long after.

With this piece alone estimated to fetch between $8 million and $12 million, the entire lot, which will go up at Christie’s on November 9th and 10th, is expected to garner $50 million collectively. These prices are also stated as fairly conservative as Kahlo’s works have seen a large uptick in price over the last few years, a self-portrait of hers going for $34.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2021.

Going up alongside works by Andy Warhol, Max Ernst and more, Portrait of Christina is slated to be a gem of the lot given its unique rarity of content. While it may not be indicative of Kahlo’s style at large, it is an interesting marker of a point in her life, both artistically and personally.

Few things grip the minds of the public as much as a mystery. It’s no wonder that true crime remains as popular as ever in the vast, interconnected age of the modern internet. But some mysteries, while less nefarious, grip the mind even tighter as they go against commonly withheld information. One of these mysteries is the true identity of legendarily elusive artist Banksy, and right now, thanks to a lawsuit, Banksy’s true identity is being bet on online.

Banksy has made a name for himself these past several decades through his irreverent voice and striking, duotone individuals. With his work brimming with anti-war imagery and twisted cultural mirrors, as well as a truly prankster-like spirit, it’s no surprise that he’s drawn ire over the years. But the lawsuit that some are claiming could result in the unmasking of the anonymous artist stems from a seemingly more mundane dispute—greeting card company Full Colour Black and its owner Andrew Gallagher claiming libel against Banksy from an Instagram post last year.

This back-and-forth has gone on for several years, relating to the trademark of a monkey with a sandwich board, and has seen rulings both in the favour of Full Colour Black as well as Pest Control Office Ltd., the body that authenticates Banksy’s works. Now, in this libel suit, Gallagher and co. are naming Robin Gunningham, a Bristol-based artist and the individual who has previously been pointed to as potentially being Banksy’s true identity. Additionally, Gunningham’s wife Joy Millward, a lobbyist for the Labour Party, is being named, seeming to close the target around Gunningham once again.

Despite this fervour leading to betting pools, it is unlikely that Banksy will be forced to reveal his identity in court given that his legal name is not even stated on court documents and given the precedent set for other closed cases in this feud—but it doesn’t stop the speculation. Platforms like BetOnline and BetUS have Gunningham at the top of the list of possibilities, but it includes other speculations such as Millward, Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja (a purported inspiration of Banksy’s), and Gorillaz cartoonist Jamie Hewlett.

Whether or not Banksy’s true identity will be forced to come to light is still up in the air. Seemingly there will be no forced unmasking through the libel suit by Full Colour Black, but the nature of the case itself and the naming of Gunningham and Millward may accomplish that itself. But until then, Donald Trump still remains in the running for ostensible Banksy, as low as it may be.

Restitution has certainly been a hot topic in the art and museum spheres these last few years. From the busting of high-profile trafficking rings to the seizure of Ukrainian pieces throughout the war to the growing call to return historical artifacts to their rightful nations, it’s an issue that extends far back. Recently we saw an unprecedented return of works through the relinquishing of Fritz Grünbaum’s collected pieces by Egon Schiele, and now the works are set to headline a Christie’s auction this November.

Fritz Grünbaum was an Austrian Jewish cabaret performer in the early 20th century. Having studied law and volunteered in World War I, Grünbaum found his home in writing, performing, and serving as MC for cabarets in Berlin and Vienna. Actively political in his communities and critical of the Nazi party, he was targeted as a dissident first and his Jewish heritage second. He was deported to Dachau in 1938, and not long after a final New Year’s Eve performance for his fellow captives in 1941, he died.

Grünbaum’s collection was sizeable, with approximately eighty pieces by Schiele alone. Since the early 00s, his heirs have been attempting to regain their ancestor’s art collection, meeting mostly obstacles and denial. But when their legal representation reached out to Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, their case was heightened to that of criminal court and Bragg issued warrants for the seizure of multiple works belonging to museums across New York. It has so far led to the return of close to a dozen works for the family.

Now, six of the returned Schiele works are slated for sale at Christie’s next month. Three watercolours on paper will be headlining the 20th Century Evening Sale and the other three will be part of the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper Sale shortly after. The works carry with them estimates from $150,000 up to as high as $2.5 million.

While there certainly still hangs a dark weight around the context of Fritz Grünbaum’s collection, the fact that his family is finally seeing some form of restitution is heartening. It’s a valuable reminder of the fact that so many high-profile collectors and presenters have a trail of blood leading away from their galleries.