By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in September and Day 3 of TIFF. The traffic is loud, planes are flying overhead, people are drinking at the bar and chatting poolside at a rooftop patio in downtown Toronto. I am a bit winded from hustling over after a press screening at the Scotiabank Theatre – thankfully the escalator was working that day. I take a few sips of water, and chat with some out-of-town journalists about our favourite festival films thus far. This happened 14 months ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago.

Shortly afterwards, we are introduced to Riz Ahmed, the Emmy-winning, multi-hyphenate Actor. He shakes all of our hands graciously (remember when that was a thing?), and sits down, ready to discuss his Film, SOUND OF METAL. The Film had its World Premiere at TIFF the evening before and you can tell he is still buzzing from the early reactions it is receiving. In the Film, Ahmed plays Reuben, a heavy metal drummer and former addict whose hearing is deteriorating rapidly. As Reuben is plunged into the world of Deaf Culture, he must re-learn everything he knows and come to terms with the irrevocably-altered future path ahead of him. Ahmed prepared for the role extensively: he played drums for two and half hours per day and practiced sign language for 90 minutes every day for seven months. The result? A visceral, riveting, soul bearing, “life changing” performance unlike anything you will see this or any other year.

Here are a few of the things we learned in our group chat with Ahmed.

What drew you to the character of Reuben?

AHMED: “It was scary, you know? It was just really scary. I was like…this is going to be a fucking challenge man. I don’t know anything about drums. I don’t know anything about being deaf. But actually before I even thought about the preparation and what it would entail, I think what drew me to it was Darius [Marder] as a Director. I think people think of directing as pointing a camera and getting out of the way. It’s not…This is his world. He put so much of himself into the character of Reuben. I’d say the character of Reuben is almost an amalgam of me and Darius in a way. We have a similar kind of front footed energy [where we are] often taking care of people, but we have this fire in us that sometimes can threaten to really destroy us, you know? And [we are] always looking for a way to channel it. So I think that was a big part of it…If someone sets the tone of ‘You’re safe here, there’s no such thing as failure, and I’m going to follow you wherever you go,’ then you’re free. Let’s go. And then wonderful things can happen.”.

What took more time to become comfortable with, drumming or sign language?

AHMED: “I think they were both challenging in different ways. The key to both of them is the same thing, which is letting your body take over. You can’t think your way to expressing yourself through drums and in sign language, you have to let your body take over. But of course, in order to get to that point you have to drill all those pathways into your brain so that you can go into autopilot so your body takes you to the right place. I think what was difficult for both of them for a long time was going to that period of conscious incompetence. That was tough. But overall the process was just so enriching.”.

“You know the deaf community often have this trope about ‘hearing people’. Jeremy [Stone, Ahmed’s sign teacher and a key figure in the New York Deaf Community] told me that ‘hearing people’ are emotionally repressed. That’s what deaf people think of us as ‘hearing people’, and I think they’re right because we hide behind words. I remember the first time I started talking to Jeremy about my character in ASL…I just was so emotional, I almost couldn’t control it and he said ‘Yeah man that’s what it is. Welcome to the Deaf Community where you’re forced to inhabit your body, where you’re forced to listen in a way with your whole body.’”.

What is it like jumping between a movie like SOUND OF METAL and a blockbuster film?

AHMED: “It is different. I think everything is a product of its process right? I think that working on those bigger movies, they often don’t have scripts locked down. So the scripts are constantly evolving and being rewritten as you go. So they have a lot of reshoots. Whereas with these smaller films, you have to decide everything months or even years in advance and make sure it’s all locked down so you can execute it in a way that’s time efficient and budget efficient. And so what that means is you have a different process. In the bigger films, it’s much more thinking on your feet. The scene or the story is changed that morning and you’re not enemies [anymore], you’re brothers now. Let’s try it that way. So there’s an element of almost improvisational spontaneity that you have to bring to that process and a kind of lightness and flow so you’re able to pivot and adapt and cover a lot of different ground and options. Whereas I think on these more independent films, you make your choice. You’re not going to cover all this ground. And then because of that you spend all your energy going a little deeper.”.

Is there a pattern or process you take for choosing your roles?

AHMED: “They say restrictions force innovation and I think part of why I’ve been lucky in being able to take on some interesting and varied roles is because of the obstacles faced by a person of colour or someone of my background, someone of my class. All of those things. Which meant that you [have to] adapt to be more adaptive…[It’s] forced me to be more of a chameleon and I think growing up actually did that to me as well, being forced to inhabit different versions of myself: working class Pakistani, educated at Oxford, skipping class to hang out with my friends in the kind of Asian world and in the streets. When you’re told you don’t belong somewhere, you’re forced to become a chameleon. That happened to me socially growing up and I think that’s happened to me similarly as an actor.”

“And after you’ve done that for awhile…[where] you realize you’re a good contortionist and you have a flexible spine, you start wondering ‘Well, can I actually stand up straight? Will the world make room for me if I just stand up tall?’ And I think that, you know I’m thirty-six now, maybe I’m just coming to a different point in my life where I’m experimenting with just standing up straight and not wearing the masks that may have been required of me as a character actor at different times. I don’t know if there’s a pattern but I’m certainly excited about actually bringing more of myself to my work. You know the thing that doesn’t exist in culture and in art is a Cameron Bailey [TIFF’s Artistic Director]. Is there a Cameron Bailey character you can think of in film and TV? Or a time you see a character like me, or a Dev Patel? And I realized that perhaps the way for me to stretch culture going forward, which is and always has been my guiding mission…perhaps the way to do that isn’t to bend and contort and stretch myself into the different spaces allocated for me. But it’s actually for me to be my full self. So I think maybe what’s in SOUND OF METAL is a real decision to go and just…get naked. Let’s start off with something intellectual and end up with nudity. That’s really the arc of my career, haha.”.

We also were given time for a group chat with the Film’s Co-Writer/Director Darius Marder and Actress Olivia Cooke, who plays Lou, Ahmed’s girlfriend and bandmate.

How difficult was the shooting and editing of the Film?

MARDER: “It’s such a fine line of what can we tolerate. What is watchable versus too uncomfortable but not too comfortable. So much trial and error. The Sound Design on this thing is massive. I was working with this Mixer who had done huge movies and there’s as many tracks as there would be on a Batman movie. It’s huge and it’s a really intense process to create that kind of language, but really fun too. I mean we beat the shit out of each other throughout the process just kind of like “No, that’s not it” or you know, [we’d be] pushing the boundaries and constantly questioning how you feel within because deafness is all low-frequency. You can’t hear any high frequency, but that limits your scope so much.”.

“So it’s just a question of how do we feel the depth of that sound without ruining the language because if you ruin it, you’re not in [Reuben’s] head anymore. So we [did] all sorts of things. We had mics down throats, we miked the inside of skulls and created this muffled landscape through various layers that you felt within and you could get sucked into that experience. That for me is really exciting, but only as exciting as the story is good. I think that’s always the thing. It’s not enough that you have a sound experience in the movie, it has to serve a larger objective.”.

How different is this role versus other films you’ve worked on?

COOKE: “It feels like a bit of a departure…It’s funny because I’m at that age now where I’m not really playing teenagers anymore. This felt like my first proper adult role, with all the complexities that come with having your first adult relationship. It doesn’t feel as frivolous or recyclable as other relationships when you’re younger. There’s a genuine commitment for each other and I think with taking on those things, you’re trying to do it justice and also trying to be sensitive to addiction and self-harm. [That] was something that really elevated it for Riz and I, and we create this vulnerability and this open valve that I don’t think I’ve been able to do before.”.

What are your hopes for the Film?

MARDER: “Well I think it would be a crime against humanity if Riz isn’t nominated for that role. You tell me any one role that exceeds the commitment and dedication and pure talent. I would love for him to be honoured in that way. I would love to see the Film seen as much as humanly possible. I would like to have it seen in theatres. It’s a film that should be seen cinematically and it’s shot on 35. It’s a movie, and that’s a big wish in this day and age…So I think it’s worthy of that and then some.”

Pacific Northwest Pictures release SOUND OF METAL in select theatres Friday, November 20, 2020.

The Film’s release pattern is as follows:

ONTARIO
Toronto, ON – Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox (digital.tiff.net)
Kingston, ON – The Screening Room
Windsor, ON – SilverCity Windsor Cinemas
Windsor, ON – Lakeshore Cinemas
Sudbury, ON – Imagine Cinemas Downtown Movie Lounge
London, ON – Imagine Cinemas Citi Plaza

ALBERTA
Edmonton, AB – Metro Cinemas
Calgary, AB – Cineplex Odeon Eau Claire

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vancouver, BC – International Village
Chilliwack, BC – Cottonwood 4 Cinemas
Whistler, BC – Village 8 Cinemas
Nelson, BC – Nelson Civic Theatre
Williams Lake, BC – Paradise Cinemas
Victoria, BC – Capitol 6 Theatres
Kelowna, BC – Landmark Cinemas Grand 10 Kelowna

SASKATCHEWAN 
Saskatoon, SK – Roxy Theatre
Regina, SK – Rainbow Cinema Golden Mile

NOVA SCOTIA 
Halifax, NS – Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane

NEW BRUNSWICK 
Bathurst, NB – Apollo Cinemas 

November 27, 2020
Ottawa, ON – Bytowne Cinema

Please ensure you exercise caution in observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre.

A new generation of young Actors are given a shot to perform on Broadway in the new Documentary, GIVING VOICE! Here’s the new Trailer.

See the Trailer:

GIVING VOICE arrives on Netflix December 11, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

A brilliant Cast are featured in WE CAN BE HEROES, coming to Netflix early 2021! See the new Teaser.

Synopsis:

When alien invaders kidnap Earth’s superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world.

Written and Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: YaYa Gosselin, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook, Christopher McDonald and Adriana Barraza.
Also starring: Vivien Blair, Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Akira Akbar, Lyon Daniels, Nathan Blair, Lotus Blossom, Hala Finley, Andy Walken, Dylan Henry Lau, Andrew Diaz, Taylor Dooley, Sung Kang, Haley Reinhart, J. Quinton Johnson, Brittany Perry-Russell, Brently Heilbron and JJ Dashnaw.

See the Trailer:

 WE CAN BE HEROES arrives on Netflix January 1, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Something magical to ring-in the Holidays! GODMOTHERED is coming to Disney+! See the new Trailer for this whimsical Comedy!

Synopsis:

Set at Christmas time, “Godmothered” is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training (Jillian Bell) who upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers. Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom (Isla Fisher) working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of “Happily Ever After,” but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not. 

“Godmothered” is directed by Sharon Maguire (“Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Bridget Jones’s Baby”) and produced by Justin Springer (“Dumbo,” “TRON: Legacy”).  Diane L. Sabatini (“Lady and the Tramp”), Tom Pollock (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”), Ivan Reitman (“Ghostbusters”) and Amie Karp (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) served as executive producers.

“Godmothered” also stars Santiago Cabrera, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Jane Curtin, June Squibb, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye, Artemis Pebdani, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Stephnie Weir.

Trailer:

GODMOTHERED arrives on Disney+ Friday, December 4, 2020.

(Photo credit: Disney)

Ten-episode Israeli series VALLEY OF TEARS is coming to Hollywood Suite next month! The Yom Kippur War-set series comes to Canada after raves in the U.S. after its premiere on HBO Max.

Synopsis:

The series is inspired by the true events of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel. Leading up to the ultimate battle, the series follows young combatants thrust into a war that was later revealed could have been avoided by leaders they blindly trusted.

The Series stars Lior Ashkenazi (Foxtrot), Aviv Alush (The Shack), Lee Biran, Shahar Taboch, Joy Rieger, Ofer Hayoun (HBO’s Euphoria), Imri Biton (Just for Today) and Maor Schwitzer (Shtisel).

See the Trailer:

VALLEY OF TEARS premieres Saturday, December 19, 2020 on Hollywood Suite at 9 PM ET.

(Photo/video credit: Hollywood Suite)

Following the critical acclaim of 2017’s GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, Francis Lee returns with AMMONITE which came out of TIFF ’20 with a deafening amount of buzz. The Drama written and directed by Lee, stars Kate Winslet as reputed British Paleontologist Mary Anning. Having made several famous discoveries hunting fossils in her career, wealthy tourist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) finds Anning and tasks her with taking his wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan) under her wing. She accepts reluctantly out of financial need. While the two women have very little in common coming from entirely different worlds, they realize they might just be what the other has been missing.

We had the pleasure of chatting virtually with Lee about AMMONITE, which sees its release now theatrically, as we enter Awards Season.

Lee was drawn to story of Mary Anning in that he sees many parallels between her and him.

Lee: “The thing that struck me was discovering Mary Anning is that here was this working class woman born into a life of poverty with little or no education, in a deeply-patriarchal and class-ridden society. And through her own ingenuity, courage, strength and will to survive, she became one of the leading Paleontologists of her generation. There were just some parallels there to my own life. I’m not saying I’m as brilliant as Mary Anning was at all, but I grew-up working class in very rural Northern Britain and I didn’t have a great education. I always knew from quite an early age I would’ve loved to write, direct or do both couldn’t see how I could get into such a rarified profession. I couldn’t afford film school or know anyone like me who did what I wanted to do. So there were just some subtle parallels there.”.

There’s been a good bit of controversy surrounding AMMONITE. Anning‘s family even has refuted the idea that she ever had been in a relationship with a woman, calling Lee‘s re-imagination of her, “pure Hollywood”. Lee comments about his decision to portray her in a same-sex relationship.

Lee: “I’m very obsessed with intimate human relationships and I like to explore them because I’m still figuring out how to manage them myself. I wanted to bring a relationship into this world of her’s. I wanted to respect and elevate her in a way that hadn’t happened when she was alive because all these men who came to buy her fossils re-appropriated her work for themselves. In this time, men owned women and giving her a relationship with a man wouldn’t feel equal. And of course there never was any evidence that Mary had a relationship with a man, but there was evidence she had friendships with women. So I felt giving her a relationship with a woman felt so much more respectful and equal in that sense.”.

We ask Lee about the importance of “unstraightening Queer History” which is something explored both in GOD’S OWN COUNTRY and AMMONITE.

Lee: “What’s so fascinating about this debate that’s seemed to have happened, which I didn’t quite realize would be such a big debate. It made me look at history, who records it and how they record history. And it led me down the path to think that history is subjective. It is created. It isn’t a science in a sense. It was really interesting to see where there is absolutely no concrete evidence of a same-sex relationship, historians presume heterosexuality when we know people could be gay, lesbian, asexual or bisexual. The lack of investigation or thought of thinking through what an individual or historical figure could have been or experienced I found really fascinating.”.

“What was interesting about AMMONITE is that there was no evidence that Mary ever had a relationship with a man, there was evidence of her having friendships with women. And there are a couple of historical fiction novels about Mary Anning and in one of them, it does suggest she had a relationship with a man and nobody complained. And it did make me really think where we are at in society where we need absolute concrete proof for anything that is not considered to be hetero-normative. I just felt to myself whether it’s about my character’s working class or how they identify with their sexuality, these characters have had their voices taken away from them and we haven’t heard from them.”.

“Queer Histories haven’t been recorded because a lot of the time it’s been hidden, illegal, with big consequences if you identified with the LGBTQ community. Often people from the community don’t have children, so their stories aren’t passed-on generationally. So for me it feels like if I can give voices to people or situations that have been overlooked or neglected, then I’m very happy to do that.”.

We ask about Winslet and Ronan becoming involved the with project.

Lee: “It’s quite a boring story, Will. I thought about who I’d like to be in it. First of all, Kate was top of my list because regardless of what she has been in, there’s always been such a truth and honesty to her performances. She felt like a very natural choice for me. Her agent read the Script and sent it to Kate the same day and said, ‘You have to read this because if you don’t say yes, somebody will take it immediately.’. So Kate came back the next day and said she’d like to do it. Pretty much the same thing happened with Saoirse. She got the Script, read it and rang me up to say she’d like to do it! (laughs) I wish it was more about I was in the supermarket and I bumped into somebody and their wife’s brother’s husband once cleaned for Kate Winslet and sent it to her but it wasn’t like that!”.

“The lovely thing is that this is only my second film. The first movie I did was made for no money whatsoever and not-so-famous actors. Nobody really cared about it when I was making it. What was lovely about this film was getting access to actors who not only are at the top of their game but also are very, very established and famous. And the way in which they wholeheartedly jumped on-board with me and wanted to work with me in a way in which I like to work.”.

Lee elaborates more on how working with Kate Winslet actually got weird.

Lee: “What was brilliant about working with Kate is that we like to work in a similar way. It’s very, very much about research and character building. I worked with Kate four or five months before the shoot one-on-one and we really built this character from scratch from the moment she’s born to the moment we first see her in the Film. We worked through every detail and knew every detail about the Mary we were creating. Kate has a real ability and not every actor does, to really transform herself into being somebody else.”.

“So when we were shooting, I wouldn’t recognize one part of the Kate that I knew in that character. She’s very demonstrative, she’s very physical and she talks with her hands. She’s very open emotionally. One of the things we worked so hard on was stillness, silence and internalized emotion and playing everything with looks, gestures and subtleties. I remember finishing the Film and I hadn’t seen Kate for quite some time because I was in the edits and she was away working. I couldn’t look her in the eye, I couldn’t speak to her because I didn’t know who she was, because of who I’d been looking at for the last eight or nine months was not this person. And I was quite shy. It was difficult to switch from Kate‘s performance as Mary to Kate as a human being. It took me a while to adjust.”.

“The way I see Kate now is in Mary Anning, which is so different from who Kate is. It’s kind of a bit weird. Once on-set, there was a scene she wasn’t in and I was working. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walking around and looking around. I’m quite private and aware, so I turned to the First Assistant Director and asked ‘Who the fuck is that?’. And he said ‘It’s Kate!’. I literally didn’t recognize her because the only time I’d see her is her as Mary Anning.”.

Following-up on two very well-received films can be a daunting task. We ask Lee what’s next.

Lee: “I am writing and finding writing much slower than normal because of COVID, because I find my focus is a bit allover the place. It’s a bit worrying but I’m getting through it. I can tell you that it is a Horror film exploring the same themes I always obsess about – deep human relationships, landscape and loneliness but hopefully with some hope.”.

Elevation Pictures release AMMONITE, now playing in theatres. It will be available on Premium Digital and On-Demand December 4, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Rachel Griffiths is back in Amazon Prime Video Series THE WILDS, coming soon! See the new Trailer!

Synopsis:

Part survival drama, part dystopic slumber party, The Wilds follows a group of teen girls from different backgrounds who must fight for survival after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. The castaways both clash and bond as they learn more about each other, the secrets they keep, and the traumas they’ve all endured. There’s just one twist to this thrilling drama… these girls did not end up on this island by accident. 

The Series stars  Rachel Griffiths, as well as a mix of familiar and fresh faces that include Sophia Ali, ,Shannon Berry, Jenna Clause, Reign Edwards, Mia Healey,  Helena Howard, Erana James, Sarah Pidgeon, David Sullivan, and Troy Winbush. 

See the Trailer:

THE WILDS arrives on Amazon Prime Video Friday, December 11, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Great news, Quentin Tarantino fans! The Visionary Filmmaker has just inked a two book deal with HarperCollins, the first book to come out in 2021.

Tarantino debuts Summer 2021 with ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, a Novel which expands upon the characters Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth from his Oscar-winning Film of the same name. The Novel goes back and forward in time. A Hardcover version will be available Fall 2021.

The second book is non-fiction, titled CINEMA SPECULATION. This is said to be a deep dive into the movies of the 1970’s with a mix of essays, reviews, personal writing, and tantalizing “what if’s”.

Artwork:

We can’t wait!

(Photo credit: HarperCollins/Sony Pictures)

Cinéfranco is back in its 23^rd edition later this month! The Festival celebrating French Cinema on a Canadian and international scale runs November 20-November 28, 2020.

For the first time ever, fans across Canada can access the Festival which is available on a digital platform. It is comprised of 17 features, 2 shorts programs, post-screening Conversations, and Panels.

Among the Films to premiere at the Festival this year are:

BELLE FILLE (OPENING NIGHT) – When Louise (Alexandra Lamy) escapes her cheating husband in Corsica for a wild night of passion with a man who ends up dead, she’s mistaken for his secret long-time girlfriend by his fearsome and loving mother played by Miou-Miou.

MONT FOSTER (OPENING NIGHT) –  Chloe (Laurence Leboeuf) and Matthieu (Patrick Hivon) retreat to their country house to reconnect as Chloe’s fragile mental state deteriorates

QUEBEXIT –  When the construction of an interprovincial pipeline results in a successful third Québec sovereignty referendum, a small road at the Québec-New Brunswick border becomes a lightning of conflict between the new Québec military, the Canadian Armed Forces and two indigenous women who cross the border frequently. 

VACARME – Thirteen-year old Émilie placed in a group home is subjected to the bad influence of her roommate and chafes against the strict rules.  Choosing to escape she learns the art of resilience and confidence in this social drama that breaths fresh air to the theme of children under youth protection.

NADINE BUTTERFLY (CLOSING NIGHT) – Olympian Katerine Savard stars as Nadia, who decides to retire from pro swimming after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to escape a rigid life of sacrifice.

Our George Kozera had the pleasure of previewing some of the Festival’s key titles. Some of his favourites below.

BELLE FILLE

What does a woman do when not only does she finds out that her husband is having an affair, she also has a hugs fight with her rebellious teenaged daughter who want to play house with an older guy? In Cinéfranco’s opening night film, BELLE FILLE, Louise (a luminous Alexandra Lamy) leaves her home and flies to Corsica, where she meets hunk-du-jour, Florent (Thomas Dutronc who also composed this Movie’s Score). Their initial meeting and shared dinner turns into an alcohol and drug-fuelled, sexually-uninhibited raucous and rambunctious night. In the morning, Louise is very hungover and Florent is very, very dead. Not only is the detective assigned to the case Florent’s brother Anto (a wonderful low-key performance from Jonathan Zaccai), the boys’ mother Andrea (French megastar Miou-Miou) is convinced that Louise is Florent’s fiancée.

Director Meliane Marcaggi skillfully keeps this comedy of errors moving briskly and believably while incorporating the stunning vistas of Corsica and its countryside and keeping maudlin sentimentality to a bare minimum. BELLE FILLE is a joyous romp. Bravo!

LA BELLE EPOQUE

If you missed this critically-acclaimed and audience favourite at TIFF ’19, here’s your chance to bask in the glory that is LA BELLE EPOQUE. It is a high-concept Comedy about revisiting one’s glory days. Time Travellers is a service that immerses clients in whatever moment they wish to to relive, whether it be historical, fantasy or personal. Long-time married couple Victor and Marianne (the legendary Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant) have reached the end of the rope and separate. Victor decides to use Time Travellers, run with dictatorial fervour by Antoine (an excellent Guillaume Canet) to return to Lyons 1974 when he first met Marianne, who will be played by actress for hire Margo (Doria Tllier).

LA BELLE EPOQUE is fiercely original and tackles a myriad of themes and topics with insight, humour and intelligence. Does love prevail? Do daily technological advances help or hinder or overwhelm us and stifle our innate creativities? I enjoyed LA BEEL EPOQUE equally, if not more, the second time around.

LA BELLE EPOUSE

Set in the late ’60s when Paris was rocked by students uprising and revolution was thick in the air, there were still schools in smaller towns that focused singularly on turning young teenaged girls into the perfect, subservient wife. One such institution is run by Paulette Van De Beck (Juliette Binoche), her sister-in-law Gilberte (Yolande Moreau) and Marie-Therese (Noemie Lvovsky) who happens to a nun. LA BELLE EPOUSE (HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE) is a Comedy rife with Sapphic alliances, death by asphyxiation, re-establishing bygone love affairs, some fun recipe ideas, tips on how to be the perfect wife if you lived the decade of “Leave it to Beaver”, rifle-toting nuns and even a choreographed song and dance routine. One rarely sees Binoche’s fun freak flag fly and watching her immerse herself into this outlandish character is enjoyable.

ENORME

In ENORME, Claire (Marina Fors) is a world class concert pianist whose career is managed by her husband Fred (Jonathan Cohen). Claire is even more self-absorbed than she is talented to the point that Fred offers to take her debit card to buy himself a birthday present from her as she forgot his 40^th birthday. Happily childless, Fred’s paternal instincts furiously ignite after participating in an emergency childbirth on a plane. After substituting Claire’s birth control pills and sweeteners until the day his dream and her nightmare come through…she’s pregnant!

Unlike the French, I have never been a fan of the Jerry Lewis style of Slapstick Comedy, but I was completely invested in this zany and madcap film. Fors and (especially) Cohen’s comedic timing are sheer gold.

NADIA, BUTTERFLY

The Closing Night film, NADIA, BUTTERFLY is Quebec director Pascal Plante’s unique rendition of the lives of Olympic athletes. Starring real-life Olympian Katherine Savard as Nadia is a detailed account of her last days swimming at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as she plans to retire from competitive swimming immediately afterwards. The swim meets are thrilling to watch and it must be ingrained in us to rot for the Canadian teams even if the competition is fictitious! Plante’s strength is that he doesn’t paint these young athletes as boring with only one goal in mind. They are also young party people who swig from tequila bottles, take drugs and have indiscriminate sex. Though a few scenes go on way too long (did we realize have to watch two characters lip synch to Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” in its entirety?), when his camera concentrates of the faces of these young people as they face their future with doubt and uncertainties, NADIA, BUTTERFLY succeeds.

More on the Festival including tickets here.

(Photo credit: Cinéfranco)

We had nothing but raves for Martin Scorcese-produced PIECES OF A WOMAN coming out of TIFF ’20 and we’re so excited to share with you this Trailer! Witness Vanessa Kirby’s Best Actress-winning performance from the Venice Film Festival.

Synopsis:

Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are a Boston couple on the verge of parenthood whose lives change irrevocably when a home birth ends in unimaginable tragedy. Thus begins a yearlong odyssey for Martha, who must navigate her grief while working through fractious relationships with Sean and her domineering mother (Ellen Burstyn), along with the publicly vilified midwife (Molly Parker), whom she must face in court. Directed by Kornél Mundruczó (WHITE GOD, winner of the 2014 Prix Un Certain Regard Award), written by Kata Wéber, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, PIECES OF A WOMAN is a deeply personal, searing, and ultimately transcendent story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss.

Trailer:

PIECES OF A WOMAN arrives in theatres December 30, 2020 and on Netflix January 7, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)