Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a Cineplex Run-of-Engagement Pass to see THE SON.
Synopsis:
While married to Kate (Laura Dern), Peter (Hugh Jackman) has an affair with Beth (Vanessa Kirby), and leaves Kate and their son Nicholas. Years later, now living with Beth and their infant, Peter is surprised when ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) shows up with Nicholas (Zen McGrath), who is now a teenager.
Beth has trouble communicating with Nicholas, who has skipped school for months and is troubled, distant, and angry. Peter decides to step up and take care of Nicholas as he would have liked his own father to have taken care of him. However, as he tries to juggle work, Beth, their child, and the offer of a longtime dream position in Washington, Peter loses sight of how to best deal with Nicholas’ problems.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Please indicate your City in the comments. Re-Tweet the below also for another chance!
Enter for a chance to #win Cineplex Run-of-Engagement Passes to see #TheSon.https://t.co/ly5ny9yeBS pic.twitter.com/ONHTz3Tt2t
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) January 12, 2023
Rules and regulations here.
Note: Winners will only be contact via a direct message from our official account. Do not respond to third-party comments or messages asking you for your personal information.
Elevation Pictures is releasing THE SON in select theatres across Canada on January 20, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
By David Baldwin
Peter (Hugh Jackman) has it all. He is a big shot attorney being courted by D.C. for a Senatorâs election bid and his new wife Beth (Vanessa Kirby) has just given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Peterâs older son Nicholas (Zen McGrath) is not doing great though â he is not getting along with his Mom, Peterâs ex Kate (Laura Dern), is not going to school and is suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Hearing this, Peter agrees to let Nicholas live with him and his new family in the hopes that his mental health will improve. Except it does not, it just gets worse.
THE SON is easily the most divisive movie I have seen at TIFF â22. The discourse, anger and debate this Movie has already sparked is not quite at the level of The Whale, but it is going to get so much more heated after its theatrical release this Fall. Your âenjoymentâ (I used the term loosely because THE SON is not very fun to watch) will entirely hinge on your feelings around Mental Health, specifically when it involves a child. I do not want to spoil where the Film goes â the foreshadowing motifs sprinkled throughout are about as subtle as a fire alarm â rather, I want to note that it careens into bleak and unsettling territory.
What also works against the Film is the inevitable comparisons to The Father. That film, like THE SON, was adapted by Zeller and Christopher Hampton from Zellerâs play and both feature tremendously intricate Production Design and a tortured character at its centre. Whereas that film focused on Anthony Hopkinsâ towering, extraordinary performance, this Film spends more time with Jackman than it does McGrathâs titular character. And when McGrath does show up, he is whiny, annoying, cold, distant, melodramatic and unrefined. Some have punched down and have suggested it as being laughably bad. While I myself did not think it is a great performance, I would caution before saying it was bad. McGrath plays Nicholas as a scared, anxious and confused teenager who does not understand the feelings he is experiencing nor the ability to process them, so it makes perfect sense why he is so melodramatic and all over the place.
Elsewhere, both Dern and Kirby are sidelined through far too much of the Film (though the latter still slays every time she appears) and an explosive two-scene cameo from Hopkins is so incendiary that the Film is never able to match its energy afterwards. Which is all to say, Jackman has a lot of heavy lifting to do. He is up to the task and delivers a very good, albeit aggravating performance. You will just want to reach out and shake him violently for his characterâs arrogance and callousness towards his sonâs precarious situation. Worse, his spectacular âOscarâ scene comes in the form of a 10-minute epilogue that does not really need to be there. Which is a hell of a shame.
THE SON screens as follows at TIFF â22:
Mon, Sep 12 IN-PERSON Roy Thomson Hall 9:00pm
Tue, Sep 13 IN-PERSON TIFF Bell Lightbox 12:00pm
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Screening Passes to see JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.
Advance screenings will be held Wednesday, June 8, 2022 in:
Synopsis:
From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now liveâand huntâalongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with historyâs most fearsome creatures.
Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.
The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (Sheâs Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The filmâs returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry SembenĂš.
Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015âs Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, OscarÂź-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. In the comments there, please let us know your City. And you also can Re-Tweet the below for an extra chance as well!
Enter for a chance to win Advance Passes to see JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION in select cities.
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) May 27, 2022
How: https://t.co/gs3IIjxHDl pic.twitter.com/H5a74UHC5x
Rules and regulations here.
Universal Pictures Canada release JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION June 10, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
It’s the end of an era. See the new Trailer for JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION.
Synopsis:
From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now liveâand huntâalongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with historyâs most fearsome creatures.
Universal Pictures Canada release JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION June 10, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
While we’re sad it isn’t announced for TIFF ’19, we are happy about getting to see its Trailer finally for Greta Gerwig’s reimagining of LITTLE WOMEN.
Synopsis:
Writer-Director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the authorâs alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwigâs take, the beloved story of the March sisters â four young women each determined to live life on her own terms — is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the Film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with TimothĂ©e Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.
See the Trailer:
Sony Pictures Canada release LITTLE WOMEN this Christmas.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)
By Mr. Will Wong
And in a blink of an eye, another TIFF has passed and this one had us working right to the finish line! It’s only after the fact that we have a moment to take it all in how much we went through. We estimate double our average in Celebrity Snaps this year. That’s how star-studded TIFF ’18 was. It was that kind of a year!
We had the pleasure of previewing several of this year’s Awards Season contenders and we are waiting with baited breath to see A STAR IS BORN and GREEN BOOK, both outstanding, duke it out for Oscars glory in coming months. We loved both, are thrilled the latter was honoured with the People’s Choice Award at the Festival, but something about the former makes our heart sing. We cannot stop thinking about it or its Soundtrack. It takes a magical Film to do that.
Let’s relive some of my favourite star-studded moments of the Festival, as lensed through the Nikon D3400. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without this amazing camera which worked amazingly-well with our Blackberry Key 2 in terms of file transmission to ensure we were able to get our photos uploaded and edited within moments for you all to enjoy! The clarity of these snaps speak for themselves.
A STAR IS BORN Press Conference
We will never stop taking our signature Celebrity Selfies and TIFF ’18 was unforgettable even if we saw many returning faces. We wouldn’t have been camera-ready without the right gear and depending on each scenario, sometimes the Blackberry Key 2 worked best for those Selfies, sometimes the Nikon D3400 worked better. What matters is that more often than not, we got the snap! And many we did.
Here’s some of our faves!
Alexander SkarsgÄrd
Amandla Stenberg
Amber Heard
Anthony Ramos
Boyd Holbrook
Cara Delevingne
Chris Pine
Claire Foy
Daniel Kaluuya
Elizabeth Debicki
Gwendoline Christie
Hari Nef
Jacob Tremblay
Jamie Dornan
Jamie Lee Curtis
John David Washington
Julianne Moore
Kelly Marie Tran
Lady Gaga
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Margaret Qualley
Olivia Munn
Parker Sevak
Peter Sarsgaard
Quincy Jones
Riz Ahmed
Ryan Gosling
Steve Carell
Steven Yeun
Timothée Chalamet
Trevante Rhodes
Troye Sivan
Zhang Yimou
In case you missed our Television appearances during TIFF ’18 this is our first year hitting-up the three big media giants: Global, CITY and CP24 (Bell Media). Thrilled! Our brand continues to thrive as a Festival go-to and we are so happy for the recognition.
CP24 with George Lagogianes
Breakfast Television with Winston Sih
Until next year. We’re already ready!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By Mr. Will Wong
It’s hard to believe TIFF ’18 already has come to an end! Amidst the half-hour sleeps and hustling venue to venue we now can finally take a deep breath and appreciate what a wonderful Festival it was yet again! While this edition definitely was a bit of endurance test – we were working right to the end – it is one of those things you look back at and miss greatly. We already are strategizing for TIFF ’19 and believe us, we’ll be ready!
A warmhearted thank you to all our followers who keep us motivated on Social Media with all your encouragement and also our amazing partners: Nikon Canada, H&M Canada, Starbucks Canada, Blackberry Canada, Acura Canada, Britbox Canada, Dufflet Pastries, Chatime Canada, KANDL Artistique, INK Entertainment and CP24. We wouldn’t be doing what we do without YOU!
Also, a huge congrats to Leonardo who won our TIFF ’18 Survival Prize Pack! He was overjoyed and will be sure to spoil himself with all that swag!
This is the first year ever we’ve appeared in some form on Canada’s big three giants: Corus, Rogers and Bell Media with televised appearances on Global News, Breakfast Television and CP24 respectively. We also had to turn-down others unfortunately due to scheduling (every minute counts during TIFF), but there’s always hope we can take care of everyone next year!
I also must thank my amazing Team of Contributors who worked feverishly to get their Reviews in throughout the Festival to keep our Readers informed of what’s good. David Baldwin, Amanda Gilmore, Siobhan Rich, Justin Waldman and George Kozera, thank you for all the hard work you do!
While we simply were too exhausted to post last night, here are some Snaps from our final TIFF ’18 event, the Red Carpet of Closing Night Gala JEREMIAH TERMINATOR LeROY starring Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Jim Sturgess. We got to chat briefly with breakout stars James Jagger (son of Mick) and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
The Film is based on the Memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy by Savannah Knoop and is about a woman who spent six years masquerading as Writer Laura Albert‘s created teenage male literary persona JT LeRoy, directed and co-written by Justin Kelly. We ask stars Kevin Harrison Jr. and James Jagger about the importance of a story like this which examines gender confirmation and fluidity in the now.
Jagger: “I think it’s interesting in this industry that it’s taken so long for it to get to a place where it is now, there have been a lot of false hopes. I think finally we are seeing some true development. I think certain exponents of this Film have been working towards that for a really long time. I think it’s an exciting time to be alive!”.
Harrison: “We all have our online personalities that we like to put out there and this Film is the OG (original) version of what that was and I find that interesting, but we continue to be progressing.”
We ask Jagger and Harrison what drew them most to the Film?
Jagger: “It was the opportunity to be in scene with Diane (Kruger) and that really was the thing that drew me most. Diane I’ve been a fan of for a really long time. It was a good day, it’s been an absolute pleasure.”.
Harrison: “I was drawn to the idea of playing this Basquiat-type guy who gets to fall in love with someone interesting – we’re both really queer in the Movie and we love each other. That was interesting to me.”.
A cheerful goodbye to TIFF ’18, with waves from Dern and Stewart! See you next year!
(Photo/video credit: Amanda Gilmore/Mr. Will Wong)
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy tells the true story of Laura (Laura Dern) who created a writing persona called Jeremiah âTerminatorâ LeRoy. When questions arise about who this LeRoy guy is she gets her sister-in-law, Savannah (Kristen Stewart), to play him in public. This Film will be having its World Premiere as the Closing Night Gala.
This true story is brought to life beautifully and full of authentic humour by Writer-Director Justin Kelly. These complicated, intelligent, and funny real-life women are brought to the big screen perfectly by Dern and Stewart. Both have magnetic chemistry on-screen and grasp and visualize all the complexities that Savannah and Laura were experiencing.
Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy will screen at TIFF on Saturday, September 15 at 6:30 PM at Princess Of Wales, Saturday, September 15 at 8 PM at Roy Thompson Hall, and Sunday, September 16 at 2:30 PM at Ryerson Theatre.
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.
The 75th annual Golden Globes Awards took place tonight in Beverly Hills, California. With the #TimesUp initiative front and center of our attentions, we saw all talent uniformly wearing black to draw attention to the cause for equality and an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Seth Meyers hosted the affair boldly poking-fun at the likes of Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. In the face of change, he calls 2018 “the year marijuana was allowed and sexual harassment wasn’t anymore.”.
Oprah Winfrey who next can be seen in Disney‘s A Wrinkle in Time, was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. Her Wrinkle Co-Star Reese Witherspoon introduced her as being all “a noun, a verb and an adjective”. And even Meyers joked DeMille should be honoured she was given the award. Winfrey recalls herself as a kid in Milwaukee back in 1964, watching Anne Bancroft speak a historic five words on television, “The winner is Sidney Poitier“. She hopes to inspire another black girl watching tonight seeing her be named the first ever black Cecil B. DeMille Award Winner. Winfrey states, “I wanted to express gratitude to all women who endured years of abuse and assault as they like my mother had mouths to feed, bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”. Recounting the story of rape (1944) victim Recy Taylor whose six attackers never were persecuted, she defiantly states that we are at the end of an era, “Their time us up!”.
âI want all of the girls watching here now to know, that a new day is on the horizon.â @Oprah accepts the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille award. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/hbquC1GBjm
â Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri scored huge in the Film categories including a win for Motion Picture Drama. Martin McDonagh was awarded Screenplay for the Film which he also directed. He jokes, “My mother really wanted Lady Bird to win.”. Oscar Winner Frances McDormand before tonight had been nominated seven times for a Globe, but finally received her first win for Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. She declined to make political comments but expressed pride that the Film still is filling seats in brick and mortar theatres across the U.S. the “old-fashioned” way. Sam Rockwell, after a career spanning almost three decades, finally won a Golden Globe for his work in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. “It’s nice to be in a movie people saw”, he kids before thanking others involved with the TIFF ’17 People’s Choice Award-winning Film and also wife Leslie Bibb.
Let’s hear it for our winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Frances McDormand! She’s honored for her role in @3Billboards. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/1bJOBP3YNW
â Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
HBO’s Big Little Lies was a major force in the Television categories winning TV Miniseries or Movie. Nicole Kidman was awarded her fourth Golden Globe for her Actress work, thanking her Co-Star, Co-Producer and fellow Nominee Reese Witherspoon with whom together she brought the HBO release to Television. Kidman despite getting the cue to shorten her speech, thanked her husband Country Star Keith Urban last, telling him “When your cheek is pressed against mine, the whole world just melts away, I love you.”. Co-Stars Laura Dern and Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd also won for their work as Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress (Dern‘s fourth Globe too!) in the Miniseries.
Lady Bird, which premiered at TIFF ’17, won Comedy or Musical. The Film which loosely is based on Greta Gerwig‘s life, also is her directorial debut. Gerwig thanked her hometown Sacramento for giving her the wings and roots needed to succeed in life. 23-year-old Saoirse Ronan already has been nominated for three Globes but alas gets her first win tonight for her acclaimed work in Lady Bird. She kept pointing-out in her humble speech how her mom out of excitement was in the audience on FaceTime while she was on-stage.
A round of applause for Saoirse Ronan taking home the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role in @LadyBirdMovie! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/fXm4pygZ41
â Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
Visionary Guillermo del Toro made a teary acceptance for Director with The Shape of Water while the Orchestra had tried drowning his speech out due to time restrictions. “Turn the music down, it’s taken me 25 years to get here” he said, drawing cheers from the audience. Moments before, Natalie Portman presenting his award alongside Ron Howard, pointed-out how all Nominees in the Category were male.
Gary Oldman was awarded Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in TIFF ’17 selection Darkest Hour. In his speech, he told us how his wife puts-up with his incredible dedication telling others “I go to bed with Winston Churchill and wake-up with Gary Oldman.”.
A massive congratulations to Gary Oldman for being awarded the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama award for his role in @DarkestHour! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/YyPfI7iBNl
â Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
Jeered widely for having made the worst movie of all time, The Room, Filmmaker and Cult Icon Tommy Wiseau got the last laugh joining Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy Winner James Franco on-stage tonight. Franco stars in and directs The Disaster Artist which recounts Wiseau‘s process making that Cult Classic. Franco thanked his younger brother Dave in his speech saying “He always wanted his own Coen Brother” to make Films with and it looks like he too along with Wiseau saw his dream come true.
Allison Janney who delivers a chilling portrayal of Tonya Harding’s mother LaVona Golden in I, Tonya, was awarded a well-deserved Globe beating-out some stiff competition including Laurie Metcalf whom many also feel is deserving for her work in Lady Bird. Janney made a poignant statement about perception of truth in Media, an enlightenment after having worked on the Film which gives us a fresh perspective on the disgraced Figure Skater. It was a good night for both Tommy Wiseau and Tonya Harding.
.@AllisonBJanney is awarded Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for her outstanding work in @ITonyaMovie. Yay! 👏 pic.twitter.com/tgg72x8p30
â Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was this year’s Dark Horse, winning Comedy Series and also Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) winning Actress in a Comedy Series. The Amazon Series centers on a Jewish housewife in the ’50s who becomes a Stand-up Comedian.
Elisabeth Moss shone a light on Canada dedicating her Actress in a Drama Series win to Margaret Atwood who wrote the source material on which Toronto-made The Handsmaid’s Tale is based. The Series also took home a Globe for Drama Series. This is her second Golden Globe win, her first for Miniseries Top of the Lake.
After four nominations, Ewan McGregor finally gets his first Globe win for Actor in a TV Miniseries or Movie with Fargo. Another Canadian connection, the Series was filmed in Calgary.
Sterling K. Brown was awarded his first Globe for his work on Series This is Us. The rising star next can be seen in Marvel’s Black Panther and reminded his kids in his speech he’d be there to take them to school tomorrow morning, in addition to expressing his awe of Oprah Winfrey being seated before him on the podium.
The ONLY way to start an acceptance speech. 🙌 @SterlingKBrown 🙌 #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/34vexLiKA1
â GIPHY (@GIPHY) January 8, 2018
After getting a nod last year and seeing MASTER OF NONE, for which he has directing and writing credits, Funnyman Aziz Ansari gets a Globe for Actor in a Comedy Series. He becomes the first ever South Asian Actor to win a Globe.
In addition to having grossed almost $600 million worldwide, DisneyâąPixar‘s Coco goes on to Globe success, winning Animated Feature.
Hot off its #1 success on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart, The Greatest Showman also wins a Globe for Original Song, This is Me, sung by Keala Settle and also Kesha.
Fatih Akin‘s In the Fade won Foreign Language Film. The German Film starring Diane Kruger as a woman dealing with the aftermath of a terrorist attack, received a TIFF ’17 Premiere.
Awards Season culminates in the Academy Awards which air Sunday, March 4, 2018 on ABC, 7 PM ET.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
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