Dune
#EDITORSNOTE: TEAM MR. WILL TOP TENS OF 2021
While it felt the latter part of 2021 was rather hectic on the release side for films, it certainly was a memorable, although sometimes chaotic year in Cinema. As we saw several films which should’ve surfaced in 2020, banked for our enjoyment on the big screen this year, it makes it even more challenging to narrow down our favourites. Truly, the Films that made the cut in 2021 truly were outstanding as they had to shine amongst a quality slate of releases.
Though it seems we’re making one step forward and two steps back in making it through this Pandemic, we were so happy to have been able to be back in theatres once again and enjoy a hybrid version of the Toronto International Film Festival. For that we are grateful and we look forward to sitting in a theatre once again, full capacity with popcorn and drink in-hand, even if not yet.
Team Mr. Will break down their favourite releases of 2021 for us and as always, it is an exciting and eclectic mix. Films like CODA, ROADRUNNER, NINE DAYS, C’MON C’MON and MASS might not be on all Critics’ Top Tens, but they fared well among the Team and found a home with us. If you’re still deciding what to see or are on the fence about, let us help you out!
So grateful for this amazing family of Writers and their esteemed opinions and hard work delivering for us year-round.
AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)
I think Cinema is at its best when it entertains, increases empathy and enlighten us. The films in my Top Ten check those boxes for me. However, 2021 is filled with impactful Cinema and my list could easily be 20! Other films I love are Awards Season favourites King Richard, Belfast & Spencer. This list was made before viewing A Hero, Parallel Mothers & Cyrano.
The Worst Person in the World & Petite Maman would be below but they release in 2022. Keep an eye out for them!
Top Ten Narratives (in alphabetical order):
C’mon C’mon
CODA
Drive My Car
Judas & the Black Messiah
The Lost Daughter
Nine Days
Passing
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick… BOOM!
West Side Story
Fav Docs (in alphabetical order):
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire
NICHOLAS PORTEOUS (@noveltyhat)
1. NYC Epicenters
2. Life in a Day: 2020
3. The Last Duel
4. Dune
5. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
6. C’mon C’mon
7. Spencer
8. The Green Knight
9. Bo Burnham: Inside
10. Annette
In a near-tie for my favorite this year: two Documentaries attempting to process recent history. Life in a Day revisits the original 2010 experiment, sourcing thousands of hours of amateur footage from across the world shot on a single day in 2020 that might as well represent the era. Spike Lee‘s NYC Epicenters–a four part miniseries available on Crave–looks at every major New York disaster since 9/11 up to the present moment with absolutely crushing clarity. Sidenote: Netflix‘s ‘Turning Point‘ gives 9/11 some much-needed context as the inciting incident in a much broader tragedy for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Bo Burnham’s Inside grapples with our collective quarantine routine, and though I have misgivings about how accurate it is to Burnham‘s real experience of the pandemic–dropping it a bit further down the list–I cannot deny the singular power of his music to bring meaning to our perpetually sealed-off lives. In third–and the first narrative on the list–The Last Duel failed to connect with the Box Office but succeeded in keeping me locked at a 70° angle as I untangled the all-too-familiar cycle of assault, denial, and public scorn told from three distinct perspectives, brought together by a relentless, titular duel more explosive than anything Ridley Scott has ever yelled at a journalist. Dune could not be less connected to our present, so it was nice to become ensnared in its deadly world with the most well-integrated Visual Effects I’ve ever seen. Roadrunner and C’mon C’mon are both stories of Documentarians who live their work. For Joaquin Phoenix, it’s a spiritually healing act. For Anthony Bourdain, it’s a bit more complicated. Spencer synthesized Diana‘s tragedy into a devastating weekend of pheasant hunting, pea soup and Jazz. Sidenote: ‘Diana the Musical‘ is worth a Netflix skim for a horrific glimpse into yet another way of defining her story. The Green Knight revitalized title cards–along with reflections on destiny and death. And Annette finally put an end to our cultural obsession with selfish toxic male stars–j/k!
GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG)
2021 was the year I capitulated, when it came to the Movies. I firmly believed that they HAD to be seen on a big screen to even be considered worthy candidates to make my personal “Best” list. To me, VOD always stood for movies that studios deemed unworthy of a theatrical release and streaming services were like HBO: good stuff but, like HBO movies, should not be considered Oscar-worthy. My feelings came crashing down when I saw my first movie in a darkened theatre when we were finally allowed to do so. It was the Documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”. It was also the 107th movie I had watched this year. The final nail in the coffin was when I was given the choice to see “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” in the theatre or to stream it and I chose the latter.
Whittling down the 288 titles I watched in 2021 to my Top Ten was no easy task! And apologies to the movies I haven’t seen yet (The Lost Daughter, Drive My Car, A Hero, Parallel Mothers and The Green Knight) that could have made the list and those that I could not squeeze-in (Annette, Flee, Belfast, Being the Ricardos, Don’t Look Up, In the Heights and Passing).
- The Power of the Dog
- West Side Story
- Mass
- CODA
- tick…tick…Boom!
- (tie) Summer of Soul/Attica
- Nine Lives
- The Humans
- Dune
- The Worst Person in the World
JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews)
What a mess 2021 has been, we thought we couldn’t possibly still be in this god damn pandemic anymore but here we are. Thankfully, even through the endless, and I mean ENDLESS delays we got some content this year that was absolutely incredible. Only one movie on this Top Ten list only played the festival circuit, and I cannot stress enough that it must be viewed when it comes out. Everything on this list deserves its placing, and if you haven’t seen some of these picks, please please please go and see it to warm your Cinephile heart. I present to you my top 10 of 2021. May 2022 bring forward some other excellent Cinema!
Alone With You Green KnightI’m your Man
Language Lessons
Licorice Pizza
Mass
Red Rocket
Tick Tick Boom
Titane
Violet
Note: at the time of publication I have not seen Drive My Car, or Parallel Mothers.
Happy New Year everyone, and Bon Cinema!
DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)
Were we wrong thinking 2021 would be better than 2020? While it was not nearly as much of a dumpster fire, there is still so much wrong and so few lessons learned. I loved being able to experience movies in a theatre again, yet am depressed at how few people turned up for anything that did not involve Marvel characters (though I did enjoy some of those ones too). Fingers crossed we can lose the increasingly annoying “Exclusively in Theatres” rhetoric at some point in 2022. All of that said, I was able to experience a whole world of titles at digital festivals and likely saw more movies this year alone than I have in previous years (or at least compared to all the years I have tracked on Letterboxd!). So it was not all doom and gloom.
Here is a look at my ranked Top 10 list of titles that had a profound effect on me, inspiring my creativity endlessly in a year where I felt so little, followed by alphabetical lists of 2020 films I could not see until 2021 and a few festival favourites waiting for proper release.
- Nine Days
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines
- Mass
- Titane
- Dune
- The Worst Person in the World
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
- Riders of Justice
- Licorice Pizza
2020 Favourites That Were Available This Year
Minari
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Saint Maud
Unreleased Festival Favourites
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Catch the Fair One
The Fallout
Petite Maman
Sundown
MR. WILL (@mrwillw)
Three things we always look for in a great film. One, it has to take us on a real journey and there’s gotta be something at stake that’s meaningful. It doesn’t matter how big the stakes are. It is the Director and Actors’ jobs to make it feel like the journey they are going on matters. Two, we love it when an Actor transforms and we laud bravado in a performance. Three, we want to feel something when we walk away from a film. These Films meet all the criteria for me. Whether it be Kristen Stewart’s transcendent performance as Diana in Spencer which we’re still obsessed with, or what it means for a father to go for broke because he believes so much in his daughters in King Richard, or films like Zola and Red Rocket which pushed the envelope giving us a glimpse into the lives of Sex Workers, my eyes were opened and sometimes welled-up from some of the masterful work I saw in my Top Ten.
Don’t forget to check-out highlights from our 2021 Star Sightings in Toronto here!
1. Spencer2. King Richard
3. Red Rocket
4. Blue Bayou
5. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
6. Zola
7. West Side Story
8. Dune
9. Coda
10. Licorice Pizza
To another amazing year in Film ahead! Thank you for continuing to join us!
Team Mr. Will
#BOXOFFICE: “GHOSTBUSTERS” SCARES AWAY THE COMPETITION
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE scares aware the competition with a $40.5 million opening this weekend from 4,315 theatres for Sony Pictures. The third installment in the original Franchise gets 61% on the Tomatometer.
In second is Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS with $10.8 million for Disney from 4,055 theatres. Over three weeks it has grossed $135.8 million in North America.
Third goes to CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG with $9 million from 3,628 theatres for eOne Films/Paramount Pictures, a two week tally of $33.5 million.
Fourth spot goes to KING RICHARD, based on the life of Venus and Serena Williams‘ father Richard, with $6.5 million from 3,302 theatres for Warner Bros. It gets 92% on the Tomatometer.
Rounding-out the Top Five is DUNE with $3 million for Warner Bros., a total five week run of $98.2 million.
#BOXOFFICE: “ETERNALS” IS INVINCIBLE IN DEBUT
Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS has a smashing debut, opening with $70 million from 4,090 theatres across North America. Directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, the star-studded opus which includes the likes of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Kit Harington and more, gets 48% on the Tomatometer.
In second is two-week champ DUNE, with $6.4 million from 3,546 theatres. In its third weekend out, it crosses the $100 million mark for Warner Bros.
NO TIME TO DIE is showing resilience, hanging-onto third spot with $6.1 million for Universal Pictures, a total $143.1 million over five weeks.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE takes fourth spot with $4.1 million, a total $196.6 million over six weeks for Sony Pictures.
RON’S GONE WRONG is fifth with $3.2 million for 20th Century Studios, a total $17 million grossed over three weeks.
Special note, Pablo Larrain‘s Festival Darling SPENCER starring Kirsten Stewart with $2 million from only 996 theatres for NEON/Elevation Pictures, placing it eighth in its debut. The Princess Diana Biopic centering on Christmas weekend before she decides to leave Prince Charles, gets 86% on the Tomatometer.
#BOXOFFICE: “DUNE” DUSTS COMPETITION A SECOND WEEK
DUNE takes top spot at the Box Office a second straight week for Warner Bros., with $15.5 million from 4,125 theatres, for a two-week tally of $69.3 million domestically.
In second is former #1, HALLOWEEN KILLS, taking $8.7 million from 3,616 theatres for Universal Pictures. Over three weeks, it has grossed $85.9 million.
A surprise third is MY HERO ACADEMIA: WORLD HEROES” MISSION with $7.9 million from 1,602 theatres. The Anime Feature gets 80% on the Tomatometer.
NO TIME TO DIE lands in fourth with $7.7 million from 3,507 theatres, a four week run of $133.2 million for Universal Pictures.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE rounds-out the Top Five with $5.6 million, a total $190 million over five weeks for Sony Pictures.
Notables include also Edgar Wright‘s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO debuting in sixth with $4.3 million from 3,016 theatres for Universal Pictures. The Thriller-Horror which did the Festival rounds including TIFF ’21, gets 73% on the Tomatometer.
ANTLERS starring Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons, opens in seventh with $4.1 million from 2,800 theatres for Searchlight Pictures. It garnered 62% on the Tomatometer.
#BOXOFFICE: “DUNE” LEAVES THEM IN THE DUST IN OPENING
DUNE debuts atop the Box Office this weekend with $33 million from 4,125 theatres domestically for Warner Bros. The Denis Villeneuve-directed remake of the 1984 Film of the same name, gets raves with 84% on the Tomatometer. This is best opening for Warner Bros. post-Pandemic.
HALLOWEEN KILLS still is going strong in second with $14.2 million from 3,727 theatres for Universal Pictures. Ove two weeks it has grossed $72.8 million.
NO TIME TO DIE lands in third with $11.9 million from 3,807 theatres for Universal Pictures, a three week total of $120 million.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE is in fourth spot with $8.8 million from 3,515 theatres across North America for Sony Pictures. It has made$181.6 million over four weeks.
RON’S GONE WRONG rounds-out the Top Five with $6.9 million from 3,560 theatres for 20th Century Studios. The Animated Feature gets 81% on the Tomatometer.
#INTERVIEW: DENIS VILLENEUVE AND REBECCA FERGUSON ON “DUNE”
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
I was not supposed to see DUNE at TIFF ’21. I had my schedule planned and practically laminated going into Labour Day weekend. So when I received a message regarding seeing DUNE and potentially having the opportunity to interview Director Denis Villeneuve, I had to stop what I was doing and re-evaluate that meticulously planned schedule. It is not every day that you have the chance to interview the beloved Canadian Director and Oscar-nominee behind films such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario and Incendies after all.
When I finally caught my breath and arrived at an early screening of the Film a few days later, all I could think about was the years of anticipation and fan excitement that came along with it. I had never read the book and only had a passing knowledge of David Lynch’s film from 1984. I was unsure what to expect, but knew I was in the hands of a master Filmmaker whose exquisite attention to detail and epic scope made for one of the must-see films of the Fall. Villeneuve has not just made his knockout Science Fiction opus with DUNE so much as he has created a fascinating piece of art that will please die-hard fans and newbies to the story.
Villeneuve graciously took some time to take myself and other roundtable Journalists through his process over a Zoom call during the first weekend of TIFF. He discussed how French Comic Artists and childhood heroes Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Philippe Druillet, who brought him to tears when he met them at DUNE’s Premiere in Paris, inspired his visual sense and style. He also assured us that there was no Director’s Cut of the Film, but admitted that he is “a bit tired” planning the next parts of the DUNE series, which include potential follow-up films and a TV Show.
Here are a few other things we learned during our group chat:
What was your biggest challenge in creating DUNE and doing Frank Herbert’s Novel justice?
VILLENEUVE: “I think the biggest challenge was to make sure that someone who read the Book will recognize the world they saw in their mind as they were reading the Book, a bit like when I saw Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I was like how did [he do it]? I had the impression that he had brought a Documentary film crew into my mind, shooting the images I had seen as I was reading the Book. I was very impressed by The Lord of the Rings, and…the goal [in making DUNE] was to try to bring some of the description from Frank Herbert [to life and] be as close to the spirit of the Book. To feel that at least have one image that some hardcore fan will say ‘Oh, that looks close to what I had in mind!’ I feel like we made an act of humility, trying not to bring our vision but more bring Frank Herbert’s vision to the screen. That’s what the big challenge was [as well as wanting] to make sure that someone who had never read the Book will not feel lost and will feel that they are welcome in the Movie and that it will be understandable to a wide audience.”.
“To find that equilibrium between those two [groups] was not easy to do and that was one of the most difficult things to do for this adaptation. I will say the fact that we split the Movie in two parts makes it easier because it means [I was able to] keep elements for the [potential] second movie, but I had to make strong choices. One of them was that my adaptation would focus on Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, and that it would be at the very heart of the movie and will make other characters less present. I could not bring everything or the Movie would get crushed under the pressure of so much information.”
What themes and ideas inspired you to adapt the novel now?
VILLENEUVE: “Good Science Fiction means that it necessarily will be a criticism of reality, or at least a mirror of reality. There are several topics being explored by the Novel that I feel became more relevant as time passed by. I think the novel is more relevant to today’s world than it was when it was written [in 1965]. The impact of Colonialism is still totally relevant to today’s world, the overexploitation of natural resources, the danger of blending politics and religion together – it’s all subjects that are very relevant…and more importantly, the environmental crisis. It’s something that Frank Herbert foresaw in the ’60s. He was worried about the change in climate at that time. You can still find interviews of Herbert’s concern about the change and impact of humans on the environment.”
What was the process you and your team took to create the visuals of DUNE?
VILLENEUVE: “I asked my team to do an impossible task – to at least at first, dream about the Movie, to try to go back to the roots of what they saw when they read the Book. To try to be more within the relationship of the subconscious, the dream state, rather than to go and do research on the Internet or be influenced by other artists. Of course, in saying this, it is a bit impossible because we are the product of multiple influences and we are filled with images coming from the outside but I tried…to say to my close partners, ‘Let’s dream together. Let’s try not to find references. Let’s try as much as possible to go deep inside ourselves.’ At least, that’s what I did at the beginning in order to try and find something that will feel kind of new to the audience.”.
What are your thoughts on the current theatrical landscape and if we will get to see a Dune: Part II?
VILLENEUVE: “I am very optimistic about the future of Theatrical Cinema – we shouldn’t say Theatrical Cinema, we should just say Cinema. [The big screen is] part of the language. It’s not being nostalgic talking about the big screen, it’s at the very centre of what Cinema is which is to receive a visual story in the most immersive way [by] bringing a group of human beings together. I hope the first movie will be well-received and will trigger enough enthusiasm to convince Warner Bros. and Legendary to do the second part, but I’m no prophet…I think that in the long term we will [still] be watching [movies in] theatres. As long as Cinema is with us, there will be theatres to show it.”
We also had the opportunity to speak to the incredibly candid and lovely Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Chalamet’s mother Lady Jessica Atreides in the Film. She spoke highly of her Director, the behind-the-scenes team who designed the sets and costumes, and expressed to everyone in our roundtable just how much she “really, really wants to do” Dune: Part II.
What was it like acting alongside this incredible Cast that includes Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya?
FERGUSON: “Zendaya is huge and hopefully if we do a second one, she will appear more in it. But of the Cast list, I have to say I was in awe of Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and I mean, David Dastmalchian and Stellan Skarsgård and there are many more to [add to] that list. [It was] an honour. An absolute honour. But I think also, doing a film with Denis without knowing the Cast – you know it’s going to be good. It was more a matter of unravelling little Christmas gifts. So Timmy [Chalamet] was the first who was cast. I think I was the second, and then gradually it was sort of a ‘And look who we have here! And look who we have here!’ It was just wonderful.”.
How would you describe the balance between masculinity and femininity in the film?
FERGUSON: “We need to break down what masculinity and femininity is in 2021…Women had no power [in older times] as they do now and yet we’re not even close to what it is to be equal. But they were seen as [being] much more powerful, right? We needed to create the balance and the structure [in DUNE]…it couldn’t be equal. I keep saying this as well, which is an odd thing to say, but the film wouldn’t work with an equal gender neutral position. It is about motherhood. It is about the men making the decisions. But overall, the women are the umbrella. Look at The War of the Roses. Look at the Medieval Times. The men were out in the battlefields, you know slashing and having their jolly old time. The women were plotting the household to create stronger alliances. And this is an on-going theme, isn’t it? What I think Denis did and what he wanted to do was defibrillate the fact that these human beings had powers because of necessity and reason. One of the things we talked about was the gender neutralness of the stillsuit and what it represents. I love that it serves purpose and that it doesn’t just look feminine [or] masculine – it is just a suit for survival.”
How did your acting process on DUNE differ from films like Mission: Impossible and Doctor Sleep?
FERGUSON: “I want different things all the time, otherwise I’d be bored…My process changes because I’m working with new directors. [They] ask of new energies. Tom [Cruise] has such an energy and rush about him that with Mission, it’s a huge film with huge sets, huge stunts and huge energy, and it is just go, go, go all the time. And character-driven as well. But there’s no stillness. You’re never really breathing, which is why they’re so amazing. Denis’ process is finding that complete stillness, finding the drama within character and just dropping them in a set that could eat them up. He finds the juxtapositions of scope and scale. So that just becomes a very different process. And on Doctor Sleep, I just ate kids you know?”
Stay tuned later this week for our full review of DUNE!
Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE in theatres on Friday, October 22, 2021.
*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*
#TIFF21: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2021 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
We don’t believe we made it through another TIFF! While this year’s Festival certainly was a bit more scaled-back we definitely were not short of things to do, equally putting in long days. So thankful to the Team for contributing their Reviews of the most key titles to surface at TIFF ’21 including Dave Baldwin, Amanda Gilmore and George Kozera. So thankful to be a Torontonian and be gifted every year with this amazing Festival. We’re so appreciative of the considerations for our safety and the fact that we were able to enjoy the Festival both in-person and at-home. We will never take for granted this flexibility.
Once again we must thank some of our official partners in our coverage of the Festival this year! We couldn’t have done it without their generosity and support and we’re always thrilled to get our Readers and Followers excited about their amazing products and services.
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The lucky winner of our TIFF ’21 Survival Pack Giveaway was Jessica (@SheBakesHere), who won an amazing haul of products from our official partners!
As the winner, Jessica received:
•1 $50 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
•1 $50 Chatime gift card + 1x T-shirt +1x Tumbler + 1x Stainless Steel Straw set
•1 $50 Gift Card at Lone Star Texas Grill
•1 $50 Gift Card at Frankie’s Nashville Hot Chicken
•1 Happy Gift Set including 1 Rose Quartz Roller + Gua Sha set, 1 Happy Face Mask, 1 bottle 250ml Happy Sanitizer and a Happy 3-Toothbrush set
•1 The Beauty of Eczema’s Bathing Oil and Bath Salts At-Home Spa Set
•1 Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Beehive Box
•1 boscia Skin Nutrition Body Collection
•1 bottle of Nature’s Sunshine new Hair, Skin & Nails capsules and BioGuard Hand and Body Cream
•1 H&M Canada VIP Card
•1 Official MR. WILL WONG Baseball Cap
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Team Mr. Will also share their favourites of the Festival and also their predictions which Film will win that coveted People’s Choice Award!
AMANDA GILMORE (Twitter: @GilmoreAmanda)
NOTE: FLEE would be included but I viewed outside of TIFF!
Belfast
Titane
The Worst Person in the World
Petite Maman
Spencer
Would Also Highly Recommend: The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Power of the Dog, Dune & The Humans
People’s Choice Award Prediction: Belfast
DAVID BALDWIN (Twitter: @DaveMABaldwin)
Petite Maman
Dune
Sundown
Montana Story
People’s Choice Award Prediction: Belfast
TIFF’21 was a substantial upgrade from TIFF’20. Full Stop. The quality of films was substantially stronger, the in-person and digital offerings were better, and the all-around experience was so much closer to the TIFF we all know and love from those simpler, pre-pandemic times. There are some learnings the programming team will need to reflect on for next year’s festival, but I sincerely hope they continue with the hybrid experience despite some of the hiccups they encountered this year. It allows for an easier and more efficient means of discovery for everyone, and lets audiences still feel like they are part of the action even if they are watching from home. I had a blast watching so many movies this year, and am already looking forward to endlessly re-watching many of them. Yet I know in my bones that I would not have been able to see nearly as many had it only been an in-person festival. And while I am bummed to have missed out on Last Night in Soho and Spencer, I am overjoyed at everything I did get to see — including some of the more forgettable titles. Next year will no doubt look different again, but here’s hoping it will still feel like TIFF because where else can you go from watching a hit Broadway musical adaptation like Dear Evan Hansen to an Oscar-prestige play like The Power of the Dog to the absolute madness of the Palme d’Or winning Titane?
GEORGE KOZERA (Twitter: @PartyG)
Jockey
Mothering Sunday
The Wheel
The Worst Person in the World
People’s Choice Award Prediction: Belfast
JUSTIN WALDMAN (Twitter: @DubsReviews)
Titane
Belfast
Petite Maman
Encounter
Violet
People’s Choice Prediction: Belfast
MR. WILL (Twitter: @mrwillw)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Last Night in Soho
Belfast
Dear Evan Hansen
People’s Choice Award Prediction: Spencer
We’re still mesmerized by Kristen Stewart’s work in Spencer, which almost is side-by-side as our favourite with Jessica Chastain‘s mind-blowing portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye! We still are obsessed with Last Night in Soho and can’t wait to see it again in October! We missed The Power of the Dog but are thankful it will be available soon on Netflix! So excited to see some of these titles propel into Awards Season success.
#TIFF21: Can we talk about #Spencer for a second? #KristenStewart pic.twitter.com/HnsQqLL4lS
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2021
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Last but not least, some of our favourite moments with the talent at the Festival:
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Until next TIFF!
We hope you had a blast following our adventures and Reviews. In case you missed them, you always can catch-up right here.
Do not forget to check-out the TIFF TRIBUTE GALA AWARDS, airing Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7PM ET on CTV and the CTV App!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF21: DAY THREE SIGHTINGS – JESSICA CHASTAIN, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, DIONNE WARWICK, DENIS VILLENEUVE, REBECCA FERGUSON, HALEY LU RICHARDSON, OWEN TEAGUE + MORE
We’ve hit peak starpower at TIFF ’21 and even with Red Carpets and talent scaled back there’s still plenty enough to keep us busy!
The 2021 TIFF Tribute Gala took place earlier today at Roy Thomson Hall with this year’s Honourees taking the stage to accept their awards. Those in attendance included:
Jessica Chastain — TIFF Tribute Actor Award supported by the Tory Family
Benedict Cumberbatch — TIFF Tribute Actor Award
Denis Villeneuve — TIFF Ebert Director Award
Alanis Obomsawin — Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media supported by Participant Media
Ari Wegner — TIFF Variety Artisan Award
Danis Goulet — TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by L’Oréal Paris and supported by MGM
Dionne Warwick — TIFF Special Tribute Award
We caught some special moments as the stars arrived and we even saw Benedict Cumberbatch and Dionne Warwick share an embrace. R&B Legend Warwick, here for Documentary DON’T MAKE ME OVER, shared that she admittedly was a little starstruck seeing Cumberbatch, whom she admires for her work on SHERLOCK, which she was obsessed with streaming during the Pandemic! Cumberbatch is receiving tons of Oscar buzz for his work in Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG. Review here.
Chastain and Villeneuve, both busy with Press Days today for their respective films THE FORGIVEN and DUNE, made time to walk over to the fans, snapping Selfies and signing autographs. Chastain was stunning in a colour block Moschino outfit!
The Awards air Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7pm ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app in Canada.
Some Snaps:
Several other Premieres took place across the City including MONTANA STORY which stars Owen Teague and Haley Lu Richardson, which many are commending for its heart and compassion. We spotted the stars and Co-Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, Ubering about with the Film’s stars earlier. Review to come shortly.
One of our greatest highlights finally is a moment with Rebecca Ferguson, whom we admire so deeply. This chameleon of an Actress has won acclaim for her work on the Mission: Impossible Franchise, The White Queen and more popularly, The Greatest Showman. Oh yeah, her! Ferguson stars in DUNE, which premiered at Ontario Place‘s Cinesphere and will be busy with Villeneuve with a day of press in support of the hotly-anticipated October 22, 2021 release. Review here.
One parting note, I attended a screening of Edgar Wright‘s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO and it was incredible! My thoughts below…
How amazing Wright even threw me a “like”!
We decided to take it easy tonight, wrapping early. Tomorrow will be pretty much the last day we’ll be out snapping content with more of a focus on the Films after Monday. Who knows, I might even have a little special sidekick out with me tomorrow!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF21: ADDITIONAL TITLES IN PLATFORM, SPECIAL EVENTS AND SHORT CUTS PROGRAMMES ANNOUNCED
Additional titles have been announced at TIFF ’21 today in the Platform, Special Events and Short Cuts Programmes, with Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) being named President of the Jury for the Platform Competition this year! The Competition seeks to reward films of high artistic merit that also demonstrate a strong directorial vision. Ahmed also will be at TIFF ’21 with the film ENCOUNTER, about two brothers embarking on a journey with their father to protect the world from an alien threat.
Pablo Larrain‘s SPENCER which stars Kristen Stewart as Diana also will be coming to the Festival in the Special Events Programme.
The Festival is set to take place September 9-18, 2021.
PLATFORM PROGRAMME
Arthur Rambo Laurent Cantet | France
World Premiere
Drunken Birds (Les oiseaux ivres) Ivan Grbovic | Canada
World Premiere
Earwig Lucile Hadžihalilović | United Kingdom/France/Belgium
World Premiere
Huda’s Salon Hany Abu-Assad | Palestine/Egypt/Netherlands/Qatar
World Premiere
Mlungu Wam(Good Madam)(Mlungu Wam) Jenna Cato Bass | South Africa
World Premiere
Montana Story Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
World Premiere
Silent Land(Cicha Ziemia) Aga Woszczyńska | Poland/Italy/Czech Republic
World Premiere
Yuni Kamila Andini | Singapore/France/Indonesia/Australia
World Premiere
TIFF SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME
A Few Miles South Ben Pearce | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice(Angakusajaujuq) Zacharias Kunuk | Canada
North American Premiere
Anxious Body Yoriko Mizushiri | France/Japan
North American Premiere
ASTEL Ramata-Toulaye Sy | France/Senegal
World Premiere
Beity Isabelle Mecattaf | Lebanon/United States of America
International Premiere
Bhai Hamza Bangash | United Kingdom/Canada/Pakistan
World Premiere
Boobs Marie Valade | Canada
North American Premiere
Charlotte Zach Dorn | United States of America
World Premiere
DEFUND Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Araya Mengesha | Canada
World Premiere
Displaced (Pa Vend) Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere
DUST BATH Seth A Smith | Canada
World Premiere
Egúngún(Masquerade) Olive Nwosu | United Kingdom/Nigeria
World Premiere
Fanmi Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Carmine Pierre-Dufour | Canada
World Premiere
Hanging On Alfie Barker | United Kingdom
International Premiere
I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse Ayçe Kartal | France
North American Premiere
I Would Never Kiran Deol | United States of America
World Premiere
Little Bird Tim Myles | Canada
World Premiere
Love, Dad (Milý tati) Diana Cam Van Nguyen | Czech Republic/Slovakia
Canadian Premiere
Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics Terril Calder | Canada
World Premiere
Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit Into His Suit (Al motociclista no le cabe la felicidad en el traje) Gabriel Herrera | Mexico
Canadian Premiere
NuisanceBear Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Canada
World Premiere
Ousmane Jorge Camarotti | Canada
World Premiere
Saturday Night Rosana Matecki | Canada
World Premiere
Shark Nash Edgerton | Australia
World Premiere
Soft Animals Renee Zhan | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Some Still Search (Algunos Siguen Buscando) Nesaru Tchaas | United States of America
World Premiere
Srikandi Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Indonesia/Canada
World Premiere
Successful Thawing of Mr. Moro (Lyckad upptining av herr Moro) Jerry Carlsson | Sweden
International Premiere
Sycorax (Sycorax)Lois Patiño, Matías Piñeiro | Portugal/Spain
North American Premiere
The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be Adeyemi Michael | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
The Infantas (Las Infantas) Andrea Herrera Catalá | Spain
World Premiere
The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night Fawzia Mirza | United States of America/Canada
World Premiere
Together (Ham-Gye) Albert Shin | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere
Trumpets in the Sky Rakan Mayasi | Palestine/Lebanon/France/Belgium
World Premiere
Twelve Hours Paul Shkordoff | Canada
World Premiere
White Devil Mariama Diallo, Benjamin Dickinson | United States of America
World Premiere
You and Me, Before and After Madeleine Gottlieb | Australia
International Premiere
Zero (Nula) Lee Filipovski | Canada/Serbia
World Premiere
SPECIAL EVENTS
Special IMAX Screenings of Dune
The film, based on Frank Herbert’s classic novel, will screen at the Cinesphere in Toronto on the following dates:
· Saturday, September 11 – World Exclusive IMAX Special Event
· Sunday, September 12 – Repeat IMAX Screening
· Saturday, September 18 – Public IMAX Screening
TIFF is also delighted to announce an additional Special IMAX screening of Dune in Montreal presented by Bell at Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal on Sunday, September 12.
This screening is made possible in venue partnership with Cineplex as part of TIFF’s Canadian Satellite Screening programme. An additional screening of Dune will take place in Toronto at Scotiabank Theatre on September 13.
NBA Films For Fans created with OLG
On November 1, 1946, the NBA’s first-ever game was held at Maple Leaf Gardens, where the hometown Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers. Seventy-five years later, as part of the league’s anniversary celebrations, the NBA honours its Canadian roots at TIFF 2021.
TIFF is proud to announce the launch of NBA Films For Fans created with OLG. This can’t-miss Special Event will feature five short films from Canadian filmmakers and basketball fans: Thyrone Tommy — also at this year’s Festival with his debut feature, Learn to Swim — and fellow Torontonians and TIFF talent development alumni Romeo Candido, Shawn Gerrard, and S.M. Turrell, as well as Vancouverite Kat Jayme, also a Talent Alumni as the 2019 Pitch This winner. Learn more about the Special Event and register for updates at NBAFilmsForFans.com.
Special Event Films
A Hero (Ghahreman) Asghar Farhadi | Iran
Memoria Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Colombia/Thailand/United Kingdom/France/Germany/Mexico
Spencer Pablo Larraín | United Kingdom/Germany
More at tiff.net.
(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)
#FIRSTLOOK: DENIS VILLENEUVE’S “DUNE” FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND NEW TRAILER
By Mr. Will Wong
We are thrilled to have attended an exclusive unveiling of the new Trailer for DUNE, coming to theatres this October. As part of the event, select Media got to preview approximately 20 minutes of this Fall’s most eagerly-awaited cinematic event.
We got a sense of the world that Canadian Director Denis Villeneuve had built for this Film and the central themes the Film explores. Our first impression is that the Film goes to even darker, more intense places than we might have thought initially. The Film explores life on the planet Dune, inhabited originally by the Arrakis. Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) acts as steward of the land, which is the source of the world’s most valuable substance called Spice, which can extend lives, provide great enlightenment and fast travel. Sandworms make the task rather challenging for them and with Leto‘s son and heir Paul (Timothée Chalamet) in line for succession, we see him doubting his ability to carry-on his father’s legacy as he becomes fixated seeing Chani (Zendaya), an Arraki native, in his dreams. Which side will Paul and his Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), his father’s concubine, take?
The central themes of right to land and resources eerily is coming to the forefront at an opportune time, as we reflect on and confront some uncomfortable truths right here in Canada.
Celebrated Composer Hans Zimmer has the important role of crafting the world this Film takes place in with Villeneuve through music and sound. He notes that a primary focus of the Film was to draw strength to the powerfulness and richness of the female characters. “We spent months defining sounds, creating new sounds and pushing the envelope, doing crazy experiments with crazy instruments”, says Zimmer. “Denis and I are trying to invite the audience to come experience something and have their own personal experience. That was for us the reason to make this Film.”.
New Trailer:
Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE October 22, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
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