Damien Chazelle
#TIFF18: DAY SIX – RYAN GOSLING, NICOLE KIDMAN, ODESSA YOUNG, TROYE SIVAN, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, CLAIRE FOY + MORE
By Mr. Will Wong
TIFF ’18 officially has reached its cooling point, but that doesn’t mean that Day Six wasn’t filled to the brim with starpower! Ryan Gosling was out and about promoting FIRST MAN with his Castmates and Director Damien Chazelle, while Nicole Kidman continued to do the rounds for her latest, BOY ERASED. While TIFF ’18 heavyweight Lucas Hedges couldn’t make it to Toronto to promote his three Films at the Festival, it was a pleasant surprise that Singer/Songwriter/YouTuber Troye Sivan could make it for the Film in which he stars. Also, you might want to know about Sundance breakout hit ASSASSINATION NATION which premiered to much fanfare at Ryerson Theatre for Midnight Madness, as we expect this one to catch on in this post-#MeToo climate.
See who was saw!
FIRST MAN – Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Olivia Hamilton, Patrick Fugit x Corey Stoll
BOY ERASED – Nicole Kidman, Troye Sivan x Joel Edgerton, an Australian triple!
COLETTE – Keira Knightley x Dominic West
VITA AND VIRGINIA – Elizabeth Debicki
ASSASSINATION NATION – Odessay Young, Suki Waterhouse, Abra and Hari Nef
Expect things to start slowing down in terms of star-spotting, but we look forward to focusing on the Films of the Festival!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF18: DAY FOUR – BRADLEY COOPER, LADY GAGA, CARA DELEVINGNE, QUINCY JONES, AMBER HEARD + MORE
By Mr. Will Wong
Toronto is “gaga” for A STAR IS BORN at TIFF ’18 as the Film saw two screenings tonight as part of the Festival’s Galas Programme. Stars Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Anthony Ramos, Sam Elliott and Dave Chappelle were at the Press Conference for the Oscar contender bright and early this morning!
While the Festival was particularly front-loaded this year, we look forward to a bit of a breather these next couple days, before we start focusing on seeing Films at the Festival!
See who we saw!
A STAR IS BORN – Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Anthony Ramos, Sam Elliott and Dave Chappelle
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WIDOWS – Colin Farrell, Steve McQueen Daniel Kaluuya, Robert Duvall, Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and more
HER SMELL – Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Amber Heard, Agyness Deyn
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS – Elizabeth Olsen and Mamoudou Athie
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BURNING – Steven Yeun
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With #StevenYeun at his #TIFF18 Premiere for Burning. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival
THE PUBLIC – Jeffrey Wright
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#JeffreyWright at #TIFF18 for #ThePublic. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival
QUINCY – Quincy Jones
A FAITHFUL MAN – Lily Rose Depp, Louis Garrel
FIRST MAN – Damien ChazelleÂ
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Academy Award winner #DamienChazelle (#Whiplash, #LaLaLand) is back at #TIFF18 with #FirstMan.
JASON REITMAN’S THE BREAKFAST CLUB LIVE READ – Aaron Paul, Bel Powley, Jesse Eisenberg, Christina Hendricks, Steve Zissis, Richard E Grant and Robert Wuhl
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “FIRST MAN”
Everything about this says OSCARS. Introducing the new Trailer for Academy Award-winning Director Damien Chazelle starring Claire Foy and Ryan Gosling. Chazelle and Gosling last paired together in 2016’s LA LA LAND.
Synopsis:
On the heels of their six-time Academy AwardÂź-winning smash, La La Land, OscarÂź-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost-on Armstrong and on the nation-of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
See the Trailer:
Universal Pictures release FIRST MAN Friday, October 12, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN A “LA LA LAND” PRIZE PACK
Last September we fell hopelessly in love. The story of Sebastian and Mia ripped our heart right out and we never have been the same since. We still are very much in-love with LA LA LAND and we want you to have the opportunity to enjoy it now at home! eOne Films x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Canada a chance to win a LA LA LAND Prize Pack including a copy of the six-time Academy Award-winning Film on Blu-ray and also a mini lightbox! The Blu-ray contains unparalleled access to the Film, which won also a record-setting seven Golden Globe Awards including fascinating Featurettes that give us insight into the anatomy of the Movie and also its music.
Synopsis:
Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress who works in a coffee shop in a busy Hollywood studio lot in between auditions, keeps bumping into the disgruntled Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated yet stubborn jazz musician who dreams of opening his own jazz club one day.
The two finally get together and Mia even begins to love jazz, but she also begins to lose faith in herself when yet another audition goes wrong. Sebastian believes in her and convinces her to give it one last shot, but she feels he’s selling out when he joins a popular band as a keyboard player in an effort to make money for the two of them. Their struggles and differences drive a wedge between them.
See the Trailer:
Our heartfelt Review of LA LA LAND right here.
Features of the LA LA LAND Blu-ray:
- Featurettes
Another Day of Sun: They Closed Down a Freeway (10:36)
La La Land’s Great Party (5:08)
Ryan Gosling: Piano Student (5:03)
Before Whiplash: Damien Chazelle’s Passion Project (10:12)
La La Land’s Love Letter to Los Angeles (6:56)
John Legend’s Acting Debut (4:40)
The Look of Love: Designing La La Land (8:48)
Ryan and Emma: Third Time’s the Charm (5:51)
Epilogue: The Romance of the Dream (7:54)
Damien & Justin Sing: The Demos
- Marketing GalleryÂ
- Song Selection
Enter to win by clicking “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Share this Post from there for an extra chance on “favourite” this Post on Twitter: @mrwillw.
eOne Films release LA LA LAND Tuesday, April 25, 2017 on Blu-ray and DVD!
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
#OSCARS: “MOONLIGHT” + “LA LA LAND” WIN TOP HONOURS AT 2017 OSCARS
The 89th annual Academy Awards took place tonight at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and in a shock of a finale, MOONLIGHT would win coveted Best Picture. Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway would make a not-soon-to-be-forgotten gaffe of announcing LA LA LAND and Best Picture, which eventually was corrected. Beatty clarified on-stage he had in fact received the envelope for Emma Stone, Best Actress. The acclaimed Barry Jenkins coming of age Film also would win for Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali).Â
In an era where inclusion and diversity are at the forefront of discussion, Ali becomes known as the first ever Muslim Actor to win an Oscar. Noted this year was an increased presence of talent whether it be Presenters or Nominees, of various ethnicities.
After dominating Awards Season, Damien Chazelle‘s LA LA LAND would sweep in several categories including Production Design, Cinematography, Original Score, Original Song, Directing and Actress (Emma Stone). Chazelle has the distinction of at age 32 being the youngest to ever win Best Directing.
Jimmy Kimmel filled hosting duties this year, delivering his signature brand of biting humour (much directed to a running friendly feud with Matt Damon) which drew big laughs and at once awkward silence when he joked about O.J. Simpson deserving an extra piece of bologna tonight after OJ: MADE IN AMERICA won Best Documentary.
The night reached a comedic high point where Kimmel told the audience that he had planned for a bus full of random tourists to visit Kodak Theatre without their knowing. Much to their surprise, they were greeted  by a front row of Hollywood Who’s-Who which included the likes of Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Ryan Gosling, Denzel Washington, Mahershala Ali and several more!
.@jimmykimmel bringing tourists into the #oscars was pretty Fresh. pic.twitter.com/xetZUSL0pd
â Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) February 27, 2017
Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award just earlier this year, three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep stole the show tonight right from the get-go without even speaking with Kimmel poking fun about Donald Trump‘s statement that she was over-rated getting the audience to giver her a standing ovation as the “highly-overrated Meryl Streep“.
âHighly overratedâ Meryl Streep gets standing ovation at #Oscars after being slammed by Trump https://t.co/K3lOQiFiE5 pic.twitter.com/FTI72LIq5u
â People Magazine (@people) February 27, 2017
The iconic Actress has appeared much in the news of late after Fashion Designer Karl Lagerfeld claimed to Women’s Wear Daily that Streep refused a dress from Chanel after she was denied monetary compensation for donning the label’s creation.  Streep vehemently has denied the accusation, issuing a statement: “I do not take this lightly, and Mr. Lagerfeldâs generic âstatementâ of regret for this âcontroversyâ was not an apology. He lied, they printed the lie, and I am still waiting.”.
The other acting categories went to heavy favourites. Casey Affleck won Best Actor for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her work in stage-to-film Adaptation FENCES.
Canada was represented well, with Montreal’s Sylvain Bellemare winning Best Sound Editing for ARRIVAL. The Best Picture-nominated Film also saw our Denis Villeneuve receive a nomination for Directing.
As always the evening’s fashion is a huge part of the spectacle and here are some of the evening’s winning looks!
(Photo/video credit: Oscars/Getty Images)
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN A “LA LA LAND” ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
You’ve heard us sing the praises of LA LA LAND since TIFF ’16 and with just a week away till its release, we want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, courtesy of eOne Films. Critics are in-love with the Film which is sweeping Awards coast to coast. Believe me, the Soundtrack is a hot ticket, selling-out quickly in shops and online retailers!
Synopsis:
Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress who works in a coffee shop in a busy Hollywood studio lot in between auditions, keeps bumping into the disgruntled Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated yet stubborn jazz musician who dreams of opening his own jazz club one day.
The two finally get together and Mia even begins to love jazz, but she also begins to lose faith in herself when yet another audition goes wrong. Sebastian believes in her and convinces her to give it one last shot, but she feels he’s selling out when he joins a popular band as a keyboard player in an effort to make money for the two of them. Their struggles and differences drive a wedge between them.
Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win a copy of the LA LA LAND Soundtrack, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Readers in Canada only please.
eOne Films release LA LA LAND in select cities Christmas Day.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
#TIFF16: “LA LA LAND”
Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
Two years after the wildly successful WHIPLASH screened at TIFF, Writer/Director Damien Chazelle returns with a reimagined twist on the Hollywood Musicals of yesteryear. Filmed in glorious Cinemascope, LA LA LAND takes the old plot chestnut (boy-meets-girl, they fall in love, complications arise), infuses it with a mostly jazz soundtrack and from the opening scene on a gridlocked Los Angeles freeway where, one by one, drivers leave their cars that arenât going anywhere and break into an exuberant song and dance routine, we are swept away into a magical world.
The effervescent Emma Stone plays Mia, a struggling actress who dreams of success while working at a café located inside a movie studio. Sebastian (played irresistibly by Ryan Gosling) is a jazz freak who makes ends meet by tinkling the piano keys at restaurants or playing at parties as part of a cover boy band. We watch transfixed as their relationship together blossoms against a backdrop of Los Angeles never looking more beautiful in brilliant vignettes of song and dance. Their banter is witty, their chemistry is translucent.
Not since Bob Fosse reinvented the cinematic musical genre with CABARET have I seen a more ambitious and lavish example of Movie Magic. LA LA LAND feels old fashioned, but its sensibilities are audacious and the original score is the most inventive since FAME. The cinematography is breath-taking. Gosling and Stone are perfection personified. Laurels must be laid on the head and feet of Damien Chazelle. He has given us a movie of Olympian proportions.
I la la loved LA LA LAND!
LA LA LAND screens Monday, September 12, 2016 Princess of Wales Theatre at 6:15 PM, Tuesday, September 13, 2016 VISA Screening Room at 11:30 AM and Friday, September 16, 2016 TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 at 9:30 PM.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com