Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After premiering earlier this year in Santa Barbara, Writer/Producer/Director/Star Emilio Estevez has brought The Public to TIFF. Stuart (Estevez) is a supervisor at the Cincinnati Public Library. One cold evening, homeless Jackson (Michael K. Williams) stages a sit-in with a large number of other homeless patrons. They refuse to leave, and after the doors are barricaded shut, news of the situation quickly reaches the police and local television media – and only becomes bigger from there.
Estevez admirably tackles a number of topics and ideas within The Public. But from the very beginning, the Film has trouble honing in on where to properly focus. The sit-in that forms the crux of the Plot does not take place until nearly 45-minutes into two-hour Film, and everything that comes afterwards feels very long and drawn-out. The sprawling Ensemble Cast do the best with what they are given (especially Williams and Christian Slater as a slimy mayoral candidate), but many are cast aside after they serve their characters’ purpose. With some choice edits, The Public could easily become a much stronger Film.
The Public screens on Sunday, September 9 at 2:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall, Monday, September 10 at 10:30AM at Winter Garden Theatre, and Friday, September 14 at 4:15PM at Elgin Theatre.
By Mr. Will Wong
TIFF ’18 officially has reached its cooling point, but that doesn’t mean that Day Six wasn’t filled to the brim with starpower! Ryan Gosling was out and about promoting FIRST MAN with his Castmates and Director Damien Chazelle, while Nicole Kidman continued to do the rounds for her latest, BOY ERASED. While TIFF ’18 heavyweight Lucas Hedges couldn’t make it to Toronto to promote his three Films at the Festival, it was a pleasant surprise that Singer/Songwriter/YouTuber Troye Sivan could make it for the Film in which he stars. Also, you might want to know about Sundance breakout hit ASSASSINATION NATION which premiered to much fanfare at Ryerson Theatre for Midnight Madness, as we expect this one to catch on in this post-#MeToo climate.
See who was saw!
FIRST MAN – Ryan Gosling, Damien Chazelle, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Olivia Hamilton, Patrick Fugit x Corey Stoll
BOY ERASED – Nicole Kidman, Troye Sivan x Joel Edgerton, an Australian triple!
COLETTE – Keira Knightley x Dominic West
VITA AND VIRGINIA – Elizabeth Debicki
ASSASSINATION NATION – Odessay Young, Suki Waterhouse, Abra and Hari Nef
Expect things to start slowing down in terms of star-spotting, but we look forward to focusing on the Films of the Festival!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
Sam Levinson’s women empowerment to the power-of-four Film Assassination Nation is a violent, visceral, eye opening look at what it’s like to be a female teenager in the modern age with a bloody twist. Coming off the positive word of mouth from Sundance, it is no wonder why people loved this Film. It is an absolute blast and insanely entertaining, the Midnight Madness crowd is sure to devour the Film with absolute delight.
The Film centers around Lily (Odessa Young), Hari Nef (Bex), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse) and Em (Abra) as they’re the “it” girls around high school. A hacker slowly starts to leak info about the residents of Salem, and it turns into a witch hunt massacre.
Assassination Nation screens on Tuesday September 11, 10:45 PM at the Ryerson and Wednesday, September 12 at 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Boy Erased follows Jared (Lucas Hedges) who is a son of a Baptist Pastor (Russell Crowe) in a small town. When Jared gets ousted to his parents his father tells him he can either attend a gay Conversion Therapy Program or be exiled from their family. Boy Erased is the second Feature for Actor-Director Joel Edgerton and will have its World Premiere TIFF ‘18 in the Special Presentations Programme.
Lucas Hedges lands a career-defining role as Jared as he displays a wide range of emotion in his often subtle performance. Nicole Kidman, who plays Jared’s mother, gives a complex and perfect performance. With Boy Erased, it is obvious that Edgerton has clear vision and message when he makes his Films, and we need more of them.
Boy Erased screens Tuesday, September 11 at 9 PM at Princess Of Wales, Wednesday, September 12 at 2:30 PM at Princess Of Wales and Saturday, September 15 at 12 PM at Roy Thompson Hall.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Léo (2015 TIFF Rising Star Karelle Tremblay) is an angst-ridden teenager reaching the final end of high school in her small, industrial Quebec town. She dreams of life outside of the sleepy town that doesn’t self-fulfill her, however, often surprises her. The Fireflies Are Gone will be having its North American Premiere at TIFF in the Contemporary World Cinema Programme.
Like previous Films directed and written by Sébastien Pilote, The Fireflies Are Gone depicts the struggles people living in changing rural Quebec towns are facing. What sets this one apart from his previous works is the magnetic performance from Karelle Tremblay, who plays Léo with equal amounts malaise and curiosity.
The Fireflies Are Gone screens at TIFF Tuesday, September 11 at 6:30 PM at Scotiabank 13 and Wednesday, September 12 at 4:15 PM at Scotiabank 4.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Non-Fiction follows Parisian publisher Alain (Guillaume Canet), who is looking into changing his current publishing ways for a new media landscape, and his successful actor-wife Serena (Juliette Binoche). It is coming to TIFF in the Special Presentations Programme for its Canadian Premiere after playing the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews.
Writer-Director Olivier Assayas has crafted a powerful Script about the ever-changing media and how it ultimately changes the interactions and personalities of us in the process. Canet and Binoche are cast perfectly as husband and wife who have slowly changed their feelings towards each other just as media slowly has changed us.
Non-Fiction screens Tuesday, September 11 at 4:30 PM at Elgin Theatre and Wednesday, September 12 at 9:30 AM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Her Smell tells the story of a self-destructive female Punk Rock musician, Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss), who seems determined to alienate those around her and threatens the success of her band. This is the fourth feature for Director Alex Ross Perry and will have its World Premiere in the Platform Programme at TIFF ’18.
Moss gives an all-or-nothing performance as Becky. It’s a demanding performance that most actors wouldn’t dare to take-on, let alone execute perfectly. Perry’s direction takes the audience on a punk rock ride and challenges the depth to which they are willing to watch. Overall, it’s one hell of a ride that you will be happy you took.
Her Smell screens at TIFF on Sunday, September 9 at 5:45 PM at Winter Garden Theatre, Tuesday, September 11 at 12 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Friday, September 14 at 9:15 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
This Film is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), who has spent most of his life robbing banks, in prison or escaping from prison. The Film takes place when he is in his seventies and still can’t resist the urge to rob banks, because it’s the one thing that always puts a smile on his face. The Old Man & The Gun will have its international Premiere at TIFF ’18 and has received rave reviews from other Festivals this season.
Writer-Director David Lowery takes the Crime-Drama genre and puts a fresh spin on it. Shooting on 16MM film, The Old Man & The Gun gives the perfect amount of nostalgia for the old-school crime movies, however, his use of dialogue and camera techniques makes this Film feel fresh and new. Lowery has gathered a group of talented Actors, such as Redford, Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck (who is arguably at his best as Detective John Hunt), who elevate his already rich Script.
The Old Man & The Gun screens at TIFF on Monday, September 10 at 8 PM at Elgin Theatre, Tuesday, September 11 at 1 PM at Elgin Theatre, Thursday, September 13 at 6 PM at Ryerson Theatre, and Friday, September 14 at 6 PM at Princess of Wales.
By Mr. Will Wong
As TIFF ’18 reaches its halfway mark, we still are buzzing with starpower, but this is nearing the calming point of the Festival! One big dilemma – it wouldn’t stop raining today which affected our mobility, but we still tried our best! Marquee titles like A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, based on the Bestseller by James Frey, DESTROYER for which Nicole Kidman once again is getting Oscars buzz and of course FIRST MAN starring Ryan Gosling, all debuted this evening. See who we spotted out and about today!
DIAMOND TRIBUTE
We were so honoured once again to be on the jury for the BIRKS DIAMOND TRIBUTE honouring the accomplishments of Canadian Women in Film. Held at Ricardo’s, the event saw Writers, Producers, Actresses and Directors honoured for their body of work. Honourees this year include: Christa Dickenson, Nettie Wild, Susan Coyne, Stella Megie, Jeanne Leblanc, Pascale Bussières, Tantoo Cardinal, Eva Hartling and Jean-Christophe Bedos.
PARIS HILTON x CHRIS ZYLKA
A PRIVATE WAR – Jamie Dornan x Rosamund Pike
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#JamieDornan x #RosamundPike at #TIFF18 for #APrivateWar. #TIFF #torontointernationalfilmfestival
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES – Aaron Taylor-Johnson
WHAT THEY HAD – Hillary Swank, Robert Forster
GREEN BOOK – Mahershala Ali
ROMA – Alfonso Cuáron
WHERE HANDS TOUCH – Amandla Stenberg, Abbie Cornish, Amma Asante x George Mackay
SHADOW – Zhang Yimou x Ryan Zheng
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Matt (Jeff Gladstone) is fragile and suicidal. He just found out his wife Lori (Colleen Rennison) is cheating on him and that she just so happens to be pregnant. As his life begins to crumble, his mother Marion (Gabrielle Rose) and sister Jess (Camille Sullivan) attempt to keep him from breaking any further, all while trying to forge ahead with their own love lives.
It may not sound like much of a Romantic Comedy, but veteran TIFF director Bruce Sweeney does his very best to keep the proceedings as darkly-comedic, quirky and vaguely romantic as possible. There is some genuine heart and raw emotion on display here (mostly from Sullivan), but the focus is disjointed and all over the place for the first two-thirds of the Movie. Once everything starts to come together in the third and Sweeney does away with all the superfluous characters, Kingsway really comes into its own and becomes a genuine slice of Canadiana. I just wish it got there faster.
KINGSWAY screens Monday, September 10, 7:15 PM, Jackman Hall [World Premiere], Thursday, September 13, 5:45 PM, Scotiabank Theatre and Saturday, September 15, 9:00AM, Scotiabank Theatre.
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