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 aren’t 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.
The weekend might be over but you wouldn’t know it if you were at TIFF! Day Five perhaps is the grandest one yet with the Festival’s most anticipated title making its debut here after a huge splash in Venice, Damien Chazzelle‘s LA LA LAND starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The duo are set to walk the Red Carpet tonight at Roy Thomson Hall. Miles Teller (who coincidentally worked with Chazzelle on his first Film, WHIPLASH) also is set to make a case for Best Actor in BLEED FOR THIS, which debuts tonight at Princess of Wales Theatre. Down the road, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner are set to walk the Carpet for Denis Villeneuve‘s Sci-Fi romp ARRIVAL at Roy Thomson Hall.
See the names we spotted today in the City!
Ryan Gosling, LA LA LAND
#RyanGosling at #TIFF16 for #LaLaLand.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Emma Stone, LA LA LAND
With the mesmerizing #EmmaStone at #TIFF16 for #LaLaLand.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
John Legend, LA LA LAND
#JohnLegend at #TIFF16 for #LaLaLand.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Rosemarie DeWitt, LA LA LAND
#RosemarieDeWitt at #TIFF16 for #LaLaLand.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Director Damien Chazzelle, LA LA LAND
J.K. Simmons, LA LA LAND
Amy Adams, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS + ARRIVAL
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
Because I needed another. #AaronTaylorJohnson #TIFF16 #NocturnalAnimals
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Oscar Isaac, THE PROMISE
Richard Gere, NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER
Mark Wahlberg, DEEPWATER HORIZON
Marky Mark. He was spotted at #Wahlburgers today! #TIFF16 #DeepwaterHorizon
A video posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Marky Mark. #TIFF16 #MarkWahlberg #DeepwaterHorizon #Wahlburgers 🍔
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Ethan Hawke, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN + MAUDIE
#EthanHawke at #TIFF16 for #TheMagnificentSeven + #Maudie.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Aaron Eckhart, BLEED FOR THIS
Miles Teller, BLEED FOR THIS
#MilesTeller at #TIFF16 for #BleedforThis.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
Dave Matthews out enjoying TIFF
Lennox Lewis out enjoying TIFF
Boxing icon #LennoxLewis at #TIFF16.
A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Now this we’re excited for! Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone reunite on-screen this December in LA LA LAND. Not only is there the Film aspect of this, but there’s also the Music. The first track from the Film – from the same Director as WHIPLASH – has been released, called City of Stars, which at the same time is the hashtag the Film will use.
Synopsis:
A jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) fall in love but face difficulties as they become more successful.
Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, Finn Wittrock, Callie Hernandez, Sonoya Mizuno, Jessica Rothe, Tom Everett Scott and Josh Pence.
See the Trailer:
Listen to Ryan Gosling’s City of Stars:
Click here to listen on Spotify.
TIFF ’16, anyone?
(Photo/video credit: Summit Entertainment)
Paramount Pictures Canada + Mr. Will want to take you to see star-studded THE BIG SHORT first! Screenings take place in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary on Wednesday, December 16, 2015.
Synopsis:
When four outsiders saw what the big banks, media and government refused to, the global collapse of the economy, they had an idea: The Big Short. Their bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of modern banking where they must question everyone and everything. Based on the true story and best-selling book by Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, Moneyball), and directed by Adam Mckay (Anchorman, Step Brothers) The Big Short stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook only and state your city. You may click “share” from there or Tweet the below for an extra chance:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/thebigshort @MRWILLW wants us to #win Advance Passes to see #THEBIGSHORT! Out everywhere 12/23.
G’luck.
Paramount Pictures Canada release THE BIG SHORT in select cities Friday, December 18, 2015 and everywhere Wednesday, December 23, 2015.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
Bale. Carell. Gosling. Pitt. Can this get any better? A new Trailer for THE BIG SHORT has just surfaced and it looks GOOD.
Synopsis:
When four outsiders saw what the big banks, media and government refused to, the global collapse of the economy, they had an idea: The Big Short. Their bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of modern banking where they must question everyone and everything. Based on the true story and best-selling book by Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, Moneyball), and directed by Adam Mckay (Anchorman, Step Brothers). The Big Short stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.
See the Trailer:
Release dates:
December 11, 2015 (limited release)
December 23, 2015 (wide release)
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
It absolutely is our favourite time of the year again and announced this morning is the official list of Talent coming to Toronto for TIFF ’14! We look forward to seeing plenty of returning names – some just here last year like the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Kate Winslet – and also plenty of Stars from years past making their way back here once more!
Among the names attending TIFF ’14 this year include:
Jon Stewart, Martin Scorcese, Richard Gere, Andrew Garfield, Viggo Mortensen, Gael Garcia Bernal, James Franco, Jane Fonda, Chloë Moretz, Brit Marling, Laura Dern, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Redgrave, Vera Farmiga, Al Pacino, Tina Fey, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Pattinson, Ansel Elgort, Alice Eve, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Seyfried, Michael Shannon, Dax Sheppard, Robert Duvall, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Hailee Steinfield, Justin Chatwin, Method Man, Jennifer Connelly, Bobby Cannavale, Kuoth Wiel, Cassie Williams, Danny Webb, Dominic West, Jung Woo-Sung, John Boylan, Sam Worthington, Tye Sheridan, Andrew Scott, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, Connie Britton, Reese Witherspoon, Evan Bird, Zhao Wei, Han Ye-Ri, Melissa Benoist, Haley Bennett, Sonja Bennett, John Travolta, Julianne Moore, Isaach De Bankolé, Dan Stevens, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll, Xavier Dolan, Peter Stormare, Ben Schnetzer, Abigail Spencer, Ellen Barkin, Bill Pullman, Charlotte Aubin, Kate Winslet, Ryan Reynolds, Rene Russo, Roger Waters, Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Loreto Aravena, Tobey Maguire, Aubrey Plaza, Tobey Maguire, Gemma Arterton, Juliette Binoche, Zhang Yimou, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Rose Byrne, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo, Bill Murray, Daniel Barber, Liam Aiken, Mike Leigh, Olivier Assayas, Richard LaGravenese, Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Anna Kendrick, Morgan Freeman, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Rosario Dawson, Chris Rock, John Cusack, Benedict Cumberbatch, Octavia Spencer, Keira Knightley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin Costner, Anthony Mackie, Patricia Clarkson, J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Priyanka Chopra, Daniel Bruhl, Michael Winterbottom, Justin Chon, Steve Carell, Gong Li, Hayden Christensen, Tory Kittles, Jordana Brewster, Holliday Grainger, Max Irons, Lone Scherfig, Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth, Paul Bettany, Daniel Barnz, Noah Baumbach, Barry Avrich, Jennifer Aniston, Akon, Nick Kroll, Holly Hunter, Catherine Keener, Greta Gerwig, Omar Sy Jennifer Garner, Salma Hayek, Kevin Smith, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Faye Marsay, Bill Nighy, Justin Long, Christopher Plummer, Marton Csokas, David Cronenberg, Sarah Gadon, Tom Schilling, Tom Hardy and more!
TIFF also will be hosting a series of In-Conversations-With as part of their Mavericks Programme. Joining-in are the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Denzel Washington, Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Jon Stewart, Dan Savage, Julie Taymor and several more!
As is the case always, it’s sometimes not just who’s coming – it’s who they’re bringing. Don’t be surprised if Jennifer Garner brings Husband Ben Affleck along and be warned if Andrew Garfield brings Emma Stone along!
Who’s on our list of Must-Meets? Plenty! We hope finally to get a positive moment with Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet! Excited about Martin Scorcese, J.K. Simmons, Bobby Cannavale, Miles Teller, Corey Stoll, Tobey Maguire, Rose Byrne, Michael Douglas and newer names like Max Irons and Douglas Booth, that’s for sure. And did we read TINA FEY!?!? Finally! AND WHERE IS TOM HARDY?!?!
The list is always subject to surprise and no-shows as we know all too well!
Visit the official TIFF Website for more.
TIFF ’14 runs September 3 – 14, 2014.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Kristin Scott Thomas, you naughty Girl you! The Weinstein Co. unveiled Clips from a few of their upcoming Marquee releases at Cannes on Friday and shocking just about everybody is Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Follow-up to 2010’s excellent Drive.
The Thriller, Only God Forgives, competes in-competition at the Festival this year and shot entirely in Bangkok, the Film centers around Julian (Ryan Gosling), a Drug Smuggler whose life is complicated further by her Mother’s (Thomas) mission to find who killed his older Brother, Billy (Tom Burke).
“You know what he does for a living right? Heroine, Cocaine… that’s where the money comes. That’s how he can afford to pay you to f*** him”, she says to the Girl her Son brings home to her, Mai (Rhatha Phongam), in quite possibly her most shocking role to date. Believe me, it takes a lot to shock me and this is pretty darn shocking and might I add, completely NSFW. I can just imagine the room of international Journalists gasping at the Subtitles!
Watch the Clip below:
Avril Lavigne covers this week’s issue of Hello! Canada, featuring their 50 Most Beautiful Canadians. Set to return with her current single Here’s to Never Growing Up, Editor-in-Chief Alison Eastwood released a statement saying, “Unveiling our annual Most Beautiful issue is as thrilling as giving a close friend a big, beautiful birthday present. And this year is especially exciting. Avril and her Fiancé Chad Kroeger have been great friends to HELLO! Canada, their Wedding is just around the corner, and our exclusive (and rare) Photo Shoot, on the eve of Avril’s return to the pop charts, was nothing short of magical.”.
The List ranges from Media, Ballerinas, Singers to Movie Stars with some surprises and some names you have to do a quick Google Image search for. Selected this year by the Magazine are:
Stephen Amell
Actor: Arrow, CTV
Hometown: Toronto
Will Arnett
Actor: Arrested Development, Netflix
Hometown: Toronto
Justin Bieber
Singer, Universal
Hometown: Stratford, Ont.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau
Actor: Baby Daddy, ABC Spark
Hometown: Vancouver
Dean Brody
Singer, Universal
Hometown: Jaffray, B.C.
Michael Bublé
Singer, Warner
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
Sidney Crosby
Professional hockey player, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hometown: Cole Harbour, N.S.
Antonio Cupo
Actor: Bomb Girls, Global TV
Hometown: Vancouver
Victoria Duffield
Singer, Warner
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.
Matt Dusk
Singer, eOne Music
Hometown: Toronto
Nathan Fillion
Actor: Castle, CTV
Hometown: Edmonton
Mitsou Gélinas
Radio host: Rythme FM
Hometown: Montreal
Ryan Gosling
Actor
Hometown: Cornwall, Ont.
Pascale Hutton
Actor: Arctic Air, CBC
Hometown: Creston, B.C.
Carly Rae Jepsen
Singer, Universal
Hometown: Mission, B.C.
Sean Jones
Singer
Hometown: Toronto
Tanya Kim
Anchor: etalk, CTV
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Adam Korson
Actor: Seed, City
Hometown: Thornhill, Ont.
Kristin Kreuk
Actor: Beauty and the Beast, Showcase
Hometown: Vancouver
Amanda Lang
Anchor: The Lang and O’Leary Exchange, CBC
Hometown: Ottawa
Avril Lavigne
Singer, Sony
Hometown: Napanee, Ont.
Dan Levy
Actor: TV/film
Hometown: Toronto
Raine Maida
Singer, Warner
Hometown: Toronto
Rachel McAdams
Actor
Hometown: St. Thomas, Ont.
Kandyse McClure
Actor: Hemlock Grove, Netflix
Hometown: Vancouver
Tracy Moore
Host: Cityline, City
Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ont.
Ashley Diana Morris
Guess! model
Hometown: Toronto
Alanis Morissette
Singer, Collective Sounds
Hometown: Ottawa
Enuka Okuma
Actor: Rookie Blue, Global TV
Hometown: Vancouver
Ellen Page
Actor
Hometown: Halifax
Jessica Paré
Actor: Mad Men, AMC
Hometown: Montreal
Jason Priestley
Actor
Hometown: Vancouver
Milos Raonic
Professional tennis player
Thornhill, Ont.
Lisa Ray
Host: Top Chef Canada, Food Network Canada
Hometown: Toronto
Ryan Reynolds
Actor
Hometown: Vancouver
Ed Robertson
Singer, Warner
Hometown: Toronto
Sonia Rodriguez
Principal dancer, National Ballet of Canada
Hometown: Toronto
Anna Silk
Actor: Lost Girl, Showcase
Hometown: Fredericton
Hannah Simone
Actor: New Girl, City
Hometown: Calgary
Cobie Smulders
Actor: How I Met Your Mother, City
Hometown: Vancouver
Scott Speedman
Actor
Hometown: Toronto
Jessica Stam
Model
Hometown: Kincardine, Ont.
George Stroumboulopoulos
Host: George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, CBC
Hometown: Toronto
David Sutcliffe
Actor: Cracked, CBC
Hometown: Saskatoon
Shania Twain
Singer, Universal
Hometown: Timmins, Ont.
Emily VanCamp
Actor: Revenge, City
Hometown: Port Perry, Ont.
Cory Vitiello
Executive chef: The Harbord Room
Hometown: Brantford, Ont.
Roz Weston
Senior entertainment reporter, ET Canada, Global TV
Hometown: Acton, Ont.
Ellen Wong
Actor: The Carrie Diaries, City
Hometown: Toronto
Kevin Zegers
Actor
Hometown: Woodstock, Ont.
See the Cover below:
The 124-page Double Issue is now on Newsstands.
(Photo/ credit: Hello! Canada/Sony Music)
The Movie which brought Ryan & Eva together. After premiering at TIFF last September to positive Reviews, finally The Place Beyond the Pines sees a release later this month. Reuniting Director/Writer Derek Cianfrance together with Ryan Gosling after their fantastic Collaboration, Blue Valentine, the Drama is about a Stunt Driver (Gosling) who provides for his unborn Child and Lover (Eva Mendes) by robbing banks. A Rookie Cop (Bradley Cooper) however is onto him, he himself dealing with internal issues in reporting to a corrupt Detective (Ray Liotta). Think Drive, but with a Motorbike, a Baby and Corruption! LOL
Regardless, the Film looks amazing and despite it being early still, the Critics of Rotten Tomatoes have pegged it at 92% on their Tomatometer.
Watch the Trailer in full below:
Of course, I’ve met some of the amazing Cast of The Place Beyond the Pines over the years and it’s always seeing a Film blossom after it premieres at TIFF!
Rolling Stone Magazine got the exclusive Behind-the-Scenes with some amazing Photos during filming in Schenectady. Click here for more!
eOne Films releases The Place Beyond the Pines on April 12, 2013.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
First making his debut in 1981 on TV Series Simon & Simon, Giovanni Ribisi has become a Household Name with an Acting Career which has seen both diversity and longevity. At just 38-years-old, the Los Angeles Native has built a Body of Work which has defined multiple generations. My Two Dads, The Wonder Years, Friends, Saving Private Ryan, Lost in Translation, Avatar, Ted. These are just a handful of his most memorable moments and the Father of Lucia/Husband of Supermodel Agyness Deyn finds himself returning to Toronto once again to promote eagerly-awaited Gangster Squad.
The Action/Drama has Ribisi starring as Officer Conway Keller, a technically-savvy Cop whose expertise enables the LAPD to successfully bug the Phone Calls of top Mobster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), who controlled much of Los Angeles in the late ’40s through early ’50s. The Team responsible for the fire-with-fire Takedown – The Gangster Squad – are played by Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick and Ribisi.
The road to release hasn’t been an easy one at all for Warner Bros. Tragedy struck on July 20, 2012 as the Aurora, Colorado Mass Shootings had taken place during a screening of their Marquee release, The Dark Knight Rises. Furthermore, the Trailer for Gangster Squad was slated to run prior to that Film, depicting a gratuitously violent Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Shootout. Understandably, the Scene had been deleted out of respect to the current Social Climate and all those affected by the Tragedy. Re-shoots were completed and now the Film is ready for its big debut, but one glaring question still remains.
One Journalist asks the Question on all of our minds – whether or not it is appropriate to release the gratuitously gun-violent Gangster Squad, considering that another Mass Shooting has since taken place in Newton, Connecticut? Ribisi tells a tightly-gathered group of Journalists at his Toronto Hotel, “There are some heinous crimes which have taken place”. He pauses and says, “I don’t think it’s fair to hold Hollywood accountable for this.”. On whether or not he feels the Final Product was affected adversely by Reshoots and the deletion of the mentioned Scene, he says with unwavering certainty, “It is an even better Film”.
I asked Ribisi about preparing for the role of Officer Conway Keller, and although he was diligent about placing himself in the mindset of the day including Chats with a 90-year-old Expert on Bugging, he insists most of his focus was poured into getting the Dynamic right with his fellow Gangster Squad mates. He tells me, “It all began in a conversation with Director Ruben Fleischer in the beginning about Conway being the role of the Conscience and also talking about the broader picture of Values in Society, especially in contrast to today’s day and age.”. “Of course you get into the History, you read Books about the context of Los Angeles around World War II and The Great Depression, which is so interesting”, he recalls. “The most important part though, was that Dynamic in Conway‘s Relationship with the rest of the Guys and what they ultimately wanted to do.”.
Despite working together with an interesting mix of Personalities on Gangster Squad, including Brolin who is known for being a Prankster on-set, the Actor remembers, “We were in an Environment where we really wanted to do our best” – meaning little time for play. As an interesting tidbit, this in fact is his fourth time he stars in a Film alongside Brolin. “He is a good Person and has a great Sense of Humour though”, Ribisi praises. Also we learned, he also spent a fair amount of time obsessing about whether or not scenes really were working, revealing “I mean you have the Actors, so the Talent definitely was there… we had Sexy Beast Ryan Gosling!”, he adds jokingly. “Wait, did I really just say that? What is he going to think?”.
On his favourite part about making Gangster Squad, he admits that it was all about the Cars and Clothing. “People used to get dressed. They really presented themselves to the World. I guess it was A Streetcar Named Desire where they saw Marlon Brando in a T-Shirt and then T-Shirts became prominent, but before that People wore ties and hats”, he reflects. “And then there were the Cars. The 1947 Chrysler Studebaker I drove, and of course the Night Club Slapsy Maxie‘s. You walked in and saw everyone dressed to the nines… it was just amazing!”.
We’ve all seen Ribisi grow-up throughout the years, transitioning from Child Actor, now to playing Father-type Roles. Need I remind you of his unforgettable work as a Teddy Bear-obsessed Father dancing to Tiffany in 2012 Box Office Smash Ted? I ask him about his key to success in surviving the Industry. He replies, “I’ve never really thought about myself in those terms to be honest. I mean, that also poses the question, “What defines success?”. He adds, “But if you ask me, I haven’t accomplished my best yet.”.
Following our Chat, Ribisi posed for a few Photos, before heading back to his Suite to freshen-up for the second-half of his busy Press Day. Although he had pondered a popular Hotspot at his Hotel, it was his loyalties to a certain Restaurant he loved last time he visited in the trendy west-end of the City determining his Dinner Plans.
Warner Bros. releases Gangster Squad on Friday, November 11, 2013.
To enter to win a Gangster Squad Prize Pack, which includes a size Large T-Shirt and two Shot Glasses, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. You should also be following on Twitter! Canadian Readers are welcome to enter. Your deadline is February 1, 2013.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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