Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of FREE FIRE Monday, April 17, 2017 in Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax and Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Edmonton and Vancouver.
SYNOPSIS:
Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.
FREE FIRE stars Sharlto Copley, Brie Larson and Armie Hammer.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your city. For an extra chance, “favourite” this Tweet at @mrwillw.
Elevation Pictures release FREE FIRE Friday, April 21, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After getting burned quite badly by his highly decisive High-Rise at last year’s Festival, I was a little skeptical to give Director Ben Wheatley’s Midnight Madness opener Free Fire a chance this year.
But I am very glad I did – because I freaking loved every moment of it.
Wheatley’s stylish and wildly unpredictable ode to ‘70s Crime-Thrillers is a blast from start to finish, rarely slowing down to breathe over the course of its 90-minute running time. What starts as a typical weapons deal devolves into a bloody, merciless and quick-witted Mexican standoff inside a sprawling abandoned warehouse. Everyone is in it for themselves, even turning on each other, hoping to be the last one standing to leave with a briefcase full of money.
The character set-up is minimal before chaos erupts, but each cast member seems to slide perfectly into their role. I have never seen Armie Hammer have as much fun or look nearly as cool under pressure as he does here. Sharlto Copley is pure manic insanity, continuing his string of standout, nonsensical character performances. Cillian Murphy is never afforded the time to cut loose, surprisingly staying narrow and calculating throughout. And fresh off her Oscar-winning turn in Room, Brie Larson turns heads as the only female in this room – who is just as lethal and desperate as the rest.
Free Fire is a lot of bloody fun, and the kind of genre film that audiences at Midnight Madness are going to go crazy for. Do not miss out.
FREE FIRE screens at TIFF ’16 on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 11:59 PM and
Friday, September 9, 2016 at 11:30 AM at the Ryerson Theatre.
It’s our favourite time of the year and the team at MR. WILL WONG are excited to share with you their insights as to what you should be seeing at TIFF ’16! It’s impossible to believe we’re literally two days away from the world’s greatest Film Festival!
Mr. Will (@mrwillw)
La La Land
Elle
Personal Shopper
Loving
Denial
The electric buzz coming out of Venice for LA LA LAND is certainly warranted and we cannot wait for you to discover the genius that is Damien Chazelle‘s dazzling sophomore effort. We also were mesmerized by Isabelle Huppert‘s work in Paul Verhoeven‘s dark and twisty ELLE. Kristen Stewart mesmerized us in PERSONAL SHOPPER in what is a career-best performance. We haven’t yet seen LOVING, but believe the buzz and can’t wait to be floored by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton‘s performances. We also cannot deny we were moved by Rachel Weisz‘s phenomenal work in DENIAL and although people aren’t talking about it as much as some of the other marquee titles, do not let this one slip off your radar. Honourable mention also to UNA starring Ben Mendelsohn and Rooney Mara (we adore her!) which also is getting quite a bit of buzz and acclaim out of Telluride. We will let you know as soon as we see it!
Let’s see what the rest of the Team have to say…
Siobhán Rich (@Typo_Eh)
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
La La Land
Nelly
Paterson
Toni Erdmann
If you’re only going to see five Movies at TIFF this year you should try and make them well rounded choices. Toni Erdmann is a brilliant Foreign Film that will leave you smiling long after you leave the theatre. Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson is a beautiful character study starring Adam Driver. No Film curation would be complete with a Documentary and you can’t go wrong with Director Steve James. Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is an interesting David & Goliath story centering around the 2008 financial crisis. Checking off both the Vanguard and all important Canadian boxes is Anne Émond’s Biopic Nelly, which explores the life a writer from Québec. Finally, for a fun pick that will leave all your friends envious: La La Land. This hugely buzzed-about Musical staring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone is an early favourite for People’s Choice winner. My bonus pick is Jeff Nichols’ Loving about a couple in Virginia who fought to overturn the State’s ban on interracial marriage.
Have a great TIFF ’16!
David Baldwin (@DaveMABaldwin)
La La Land
I absolutely adored and championed Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning Whiplash after seeing it during TIFF ’14. I was immediately on board for anything he had in store for his follow-up. I was excited after hearing it was a Musical, but became infinitely more excited when I found out it would team-up Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone again. No matter what happened, this was the only ticket I absolutely NEEDED at this year’s Festival.
The Birth of a Nation
Nate Parker’s directorial debut about a slave uprising in the 1830s was the toast of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It was destined for Oscar glory at that time, but now it is being talked about for a whole other despicable reason. It was on my radar from before, but the controversy that is plaguing its release is just making me more interested in watching it. TIFF promises extended talks after the Film for its first two screenings, but are they going to happen?
Headshot
I look back at some years going to TIFF and immediately regret missing out on some great Films. Skipping-out on The Raid back in 2011 was a terrible mistake, and one I made sure I did not repeat when I heard Indonesian action star Iko Uwais was returning to Midnight Madness with his new Film Headshot. I did not even stop to read what the Film was about and still have very little clue. I just know that watching it at Midnight is going to be a blast.
Nocturnal Animals
Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams are two of the best actors working in Hollywood right now. Putting them together under the direction of Fashion Designer-turning-Filmmaker Tom Ford? Well that can only be a truly special kind of Film, and if the buzz out of Venice is to be believed, we are in for a sumptuous treat. And if it is anything like Ford’s A Single Man, it is destined for greatness.
Bleed for This
Miles Teller is one of the very few actors who I will watch anything in, no matter what. When I watched the trailer for Bleed for This during the summer, I knew this would be another great performance from the young actor. And seeing him paired with the likes of Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal and the great Ciarán Hinds makes for an unmissable event.
Justin Waldman (@DubsReviews)
Oh where to begin with the most wonderful time of the year? And no I am not talking about Christmas. Well I lied, I sort of am TIFFmas is here and there are plenty of highly-anticipated Films coming to the Festival this year and without further yammering, here are my top five in no particular order.
La La Land
Nocturnal Animals
Arrival
Free Fire
Paterson
All of these Films have elements to them that make me incredibly-excited for them. Whether that be Actors, Directors or general concept behind each one of these Movies, these have me anticipating TIFF ’16.
Jon Godfrey
American Honey
American Pastoral
A United Kingdom
The Handmaiden
The Red Turtle
What I love most about Film Festivals are the Movies. What I love most about TIFF is its international flavors. Like the city the Festival of Festivals is set in, TIFF Films are from multiple cultures and feature endless perspectives. Though two of my picks have “America” in their title, both are helmed by Directors from the United Kingdom. A United Kingdom is directed by an English woman of Ghanaian decent, and discusses interracial marriage. Then there’s The Handmaiden, set in Japan occupied Korea and dressed like Victoria’s England. Lastly, The Red Turtle, is a Dutch drawn Film co-produced by Japan’s Studio Ghibli… and it’s also my top pick 😉 All my picks look at this world with wonder, and come from around this wonderful world.
Amanda Gilmore (@GilmoreAmanda)
La La Land
Anything Damien Chazelle makes I will run to see! Plus it has the added bonus of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. It’s a Musical! It is one of the most talked about Films of the year.
Manchester By The Sea
Casey Affleck is a marvel to watch in everything he does, that is reason alone to see this. But this year he is getting Oscar buzz for his performance! It’s a quiet Film with a lot of heart.
Loving
This is the most talked about film coming out of film festivals. It’s got Oscar written all over it! The story is one of the more powerful and important ones at the Festival.
Burn Your Maps
This is a small Film that many aren’t talking about. Jacob Tremblay (Room) stars as the lead which is enough reason to go. It’s the Film no one talks about before the Festival, but everyone will hear about it after.
Nocturnal Animals
I’m a sucker for Jake Gyllenhaal. I’m a sucker for Amy Adams. The plot is strange and dark. It’s directed by Tom Ford (A Single Man) and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
George Kozera (@PartyG)
La La Land
Denial
It’s Only the End of the World
Arrival
American Pastoral
From a sun-drenched, most innovative Musical in decades (LA LA LAND) to the darkness of a soul who dismisses the reality of the Holocaust in a court room Drama (DENIAL); from offerings by two Canadian Auteurs who have yet to fail to impress (Xavier Dolan‘s IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD and Denis Villeneuve‘s ARRIVAL) to a heartbreaking Family Drama based on a Philip Roth Novel (AMERICAN PASTORAL), TIFF ’16 is poised to be the best Festival yet!
TIFF ’16 takes place between Thursday, September 8, 2016 through Sunday, September 18, 2016. Check back right here and bookmark for up-to-minute star sightings and Reviews of the most buzzed Films at the Festival!
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