By Mr. Will Wong

If you loved Michael Gracey‘s THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, there is plenty to love about Robbie Williams’ lively Biopic-Musical BETTER MAN.

While Robbie Williams dominated the Pop world internationally in the early 2000s, often he was a tabloid fixture. The former Take That member went on to achieve superstardom around the world after going solo and this dazzling spectacle manages to balance high energy with Williams‘ personal struggles including being bullied as a boy, his relationship with his father, his failed relationship with Nicole Appleton, to his battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

Though presenting as a monkey the entire film, Jonno Davies channels Williams’ essence perfectly and is fantastic nailing the physicality of the role in some ofthe Film’s demanding dance numbers. This decision helps visualize Williams‘ feelings of self-deprecation and inner voices constantly telling him he isn’t worthy.

We did feel the pacing was a bit rushed towards the end as Williams begins to face his demons and work on his relationship with his father, whereas much of the focus is spent on his trouble times. BETTER MAN still is a triumph for this icon and his fans, hitting the right notes late in a big finish and visually looking spectacular.

BETTER MAN screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9
Roy Thomson Hall
5:30 pm

Tuesday, September 10
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
4:45 pm

Thursday, September 12
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
5:30 pm

Saturday, September 14
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
5:00 pm

Today, Nikon Canada Inc. announced the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4, a lightweight prime lens with a wide and bright f/1.4 aperture. This affordable lens is compact enough to take anywhere, while offering a versatile and classic focal length that’s ideal for portraits, landscapes, street snaps, travel, still life and more.

The large f/1.4 aperture of this lens affords users the ability to create images and video with three-dimensional emphasis and naturally soft backgrounds that draw the viewers’ attention to a subject.

The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 lens features a compact, comfortable and lightweight design, measuring approximately 2.9 in x 3.4 in (74.5 × 86.5 mm) and weighing only 14.8 oz (420 g). The lens is engineered with a premium feel and superb handling, featuring a dedicated focus ring and customizable control ring.

Additional Features of the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4:

• Close minimum focus distance lets users get as near as 14.5 in (0.37 m) from the subject, which is great for flowers, still life and food photography.
• Nine-blade diaphragm helps to create a natural, circular bokeh for a pleasing out of focus area.
• Focus breathing is effectively suppressed to minimize the shift of the angle of view when adjusting the focus.
• Near Silent operation for video production, with a click-less control ring and near silent lens drive thanks to the use of STM motors.
• Weather Sealed and designed with careful consideration for dust- and drip-resistant performance*.

Price and Availability
The new NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 will be available in late September 2024 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $679.95**. For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the extensive lineup of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire range of Z series cameras, please visit Nikon.ca.

About Nikon
Nikon is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Canada Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z Series mirrorless camera, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information visit www.nikon.ca, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon Canada on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

Culinary connoisseurs, prepare to be dazzled as the viral CEO of croissant tasting chef Romain Avril joins forces with chef Arnaud Bloquel for an extraordinary one-night evening of French culinary mastery exclusively at Restaurant Lucie, the fifth collaboration in the La Collab series. The France-born chefs promise to deliver a harmonious blend of classic French techniques and contemporary flavours, designed to tantalize the senses with a four course menu. Hosted on Thursday, October 3 from 6-8pm, tickets are priced at $285 per guest, inclusive of wine pairings and gratuity.

Chef Romain Avril
Born in Paris, chef Romain Avril discovered his passion for cooking at the age of thirteen. By seventeen, he was already working in a 1-MICHELIN Star restaurant in Brittany, France. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in French and Chinese gastronomy, he honed his skills in MICHELIN-starred establishments across France and London. Since moving to Canada in 2010, chef Avril has become a prominent figure in Toronto’s culinary scene, holding roles such as Executive chef at La Société Bistro and launching his own ventures, including his highly anticipated new restaurant.

Chef Romain Avril is a social media sensation with his viral “serve it or trash it” series on TikTok, in which he gives his honest opinions on dishes as a renowned chef. He also is considered the CEO of croissant tasting with his very own croissant map, ranking the best croissants across Canada, the US, Australia and France.

“I don’t cook to feed people but to take them on a culinary adventure. What better way and an honour than sharing this voyage with chef Bloquel in a setting as beautiful as Yannick’s restaurant, Lucie?” says chef Romain Avril.

Chef Arnaud Bloquel
Chef Arnaud Bloquel’s culinary journey began in Guadeloupe, where he was deeply influenced by his culturally diverse family and French heritage. He refined his skills in France under the guidance of Michelin-starred chefs before returning to Guadeloupe to open his celebrated restaurant, l’Orchidea. Now at the helm of Restaurant Lucie in Toronto, chef Bloquel continues to push the boundaries of French cuisine, creating dishes that are both innovative and rooted in tradition.

“Collaborating with chef Avril for La Collab No.5 is an inspiring journey that blends our shared passion for French cuisine. Together, we’re creating a menu that honours tradition while pushing the boundaries of innovation, offering our guests a truly unique and memorable dining experience,” says Restaurant Lucie’s executive chef, Arnaud Bloquel.

Guests will indulge in a carefully curated menu but will also have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage with the chefs throughout the evening. Prepare to gain insight of their culinary inspirations, techniques, and artistry that go into crafting each dish, making the night truly unforgettable.

The evening begins with a complimentary glass of Mumm Cordon Rouge Champagne upon arrival. Guests will then enjoy a four-course dinner, with each dish expertly paired with selected wines to enhance the flavours and create a truly exceptional experience.

Please note that due to the specialized nature of the menu, dietary restrictions may not be accommodated. This event is for guests aged 19 and over.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, October 3

Time: 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Tickets: $285 per guest, inclusive of wine pairings and gratuity.

Tickets for this collaboration can be purchased HERE.

A special thank you to beverage sponsors San Pellegrino and G.H. Mumm Champagne.

Even at the half-way point, the star power still is electric at the Festival! Our Day Six sightings include:

•Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon for EMILIA PEREZ

•Robbie Williams at TIFF ’24 for BETTER MAN

•Jason Reitman, Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons, Rachel Sennott, Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Ella Hunt, Kim Matula, Billy Bryk, Cory Michael Smith and more at TIFF ’24 for SATURDAY NIGHT

Highlights below:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Yerin Ha (she/her) (Dune: Prophecy, Halo) will play Sophie Baek. Sophie Baek has been forced to spend much of her life working as a maid for the most demanding employer in the ton. But the resourceful Sophie always finds a way to persevere through her circumstances — which will drastically change after she disguises herself to attend Violet Bridgerton’s masquerade ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton.

Logline: The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson). Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.
Episode Count: 8
Filming Location: London, UK
Showrunner/ EP: Jess Brownell
Executive Producers: Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen

(Photo credit: Nick Walters)

Official TIFF ’24 selection MEGALOPOLIS gets another new Trailer! The latest from Francis Ford Coppola, is in theatres September 27, 2024 via Cineplex Pictures.

Details:

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel
Synopsis: MEGALOPOLIS is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

About Cineplex Pictures
Cineplex Pictures, a division of Cineplex, is a distributor of a wide range of genre films. Recent titles include Borderlands, The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Queen of My Dreams, The Boy and the Heron, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, SAW X, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and John Wick: Chapter 4.

By Nicholas Porteous

Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and her partner Aaryan (Himesh Patel) want a child. The only problem—they’re living in a dystopian future, the planet is a wreck, and the government has decided any would-be parents must be assessed up front. The criteria for a pass into parenthood is unclear, and the test is designed that way, but the decision is made by assessors, who spend several days observing, testing and judging their subjects. Enter Virginia (Alicia Vikander), a steely-eyed, humourless agent who—when she isn’t probing our leads with questions—takes on the physicality and persona of an extremely difficult child. Throwing food, picking fights, peeing in things that aren’t toilets—it’s all part of The Assessment, which squanders an interesting premise on a questionable group of characters.

It’s difficult to buy into the stakes of the film—whether or not our couple will be granted the right to conceive—because The Assessment doesn’t show any evidence these people actually love—or even like—each other, beyond lip service. There’s no chemistry here, and in fact they spend most of their time becoming less and less invested in each other—not much of a leap from where they begin. The Assessment also features a very troubling depiction of sexual assault, and seems to be implicitly blaming the victim for a crime that’s not their fault in any way. Olsen manages to find an interesting balance between the absurd world she lives in, and the gravity of her desire to bring another human into it. Further evidence she can make anything work. Meanwhile, Patel spends a good deal of his screen time in a big empty virtual room, reciting random numbers and commands that we aren’t supposed to understand in an effort to make digital fur texture feel just right. Vikander makes big swings in every scene, whether she’s pretending to be a kid or a rigid bureaucrat with no bedside manner, but I found her performance too mannered, and it’s impossible to empathize after a scene in the latter half of the Film. My assessment: you already know.

The Assessment screens at TIFF ‘24:

Friday September 13th at 2:00 PM at Scotiabank

Saturday September 14th at 2:45 PM at Scotiabank

Hard to believe we are already at the halfway point of TIFF ’24! Just checking-in quickly on some more sightings! Yet another epic day with huge stars!

•Francis Ford Coppola, Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Grace Vanderwaal and Giancarlo Esposito for MEGALOPOLIS
•Selena Gomez and Karla Sofia Gascon for EMILIA PEREZ
•Jennifer Coolidge and Ed Harris for RIFF RAFF
•Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook for HARBIN
•Fernanda Torres for I’M STILL HERE
•Juanes for PIMPINERO
•Caleb Landry-Jones and Harry Melling for HARVEST

Some highlights:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Nicholas Porteous

Brady Corbet’s ginormous, 215-minute period epic The Brutalist tells the story of Laszlo Toth--played Adrien Brody, who is phenomenal in the role. Toth was a legendary architect who escaped the holocaust and literally cemented his legacy with a series of glorious buildings. One might imagine the hyperextended 3.5+ hour runtime would have to begin at the very beginning–Toth in the womb or thereabouts, but Corbet opens instead with his arrival in New York. A rebirth, of sorts. Starting from zero, and building his way to greatness largely via a complicated relationship with a wealthy patron, Harry Lee Van Buren, played with great vigour by Guy Pearce.

The Brutalist has quite a reputation. It’s poised to win The Golden Bear in Berlin, and is already considered a strong contender for best picture at the Oscars. The word “masterpiece” has come up more than once. Let me try to temper your expectations before they get impossibly high: The Brutalist is a great movie with a stunning performance at its center, and without saying too much, a less satisfying final act. It’s constructed very much in parallel with Toth’s architectural philosophy–sturdy and bold, simple yet elegant. There are countless scenes that play out in more or less one shot that are undeniably “Best Actor” clip heroin for Brody, and I say this without a shred of irony. Corbet‘s Screenplay leans heavily on Brody’s performance to convey a world of history and pain that we never see, and Brody completely enveloped me in that history, often with his eyes alone. It’s truly stunning stuff. The arguable flaw in the design of The Brutalist is that its audience is also expected to connect the dots and make leaps into how Toth’s experiences in Europe, which–again–we never see–influenced his art. Corbet presumes a familiarity with Toth that I doubt most will bring into the movie–myself included. It’s only at the very, very end that we’re treated to some perspective on his contributions to the world, and the culmination of this sprawling story feels a bit out of nowhere–at least relative to the amount of time spent building towards it.

Overall, The Brutalist is so impressive it barely feels its extreme length (thanks partly to a built-in intermission. YES. BRING THEM BACK!) It is very much worth a big chunk of your day, and will probably be nominated at the very least for some key awards. Just don’t expect a full-on religious awakening.

The Brutalist screens at TIFF ’24:

Tuesday, September 10th at 8:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Thursday, September 12th at 8:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Luca Guadagnino returns to TIFF with this beautiful tale of how desire and love can become addictive and lead to obsession in this adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name.

Burroughs’ work is known to be unadaptable. So rather than do a straight adaptation, Queer is a film about the man himself. We’re first introduced to Lee (Daniel Craig) in Mexico while searching for men to take to bed. But his repeated flings come to a halt when he meets Allerton (Drew Starkey). He quickly finds himself enamoured by Allerton and wants to always have him by his side.

Queer is a mesmerizing journey through love, addiction, and obsession. These heavy, beautiful themes are executed with precision thanks to Guadagnino’s excellent pacing and steady direction, along with the insurmountable performances from Craig and Starkey. The two have vibrant chemistry and give everything they have to their characters. Craig revels in Lee’s addictive personality that leads to a need to control. And Starkey delivers a star-making performance.

The Film’s hypnotic music by legendary musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and the dreamy Cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is the icing on top of these indelible performances. In the third chapter, Guadagnino brings surrealist imagery to finalize this love affair. This will work for some and not others. But none can deny the beauty of it all.

Queer screens at TIFF ’24:

Mon, Sept 9 at 9:45 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Tues, Sept 10 at 3 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Fri, Sept 13 at 9:15 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat, Sept 14 at 4 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sun, Sept 15 at 5:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto