By Mr. Will Wong

The 2020 TIFF TRIBUTE AWARDS, now in its second year, took place tonight virtually and were aired on CTV. Hosted by eTalk’s newest addition Co-Anchor Tyrone Edwards and Chloe Wilde, the Awards in the absence of an in-person gala this year, were comprised of taped introductions and speeches from recipients in five categories.

Recipients tonight included Director Mira Nair at TIFF ’20 with A SUITABLE BOY; Terence Blanchard who scored Regina King‘s acclaimed TIFF ’20 selection ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI; Tracey Deer who directs this year’s BEANS; Sir Anthony Hopkins who stars in THE FATHER at the Festival; Director Chloé Zhao, at the Festival with NOMADLAND; and Kate Winslet who stars in very buzzed AMMONITE.

Presenters and speakers on the broadcast included: Regina King, Martin Scorsese, Delroy Lindo, Colin Farrell, Rosamund Pike, Ava DuVernay, Jodi Foster, Olivia Colman, Brie Larson, Jason Reitman and more.

Performing Stevie Wonder‘s Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today“, Toronto’s Shawn Mendes appeared on the broadcast announcing that his Shawn Mendes Foundation will launch an annual Changemaker Award for Filmmakers making film with a social message.

Frontline workers from Toronto area hospitals also have been invited to attend special screenings of some of the Festival’s marquee Films like CONCRETE COWBOY as a special gesture of thanks for their hard work amidst these challenging times.

Those honoured tonight and some memorable quotes:

TIFF IMPACT AWARD – MIRA NAIR

Nair: “When I work, it feels like fun. Thanks TIFF for an award to have my fun and the extraordinary privilege to make Cinema. To know my fun and art have made change which is a beautiful feeling. If we don’t tell our stories nobody will, but more so in this, I’ve learned the great power of listening and being porous.”.

TIFF VARIETY ARTISAN AWARD – TERENCE BLANCHARD

Blanchard: “I’m humbled by this entire experience. My life in Film has been one of growth and expansion for decades. I originally set-out to be Jazz performer but being in this realm has expanded my creative ability beyond my belief. I love Toronto and have been coming many years. To get award from place I love so much, warms my heart.”.

TIFF EMERGING TALENT AWARD – TRACEY DEER

Deer: “I’ve wanted be Filmmaker since I was 12 and now I’m living my dream come true. Thank you my community… and the biggest thanks to my mother who told me when I was a girl that I can do whatever I want and not let anyone get in my way. My mother is always right and this is something indigenous kids need to hear. Their voices are important and we need to create an environment they can feel safe in and I put out a challenge to do all we can to make it better for them.”.

TIFF TRIBUTE ACTORS AWARD – SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS

Hopkins: “I’m astonished I’m still in work at my age. I want to thank front-line workers and first responders around the world. This award is yours. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have a great day, have a great life.”.

TIFF EBERT DIRECTOR AWARD – CHLOÉ ZHAO

Zhao: “I’m so amazed by the hard work TIFF has done putting a festival together, to help us take a break from all the craziness this year. It’s incredible what you have done. One most important takeaway I have from my four films is that when I entered the industry I felt it was competitive and didn’t know anyone. If I fail or make mistakes, I carry this with me for a long time. I feel lucky people I work with are there when I succeed and when I fail. Would like to share this with them.”.

TIFF TRIBUTE ACTOR AWARD – KATE WINSLET

Winslet: “It does feel odd to get an award in a time like this. Since I am able to say few words., I’d like to offer my deepest sympathies to families and individuals whose lives forever have been altered over the past six months. I commend TIFF for keeping the poignancy of storytelling alive. Even more so as we piece together this world and everything happening in it. However minor my thoughts might be, my feelings are heartfelt that we can return to a healthier reality with kindness and respect regardless of race, gender, beliefs or sexual orientation.”.

More on the Awards here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

Lucasfilm‘s THE MANDALORIAN sure has won legions of fans since it debuted on Disney+. Fans will be thrilled to know that Season Two is before us and here’s the Trailer!

Synopsis:

The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire. “The Mandalorian” stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez. 

See the Trailer:

Season Two of THE MANDALORIAN arrives Thursday, October 30, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

Kirsten Johnson won much acclaim at Sundance earlier this year with her Documentary DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD, winning the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Nonfiction Storytelling. The Film is coming soon to Netflix!

Synopsis:

A lifetime of making documentaries has convinced award-winning filmmaker Kirsten Johnson of the power of the real. But now she’s ready to use every escapist movie-making trick in the book – staging inventive and fantastical ways for her 86-year-old psychiatrist father to die while hoping that cinema might help her bend time, laugh at pain and keep her father alive forever. The darkly funny and wildly imaginative DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD is a love letter from a daughter to a father, creatively blending fact and fiction to create a celebratory exploration of how movies give us the tools to grapple with life’s profundity. DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD was filmed, produced and directed by Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson), produced by Katy Chevigny and Marilyn Ness, co-produced by Maureen A. Ryan and executive produced by Megan Ellison.

See the Trailer:

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD arrives on Netflix Friday, October 2, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

SOCIAL DISTANCE is an eight-part anthology series coming soon to Netflix produced during the Quarantine.

Synopsis:

Set in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, SOCIAL DISTANCE is an eight-part anthology series that showcases the power of the human spirit in the face of uncertainty and isolation. Each standalone episode is told through a virtual lens and captures the unique emotional experience of being forced apart by circumstance and having no choice but to communicate remotely and rely on technology to maintain any sense of connection. Through these varied and deeply human stories, SOCIAL DISTANCE aims to provide some much-needed catharsis during a tumultuous time while also capturing a snapshot of this singular moment in history.

Some stills:

SOCIAL DISTANCE arrives on Netflix Thursday, October 15, 2020.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Cole (Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things) has been expelled from his Detroit school for fighting. With nowhere else to go, his mother drives him to stay with his Dad, Harp (Idris Elba), for the summer in North Philadelphia. Cole does not really know him, and is not aware that Harp spends his time caring for the horses with other local cowboys at the stables down the street. With few options available, Cole starts working at the stables during the day and spends his nights hanging out with his drug-dealing friend Smush (Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome).

My central issue with Concrete Cowboy is how exhausting and longwinded it feels. Does Staub want to focus on Harp, his fellow riders and the urban cowboy subculture they are a part of, or does he want to focus on the strained relationship between Harp and Cole? Or should the focus be on Cole and Smush’s friendship and the dangerous path it is leading towards? The Film never seems content enough to settle on one through line, and spends far too much of its 111-minute running time jumping between all three of these Subplots and the assortment of intriguing but underdeveloped characters that populate them. Worse, Staub shoots the Film with handheld, digital cameras and no tripods. So no matter what is happening in the scene, the camera is always shaking and never steady. It is certainly an eclectic choice for a Film like this, but it makes watching it an increasingly frustrating experience.

Concrete Cowboy is an admirable debut feature from Co-Writer/Director Ricky Staub. He tells a story about a subculture few of us were aware of previously, and he strives for authenticity in every frame. The story is personal and his direction reflects that. Elba is not the lead here, but he is just as rock solid and dependable as he always is – and he looks wicked riding a horse (is there anything he cannot do?). McLaughlin holds his own against him and does a great job as the Film’s Lead. He digs down deep into Cole’s psyche, playing into his confused, emotionally fragile state with ease. He is keenly aware of the expectations the audience has of him as a Child Actor in one of their favourite Netflix series and is all too pleased to subvert and flip them around entirely.

As the Credits roll, we are treated to brief talking head clips from the real life cowboys starring in the Film discussing the challenges that urban development and gentrification have created for them. The clips are far too short, but their words are fascinating and illuminating. I found myself immediately much more interested in what was happening, and then really disappointed when they ended so quickly. Why this was not the immediate and only focus of the Film?

CONCRETE COWBOY screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Sun, Sep 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm

Mon, Sep 14
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm

Sat, Sep 19
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:00pm

By Mr. Will Wong

She’s been nominated for Oscars, juggling Writer, Producer and Director caps and TIFF was fortunate enough to have Ava DuVernay appear virtually for an In Conversation With… tonight with TIFF‘s Artistic Director and Co-Head, Cameron Bailey. DuVernay reflected on her career path which has included many firsts including being the first ever black female Director to be nominated for an Oscar with 2014’s Selma.

On the success of Netflix Documentary 13th which looks at the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery:

“Though you’d think it would be Selma and A Wrinkle in Time, most people know me internationally for 13th as those two didn’t get a wide release.”.

On the impact of Netflix‘s When They See Us. Bailey let DuVernay know that No. 1-ranked Tennis Player Naomi Osaka has been wearing masks donning the names of black people whose deaths have been named in protests against racial injustice. She was inspired by the DuVernay-created, written and directed Mini-Series.

“Did she do that really? This is a story of Black Criminalization. The idea black people are inherently criminal. It doesn’t matter that Cameron Bailey is the Maestro to one of the biggest Film Festivals in the world. He’s a black man and he will be suspected for whatever’s gone wrong within a two mile radius. This is ingrained in our systems. When you can find a story that allows you to interrogate this – like this particular story – about five boys and how young they were and their story was catapulted to the top of the news in the U.S. What did they do? Are you sure? Should they stop resisting? Where were their parents? All those questions make the victim accountable for a crime against them. As much as Trisha Meili (the victim) was traumatized, these boys and all their families were traumatized. When you convict one person, we see the tentacles of that accusation on a family and a generation. Making a five-hour Movie was an adventure, but a forum I really embraced because it allowed us to tell this story from boys to men and how the system applied to every stage of their lives.”.

Bailey asks DuVernay how she feels about this age of using image and video as evidence.

“We’re able to use it to further our cause, but it’s always been used as that. You saw white folks who’d go to lynchings and see bodies hanging as entertainment. Martin Luther King – and I wish I had time to name the rest – all the people who made Selma and the Civil Rights Movement happen. They all did it before cameras so that it could be talked about by following generations.”.

“Images bear witness to tell the story to change the story. We have to make sure it’ts not used as propaganda and is used for truth-telling and protection. I look forward to using image in a fashion not to state that we matter, as much as I’m an advocate and participant in the Black Lives Matter movement. I’m resentful we even have to say the words. Images help that conversation be had. Hopefully, we can keep looking at these things and get to a time when it’s not needed.”.

On balancing real-life trauma with her own vision:

“Asking people to relive a tough time in their life is difficult. But to be able to get them to participate, say their truth, see the Script, be on-set and look at Editing Room material – to be involved in a progressive way – helps them to recreate the process so it’s not so traumatic when they see it on screen and so they feel it’s part of their story.”.

On casting Toronto’s Stephan James in Selma:

“A friend of mine had seen him as a side character in something else. We couldn’t find his agent or the kid. Aisha Coley (Casting Director) found the kid and the agent, and the agent didn’t call back. We are down to the wire to cast this and we needed to see him. We say it’s for Selma and it’s Canada and they don’t know what that is! We get him on tape, off to Atlanta and he’s spectacular and sublime. He’s beautiful and eager and gave a great performance. I just see him and go ‘My little Stephan!’.”.

On creating a creative space:

“I’m always welcoming you into my space, ‘Come on in, this is my space!’. I expect everyone to treat the space with respect and others with respect. This is space we’re sharing, it’s like our home while we’re shooting. These are Mama’s rules and stay within rules you’ll be just fine. I believe in just being welcoming to people and being kind from Actors to Crew to Executives.”.

On “safe spaces”:

“We’ve progressed from 5, 10 years ago. You put the onus of nervousness on them. You didn’t do anything. We need to change our perspective on these things and not see yourself as a victim, but a victor. I went into a meeting where I was the only one like me and asked, ‘How many women, how many black people, are there any indigenous people?’. These are questions I need to know if i want to participate. Put the onus on those people who keep things looking one way and not on us.”.

In addition to producing a Netflix Series with Football star Colin Kaepernick which will be shooting in the next 4-5 months, DuVernay has series of Warner Bros. projects to come. Her Series Queen Sugar is now shooting with Crew and Cast having moved back to new Orleans.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

Summer might be over but that means there’s lots of exciting new Television for you to get acquainted with! See some of our recommendations.

THE BOYS SEASON 2 (Amazon Prime)

The second season of this highly-anticipated Toronto-made superhero series is back! We pick-up right where with the successful first season as we see the Vought International-controlled superheroes The Seven, feuding against vigilantes The Boys. Homelander (Antony Starr) is as deliciously-evil as ever as The Seven‘s leader witholding The Boys’ leader Butcher’s (Karl Urban) wife and son from him, giving us plenty of fuel to go on in their feud because let’s face it – it’s always about a girl. We see Deep (Chace Crawford) estranged by The Seven, attempting to make his way back in with struggle after suffering an emotional breakdown. Stormfront (Aya Cash) gets introduced and she is the perfect pairing to Homelander‘s sinister. Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) is vulnerable as a feral member of The Boys and we see her storyline develop with her brother. We also see Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Annie (Erin Moriarty)‘s Romeo & Juliet-like romance progress made further complicated by their allegiances to each of their causes, hence meeting secretly. What makes The Boys‘ brand so unique is its way of combining brute violence, with comical references of our today – yes “Diva Cups” make an appearance. This, plus a whimsical retro soundtrack. This is all tied-in on a deeper level to race relations and the fight against the power, mirroring much of what’s been on the forefront of discussion of Racism today. Fans will be delighted by what looks like is here to stay for a while! Stay tuned for some exciting guest roles to come including the likes of Patton Oswalt.

First three episodes stream September 4, 2020 on Amazon Prime, with new episodes to come weekly.

STAGE MOTHER (Momentum Pictures)

We all could use a little something uplifting and what makes us smile more than Drag Queens? Thom Fitzgerald‘s STAGE MOTHER takes us on a journey with estranged Maybelline (Jacki Weaver), who learns of her son Ricky‘s (Eldon Thiele) death. We learn a bit of history of their rift after his “coming out” causes an issue. Travelling to Nova Scotia-masking-as-San Francisco from the conservative South, Maybelline meets his partner Nathan (Adrian Grenier) who holds a bit of resentment towards her; his best friend Sienna (Lucy Liu); and the Drag Queens at the struggling bar he owned, which she inherits. In her time in San Francisco, she discovers her son’s world, finding it a bit tougher every day to leave as she becomes more invested in those who were around him, including helping the drag queens shape-up their act with her expertise as a Choir Director. This Comedy is filled with heartfelt moments and while it’s got a couple too many ballads which somewhat lag the energy of the Film a bit, it is proof that at any age, one can go on a growth journey. Weaver is fantastic and highly-likable, many even a bit too likable that it becomes maybe unbelievable that her son would’ve had an issue coming out to her. Some entertaining performances from its Support Cast include Liu balancing new motherhood and dating life, Toronto-based Allister MacDonald as one of the bar’s stars and a seen-too-little Drag Queen Jackie Beat as Dusty. STAGE MOTHER is available digitally Friday, August 21, 2020.

RATCHED (Netflix)

Once again we visit the sordid world of Ryan Murphy in RATCHED, which is an origins story behind the main antagonist in Classic ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST. This first season consists of nine episodes, starring Sarah Paulson in the titular role. The battleaxe head nurse is depicted as cold, heartless and scheming but this Series exposes how she became the way she is known. Like many of other of Murphy‘s productions, the build-up of the story is hyper-sexualized, many pondering sexuality a bit more than needed between its characters. True to form, the story takes flight as we progress throughout the season and we really go inside the mind of our central character as she is forced to confront her dark past, while also coming to terms with her sexuality and her love interest, Gwendolyn Briggs. (Cynthia Nixon). Murphy as expected, allows his Ensemble a chance to shine and this Series boasts some familiar collaborators including Finn Wittrock as convicted murderer Edmund Tolleson, whom we learn is Ratched‘s childhood adopted brother, plus also Jon Jon Briones who shone in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, playing Andrew Cunanan‘s father. The latter plays Dr. Richard Hanover, who oversees operations at the mental hospital, himself on-the-run from a dark secret. Judy Davis compels and mortifies as Ratched‘s arch-nemesis at the hospital, Nurse Bucket. Charlotte Wells, a patient with Multiple Personality Disorder comes to life in all her personas via the brilliant Sophie Okonedo. The talented Alice Englert whom we haven’t seen in a while surfaces as a Dolly, a young nurse on-the-verge, falling for Tolleson. The deliciously-twisted Ratched streams on Netflix Friday, September 18, 2020.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (Disney+)

Review by David Baldwin

Ivan (Sam Rockwell) is the star of the show at an animal attraction housed inside a suburban mall. The giant Silverback gorilla is happy in captivity and does his best acting for the paying guests. But when young elephant Ruby (Brooklynn Prince who you might remember from The Florida Project) arrives and starts asking questions about Ivan’s past, he realizes that he longs to be free and in the wild.

There is something about the simplicity of The One and Only Ivan that makes me smile. There is no doubt that it is typical surface level Disney fluff, but it knows just when to make you laugh, when to cry and when to warm your heart. The hybrid-live action/CGI animation style is well done, with the design of Ivan standing tall above the rest. The voice cast – which also includes Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren and Ron Funches (who slays just as hard here as he does as King Shark on the animated Harley Quinn series) – is terrific, and the human cast lead by Bryan Cranston and Ramón Rodríguez elevate the material. Some of the motivations could be a bit stronger and the Film could do with a few less montages, but families will still end up being delighted.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN is streaming on Disney+ now!

UNCLE PECKERHEAD (levelFILM)

By David Baldwin

Punk band DUH has just scored their first tour. The only problem is, they are low on cash and do not have any way to get to their venues. By chance, they meet Peckerhead (David Littleton). He offers to help drive them around in his van and act as their roadie – but forgets to mention that he becomes a flesh-eating demon at midnight every night.

Uncle Peckerhead is light on story and heavy on viciously-violent fun. It never seems to take itself seriously, and delights in being as outrageous as possible. Writer/Director Matthew John Lawrence sets the tongue-in-cheek tone from the start, having just as much fun shooting scenes of the band rocking out as he does watching Peckerhead rip people to pieces. The gore and makeup effects are used sparingly and effectively, initially hinting at the carnage in the first half and then on full disgusting display throughout the second half. The dialogue could have been more fine-tuned, but the Cast makes the best of it and seems very in on the silly tone. Littleton’s Peckerhead shines above the rest however, landing in a sympathetic sweet spot between ally and monster. I just wish it did not end so abruptly.  

levelFILM release UNCLE PECKERHEAD on Digital and On-Demand on Tuesday August 25, 2020.

I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS (Netflix)

Charlie Kaufman holds a dear place in our hearts having written Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and he’s back again after 2015’s directorial effort Anomalisa. He adapts Canadian Author Iain Reid’s acclaimed Novel, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, a Psychological Thriller.

The Film centers on a young woman (Jesse Buckley) whom after dating her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) for a few months, realizes she wants to end the relationship with him. That being said, she still goes along with him on a trip to visit his parents, played by David Thewlis and Toni Collette. As the unpleasant night progresses and she comes across several haunting peculiarities, including oddly-framed questions including why she would date Jake, they head off on a long-drive home in the dead of winter where we see how incompatible the two actually are as they engaged in discussions about life. Finally, they arrive at a deserted school and the story unravels where we meet the janitor (Guy Boyd) and gain an awareness of who the couple might actually be.

While craftily-written, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS reads much like a play. It is rather heavy on the dialogue and slow to progress, it is a watch which very much relies on your patience and investment. That being said, Buckley rises to the challenge and excels in her role as the unnamed woman and Kaufman carefully tells this story in a way that suggests something is horribly wrong, having us guessing the entire way which direction the story is heading.

I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS arrives on Netflix Friday, September 4, 2020.

BOYS STATE (Apple TV+)

By David Baldwin

This year’s winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival chronicles the week long journey of a group of teenage boys selected to be part of Boys State – a leadership program in Texas where 1000 boys come together to build a representative government from the ground up.

Few Documentaries are as captivating, emotional, chaotic, hilarious and downright sinister as Boys State. The Film runs through a whole gamut of feels over the course of its 109-minute running time. It initially seems rather mundane and trivial, but once these teenage boys start debating, gerrymandering and digging-up dirt to slander their opponents, it becomes an eye-opening experience that will both educate and frustrate the living hell out of you; mostly because you just know that grown adults are using these tactics and acting the exact same way for real. There is an extensive portion of the Film devoted to debating gun control laws, and it is just as horrifying as you expect. While I wish some of the specific interview subjects were not dropped mid-film in favour of others, I think the real misstep is not showing what is going on at the neighbouring Girls State. Would have made for quite the compare and contrast.

BOYS STATE is streaming on Apple TV+ now!

HIGH SCORE (Netflix)

This six-episode Docu-Series is a fascinating, in-depth look at the evolution of Video Games, tracing back to the ’70s when they were text-only games played on your computer to the ultra-realism putting players right inside the game and a Gaming culture. We see the impact of Atari before its popularity faded, to Nintendo‘s battle against new kid on the block Sega which stole a chunk of their market share, all the way to how computers no longer were just for work after the internet came into our lives. We meet several deeply-involved interview subjects who give us insight in the process of the evolution. A common thread often seen is how these people found themselves in their Gaming, which at once gave them an escape from their lives. A fascinating watch which surely couldn’t have covered all key essential games in a few episodes, opening room for perhaps more exploration.

LOVE, GUARANTEED (Netflix)

It’s been so long since we’ve watched a good old-fashioned Rom-Com and we admit LOVE, GUARANTEED brought us pleasure. Susan is a struggling lawyer just trying to keep her operations afloat when in walks Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.). He is looking to sue the dating website he uses, “Love, Guaranteed“, owned by lifestyle guru Tamara Taylor (Heather Graham), because it failed its namesake promise to him. He is nearing 1,000 dates and still no signs of love. Susan meanwhile never has used a dating site before and isn’t looking for love. She also is skeptical of Nick‘s intentions thinking he’s only out to get money. Before they know it, Susan and Nick just might be each other’s perfect match which might hinder their chances of winning their case. It’s cute and simplistic which is a refreshing break from all the drama of the world right now. It streams Friday, September 4, 2020 on Netflix. Case adjourned.

MISBEHAVIOUR (Shout! Studios)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

This funny, bewitching Film follows the true story of the feminist protesters who disrupted the 1970 Miss World beauty competition in London.

What makes this Film great is its meticulous Script, written by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe. They examine two sides of the story with humour and heart. One side being the feminist protesters, the other the pageant contestants. Frayn and Chiappe put more focus on one character in each group, Londoner Sally (Keira Knightley) and Miss Grenada Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). By focusing on these characters, the Film examines the Miss World pageant through a feminist lens and through intersectionality. The Miss World competition majorly lacked representation among women of colour, and before 1970, no people of colour had ever won. The Script integrates this lack of representation within Hosten’s storyline, who won the competition in 1970.

Hosten’s experience and desire is the heart of the Film and Mbatha-Raw gives a strong performance. Jessie Buckley is a delight as passionate protester Jo, so much so, she should have been given more screen time. Other notable performances come from Leslie Manville as Dolores Hope, who’s worried about her husband hosting another Miss World after his infidelity the previous time. And Greg Kinnear turns in an impressive performance as Bob Hope. He shines during a pinnacle scene where the protesters invade the live competition and target him on stage.

Shout! Studios release MISBEHAVIOUR on Digital and On-Demand Friday, September 25, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix/Momentum Pictures/levelFILM/Amazon Prime Video/Shout! Studios)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

It is World War II and WAAF officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) has jumped aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress as a last minute addition. The all-male crew are hesitant to let her stay, but she has orders to fly with them and keep her classified cargo safe. They force her to ride in a ball turret below deck, isolated on her own – and her mind may be playing tricks on her with the things she is seeing in the shadows.

I want to say more, but I fear that would spoil some of the outrageous and preposterous thrills that Co-Writer/Director Roseanne Liang has in store for Moretz and the rest of the crew. Liang plays with genre conventions throughout Shadow in the Cloud’s zippy 83-minute running time, never seeming keen to stay categorized in one box for too long. It morphs wickedly from a white-knuckle claustrophobic Thriller to a full-blown wartime action picture at the drop of a bullet, and then sprinkles in some Horror elements on top for good measure. The CGI is spotty in far too many cases and the genre mashup does not always work as intended (a MacGuffin reveal is a bizarre swing that left me bewildered), but the Film is wildly-entertaining in the many instances when it does.

As long as you prepare for multiple genre swaps, Shadow in the Cloud is quite a bit of fun. While I wish the Film was not being hit with a minor controversy over its writing credits, I feel the bigger disservice is that Covid has robbed us of the experience of seeing Shadow in the Cloud at its proper haunt, Ryerson with a Midnight Madness audience. I know in my bones that they would have eaten this Film up, and I chuckled when it became obvious what and where the reactions might have been. Hopefully, it gets to play to a big crowd like that another day.

Nick Robinson (Love, Simon and Jurassic World) has a blast as a gunner on the ship, but Moretz is the one who takes hold of the screen and never wavers. She is simply marvelous in the scenes in the ball turret, really selling the anguish, fear and determination her character is going through. She is vividly-expressive in these scenes (which take up a substantial portion of the Film’s first half), and she carries them into the absolute chaos of the Film’s second half. Her wonderful balancing act more than makes up for some of the plot contrivances and the minimal character development.

SHADOW IN THE CLOUD screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Sat, Sep 12
Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView
11:59pm

Sun, Sep 13
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm

By Mr. Will Wong

Following-up on her Oscar-winning work in If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King makes her Feature directorial debut at TIFF ‘ 20 with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, which though set in the past, still asks very timely questions facing the world today.

The Film is set one night in February 1964 uniting real-life friends and icons Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) as they celebrate the former’s win in the boxing ring, crowning him Heavyweight Champion of the World. What ensues is hard-hitting dialogue which digs deep into some of the issues facing their community and where they stand in the big picture as important figures.

Based on Kemp Powers‘ Play of the same name, King is working with some tremendous talent with this Ensemble and with these great minds within the confines of a swanky hotel room, discussions get intense, heated and at once humorous. Clay is about to be renamed Muhammad Ali and is about the announce to the world that he has converting to Islam, but not without some hesitation. Brown after a successful career in Football, is about to accept a role in a Western film which would lead to a successful acting career with high-paying roles. Cooke navigates his world as a Pop Star, but is longing to sing about something more meaningful. Malcolm X as a prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement and Spokesman for the Nation of Islam, is about to get assassinated.

The Film poses some thought-provoking discussion within the Black community about how the world is perceived differently between those who are light-skinned versus dark-skinned; what it means for a Black Entertainer to be paid well when it comes at the cost of their dignity and their community; or what it means to be revered publicly, but not to be welcome into someone’s home because of the colour of one’s skin.

One poignant scene in particular has Ben-Adir‘s Malcolm X in a chilling plea to his brothers that still resonates to this day amidst the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. He states that there is no more room for standing on the fence anymore with black people dying on the streets every day. “Either you stand on this side with us or that side against us”, he says. Another moment in the Film talks to White Privilege and how a black person is expected to feel indebted to a white person who wasn’t horrible to them. This falls in-line with the current thought that it isn’t enough to be “nice” and that what is required is that we be actively be Anti-Racist.

King succeeds largely in this superb first Feature, giving us a tightly-written and directed Film which while set almost 60 years ago today, has some uncannily-relevant messaging that needs to be revisited today.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI screens TIFF ’20 as follows:

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

At just age 26, Saoirse Ronan has managed to become one of the top Actors of her generation. She got nominated for her first Academy Award at the age of 13 for her work in Atonement. Since then, she’s been nominated three more times. 

Her talent is undeniable as seen through the unforgettable mix of characters she’s brought to life on-screen over multiple genres, such as survivor Hanna, homesick Eilis, uninhibited Lady Bird, and Writer Jo Marsh.

Her latest role has her starring as a grieving Charlotte in Francis Lee’s Ammonite. It follows Palaeontologist Mary Anning, played by Kate Winslet, who cares for Charlotte while her husband leaves for work. The two build an undeniable bond and fall in love. 

Today, she joined Canadian Novelist Anne T. Donahue for TIFF’s In Conversation With… Saoirse Ronan.

On where home is to Ronan:

“It’s less of a physical location for me. I think that’s always been the case. I have tried to find it in a place or country, but now I’m older and I realize there are a few core people. That is my home.”.

On becoming an Actor:

“When we moved out to Ireland my dad was working on a film and they needed someone and I was added into it. I didn’t really want to do it. I was a quiet kid. It was this weird Art House film where I was half-human and half-clown. *laughs* And I said, ‘No, that sounds terrible. I don’t want to do that.’ But he wanted me to. So I did it. I was 6, 7, or 8. From the moment I got on set I really loved it. I really liked the discipline matched with the play aspect.”.

On when she knew she wanted to be an Actor:

“It wasn’t until I was 12. It was when I was doing Atonement. I loved that. And I knew that that’s what I wanted to do.”.

On Brooklyn:

“I was a wreck. An absolute wreck. I was 20, so hormones were all over the place. I moved to London at that time. I did Brooklyn in the middle of that transition. And I went back to where I grew-up. I hadn’t been there in years. It represented a past time in my life that I will always be connected too, but was moving past. I think what made it overwhelming was that it was a severe meeting of two worlds. My home life, where I went to school and wasn’t an Actor. And this new stage in my career which was me starting to lead as a woman, and it was an Irish woman. I was just thinking, ‘I have to get this right.’ I was completely terrified. I never felt aware of the camera in a negative way or ever felt that it had paralyzed me. But I was feeling like that a lot in Brooklyn. But it ended up being such a special film for me to do. That Film gets to me in a way that nothing else I have done has. It was an honour to tell that story.”.

On Lady Bird:

“It’s not about her [Greta Gerwig] life. But she did grow up in Sacramento and she was in a theatre group. And I think we both wanted to be more like Lady Bird. But we were both more like rule followers. I didn’t mind being influenced by the way [Greta] was. But I couldn’t just carbon copy .

On her Activism:

“I don’t consider myself an Activist. I think it would be unfair for me to say that. We (Actors) are a mouthpiece for the people who actually know what they’re talking about. That’s how I’ve always felt about. I’ve met a lot of people who support incredible causes and are passionate and hardworking about it. And I’m kind of like everyone else asking, ‘What can I do? What do you need me to do to spread that message further?’ I think there are a lot of people who do far more than I do.”.

On Timothée Chalamet:

“[In Lady Bird] we only had a few scenes together. I always knew he was special and magnetic. We are very different people and in our approaches to work. I remember we were on the way to set and were talking about our families and normal stuff. We always felt very comfortable with each other. He’s American and European as well. We sort of were able to tap into that. On Little Women, that’s where it felt more like a collaboration. We had these lengthy scenes where we would ebb and flow performance-wise. He’s someone I want to continue to work with.”.

On Ammonite:

“I think it’s a luck of the draw whether you get to work with someone who you click with. Kate and I had met and just got on straight away. I think a big part of that is her because she is friendly and open. One of the good things about the junkets and awards season is getting to meet a lot of wonderful people in the mix of the madness. So, I met her a couple of times doing that stuff. And then this came around and she was a real supporter for me doing it. We were just really lucky we got on straight away. Two women getting to come together, and with more of the intimate scenes and being able to choreograph the love scenes ourselves was great. Especially with Kate.”.

On taking on so many roles:

“I don’t work as much as other people. I’m at a place at the minute where I don’t need to run into a job just to work. I think because I’ve been doing it for 16 years or more now. It’s very important that I don’t burn out or kind of lose the love for it. It’s important for me to protect the bond with my work that I have.”.

Our Review for AMMONITE can be found here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)