Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Eighth Grade is a coming-of-age story that follows Kayla (Elsie Fisher) in her last week of her disastrous last year of middle-school before entering high school.

Writer-Director Bo Burnham crafts a beautiful coming-of-age story that doesn’t use cliches. The Film is earnest in its depiction of a young girl trying her hardest to fit. And in being earnest Eighth Grade has moments of hilarity and awkwardness that many can relate to. Fisher gives a breakthough performance as Kayla. She never misses a beat and carries the Film effortlessly. Josh Hamilton (American Horror Story, 13 Reasons Why), who plays the father, gives ones of his best performances as the worried and caring father.

Eighth Grade screens at Sundance on Jan. 19 at 6PM at PC Library, Jan. 20 at 8:30AM at Egyptian PC, Jan. 21 at 9:30PM at Rose Wagner SLC, Jan. 24 at 5:30PM at The MARC PC, Jan. 25 at 6PM at Sundance Resort, and Jan. 26 at 3:30PM at Eccles PC.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

The Tale tells the true story of Jennifer Fox (Laura Dern) whose mother gives her a story she wrote as a child, which forces her to re-examine everything she thought about her first sexual experience.

Writer-Director Fox controls her own powerful story and never shies away from the cruelty she encountered. This is a beautiful and important Film that Fox shares bravely with the world. This is a timely Film about the lies we tell ourselves in order to move on and the harsh realities we face when coming to terms with the truth. Dern is at her best playing the self-investigating Fox. Jason Ritter is in a career changing-performance as the manipulative offender, Bill. Elizabeth Debicki is mysterious as the mistrusted Mrs. G. While the young and remarkably-talented Isabelle Nelisse commands the screen as the childhood Jenny.

The Tale screens at Sundance on Jan. 20 at 12:15PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 21 at 9:30PM at Redstone 1 PC, Jan. 25 at 6PM at SLC Library, Jan. 26 at 8:30PM at Prospector PC, and Jan. 27 at 9AM at PC Library.

We finally have a new champ! MAZE RUNNER: DEATH CURE takes the top of the Box Office in its debut, closing-out the popular Young Adult Franchise on a high note. It earns $23 million from 3,787 theatres for 20th Century Fox.  Among the Series this one ranks third, the top opening still going 2014’s first installment. It gets a 44% on the Tomatometer and a B+ CinemaScore.

Make no mistake, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE still is performing great in second with $15.8 million, showing incredible staying power for Sony Pictures now in its sixth week out. It has made $337 million in its domestic run so far.

HOSTILES has a solid wide release expansion in third with $9.9 million, playing now in 2,696 theatres for Entertainment Studios/Elevation Pictures. The TIFF ’17 selection starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike gets 72% on the Tomatometer and a B CinemaScore.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN v. much is still alive in fourth with $9.3 million from 2,663 theatres for 20th Century Fox in its sixth week. It has made $126 million in North America.

THE POST is in fifth with $8.7 million for 20th Century Fox, hot off its Best Picture nomination. It has made $58 million to-date.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI rounds-out the Top Ten with $4 million for Disney. It has earned a whopping $610 million in its seven-week run.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Lizzie takes place six months leading up to the murder of Lizzie Borden’s father and step-mother. It follows the relationship between Borden (Chloë Sevigny) and the Irish housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Kristen Stewart), who lived in the Borden house during that time.

Writer Bryce Kass based the Film off a theory of what happened in the Borden house the day of the murders, August 4 1892. And Director Craig William Macneill creates the period and intimate moments between Borden and Sullivan beautifully. Sevigny relishes in Borden and makes her captivating. While seen often as a murderer, she humanizes the character and makes the audience feel something for her. Stewart masters the Irish accent and captures the innocence in Bridget’s eyes. Together their chemistry is explosive.

Lizzie screens at Sundance on Jan. 19 at 9PM at PC Library, Jan. 20 at 8:30AM at Prospector PC, Jan. 21 at 12:15PM at The Grand SLC, Jan. 25 at 9:30PM at Eccles PC, and Jan. 26 at 12PM at Temple PC.

Hong Kong Singer/Actor/Model Pakho Chau is back in Toronto after having visited six years back when he was just an emerging name.

Considered now a megastar back in Asia where he is known equally as an Actor and a Recording Artist, Chau brings his One Step Closer Tour to Toronto as part of the annual CUA Spring Gala  taking place Saturday at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. 

The Fashion Entrepreneur has the distinction of over 80 million Music Video views on YouTube, making him the second most-viewed Artist in Hong Kong. After having found success with Warner Music, he signed with indepdendent label The Voice Entertainment this past summer.

Arriving in Toronto after a hectic tour schedule which saw him filming in frigid Dongyang, China in-between breaks, Chau came incognito with a mask covering his face. Easily recognizable with his good looks and tall stature, fans pointed him out right away. Despite his handler insisting on no photos after signing what seemed like a shopping cart full of CDs for one female fan, he accommodated Selfies for those who asked as long as his handler took the snap. He was gracious before heading-off in a bus allocated for his entire crew.

See our Snap:

Celebrity Selfies, Asia style! 😷 Awesome meeting megastar Actor/Singer/Fashion Entrepreneur #PakHoChau here for the CUA Spring Gala in celebration of #ChineseNewYear at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. 🌸🏮 He is the #2 Most-Viewed Hong Kong Artist on YouTube. #OneStepCloser #周柏豪 #CUAUTSG #SpringGala

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🏮 (@mrwillwong) on Jan 26, 2018 at 2:02pm PST

For more on Pakho Chau, visit his YouTube Channel.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/The Voice Entertainment Group)

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to take Readers to see Toronto-made EVERY DAY! The Film screens Wednesday, February 21, 2018 in the following cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax and Ottawa.

Synopsis:
Based on David Levithan’s acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Every Day tells the story of Rhiannon, a 16 year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious soul named “A” who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A work each day to find each other, not knowing what or who the next day will bring. The more the two fall in love, the more the realities of loving someone who is a different person every 24 hours takes a toll, leaving Rhiannon and A to face the hardest decision either has ever had to make.

Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate there your City.

Elevation Pictures release EVERY DAY Friday, February 23, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is set in 1993 and follows Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is caught on prom night in the back seat of a car kissing another girl. When her legal guardians find out they send her to a gay conversion therapy camp.

The Film is a beautiful Coming-of-Age story set in an ugly world. Writer-Director Desiree Akhavan crafts a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of accepting who you are no matter the odds stacked against you. What’s refreshing about the story is that is never shies away from the cruelty these teenagers face at the camp.

The Ensemble is outstanding. Moretz has given one of her best performances as Cameron. And  Sasha Lane who plays the self-assured Jane is enthralling. There are other great performances from Jennifer Ehle as the shockingly horrible leader of the conversion camp and John Gallagher Jr. as the lost Reverend.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post screens at Sundance on Jan. 22 at 12:15PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 23 at 6:30PM at Redstone 1 PC, Jan. 25 at 2:30PM at The MARC PC, Jan. 26 at 3PM at PC Library, and Jan. 27 at 3:15PM at The Grand SLC.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Piercing is an unconventional love story that follows Reed (Christopher Abbott) who leaves his wife and newborn at home to kill a seemingly unsuspecting prostitute, Jackie (Mia Wasikowska). But she has plans of her own.

Writer-Director Nicolas Pesce creates an outrageously-stylish, twisted romance. Adapted from the Novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami, the characters have dozens of layer that peel away throughout. And the two leads relish in those never-ending layers. Abbott is phenomenal as the calm and sadistic Reed. While Wasikowska is a firework as the eccentric Jackie. Together they ignite something inexplicable and heat-up the screen. And because of them no matter how fiendish the characters become, you always want them to end up together.

Piercing screens at Sundance on Jan. 22 at 11:59PM at PC Library, Jan. 21 at 8:30PM at The Egyptian PC, Jan. 24 at 8:30PM at The MARC PC, Jan. 26 at 11:59PM at Broadway 6 SLC, and Jan. 27 at 11:59PM at PC Library.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Damsel follows Samuel (Robert Pattinson) who goes on a journey to marry his love, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). The pair are reunited after success in David Cronenberg‘s Maps to the Stars. But when their venture takes an unsuspected turn, lines become blurred between who the villain, hero and damsel are.

Writer-Director brother duo David and Nathan Zellner craft a beautifully-shot deadpan Comedy-Western. They divert from  typical Western fare to create a hilarious genre-bending thrill ride. The laughs come courtesy of this powerhouse Ensemble. Pattinson is a stand-out as the clueless, blinded-by-love Samuel. He takes his character way beyond the script to create a highly-memorable character. And Wasikowska is a knockout as the strong, fearless Penelope. This is Wasikowska’s Film and it is a pure delight. Top that off with a comical performance from David Zellner as the Preacher and the cutest miniature pony and this is one unforgettable ride!

Damsel screens at Sundance on Jan. 23 at 3:30PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 24 at 9AM at PC Library, Jan. 27 at 9:30PM at The Ray PC and Jan. 28 at 12:30PM at Rose Wagner SLC.

Premiering at TIFF’s NEXT WAVE Film Festival next month, LOVE, SIMON is setting Twitter on-fire we are told. Check out the Trailer for the Coming-of-Age story starring up-and-comer Nick Robinson. We’re getting total The Edge of Seventeen vibes.

Synopsis:
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

See the Trailer:

More details on the Premiere here.

20th Century Fox Canada release LOVE, SIMON Friday, March 16, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)