Falling
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “FALLING”
Following its premiere at TIFF ’20, FALLING gets a release in Canada via Mongrel Media. See the new Trailer!
Synopsis:
John (Viggo Mortensen) lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their daughter, Monica (Gabby Velis), in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. His father, Willis (Lance Henriksen), a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up. Willis’s mind is declining, so John brings him west, hoping he and his sister, Sarah (Laura Linney), can help their father find a home closer to them. Their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis’s angry refusal to change his way of life in any way. In his directorial debut, Mortensen explores the fractures and contrasts of a contemporary family. Willis’s abrasive nature, by turns caustic and funny, is aggravated by memory loss, bringing past and present into conflict. As father and son finally confront events that have torn them apart, including their differing recollections of John’s mother, Gwen (Hannah Gross), we embark on a journey from darkness to light, from rage and resentment to acceptance and hard-won grace.
See the Trailer:
Mongrel Media release FALLING February 5, 2021 on-demand, digitally and in select theatres (TBD).
(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)
#TIFF20: COMPLETE FILM LINE-UP ANNOUNCED AT 2020 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The complete list of Films to premiere at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival was released earlier today. More than ever, this year’s films are focused on representation and inclusion being a point of focus. We see loud and clear, movies this year about women, black people, indigenous people and people of colour.
Added to the slate are films like Kornél Mundruczó‘s PIECES OF A WOMAN starring The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby as a woman coping with the loss of her baby; Viggo Mortensen‘s directorial debut FALLING, shot here in Toronto, about a gay man dealing with his prejudiced father Emma Seligman‘s SHIVA BABY starring Molly Gordon (Good Boys) about a young woman who runs into her sugar daddy at a funeral with her family; J Blakeson‘s I CARE A LOT is about a legal conservator (Rosamund Pike) who defrauds elderly clients who has a run-in with a gangster;Cathy Brady‘s WILDFIRE starring Anne Heche, centering on a young girl who releases a dark secret in her friendship with a wild horse; Sonia Kennebeck‘s Documentary ENEMIES OF THE STATE which is about a family targeted by the U.S. government when it is learned their son is a hacker; Florian Zeller‘s THE FATHER starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, centering on a man who refuses help from his daughter and his coping with aging; the Horror SHADOW IN THE CLOUD by Roseanne Liang and starring Chloë Grace Moretz, about a WWII pilot travelling with top secret documents, who discovers an evil force; and Regina King‘s ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI where we see Boxer Cassius Clay work together with Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brow to change the course of history in the segregated South. Mira Nair‘s A SUITABLE BOY is set to close the Festival.
These are in addition to some of the centerpiece films announced prior like AMMONITE, NOMADLAND, GOOD JOE BELL, CONCRETE COWBOY, BRUISED and Opening Night Gala DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA.
Canadian representation is also very pronounced with Director Aisling Chin-Yee returning with NO ORDINARY MAN, a Documentary about a transgender Jazz Musician Billy Tipton who for many years was framed as an ambitious woman passing as a man in pursuit of music career. Others include Tracey Deer‘s BEANS, Michelle Latimer‘s two films INCONVENIENT INDIAN and TRICKSTER and both Madeleine Sims-Fewer/Dusty Mancinelli co-directed VIOLATION.
On this year’s lineup, TIFF Co-Head and Artistic Director says, “This year’s lineup reflects that tumult. The names you already know are doing brand new things this year, and there’s a whole crop of exciting new names to discover.”.
Complete line-up below:
180 Degree Rule Farnoosh Samadi | Iran
76 Days Hao Wu, Anonymous, Weixi Chen | USA
Ammonite Francis Lee | United Kingdom
Another Round (Druk) Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark
Bandar Band Manijeh Hekmat | Iran/Germany
Beans Tracey Deer | Canada
Beginning (Dasatskisi) Dea Kulumbegashvili | Georgia/France
The Best is Yet to Come (Bu Zhi Bu Xiu) Wang Jing | China
Bruised Halle Berry | USA
City Hall Frederick Wiseman | USA
Concrete Cowboy Ricky Staub | USA
David Byrne’s American Utopia Spike Lee | USA (Opening Night Film)
The Disciple Chaitanya Tamhane | India
Enemies of the State Sonia Kennebeck | USA
Falling Viggo Mortensen | Canada/United Kingdom
The Father Florian Zeller | United Kingdom/France
Fauna Nicolás Pereda | Mexico/Canada
Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer | United Kingdom/USA
Gaza mon amour Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser | Palestine/France/Germany/Portugal/Qatar
Get the Hell Out (Tao Chu Li Fa Yuan) I-Fan Wang | Taiwan
Good Joe Bell Reinaldo Marcus Green | USA
I Care A Lot J Blakeson | United Kingdom
Inconvenient Indian Michelle Latimer | Canada
The Inheritance Ephraim Asili | USA
Lift Like a Girl (Ash Ya Captain) Mayye Zayed | Egypt/Germany/Denmark
Limbo Ben Sharrock | United Kingdom
Memory House (Casa de Antiguidades) João Paulo Miranda Maria | Brazil/France
MLK/FBI Sam Pollard | USA
The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel Joel Bakan, Jennifer Abbott | Canada
New Order (Nuevo orden) Michel Franco | Mexico
Night of the Kings (La Nuit des Rois) Philippe Lacôte | Côte d’Ivoire/France/Canada/Senegal
Nomadland Chloé Zhao | USA
No Ordinary Man Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt | Canada
Notturno Gianfranco Rosi | Italy/France/Germany
One Night in Miami Regina King | USA
Penguin Bloom Glendyn Ivin | Australia
Pieces of a Woman Kornél Mundruczó | USA/Canada/Hungary
Preparations to Be Together For an Unknown Period of Time (Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre) Lili Horvát | Hungary
Quo Vadis, Aïda? Jasmila Žbanić | Bosnia and Herzegovina/Norway/The Netherlands/Austria/Romania/France/Germany/Poland/Turkey
Shadow In The Cloud Roseanne Liang | USA/New Zealand
Shiva Baby Emma Seligman | USA/Canada
Spring Blossom Suzanne Lindon | France
A Suitable Boy Mira Nair | United Kingdom/India (Closing Night Presentation)
Summer of 85 (Été 85) François Ozon | France
The Third Day Felix Barrett, Dennis Kelly | United Kingdom
Trickster Michelle Latimer | Canada
True Mothers (Asa Ga Kuru) Naomi Kawase | Japan
Under the Open Sky (Subarashiki Sekai) Miwa Nishikawa | Japan
Violation Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli | Canada
Wildfire Cathy Brady | United Kingdom/Ireland
The Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–19, 2020.
More here on Films and their respective Programmes.
(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures)
#SUNDANCE: “FALLING”
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut follows the turbulent relationship between a father and son.
With Falling, Mortensen examines the strong bond between relatives even after they’ve become severed. The focus here is on the relationship between John (Mortensen) and his ill yet overtly profane father Willis (Lance Henriksen). The performances are outstanding, particularly Henriksen who plays a remarkably unlikeable character. Willis continuously makes sexist, racist and homophobic remarks, however, no matter how hateful his rhetoric John always forgives him. This becomes a problem for the story because John is happily married to a man and there is no explanation behind why he easily forgives and forgets his father’s repugnant insults.
Falling screens at Sundance on Fri, Jan. 31st at 6:30 PM at Eccles Theatre, Sat, Feb. 1st at 5:30 PM at The MARC Theatre, and Sun, Feb. 2nd at 3:30 PM at Rose Wagner Center.
#SPOTTED: KIERNAN SHIPKA, ELISABETH MOSS, ISABELA MONER, SHAMEIK MOORE, ODEYA RUSH, LANCE HENRIKSEN + MORE IN TORONTO
Productions are in flight again around Toronto, utilizing our snowy conditions. Taking advantage of a snow-free afternoon, several stars in town working enjoyed milder weather for once.
LET IT SNOW
Filming for Netflix Feature Let it Snow has been underway and it stars a talented, young up-and-coming Cast including Odeya Rush, Kiernan Shipka, Liv Hewson, Shameik Moore and Isabela Moner. Based on the Book by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson, the Romantic-Comedy centers on a group of people brought together by a snowstorm on Christmas Eve.
We spotted Matthew Noszka (Star), Moner (seen next in Dora The Explorer), Shipka (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Rush (Lady Bird) and Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) out and about.
The Production wraps end of March.
SPINNING OUT
Spinning Out centers on a figure skater on the comeback trail as a Pairs skater, after sustaining an injury. The Netflix Series wraps in May and we spotted stars Willow Shields (The Hunger Games) and Evan Roderick (Arrow) earlier out and about. The Series stars Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) and January Jones (Mad Men) also.
LOCKE AND KEY
This Netflix Series based on Joe Hill’s Comic Book Series, is about three siblings brought together after their father’s gruesome murder. They discover a set of keys which must be used against an evil creature looking to hold power and possess the keys. Connor Jessup (American Crime), Jackson Robert Scott (It) and Emilia Jones (Brimstone) star. We spotted Laysla de Olivera out, and she appears next in Toronto-made Code 8 starring cousins Robbie and Stephen Amell, which also is set to stream on Netflix. Executive Producer Andy Muschietti (It, It: Chapter Two) is no stranger to Toronto having directed both Blockbusters here.
Production wraps in June.
FALLING
Green Book star Viggo Mortensen makes his directorial debut in Falling, which sees a conservative father who moves in with his gay son and his family in Los Angeles. Veteran Actor Lance Henriksen has been at work in Toronto, being greeted personally by his Co-Star and Director at the airport upon arrival.
The Production wraps late April.
THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Golden Globe and Primetime EMMY winner Elisabeth Moss certainly is a busy woman, currently filming season three of dystopian Drama THE HANDMAID’S TALE till April. Moss was just at SXSW in Austin promoting Jordan Peele‘s upcoming Film, US.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#SPOTTED: WILLOW SHIELDS, VIGGO MORTENSEN + GUILLERMO DEL TORO IN TORONTO
It has been to coldest, most unforgiving Toronto, winter so forgive us that we would rather be home than out! Productions continue to move along at a steady pace with a pair Netflix productions highlighting the pack.
Spinning Out and Comedy Let it Snow fully utilizing our wintry weather. Spinning Out is a Series starring Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), a seen-above Willow Shields (The Hunger Games) and January Jones (Mad Men), about an injured figure skater with a secret on the comeback trail as a pairs skater. The Series wraps early May.
Let it Snow stars Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Odeya Rush (Lady Bird) and Isabela Moner (Instant Family), and is about a group of people who are brought together by a snow storm. It wraps end of March and will stream on Netflix.
Academy Award-winning Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro must be lauded for what he has done for Toronto, creating many jobs and opportunities for our City with his unparalleled vision, which continues to touch the World. Known for his Films Hellboy, Pan’s Labrynth, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, Blade II and of course, Best Picture-winning The Shape of Water. Who knows what genius he is brewing-up again in the City, but we cannot wait! And it for sure will be huge.
Viggo Mortensen certainly is a busy man, juggling Awards Season and his directorial debut which happens to be set to film in Toronto. He was spotted at Pearson International arrivals, not himself arriving, but picking-up. I think he realized I was sneaking a pic of him chatting on his – get this – red flip phone, and he walked right up to me to psych me out and then walked onward! I was morten-fied! The Green Book Oscar Nominee who is in Toronto working on Falling was picking-up his friend and Co-Star, veteran Actor Lance Henriksen (Aliens), which is about a conservative father who moves in with his gay son’s family is Los Angeles. The two met with a big, joyful hug after Viggo paced around for about two hours waiting for his buddy.
We are thrilled to be Los Angeles-bound this weekend for some Awards Season fun and wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Viggo or maybe even Shameik (Spider-verse is up for Best Animated Feature)!
Wish us luck!
Don’t forget to tune into Hollywoood Suite, the exclusive broadcaster of this weekends Independent Spirit Awards, 2 PM ET/5 PM ET! Follow them on Twitter @HollywoodSuite for coverage and also follow us too as we’ll be on the Carpet: @mrwillw.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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