By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) is a bit of a tough Dad. He loves his family, but he has a hard time showing it. When his son Jadin (Reid Miller) ‘comes out’ as gay, Joe is begrudgingly supportive of his decision but not at all subtle with his embarrassment. After Jadin faces an onslaught of relentless bullying at school, Joe decides to walk and speak to groups across America to raise awareness about bullying and the effects it can have on others.

Good Joe Bell is a movie with its heart in the right place. It is based on an emotional true story and addresses an important topic that is sadly more relevant than ever. And Wahlberg, while not exactly the best candidate for the lead role, has rarely ever played a character like this before. He digs a bit deeper than usual, beyond being the brash jerk who yells and swears off the cuff, and has a few moments of true introspection. You can see and feel the genuine emotional range in his patchy bearded face. It is not his best work, but his soulful turn here continues his trend of trying to stretch beyond the Bostonian wise-ass archetype he can play in his sleep. Miller is very effective as Jadin, but he takes a back seat to Wahlberg’s redemption tale far too often (which may or may not have been the best narrative choice). And even though he does not have much to do, it was positively delightful to see Gary Sinise for a bit part in the Film’s Last Act.

But having good intentions does not save Good Joe Bell from being a complete mess. The Film employs a flashback structure that works in some instances, but does more harm than good by jumbling-up the timeline. The narrative gaps are practically endless, with crucial information removed from the Film entirely in favour of a zippy running time. Worse, its initial framing device to explain the plot is abandoned less than half way into the Film. Instead of addressing it properly, the pivot is treated as a barely consequential twist. Supporting Characters exist but have literally no bearing on what happens (and barely any explanation of who they are). Motivations are thin, and the Film has a bad habit of not properly showing or telling.

All of these elements and more make Good Joe Bell a crushing disappointment, especially when taking into consideration the wonderful talent behind the camera – which includes the Oscar-winning Screenwriters of Brokeback Mountain, Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana. There is a great film buried somewhere deep within Good Joe Bell, and it is a disservice to this important story for this to be the final product.

GOOD JOE BELL screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Mon, Sept 14
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:15pm

Fri, Sep 18
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm

Sat, Sep 19
TIFF Bell Lightbox
8:00pm

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Two living legends came together virtually on Thursday evening as part of TIFF ’20’s stellar In Conversation series – Oscar winners Barry Levinson and Denzel Washington. The event was delayed slightly, but the pair made-up for it by speaking for just under an hour with veteran film journalist Scott Feinberg about their histories in Film, directing and where the industry is heading.

And despite not having worked together, the pair have a personal connection to new Film Malcolm & Marie, the upcoming Film bought earlier this week by Netflix. The Film was shot for 16 days during the pandemic, is written and directed by Barry’s son Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and stars Denzel’s son John David Washington – as well as reuniting him with Euphoria star Zendaya. It is already on the top of our Must-See List!

On getting into the Film business:

DENZEL: “It was the only grade I could pass! I did a Musical first, and I found out that I couldn’t sing. One has to recognize one’s limitations. But it [acting] just chose me.”

BARRY: “I had no thoughts of ever, ever being in this business. It wouldn’t even occur to me. I didn’t even know anybody that was connected remotely with the business. Other than the fact that I loved films, and I would talk about them and I was fascinated by them, but it was never an ambition of mine. It wasn’t even on my radar in any way. So I kind of stumbled into it actually.”

On directorial debuts:

BARRY (on DINER): “He [legendary filmmaker Mel Brooks] was extraordinary. I used to talk about these diner guys that I knew, my friends. And he said to me one day, ‘You should write a film about them’. And he referenced Fellini’s I Vitelloni, which I hadn’t seen. So he gave me that encouragement, and that thought. And ultimately it stuck.”

DENZEL (on ANTWONE FISHER): “My producing partner Todd Black thought I would be a good Director. I didn’t believe him, so I procrastinated for about ten years, until he backed me into a corner – we had the budget, the money, the Script, we had everything. And I finally said…in fact, I was in Toronto for the Festival and Peter Rice, who was running Searchlight then, he got me to sign a napkin saying that I promised to direct. He still has it somewhere! So I was a reluctant Director, I still don’t think I know that much about it, but I’m learning more about it. And I’ve learned from the best.”

On collaborating with actors:

BARRY: “I think what happens is that there’s a moment in time and it continues through a movie, there’s a growth as it goes along. Because you are both learning. If you are locked-in, that this is it and that is that, that’s one way to go. But the other is sometimes you discover things as you go along that you can add to the character. And then it becomes richer than either one of you had envisioned.”

DENZEL: “I’ve been on movies where it was just the Director’s movie. And the Movie is bigger than that. The Movie has a life of its own and you bring all these talented people together and let them do what they do best. Now the Director is going to get the credit or the blame for it ultimately and has to steer the ship, but I want the best around me. I want to see them do great. We’re all in it together.”

On directing advice:

DENZEL (on talking to Director Joel Coen): “I said what about stealing? And he said oh, everybody steals. But steal from somebody good, steal from the best. There’s no new ideas, they’ve all been done before. So if you’re going to steal, steal from the best.”

On box office:

BARRY (when discussing Rain Man): “There is no gestation period where someone is telling somebody else and the numbers start to rise. It’s a difficult thing now to get that kind of momentum…I don’t think you get that opportunity anymore. And on the other hand, it’s hard to make those kinds of films now, and survive in the marketplace. So most of them get killed before they ever move along. It’s a different era in that regard.”

On TV:

BARRY: “There’s no question – the streamers and the HBO, that’s not going to go away. It is probably only going to continue to increase as time goes along. And of course, there will still be a theatrical component, but what that content is going to be I don’t know. But the more daring storytelling is going to turn up mostly in the streamer world. It is unfortunate, because the idea of an audience to see something is incredible… Everything keeps evolving and you have to find a way to be able to do the work that you care about. And that’s all you can do. You just have to find a way to tell the story that you feel passionate about.”

On Chadwick Boseman:

DENZEL: “A gentle man. A very gentle soul. A great talent, obviously, thrust into this position. I remember going to see Black Panther. I was in New York and I went backstage, after the show. It was a red carpet and I didn’t want to go out there, so I went backstage. And I saw Chad, and I saw Ryan Coogler and then I went to watch the Movie. I remember shedding a tear because I was like man, these young guys are just gone. Like they’ve taken over. You know sooner or later you’re not going to make it all around the track and you got to get off to watch the young boys run. And watching that movie, that’s what I felt like. And like, who knew he didn’t have much life left? But he didn’t get cheated. We did. I pray for his poor wife and his family, they got cheated. But he lived a full life.”

(Photo credit: TIFF)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Beans (Kiawentiio) wants to fit in. The 12-year-old Mohawk girl just applied to an elite middle school and she is being bullied by some older teens in her Indigenous community. While she struggles to find her place, two Mohawk communities begin a standoff with Quebec authorities over the expansion of a golf course into a neighbouring forest and burial ground, thrusting Beans into a world of racism and violence she has never experienced before.

In her first narrative Feature, Co-Writer/Director Tracey Deer has crafted a powerful coming-of-age story that centres around the Oka Crisis in 1990 Quebec. Deer does not shy away from the intensity of the situation, frequently thrusting her Cast right into the middle of her depiction. Her attention to detail is impeccable, and the way she merges actual news footage from the event with the Film’s recreations is superb. Beans is filled with scenes that are tragic and genuinely heartbreaking to watch, each one emphasizing the despicable racism these Indigenous communities were subjected to because they wanted to fight for their land rights. Deer does not even pretend to sugar coat any of it. Everything presented in Beans feels very real and very authentic, and so closely mirrors the actual news footage from 1990, not to mention from the present day, that it becomes downright frightening to comprehend.

For how great the Film looks and how awful it will make you feel to know that something like this happened (and is STILL happening), it would all be for nothing without Beans herself. We get to see the world through her eyes – and the young Kiawentiio is absolutely spectacular in the Leading Role. She captures the optimistic spirit of a typical 12-year-old and expertly conveys the trauma she has to endure because of the standoff. I think some of the tonal whiplash the Film goes through puts her at a disadvantage in some instances (and a particular extended moment in the Third Act drags the Film out needlessly), but she handles nearly everything with grace and an expert precision that extends beyond her years as an actor. First-time actors Violah Beauvais – as Beans’ younger sister Ruby – and Paulina Alexis – as Beans’ friend April – are cast perfectly and complement Kiawentiio’s beautiful performance. If anyone can even come close to matching her, it is Rainbow Dickerson as Beans’ mother Lily. Her vivid emotions are devastating to watch in action, and I doubt I will forget any of those visceral expressions any time soon.

BEANS screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Sun, Sep 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
12:00pm and 12:30pm

Tue, Sept 15
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Pieces of a Woman is an intimate portrait of a couple who experience the greatest loss. Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Shawn (Shia LaBeouf) are passionately in love and eagerly expecting the birth of their daughter. When the night arrives, they learn their Midwife is busy with another client and a different one is sent. Unfortunately, complications arise with their home birth and the couple is sent spiralling into heart-wrenching tragedy.

Director Kornél Mundruczó shoots this outstanding Film with unflinching honesty. He is known for putting his characters under immense pressure. His use of long, continuous takes in pivotal scenes creates a real authenticity, us watching as scenes unfold in real-time and the result is both agonizing and gut-wrenching for the viewer.

The Film’s opening sequence lasts for 30 minutes. It consists of long takes following Martha, Shawn and their Midwife (Molly Parker) around their house — spanning from her first contractions to her delivery. This scene perfectly shows the love which Martha and Shawn share, and their desire to welcome their baby girl. We are immersed into the pressure cooker that becomes their house and in witnessing Martha‘s extreme difficulty, we get the unsettling sense that something isn’t right. Under Mundruczó’s masterful direction, this scene becomes a sweeping emotional journey and the sets the stage for what are some truly powerful performances.

Kirby is magnificent as a woman grappling with grief, while her body and family constantly remind her of what she lost. She commands each scene with powerful actions and controlled expressions. Most impressive, she finds that delicate balance in Martha’s newly hardened heart and her vulnerability. LaBeouf gives one of the greatest performances of his career. He is at his best drowning in Shawn’s grief and is desperate for Martha‘s love and affection again. While often we see this from a woman’s perspective, the Film gives us a genuine snapshot of what it might be like for a man.

Kirby and LaBeouf even though their characters are so different, have a palpable chemistry that makes us fall in love with them. They’re portraying a couple who are facing the biggest challenge in their relationship. Thanks to their strong chemistry we are invested in their love and are devastated when we see it crumbling. They are joined by a talented Supporting Cast. Parker is great portraying the anxiety of a Mmidwife during the home birth and expresses her unspoken guilt so well in the Third Act, within the courtroom. Ellen Burstyn is superb as Martha’s overbearing mother, always making her presence felt but especially in a confrontation between her and Kirby.

Pieces of a Woman is difficult watch, but it’s one that will change you after seeing it. Screenwriter Kata Wéber has written a beautiful, heartbreaking Script that’s about surviving after the most horrifying loss. She does this by allowing us to check-in with her characters once a month, fall to spring. This shows us the changes happening within and outside them as we watch them grow in their own ways. Time heals the pain and the Film captures this process so beautifully. And Wéber reminds us that a woman is comprised of infinite pieces which only she is able to break and rebuild again.

Pieces of a Woman screens at TIFF ’20:

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Alex (Félix Lefebvre) is out sailing off the coast of Normandy when his boat capsizes. By chance, David (Benjamin Voisin) happens to be sailing by and offers to help him. There is an instant spark between them, and David quickly offers Alex a job to work at his mother’s nautical store in town. But as their friendship grows into something deeper and more intimate, it becomes clear that they both have their own expectations of the relationship.

When I read the initial descriptions of François Ozon‘s Summer of 85, it immediately evoked memories of discovering the Oscar-winning Call Me By Your Name back at TIFF ’17. Much like that film, Summer of 85 is filled with gorgeous, sundrenched visuals of European vistas and the handsome young men who inhabit them during the 1980s. The nostalgia for this carefree era practically pulses through the Film’s veins. The colours are washed out and dreamlike, with pastels highlighting nearly every frame of the Film’s breezy 100-minute running time. The chemistry between leads Lefebvre and Voisin feels dreamlike as well, palpable and vivid in every way. The young actors only have a handful of credits to their names, but the strength and emotion they bring to these characters suggest wisdom well beyond their years of acting.

And the way the Film uses Rod Stewart’s “Sailing” in two key scenes is haunting and beautiful. It becomes practically transcendent.

Saying all that, Summer of 85 is far from perfect. The Film’s story is a jumbled mess, with a constantly pivoting tonal structure that never feels satisfied. It is meant to feel dreamlike, mysterious and above all else, nostalgic, but ends up feeling bewildering and completely inorganic much too often. Young love is in itself, a wild and chaotic experience – but the Film does not even feel like it properly taps into that. Worse, the motivations and characterizations are minimal and non-existent for most of the Supporting Characters. They seem to exist simply to move the Plot along from point to point (which is particularly odd for one central character who should be substantially more important to the plot than they actually are). Even the motivations for Alex and David are simplistic at best and never fully drawn-out. I am not sure if this is all intentional or not, but it takes away from so many of the great things the Film has going for itself. It is still enjoyable to watch, but there was potential for it be so much better.

SUMMER OF 85 screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

We love Lily Collins! She’s back in this new Trailer for ten-episode Series, EMILY IN PARIS.

Synopsis:

Lily Collins stars as Emily, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris when her company acquires a French luxury marketing company — and she is tasked with revamping their social media strategy. Emily‘s new life in Paris is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends, and navigating new romances.

See the new Trailer:

EMILY IN PARIS arrives Friday, October 2, 2020 on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

PRETTY IN PINK is one of our favourite films of all time and for the first time ever, it’s released on Blu-ray™!

Synopsis:

A newly remastered Blu-ray, from a 4K film transfer supervised by director Howard Deutch, Pretty in Pink looks prettier than ever. Teen sensations Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club) and Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire) drew rave reviews for their starring performances in this hit love story produced and written by John Hughes (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ). Andie is a high school girl from the other side of town. Blane’s the wealthy heartthrob who asks her to the prom. But as fast as their romance builds, it’s threatened by the painful reality of peer pressure. From its bittersweet story to its hip New Wave soundtrack, the film features great supporting performances from Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, James Spader and Annie Potts.

Special Features:

New Special Features:

• FILMMAKER FOCUS: Director Howard Deutch on Pretty in Pink
• Isolated Score

Original Special Features:

• THE LOST DANCE: The Original Ending
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet for another chance! Open to Canada and the U.S.

Rules and regulations here.

PRETTY IN PINK is available now on Blu-ray™. Order a copy here.

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment)

In memory of the 40th anniversary of John Lennon‘s death, Britbox Canada has acquired and will premiere LENNON’S LAST WEEKEND, a Documentary which looks at the icon’s final days.

Synopsis:

Produced by MGMM Studios for Sky Arts UK and distributed internationally by Abacus Media Rights, Lennon’s Last Weekend features the BBC Radio interview Lennon gave in person in December of 1980, the day before being murdered. With a new album to promote, Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, Lennon sat down and spoke candidly to Radio One D.J. Andy Peebles of the BBC about everything from The Beatles’ break-up, working with fellow music legends, producing solo albums and life in New York.

LENNON’S LAST WEEKEND arrives on Britbox Canada this December.

(Photo credit: REX)

Beginning October 1, 2020, Hollywood Suite presents a month of Horror in SHOCKTOBER with 70 classics and two new Canadian Features for you to enjoy, FAKING A MURDERER and THE SANCTUARY.

FAKING A MURDERER (2020) premieres Wednesday, October 14 at 9:00 pm ET on HS00–Filmmaking duo Adam Rodness and Stu Stone stumble upon a series of online videos which they believe contain a man confessing to a murder of someone named Stacy. With “True Crime” being the hottest genre in the industry, they decide that they too should cash in on the trend, creating a hit series of their own. After convincing a broadcaster this project is sure to be a success, their pitch earns them the green light. Adam and Stu hit the ground running and begin their investigation, hire a production crew and head out on the road. Only, they don’t know exactly where to start. As time ticks away and their bank account runs dry, they must go to any means necessary to deliver what they promised. What they believe to be a straightforward murder case turns into an unforgettable manhunt that could have deadly consequences for all.

THE SANCTUARY (2019) premieres Monday, October 12 at 10:40 pm ET on HS00– After the brutal murder of his girlfriend, killer Wade Overton escapes from custody. While on the run, Wade eventually finds refuge with an elderly couple. As Wade plots their demise, it becomes clear that appearances are not always what they seem.

Other classics, sorted by era are:

Hollywood Suite 70s Movies Channel – HS70

Blackmail (1929) Thursday, October 15 at 9:00 pm ET – The oldest title in the Hollywood Suite library, this early Alfred Hitchcock thriller is about a London woman who is blackmailed after killing a man who tried to attack her.

Gojira (1954) Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 pm ET – Director Ishiro Honda’s original Godzilla movie is not only a horror story about a seemingly unstoppable beast created by American nuclear weapons testing, but also a somber exploration of conflicted postwar emotions.

Suspiria (1977) Friday, October 30 at 9:00 pm ET – An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders. Directed by Dario Argento and starring Jessica Harper, Suspiria received critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic flair, use of vibrant colours and its score by Argento and the progressive rock band Goblin.

Hollywood Suite 80s Movies Channel – HS80

Chopping Mall (1986) Saturday,October 17 at 9:00 pm ET – Director Jim Wynorski’s tale of a group of young shopping mall employees who stay after closing for a late-night party. It’s all fun and games until the mall goes into lockdown and the robot security guards malfunction, setting off a killing spree.

Near Dark (1987) Sunday, October 25 at 9:00 pm ET – It’s a western and a horror rolled into one. After he is bitten by a beautiful drifter, a small-town boy reluctantly joins a group of travelling vampires. Starring Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen, this Weird West work is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and features a cameo from James Cameron.

Inferno (1980) Friday, October 30 at 10:35 pm ET – A thematic sequel to Suspiria, the film is the second part of Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers” trilogy. An American college student in Rome and his sister in New York investigate a series of killings in both cities where their resident addresses are the domain of two covens of witches.

Hollywood Suite 90s Movies Channel – HS90

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) Sunday, October 25 at 9:00 pm ET – It’s a little bit of history repeating when an outcast teenage girl is taunted by a group of high school jocks, all of them unaware of her cutthroat telekinetic powers, which leads to a horrible massacre. Amy Irving reprises her role as survivor-turned-guidance-counselor Sue Snell in Katt Shea’s follow-up to the famous 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) Saturday, October 31 at 9:00 pm ET – The seventh installment in the Halloween franchise, directed by Steve Miner and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Michelle Williams and Josh Hartnett, is a do-over ignoring anything that happened in films 3–6. Laurie Strode has faked her death in order to go into hiding from her brother, Michael Myers. But you can’t trick evil, and he finds her working at a private boarding school in California.

Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies Channel – HS00

George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead (2009) Friday, October 23 at 9:00 pm ET–Written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh and Kathleen Munroe, this is the sixth entry in Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series and was the last film to be directed by Romero before his death in 2017. On an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their undead relatives back to their human state.

Green Room (2015) Monday, October 12 at 9:00 pm ET – A punk band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-nazi skinhead bar. The all-star cast includes Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Macon Blair.

For more, visit hollywoodsuite.ca.

(Photo credit: Hollywood Suite)

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

During the ’50s and ’60s, the Black community mobilized to fight racial discrimination across the United States. One of the most influencial voices leading the movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, we celebrate the monumental work and impact King had. However, back then many Americans were critical and conflicted on his work. J. Edgar Hoover, who at the time was the Director of the FBI, viewed King’s involvement as part of a Communist plot. MLK/FBI examines Hoover’s relentless campaign of surveillance and harassment against King, with his end goal being to destroy the Civil Rights Hero.

Inspired by the work of Historian David Garrow, Filmmaker Sam Pollard uses recently declassified files to study the FBI’s motives and methods behind targeting King. Pollard, along with his Screenwriters, focus-in on King between ’55 to ’68. They cover the infamous Bus Boycott, the “I Have A Dream” speech, his stance on the Vietnam War, and his eventual assassination. These pivotal moments in history are displayed through extensive archive footage. This gives an authentic and current feeling to the historical context. 

Pollard’s focus isn’t solely on King, but also Hoover and the corrupt practices that took place within government agencies. In doing so, he examines the Sexism and Racism behind King‘s wiretapping. There’s also a good balance of information from multiple voices. Pollard includes a colleague of King‘s, a former FBI agent, and Historians who each have a different opinion on MLK/FBI’s central storyline. This makes for an inspired Documentary that’s a well-rounded examination of both King and Hoover’s FBI.

Pollard doesn’t shy away from unflattering information about King. The FBI wiretaps allegedly proved that King had multiple affairs. These tapes are said to be released to the public in 2027. This Film questions how Historians should treat these recordings, and how much of that we can believe considering Hoover’s targetting of King. It’s through examining his affairs that the Film shines a light no matter how celebrated a public persona might be, there can be a complex gray area about them as well. This however, never overshadows King‘s accomplishments in the Film.

This powerful Documentary has arrived at a pivotal time. The parallels between the work King did in the ’50s and ’60s and the Black Lives Matter movement today are striking. Sadly, so is the reality of government institutions unjustly targeting the Black community. Not enough has changed.

MLK/FBI screens at TIFF ’20: