Opening on the chaos and confusion of Pearson International Airport's arrivals lounge, a young immigrant boy arrives in Toronto, alone and not speaking a word of English. Before the authorities have a chance to figure out where he's from, he disappears and an amber alert is issued that reverberates through the city. Meanwhile, the boy finds his way into the center of town, where he bears accidental witness to a covert mission of two kids to find the infamous Cabbagetown Monster, a budding romance, and an escaped ex-con reconnecting with an old friend—all the while managing to remain undiscovered despite the widespread search for him. Finally, a once established man fallen from grace and now inhabiting the streets and alleys around Union Station spots the lost boy, but when he approaches the authorities his mental illness causes the credibility of his discovery to be questioned.
Toronto Stories also played at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and this film, shot on location in Toronto, is really four short films by four different directors with one common thread woven among them. It was interesting watch but the characters are quite strange and it's probably too disjointed and arty for the mainstream. Newcomer Toka Murphy (a beautiful little boy who steals the movie) stands out although he has only a few lines in an African dialect and the other children in the movie are wonderful too. Lisa Ray, sadly, isn't in it much but she plays Gil Bellows' estranged wife and Gil's performance as a homeless crack addict is likely one of the best ones of his career. So, if you