Selena Gomez fans won’t want to miss this! Her upcoming Documentary, SELENA GOMEZ: MY MIND & ME is directed by Alk Keshishian, who brought us iconic MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE and it arrives on Apple TV+ November 4, 2022.

Synopsis:

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

As a recording artist, Gomez has sold more than 210 million singles worldwide and amassed over 45 billion global streams of her music. This year, she received a Grammy nomination for her first all-Spanish EP and an Emmy nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed series “Only Murders in the Building,” in which she stars opposite Steve Martin and Martin Short. 

Alek Keshishian directed the most successful documentary of its time – the iconic, critically acclaimed film “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” still regarded as one of the most influential films of its genre.  

This film marks the second project for Apple with producers Lighthouse Management + Media and Interscope Films following their collaboration on the Emmy Award-nominated documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.”

Follow @AppleTVPlus to join the conversation on social and get updates on #MyMindAndMe.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of Jordan Peele‘s NOPE on BLU-RAY™!

Synopsis:

Jordan Peele reimagines the summer movie with NOPE, an expansive epic of uncanny science fiction. Following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself.

With the purchase of NOPE on digital or disc, fans are eligible to earn points towards digital movies via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. Members can redeem their points for digital movies, swag and more!  For registration and details please visit www.MyUniversalRewards.com.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAY™, DVD & DIGITAL:

• SHADOWS: THE MAKING OF NOPE* – Unpack the meaning of NOPE with Jordan Peele. Secrets are revealed with this 56-minute immersion exploring the film’s unanswered questions, taking you on an intimate journey inside every aspect of production and offering a detailed look at Peele’s revolutionary filmmaking process.
• DELETED SCENES – Watch five unreleased scenes from NOPE
• GAG REEL – A highlight reel of bloopers and outtakes featuring main cast 
• CALL HIM JEAN JACKET – The object of the Haywood siblings’ fascination is an entity known only as “Jean Jacket.” Filmmakers provide insights into the conception, design, and execution of this mysterious organism.
• MYSTERY MAN OF MUYBRIDGE – A deep dive into THE HORSE IN MOTION by Eadweard Muybridge, its relationship to the Haywoods, and how it relates to the larger themes in NOPE.
  *Not on DVD

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, and in the comments there, please indicate your City. Re-Tweet the below for another chance!

Rules and regulations here.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release NOPE digitally on SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 and
4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™ and DVD OCTOBER 25, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Screening Passes to see SMILE.

Synopsis:

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

TORONTO

Date: Wednesday, September 28th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas and VIP

VANCOUVER

Date: Wednesday, September 28th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

MONTREAL – ENG

Date: Wednesday, September 28th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Scotiabank Theatre Montreal

MONTREAL – FRENCH

Date: Wednesday, September 28th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Cinéma Starcité Montréal

EDMONTON

Date: Wednesday, September 28th

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, and in the comments there, please indicate your City. Re-Tweet the below for another chance!

Rules and regulations here.

Paramount Pictures Canada release SMILE September 30, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

Hot off its People’s Choice Award win at the TIFF ’22, Steven Spielberg‘s autobiographical THE FABELMANS has a new Trailer.

Synopsis:

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans is written by Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Caroline, or Change), who has earned Oscar® nominations for his screenplays for Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich. The film is produced by three-time Oscar® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger p.g.a. (West Side Story, The Post), Steven Spielberg p.g.a. and Tony Kushner p.g.a. The film is executive produced by Carla Raij (Maestro, co-producer West Side Story) and Josh McLaglen (Free Guy, Logan).

The film stars Gabriel LaBelle (The Predator, American Gigolo series) as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman; four-time Academy Award® nominee Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn) as his artistic mother, Mitzi; Paul Dano (The Batman, There Will Be Blood) as his successful, scientific father, Burt; Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs, An American Pickle) as Bennie Loewy, Burt’s best friend and honorary “uncle” to the Fabelman children, and Academy Award® nominee Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Ordinary People) as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris.

The ensemble cast includes Oscar® nominee Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid, Inherent Vice) as Sammy’s paternal grandmother, Hadassah Fabelman; Julia Butters (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, 13 Hours) as Sammy’s sister Reggie; Robin Bartlett (Moonstruck, Lean on Me) as Sammy’s maternal grandmother Tina Schildkraut and Keeley Karsten (Hunters, Evil Lives Here) as Sammy’s sister Natalie.

The music is by five-time Academy Award® winner John Williams (Schindler’s List, Jaws), the costume designer is two-time Oscar® winner Mark Bridges (The Artist, Phantom Thread) and the production designer is two-time Oscar® winner Rick Carter (Lincoln, Avatar). The Fabelmans is edited by three-time Academy Award® winner Michael Kahn ACE (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) and Sarah Broshar (West Side Story, The Post). The film’s director of photography is two-time Academy Award® winner Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan).

Universal Pictures Canada release THE FABELMANS November 23, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Woodbine fans got a huge treat this past weekend as 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner MODERN GAMES made his way to our world-famous E.P. Taylor turf course to take the $1-million Grade I Woodbine Mile in a romp. The Dubawi colt owned by Godolphin and trained by Charles Appleby, was guided to a 5 1/4-length win under world-travelling jockey William Buick in a speedy time of 1:32.77, as the prohibitive race favourite. With everything going according to plan, he should be at Keeneland in November for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Second and third respectively were second-choice IVAR, and FINEST SOUND. Wagering on the race card totalled a healthy $11.7 million, even with one race cancelled end of day due to unforseen circumstances.

The latter part of the card on Saturday was crammed with stakes action, as part of Woodbine‘s involvement with the Breeders’ Cup Win-and-You’re In program. Winners from the three marquee Grade I races, the Woodbine Mile, Summer and Natalma Stakes each earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup, Horse Racing’s championship days of racing slated for November 4th and 5th.

The combination of Godolphin x Appleby x Buick nabbed Grade I glory earlier on the card in the $500k Summer Stakes with two-year-old Irish-bred Dark Angel colt, MYSTERIOUS NIGHT. Like his stablemate, he scored by just over five lengths, and is pointed next to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the same race MODERN GAMES had won last year.

LAST CALL broke her maiden in style at 21-1 odds, winning the Grade I Natalma Stakes, also valued at $500k. The English Channel filly owned by X-Men Racing 2 LLC and SF Racing LLC, is trained by Kevin Attard, winning with a late sweep to score by a length.

Famed Canadian Geologist Charles Fipke made a rare appearance at Woodbine this weekend and did he ever pick the right weekend to come! He, Trainer Roger Attfield and Emma-Jayne Wilson proved an amazing combo taking a pair of Grade III stakes with LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE in the Seaway Stakes, and READY FOR THE LADY in the Singspiel Stakes on the Sunday card. The former is a perfect three-for-three at Woodbine this season and actually took the Natalma Stakes two years back, and continues to be incredibly consistent.

A couple other notable moments:

Upcoming major races at Woodbine include the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Stakes on October 2nd and also the Grade I E.P. Taylor Stakes October 8th.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

We don’t believe the Festival’s about to wrap! What a year it was with lots of amazing new memories created. We admit with the first weekend of the Festival being so frenetic, it really came down to being everywhere all at once. And everywhere we were. And if it weren’t that way, would it be TIFF? Exactly.

Just highlighting some amazing moments for us at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival this year, all taken on the Samsung S22.

TAYLOR SWIFT IN-CONVERSATION with Sadie Sink

HARRY STYLES AT THE PREMIERE OF “MY POLICEMAN”

BRENDAN FRASER AT THE PREMIERE OF “THE WHALE”

TILDA SWINTON AT TIFF FOR “THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER”

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AT THE PREMIERE OF “WEIRD”

VIOLA DAVIS & THE CAST OF “THE WOMAN KING”

OLIVIA COLMAN AT TIFF FOR “EMPIRE OF LIGHT”

CLAIRE FOY AT THE PREMIERE FOR “WOMEN TALKING”

BILL NIGHY AT TIFF WITH “LIVING”

PAUL MESCAL AT TIFF FOR “CARMEN” AND “AFTERSUN”

GABRIEL LABELLE AT TIFF FOR “THE FABELMANS”

HUGH JACKMAN AT TIFF FOR “THE SON”

LILY TOMLIN AT TIFF FOR “MOVING ON”

NICOLAS CAGE AT TIFF FOR “BUTCHER’S CROSSING”

BILLY EICHNER AT TIFF FOR “BROS”

MIA GOTH AT TIFF FOR “PEARL”

SADIE SINK AT TIFF FOR “THE WHALE”

HARRIS DICKINSON AT TIFF FOR “TRIANGLE OF SADNESS”

LEE JUNG-JAE AT THE PREMIERE OF “HUNT”

HILLARY & CHELSEA CLINTON AT TIFF FOR “GUTSY”

JESSICA CHASTAIN AT TIFF FOR “THE GOOD NURSE”

LAMAR JOHNSON AT TIFF PREMIERE OF “BROTHER”

SIR BEN KINGSLEY AT TIFF FOR CLOSING NIGHT GALA, “DALILAND”

A huge thank you to you. Whether you were following from your phones or home, or shouted “It’s Will Wong!” at me on the crowded streets of Entertainment District during the Festival, the love was felt and I appreciate you. To be called an “TIFF Icon” by the likes of BlogTO and having some of our top news outlets like CITY, CBC, The Toronto Sun and more, all come to us as a subject matter expert for the Festival is incredibly validating, and a badge I will wear proudly for our City.

So grateful for the support of our official partners of the Festival for their generosity including: Starbucks Canada, La Crema, H&M Canada, Happy Natural Products, CP24, Acura Canada, Samsung Canada, amika, boscia, Stoic Beauty and Chatime Canada. We truly couldn’t have done it without you.

So happy to award Melissa, who’s followed us for years, our amazing TIFF ’22 Surival Prize Pack:

We loved that our Readers and Followers had a chance to win Starbucks Canada and Chatime Canada Gift Cards across our Social Media channels! Only the best.

My Top Five Films of TIFF ’22:

The Whale
Bros
The Inspection
Women Talking
The Eternal Daughter

Also so thankful to our amazing Team who were amazing sending in their contributions: Amanda Gilmore, David Baldwin, George Kozera, Nicholas Porteous and Justin Waldman. Please take a moment to check-out our thoughts on the Festival’s hottest titles here.

Is it TIFF ’23 yet?

Mr. Will

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

And that’s a wrap! Award winners were announced earlier today at TIFF‘s Awards Breakfast Ceremony at LUMA Lounge. As expected, Steven Spielberg‘s autobiographical THE FABELMANS came into the Festival with a ton of fanfare and walks out with all the accoloades. This is the famed Director’s first time at TIFF in its 45 years as a Director, and he made it a big one with the Film leaving a lasting impression on audiences in its generous opportunities for fans to see it throughout the Festival.

Complete list of Winners this year:

IMDbPro SHORT CUTS AWARDS

The 2022 IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are for Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each winning film will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD and a one-year membership to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, to help them continue achieving success in their careers. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, IMDbPro empowers entertainment professionals to discover new talent and projects and has an ongoing commitment to supporting and collaboratively working with organizations that create greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry, including TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign. IMDbPro also supported the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by IMDbPro, which was presented to Brendan Fraser for his outstanding performance in The Whale at the TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser on September 11.

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of IMDbPro, we are honoured to present four TIFF Awards that so perfectly align with our mission to help entertainment industry professionals launch and grow their careers and our commitment to highlighting diverse artists and inclusive storytelling,” said Col Needham, Founder & CEO of IMDb. “We congratulate these Award recipients and all professionals whose work was featured at TIFF, and look forward to watching their careers continue to grow following this breakthrough moment.”

The winners of the three awards are: 

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film: Snow in September, dir. Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir.
Jury’s statement: “Told through a bold and sophisticated lens, this tense yet poignant portrayal follows a young man’s shift from wide-eyed boy to yearning pursuer. The jury is pleased to present the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Snow in September directed by Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir.”

Honourable Mention: 
For its wildly entertaining and incredibly realized portrait of a flight attendant’s personal crisis, the jury is very pleased to present an honourable mention for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Airhostess-737 by director Thanasis Neofotistos. Centred on Lena Papaligoura’s impressive performance, the film is an unhinged, compelling, and memorable tragicomedy.

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Simo, dir. Aziz Zoromba
Jury’s statement: “Featuring convincing, natural performances and tight direction, the film astutely plays off of narrative conventions to deliver an unexpectedly tender take on growing up in an all-male immigrant family. The jury is delighted to give the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short to Aziz Zoromba for Simo.”

Honourable Mention: 
For its intensely taut and pulsating tale following an aging delivery driver’s movement through a gritty, desperate night in the city, the jury is pleased to present an honourable mention for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film to Same Old by director Lloyd Lee Choi. 

IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award: Nanitic, dir. Carol Nguyen (2022 TIFF Filmmaker Lab)
Jury’s statement: “With skill, precision, and sensitivity, this film stood out for its delicate and assured portrayal of love and sacrifice within a multi-generational household. The jury is thrilled to give the IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Carol Nguyen for Nanitic.”

The 2022 jurors for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are Sally Lee, Thyrone Tommy, and Lisa Haller.

NETPAC AWARD

The 2022 NETPAC jury members include: Ida Yoshinaga and Diana Ashimova. TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2022 NETPAC Jury has selected Sweet As, dir. Jub Clerc as this year’s NETPAC winner. 

The 2022 NETPAC jury released the following statement: “A model road film in all aspects with great locations and a strong cast, Jub Clerc’s Sweet As convincingly tells the story of an Indigenous girl on a youth-therapy bus tour — dealing with family, friendship, inspiration and self-identity.”

FIPRESCI PRIZE

The 2022 FIPRESCI jury members include: Andrew Kendall, Marriska Fernandes, Márcio Sallem, Andrea Crozzoli, and Max Borg. The jury is delighted to announce Basil Khalil’s A Gaza Weekend as this year’s FIPRESCI winner.

The 2022 FIPRESCI jury released the following statement: “For its empathy and intelligence in capturing the zeitgeist, and with its daring approach to contemporary satire and world cinema, we award Basil Khalil’s A Gaza Weekend the 2022 FIPRESCI Prize. Basil Khalil’s direction finds space for the more sorrowful, more tender moments of interpersonal crises even as he deftly escalates the bawdy humour on display, capturing the nature of survival as very serious and very funny business for these characters.”

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE 

Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including technique and passion that transports storytelling to the screen. This year, Canada Goose presents the Amplify Voices Awards to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. All feature films in Official Selection by emerging filmmakers who are Black or Indigenous or persons of colour and Canadian, were eligible for these awards, and the three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.

The three Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose winners are:

Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: To Kill A Tiger, dir. Nisha Pahuja
Jury’s statement: “It’s not easy to film love. In Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill A Tiger, a father defends his daughter, and together they change a village, a country and, maybe, the world.”

Special Mention for Best Canadian Feature Film: Viking, dir. Stéphane Lafleur
Jury’s statement: “The jury would like to acknowledge Stéphane Lafleur’s brilliant satire, Viking, exploring the intersection of technology and ego.”

Amplify Voices Award: Leonor Will Never Die, dir. Martika Ramirez Escobar
Jury’s statement: “Leonor Will Never Die, for its original voice, made by a fearless filmmaker who knows how to bring the fun and an incredible lead performance. This film is truly one of one.”

Amplify Voices Award: While We Watched, dir. Vinay Shukla
Jury’s statement: “While We Watched is a compelling, urgent film that collapses our differences. It is a wake-up call to how perilous and fragile the relationship between a free press and democracy is everywhere.”

Special Mention for Best Feature from an Emerging BIPOC Filmmaker: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, dir. Madison Thomas.
Jury’s statement: The jury would also like to give special mention to Madison Thomas’s Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, because “everyone should know about Buffy Sainte-Marie.”

The 2022 jurors for the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose are Ann Marie Fleming, Anne Emond, Nathan Morlando, Jennifer Holness, Albert Shin, and Luisa Alvarez Restrepo. 

SHAWN MENDES FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKER AWARD

Presented by the Shawn Mendes Foundation, the 2022 Changemaker Award is awarded to a Festival film that tackles issues of social change, and comes with a $10,000 cash prize. The winning film was selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world. The Shawn Mendes Foundation will also be making an annual contribution in support of TIFF Next Wave, helping TIFF deliver key initiatives to elevate young voices. 

The 2022 jurors for the Changemaker Award are members of TIFF’s Next Wave Committee: Naiya Forrester, Arjun Persaud, Norah Daudi, Honora Murphy, Ellie Tripp, Celina Tang, Simona Williams, Faven Tesfamichael, Tara Sidhu, Keertan Somasundaram, Maggie Kane, and Dev Desai.

The 2022 Changemaker Award is presented to Luis De Filippis’ Something You Said Last Night. Director De Filippis (2018 TIFF Filmmaker Lab, 2020 TIFF Talent Accelerator) offered this statement: “It is an honour to have Something You Said Last Night be acknowledged by the next generation of filmmakers. Thank you to the Next Wave Committee for seeing this story. I am so excited to watch you lead our industry in the coming years. Thank you to the team behind this film who supported, and believed, and put their all into it, even on the bad days — which there were a few. It’s hard not to ignore the building tide of new voices this year at TIFF, and I am so happy to see our stories finally being told and celebrated — a new wave is coming.” 

TIFF’s Next Wave Committee provided this statement: “The TIFF Next Wave Committee announces Luis De Filippis as the 2022 Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award recipient for her debut feature Something You Said Last Night, an honest, immersive, and intensely relatable portrayal of an Italian Canadian family on a summer vacation. Ren (Carmen Madonia, 2022 TIFF Rising Stars) is a character unlike any other we’ve seen. She is talented, she is struggling, she is flawed, she is loved, she is passionate, and she is accepted. She is all of these things, and she is also a young trans woman finding her place in the world. Created with queer and trans creators in front and behind the camera, Something You Said Last Night finds its power in the complex, imperfect truth of humans and our relationships with family. With her film, Luis De Filippis is changing the game — giving a voice to trans people along the way, and creating a future where queer representation exists beyond the one-dimensional stories and characters we’ve seen over and over again. We hope the visibility and recognition of this award will help more young people see and be inspired by the film like we were, and support De Filippis in her development and journey as a filmmaker.” 

PLATFORM PRIZE

Named after Jia Zhang-ke’s trailblazing second feature, Platform is the Toronto International Film Festival’s competitive programme championing bold directorial visions. Platform was curated by Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer; and Robyn Citizen, Director, Festival Programming and TIFF Cinematheque. The Platform Prize Jury members for 2022 are Patricia Rozema (Jury Chair), Iram Haq, and Chaitanya Tamhane and they are delighted to announce that their selection is Riceboy Sleeps, dir. Anthony Shim.

The Platform jury provided this statement: “The 2022 TIFF Platform Jury announces the unanimous choice for the Platform Prize — Riceboy Sleeps, written and directed by Anthony Shim for its deeply moving story and precisely-observed characters as they navigate racism, dislocation, family, and love. It balances social realism with pure poetry. Plus, it’s very funny. The leads Choi Seung-yoon (2022 TIFF Rising Stars), Ethan Hwang, and Dohyun Noel Hwang deserve top honours. Riceboy Sleeps touches on, in a most accessible way, some of humanity’s biggest challenges — how to merge cultures without erasing individuals, how to grow up whole in fragmented families, and how to defend ourselves from internalizing the subtle and not so subtle discriminations of the privileged.”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

For the 45th year, the People’s Choice Awards distinguish the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection were eligible. 

The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story dir. Eric Appel
The first runner-up is Pearl dir. Ti West.
The second runner-up is The Blackening dir. Tim Story

The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is Black Ice dir. Hubert Davis
The second runner-up is Maya and the Wave dir. Stephanie Johnes
The second runner-up is  752 is not a Number dir. Babak Payami.  

The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award winner is The Fabelmans dir. Steven Spielberg
The first runner-up is Women Talking dir. Sarah Polley
The second runner-up is Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

By Mr. Will Wong

From Director Nicholas Stoller, who brought us Neighbors and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, comes BROS. Funnyman Billy Eichner, who co-writes, produces and stars here, gets his moment in this groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Rom-Com which completely nails it.

Bobby (Eichner) is a successful Podcast Host and Philanthroper raising funds for an LGBTQ+ Historical Museum. He’s 40 and has never been in love, but meets his match in the striking Aaron (Luke MacFarlane) and while they seem polar opposites there is a definite attraction. Bobby is super-confident and unapologetic, while Aaron still is trying to find himself, stuck in a career he doesn’t love and maybe not quite as overt as Bobby.

The witty jokes never quit here and we found ourselves laughing start to finish, thanks to Eichner‘s fast-thinking introspection. And we love that the Film really explores the nuances in the spectrum of those in the LGBTQ+ community. There is an interesting dichotomy of him supporting the gays, but also being annoyed by them at once. He almost carries the entire weight of the Movie and it soars largely because of him.

Stoller is able to keep the tone hilariously comical, but when Bros decides to go a layer deeper exploring why Bobby has such a tough exterior, we realize this is so much more than just a Rom-Com. Canada’s Macfarlane is a perfect pairing grounding Bobby and at once, exposing his pain points and taking him outside his comfort zone.

I knew I’d like BROS but I didn’t realize how much I would love it. BROS screens at TIFF ’22 as follows:

Fri, Sep 09 IN-PERSON Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre 9:45pm

Sat, Sep 10 IN-PERSON Roy Thomson Hall 12:30pm

Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre Toronto Closed captioning, Descriptive sound 1:00pm

Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre 9:30pm

By David Baldwin

It is the 1980s and The President of South Korea has just had an assassination attempt made on his life. He survived thankfully, but now the KCIA is fiendishly trying to figure out how this could have happened. To make matters worse, somebody codenamed Donglim has apparently been feeding South Korean secrets to the North. Now it is up to Foreign Unit Chief Park Pyong-ho (Emmy-winning Squid Game Actor Lee Jung-jae, also HUNT’s Director and Co-Writer) and Domestic Unit Head Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung, also at the Festival with his directorial debut, A Man of Reason) to smoke-out the rat.

For a feature Directorial debut, HUNT is slick and pulse-pounding. It kicks-off with an elaborate action sequence and foot chase before evolving into a cat and mouse espionage thriller that was constantly reminding me of Infernal Affairs (and its Best Picture Oscar-winning American remake, The Departed). And while Lee and his behind the scenes team manage to inject a number of additional wild and brutal action scenes (and gratuitous torture scenes) peppered throughout the running time, his Script written alongside Jo Seung-hee suffers from a complete lack of narrative coherency. Characters are introduced and then killed-off just as quickly. The few that manage to stay breathing slightly longer have muddled loyalties, and end up double, triple and quadruple crossing each other multiple times. It is a challenge to keep up with it all and I will readily admit that HUNT may benefit immensely from a second watch – one where you can hopefully pause and write everything happening out on a whiteboard.

All of that said, Lee and Jung are both compelling leads who do incredibly well at antagonizing the hell out of each other and the people around them. They each get plenty of time to shine and are crucial elements to the crazy action scenes. The charisma and presence both actors bring to the screen is captivating, and one of the key reasons why I stuck around watching right up until the end. Neither is well characterized, but they do not have to be. They just have to be along for the ride, and well, mission accomplished.

HUNT screens as follows at TIFF ’22:

Thu, Sep 15 IN-PERSON Roy Thomson Hall 9:00pm

Fri, Sep 16 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 11:30am

Sun, Sep 18 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 7:30pm

By Amanda Gilmore

This True Crime Thriller is about Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) a nurse who over a 16-year career confessed to killing 29 people, although the actual number is believed to be much higher. The Film follows Amy (Jessica Chastain), a nurse who worked with Charles and helped the detectives get their confession.

Director Tobias Lindholm, making his English language Feature Debut, creates an enthralling murder mystery Film. He opens on a patient dying with Charles, in his uniform, eerily looking on while many doctors and nurses try to save the life. There’s no doubt that something isn’t quite right with him. It’s this knowledge that we carry with us throughout, even in his tender moments, mostly shared with Amy. Redmayne is cast perfectly in this highly mysterious performance that captivates.

Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns brilliantly adapts the novel The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber. Her tight Script builds tension while highlighting America’s health care system. We learn that Amy must complete her first year at the hospital before getting health insurance for her life-or-death heart transplant. This makes The Good Nurse more than your typical true crime chiller. It critiques the unjust health care system and insurance requirements.

Then we arrive at the detective part of The Good Nurse. It digs into unethical health care practices within the institutions. We fully become aware of exactly what Charles did, which is shocking and horrifying. However, the investigation exposes how these hospitals that employed Charles, were culpable. For instance, the hospital he works at with Amy refuses to hand over the evidence of their internal investigation. They had suspicions about he committed the murders, yet, they refused to own up to it. And in their refusal, they allowed him to continue.

He was only stopped due to the fearless help of Amy. Once again Chastain is extraordinary. The complexity of her performance is immense and she lands every beat. It’s mesmerizing to watch her come to the realization of the horrific acts he committed. Both Chastain and Redmayne deliver tour-de-force performances.

The Good Nurse screens as follows at TIFF ’22:

Fri, Sep 16 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 9:00 am

Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON at Roy Thompson Hall at 11:00 am

Sun, Sep 18 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12:00 pm