By Mr. Will Wong
My love of Film and Stars go hand-in-hand. I’ll never forget seeing my first Film at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2001. After spending a couple weeks in Singapore earlier that Summer and hearing nothing but raves about Chicken Rice War, I thought I’d never get a chance to see it back home in Toronto. The chance came at the Festival, I got my ticket and being fashionably-late always, I remember being guided into a full theatre at Varsity Cinema by a volunteer usher in the pitch dark, before finally finding a seat somewhere at the front. This would become my favourite spot to sit watching Movies at the Festival. Odd, I know! But sitting close to the screen, you can see every bit of emotion on the face of an Actor, small details in the set design and best of all, be right up-front when the Q&A happens after the Film. How cool was it that we got to hear the Director (Chee Kong Cheah) talk all about the process of making the Film and even get to ask him questions? I was overjoyed. I felt right in my element. This was the place I was meant to be.
After that, I made it a point of putting aside a bit of money every year for my one big splurge in September, getting to see three, four Movies a day for the duration of the Festival, maybe taking one rest day for laundry and quality time with my dog. “Normal” people go on vacation with the couple weeks off work they get a year. Mine always go towards TIFF.
I’ll never forget the generosity of someone who gave me a tip-sheet on the greatest spots to see the stars at TIFF. Back in the day I first began going to TIFF, Press Conferences were held at the now-gone Sutton Place Hotel. Easily in one afternoon, you could see Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Charlize Theron come right through the side door. Paps would tell me to move. Clipboards got propped over my face by autograph hounds in pursuit of a “graph”. My one dry Sharpie given to Drew Barrymore literally f*cked-up an entire signing spree, leaving everyone with faded scribbles on their memorabilia and 8×10s. I literally got booed when the infamous parched pen was traced back to me. I never asked for autographs, but I had to have Drew‘s. But clearly none of that got me down because I loved the rush so much. I couldn’t believe my luck that I’d stumbled upon this secret celebrity underworld. I’d juggle my Stargazing in-between Movies and this ignited my decision to start a website devoted entirely to the joy this brought me. To TIFF I am indebted as it has led me to you.
Over the years I’ve spent many a TIFF cramming in the Films and snapping stars around town and I thought with the talent and fans staying safe right now in the Pandemic – as they should – I thought it would be fun to share some of my favourite snaps from over the years!
I think it’s hard to dispute why TIFF is the world’s greatest Film Festival and I have the photos to prove it. The red carpets won’t be rolled-out and my camera sits on the shelf this year. While things aren’t the same this Festival, we are hopeful for what’s to come next year as we adapt to our new normal. Be safe everyone, and be sure to bookmark this page and check regularly for our #TIFF20 coverage.
xMr. Will
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It’s that time of the year again! We admit TIFF ’20 couldn’t gave come any sooner as it is the highlight of our year every year. While our expectations have been managed of a reduced Festival in light of our current climate, we still plan to celebrate the best Film Festival in the world however we can. We understand the star power won’t be here in the City like previous years, but we are still excited to deliver you content just as you were there with us at the Festival! We’ve got our Films picked-out and look forward to bringing you highlights from some star-studded In-Conversations with the likes of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Saoirse Ronan and more, plus daily reviews of the Festival’s most-buzzed titles! Team Mr. Will are thrilled to deliver you our best coverage just like we do every year, even if on a different scale!
We spoke to The Toronto Sun‘s Jane Stevenson about how this year’s set-up impacts our plans here.
First are foremost we’d like to thank our partners, returning and new this year.
H&M CANADA – H&M still remains our favourite fashion go-to year after year and while there are a limited number of physical events to attend this year, we’re still honoured to showcase pieces from their Fall/Winter 2020 Collection! With the seasons changing, H&M wants to help you build your best and coziest Fall wardrobe. With all H&M stores officially reopened across Canada, they have great, fashionable Fall items and amazing deals happening both online and in store. We’re thrilled to rock a couple new pieces from their Fall/Winter 2020 Collection at some TIFF ’20 in-person events.
CHATIME CANADA – We are obsessed with Chatime and are delighted again this year to give our Readers and Followers a chance to win some gift vouchers. Others try, but Chatime has proven time and again to be the best Bubble Tea available and we’re thrilled they’re branching-out to several new areas for you to see what the crazy is all about! We live a walk away from a location but often just Uber Eats it in as nothing’s better than bypassing the wait! My recommendations are their Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea, Wintermelon Iced Tea or Iced Grapefruit Black Tea! Be sure to try their brand-new Tea of the Month, the Brown Rice Green Tea with Fresh Milk and also their 1 litre Super Cups Also right in-time for Mid-Autumn Festival, you also can find limited edition Mooncakes in select stores by Bake Code!
NTD APPAREL INC. – We understand safety should always come at the expense of fun and style. NTD Apparel Inc.’s official licensed merchandise are available at several retailers like Winners, Walmart, Canadian Tire and more! We offered you a chance to win some JAWS and BACK TO THE FUTURE face coverings in July and those were a huge hit!
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT – One of our favourite purveyor of cinematic hits has in recent months brought us our favourites on Home Entertainment including Bad Boys For Life, Little Women, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Bloodshot and more!
ACURA CANADA – As TIFF this year while largely is digital, it will include a Drive-In component, more than ever do we need an amazing ride for the task. We’ll be arriving in style TIFF ’20 in the 2020 ACURA ILX TECH A-SPEC! We’ve already got a few Premieres on our schedule that we’ll enjoy in the ILX and we can’t wait to take you along with us for the ride!
NINJA KITCHEN CANADA – One of the joys of our pandemic has been sharpening our culinary skills and we were excited to launch a Cooking section on our website and the feedback has been amazing! Never did we realize before how much the Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer would elevate and simplify our cooking experience. We’ve made everything from Roast Chicken to Doughnuts to Steak and it is a joy to know we can have our favourite Sweet Potato Fries whenever we want now! Being home at TIFF this year more than ever for screenings, we appreciate the value of good food at home while we’re screening the Festival’s hottest titles.
STARBUCKS CANADA – Starbucks was a part of my daily life before the pandemic and it broke my heart that being home meant I couldn’t have my Starbucks every day. We’re so happy their stores are open again full-service and right in time for Pumpkin Spice Latte season – our favourite thing to have every TIFF, iced or hot! And don’t forget to try their brand-new Apple Oat Flat White. The ever-popular Oat Beverage is now available as a dairy alternative!
HAPPY HAND SANITIZER – More than ever before do we depend on staying safe with some sanitizer. Available at retailers like Well.ca and Whole Foods, Happy Hand Sanitizer sprays on easy, moisturizes, dries quick and is unscented. Best of all, it isn’t goopy like many others on the market. It also is safe for continued daily use at 80% alcohol and available in 2 and 8 oz. bottles. We don’t go anywhere without it! And best of all, it’s Canadian-made!
More excitingly, we’re thrilled to give our lucky Readers a chance to enjoy some of the products our partners offer! One lucky Readers will win our MR. WILL’S TIFF SURVIVAL PRIZE PACK which is an annual highlight. This year, the prize is more thrilling than ever!
The Prize Pack includes:
1 Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer, 3.8L (value $189 CAN)
4 Chatime Canada Gift Drink Vouchers with official Chatime Reusable Straws (value $60 CAN)
$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card (value $25 CAN)
1 H&M Canada VIP Discount Card, good for 25% off
1 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada Blu-ray™ Set including: Bad Boys For Life, Little Women, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Bloodshot! (value $125)
NTD Apparel Inc. official licensed BACK TO THE FUTURE and JAWS Face Coverings (value $25)
2 2 oz. bottles of HAPPY Hand Sanitizer (value $15)
A total value of at least $500 CAN! If the drawn winner is from the Great Toronto Area, I will hand-deliver the package to you during TIFF ’20.
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. You can Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw or tag two friends on this Post on our Instagram for an extra chance! You must be following and we will be verifying!
Even if you don’t win the Prize Pack, we’ve got some goodies to give away on our Social Media throughout the Fest!
#TIFF20 runs September 10-20, 2020.
Happy TIFF, everyone!
Team Mr. Will
Official TIFF ’20 selection AMMONITE gets its first official Trailer. We know many of you like us are excited about this!
Synopsis:
1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
See the Trailer:
AMMONITE is in theatres this November via Elevation Pictures.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
More exciting TIFF ’20 announcements today were made including additional In Conversation With… talks, Special Events, and Short Cuts. Above this, the People’s Choice Awards will be returning again this year, plus the new IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards and Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose.
In Conversation With… Halle Berry
This conversation delves into all aspects of Berry’s experience directing Bruised, in which she also stars, and will also provide a first-person discussion about her groundbreaking film and television career that spans 30 years. As previously announced, this event is part of TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative in support of women behind and in front of the camera.
In Conversation With… Claire Denis & Barry Jenkins
Prolific French auteur Claire Denis and Oscar-winning writer-director Barry Jenkins come together for a conversation that’s been years in the making.
In Conversation With… Ava DuVernay
Oscar-nominated multi-hyphenate Ava DuVernay discusses art, activism, and Black Lives Matter in this intimate conversation.
Presented by BRON
In Conversation With… Saoirse Ronan
Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan discusses her powerhouse performances over the past decade that have catapulted her to international fame.
In Conversation With… Barry Levinson & Denzel Washington
Master filmmaker Barry Levinson discusses the art of directing with Denzel Washington in this conversation between two Academy Award winners.
Presented by BRON
In Conversation With… D-Nice & Anthony Mandler
Club Quarantine founder D-Nice and Anthony Mandler, one of the most influential music-video directors of our time, discuss the power of music and film.
Presented by BRON
Above this a variety of intriguing Special Events have been announced as well:
Underplayed Stacey Lee | Canada
The Boy from Medellín Matthew Heineman | USA
The Truffle Hunters Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw | Italy/USA/Greece
The Water Man David Oyelowo | USA
Wolfwalkers Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart | Ireland/Luxembourg/France
BLACK LIVES MATTER events will be front and center as Co-Head Cameron Bailey‘s PLANET AFRICA Programme returns after first debuting 25 years ago. Other offerings include:
Akilla’s Escape Charles Officer | Canada
Downstream to Kinshasa (En route pour le milliard) Dieudo Hamadi | Democratic Republic of the Congo/France/Belgium
40 Years A Prisoner Tommy Oliver | USA
The Way I See It Dawn Porter | USA
A wide variety of voices and genres are represented in this Short Film Programme at TIFF.
4 North A Jordan Canning, Howie Shia | Canada
Aniksha Vincent Toi | Canada
The Archivists Igor Drljača | Canada
As Spring Comes (Comme la neige au printemps) Marie-Ève Juste | Canada
Benjamin, Benny, Ben Paul Shkordoff | Canada
Black Bodies Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Canada
David Zach Woods | USA
Drought Remi Itani | Lebanon
Dustin Naïla Guiguet | France
Every Day’s Like This Lev Lewis | Canada
Found Me David Findlay | Canada
The Game (Das Spiel) Roman Hodel | Switzerland
History of Civilization (История Цивилизации) Zhannat Alshanova | Kazakhstan
In Sudden Darkness Tayler Montague | USA
Loose Fish Francisco Canton, Pato Martinez | Morocco/USA/Argentina
Marlon Brando Vincent Tilanus | Netherlands
Mountain Cat (Shiluus) Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir | Mongolia/United Kingdom
Navozande, the musician Reza Riahi | France
O Black Hole! Renee Zhan | United Kingdom
Our Hearts Beat Like War (Zchuhit Bayam) Elinor Nechemya | Israel
Pilar Yngwie Boley, Diana van Houten, J.J. Epping | Netherlands/Belgium
Point and Line to Plane Sofia Bohdanowicz | Canada/USA/Iceland/Russia
The Price of Cheap Rent Amina Sutton, Maya Tanaka | USA
RKLSS Tank Standing Buffalo | Canada
Rules for Werewolves Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux | Canada/USA
Scars Alex Anna | Canada/France
Sër Bi (Les Tissus Blancs) Moly Kane | France/Senegal
Shooting Star (Comme une comète) Ariane Louis-Seize | Canada
Sing Me a Lullaby Tiffany Hsiung | Canada
Sinking Ship (La Naufrage) Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada
Stephanie Leonardo van Dijl | Belgium
Still Processing Sophy Romvari | Canada
Strong Son Ian Bawa | Canada
Succor Hannah Cheesman | Canada
Tie (Elo) Alexandra Ramires | Portugal/France
The Water Walker James Burns | United States
The winner of this coveted Award – now in its 45th year – will be announced Sunday, September 20, 2020.
Films programmed in this year’s Short Cuts selection are eligible for three jury-selected IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards: Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each prize is valued at $10,000. These will be announced Sunday, September 20, 2020.
These awards will be presented to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. Three BIPOC and Canadian Filmmakers will be award $10,000 each.
For more information and how tickets can be purchased, click here.
The official Film Schedule also now is available here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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)
Chinese-born and L.A.-based Filmmaker Chloé Zhao won accolades with 2017’s The Rider and since then has signed-on to direct Marvel’s The Eternals. Coming next is her Film, NOMADLAND starring and produced by Frances McDormand which will be doing the Festival rounds at at the New York, Venice and Toronto International Film Festival. The latter two will premiere on September 11, 2020. Telluride also will be hosting a special Drive-In Screening in lieu of their Festival being cancelled this year.
Synopsis:
NOMADLAND marks the first project between Zhao and Searchlight and the fifth between McDormand and Searchlight. McDormand won an Oscar for her performance in Martin McDonagh’s film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which Searchlight released globally in 2017. Zhao adapted NOMADLAND from journalist Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century following McDormand and producer Peter Spears’ acquisition of the literary adaptation rights shortly after publication. The film follows Fern (McDormand), a woman who, after the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The film features real nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.
Searchlight Pictures release NOMADLAND this Fall.
(Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures)
Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Actress ALFRE WOODARD certainly is a veteran of the screen having produced a phenomenal résumé which includes St. Elsewhere, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, Scrooged, Desperate Housewives, Down in the Delta and of course, Best Picture-winning 12 Years a Slave. In addition to a celebrated career, she has been a vocal supporter in the fight against AIDS and LGBTQ rights.
Woodard made an appearance at TIFF ’19 in September for her latest, CLEMENCY which won top honours at Sundance a year ago and much more acclaim to follow. She gifted fans with another appearance tonight at TIFF Bell Lightbox in support of the Film. She did a Q&A following the Screening with TIFF’s Cameron Bailey and took her time granting Selfie requests from a sizable crowd of Fans!
See our Snap!
Clemency plays also in Toronto at The Carlton.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
2019 was a remarkable year in Cinema. More than ever are we seeing Netflix and female Directors at the forefront and you will see this in the Team’s year’s best. Once again we are thrilled to share our favourites with you and would love to see how these align with your own personal faves. If you haven’t caught-up yet on your 2019 viewing, we hope the Team gives you some inspiration for your Holiday viewing!
Enjoy the rest of your Holidays and to an even more amazing 2020!
Team Mr. Will
(There in spirit: Amanda Gilmore, Siobhán Rich)
A farewell to beloved Thompson Diner, where we held our 2019 Holiday Brunch.
AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda on Twitter)
In my opinion, this year has been one of the strongest years in Film for a VERY long time. We had amazing diverse creative talents in front and behind the camera who have worked together to make outstanding work, which is precisely why making this Top Ten list has been extremely difficult for me. I would love to write a Top 30 list if I was allowed, but sadly I’m not. Because of this, I have made my list according to my favourite films of the year that I could also re-watch multiple times for years to come. I have also added some honourable mentions because let’s face it, this year was flipping awesome!
DISCLAIMER: I have yet to see 1917 at the time of writing this list.
The Films below are listed in alphabetical order, they are not ranked.
Booksmart
Honey Boy
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Knives Out
Late Night
Little Women
Marriage Story
Parasite
Us
Honourable Mentions:
The Peanut Butter Falcon: an extremely touching and unique coming-of-age story.
Ready Or Not: an inventive thriller with one wickedly funny and badass female lead.
Rocketman: I LOVE Elton John and this film was a knockout!
JONATHAN GODFREY (@FFCottage on Instagram)
Written in order the release, the following are my faves for 2019: winter began with If Beale Street Could Talk, a tale of struggle set to a mesmerizing score. Next, Alita: Battle Angel, a great anime adaptation with mesmerizing MOCAP (Motion Capture) work. Spring brought Toy Story 4, a 3D spectacle for the ages; and Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, another spectacular Script from Tarantino. IT Chapter 2 scared me silly this summer, and A Hidden Life was my TIFF ’19 darling. Fall brought with it a Trilogy of favorites: the powerful performance piece, Joker; the breathtaking animation of Frozen 2; and of course, a forever favorite, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Winter has returned, and with it, Little Women, a wondrous adaption to warm this holiday season. I have high hopes for 2020, including: Dune, Tenet, Mulan, No Time to Die and Bill & Ted Face the Music.
GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG on Twitter)
2019 was a banner year for me, watching movies in a darkened theatre. I saw many impressive features from either first-time Directors or from established awards winners. Netflix, the little distribution company that could, released movies that were eclectic in genres and superior in quality and for the second year in a row, one of its offerings made my list as Number One. I saw movies that bored deeply into my skin and heart and mind and soul. It is with apologies to the Christmas releases that I have yet to see (Little Women, Bombshell, 1917, Uncut Gems) and too many Honorable Mentions to list that I submit my Top Ten of 2019:
1. Marriage Story
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Waves
4. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
5. Parasite
6. The Irishman
7. Knives Out
8. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
9. Joker
10. Rocketman
JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews on Twitter)
2019 has certainly been an interesting year for movies. We saw the end of The Skywalker Saga, the warfare between Netflix and Distributors continues to grow increasingly-tense, Scorsese and Iger are teasing a conversation. Movies had more surprises this year, and there have been some genuinely heartwarming and enlightening movies this year. In alphabetical order here are my top 10 movies to end out the decade.
Booksmart
Olivia Wilde directing Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever may have been the most unexpected, most hilarious thing I have seen all year but this Movie is endlessly-fantastic. It is the only Movie I have seen countless times this year, it became an instant classic for myself, that will be adored for the ages.
Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi in my mind can do no wrong when it comes to filmmaking. Ragnarok, What We Do In The Shadows,and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Waititi constantly delivers genuinely heartwarming and hilarious movies. Jojo Rabbit is no exception to that, the WWII satire is everything I expected of it and more.
Joker
I love some brilliant Joaquin. I love me some Joker. I just love this Movie. It is haunting and ingenious, but please for everything that makes this great, do not make a Sequel.
Knives Out
This Whodunit was one of the biggest questions from this Agatha Christie-esque film. It was marvelously-acted, packs a punch, and let’s face it, were all obsessing about knitted sweaters now.
The Lighthouse
I couldn’t begin to tell you what I thought I was getting myself into when I went to see this. All I can tell you is that it is one of the strangest, brilliant movies I’ve seen all year and I still think about it all these months later.
Little Women
Moment of truth, this was my first Little Women and what Greta Gerwig manages to do with it is nothing short of inspiring. However when you have Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Saoirse Ronan its also hard not to be delighted the entire time.
Midsommar
This was horrifying. Ari Aster still manages to haunt me with his brilliant Horror Film. The Director’s Cut is significantly better than the theatrical cut as well, as well as more haunting when you pay attention to the background. There is nothing else to say.
Parasite
If you’ve seen it, you know EXACTLY why its on the list. If you have not, why are you waiting? Stop reading immediately and go see the Movie. There is literally no reason not to. It is brilliant and deserves all the acclaim.
Uncut Gems
Give Sandman everything. This Movie is neurotic, anxiety-inducing acid and you cannot look away. I felt dirty after watching the Movie, but I can’t shake it. Adam Sandler has never delivered a better performance.
Waves
This Movie broke me, is the easiest way to put it. It is beautiful, it is tragic, it is heartwarming, it is heartbreaking. This Movie launches a rocket right into the feelings and explodes on impact.
2020, you’re the start of a new decade, you better deliver as well as if not better than 2019.
DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin on Twitter)
1. Parasite
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Marriage Story
4. The Farewell
5. Us
6. Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood
7. Honey Boy
8. Blinded By The Light
9. 1917
10. Booksmart
2019 will go down as one of the best years for Film this decade – maybe even the singular best one. There is so much to say about these ten brilliant Films, and even more to say about the multitude of films that did not make this list. Yes, many will remember this year for the end of The Avengers and Star Wars Sagas. But others will remember it for the magnificent new discoveries that were made, for the masters making some of their best work to date and for the actors we completely wrote-off giving us plenty of reasons to remember them again. I lived, breathed and loved so many movies this year. And know that with the impending birth of my first child, that so much about next year and the next decade of my filmgoing life is going to be so drastically different. So it might just be the nostalgia talking, but I doubt I will ever see another exquisite year of Cinema like this ever again.
Mr. Will’s 2019 Best-Of List is here.
(Photo credit: Netflix/Fox Searchlight/MK2/Mongrel Media/Sony Pictures/Mr. Will Wong)
TIFF x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’19 selection, MARRIAGE STORY.
Synopsis:
Revisiting some of the themes that made his Oscar-nominated TIFF 2005 selection The Squid and the Whale so resonant, writer-director Noah Baumbach digs deep into divorce with Marriage Story. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver some of their richest work as a couple whose once enviable union crumbles under the weight of mounting resentments and divergent needs.
Charlie (Driver) is a playwright who wants to stay in New York. Nicole (Johansson) is an actor who’s landed a coveted television role that requires her to relocate to Los Angeles. Their geographical dispute tests an already strained relationship. As Marriage Story begins, the couple’s divorce is already underway, with each enlisting legal squads deploying various tactics.
Yet Baumbach’s elegant narrative goes back and forth through time, showing how Charlie and Nicole fell in love and built a life together alongside a detailed, blow-by-blow chronicle of their marital dismantling.
Baumbach‘s wise script goes from Bergmanesque drama, to dark comedy, to surges of suspense, and is complemented by the intimate 35mm camerawork of Robbie Ryan (who also shot Baumbach‘s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)), and by the precise, lived-in performances not only of Driver and Johansson, but also of Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta.
Marriage Story may have an ironic title, but its divorce proceedings double as a moving post-mortem. Sometimes our most profound life choices begin to cohere only in retrospect.
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MARRIAGE STORY opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox Friday, November 22, 2019.
(Photo credit: Netflix)
TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!
See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:
1. Renée Zellweger
2. Meryl Streep
3. Tom Hanks
4. Jennifer Lopez
5. Kristen Stewart
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#TIFF19: #KristenStewart winning raves for her work in #Seberg. #TIFF #KStew #HuaweiP30Pro
6. Joaquin Phoenix
#TIFF19: #JoaquinPhoenix at the #TIFF Premiere of #Joker. pic.twitter.com/uha0WlQXbc
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
7. Eddie Murphy
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#TIFF19: Comedy legend #EddieMurphy at #TIFF with #DolemiteismyName! #HuaweiP30Pro
8. Bruce Springsteen
9. Taika Waititi
10. The Cast of Knives Out
Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.
See all our sightings and reviews here.
A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.
CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.
ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall. Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart! Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.
Proud to call the gorgeous and flashy #AcuraTLX Elite my vehicle of choice for #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/xQLNVOXJLJ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 4, 2019
HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.
H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie, he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails. Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!
Bruce Springsteen spotted at Weslodge in advance of his Western Stars Premiere. Toldja it would be a hotspot #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/adRFFJyH34
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 12, 2019
STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!
DUFFLET PASTRIES – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!
Always got time for @duffletpastries. RT for a chance to #win a free cake! #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/NXjpP0DGmt
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!
CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!
Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!
TIFF19: We love you guys and appreciate all your support these past ten years so much!! Congrats to Mike, who won our #TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition! pic.twitter.com/bVYOB9r3Fn
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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