Some recognizable faces are in Toronto today at Scotiabank Arena for WE DAY. The We Movement is a coalition of organizations which band together to enable change and progression with a focus on youth. Various speakers and performers have been engaged to appear at the Toronto edition of the day, which tours other cities including New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Appearing this year in Toronto are the likes of James Arthur, Emilio Estevez, David Suzuki, Johnny Orlando, Jenna Ortega, Connor Franta, Penny Oleksiak and more.

See some snaps:

More on We Day Toronto here: https://www.we.org/en-CA/our-work/we-day/we-day-events/we-day-toronto.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS HOBBS & SHAW on Blu-ray!

Synopsis:
For years, hulking lawman Luke Hobbs and lawless outcast Deckard Shaw have traded smack talk and body blows. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist BrixtonLorr (Idris Elba; “Thor : Ragnarok,” “The Dark Tower”) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever, Hobbs and Shaw must partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badderthan themselves.Joining the cast as Shaw’s sister Hattie, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible-Fallout, “The Crown”) “is convincing as a woman who can take care of herself” (Rafer Guzman, Newsday).

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance! Canadian Readers only, please.

Contest rules and regulations here.

FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS HOBBS & SHAW is in stores Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of GEMINI MAN in Toronto + Montreal on October 9, 2019.

Synopsis:

Gemini Man is an innovative action-thriller starring Will Smith (Will Smith) as Henry Brogan, an elite assassin, who is suddenly targeted and pursued by a mysterious young operative that seemingly can predict his every move. The film is directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ang Lee and produced by renowned producers Jerry Bruckheimer, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Also starring are Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong.

Artwork:

See the Trailer:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK.  Tell us in the comments tell us one thing you would tell your younger self to avoid. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

Paramount Pictures Canada release GEMINI MAN Friday, October 11, 2019.

Rules and regulations here.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

Netflix Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON in Toronto with star Boyd Holbrook and Director Jim Mickle. It takes place Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

Synopsis:
In 1988, Philadelphia police officer Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), hungry to become a detective, begins tracking a serial killer who mysteriously resurfaces every nine years. But when the killer’s crimes begin to defy all scientific explanation, Locke‘s obsession with finding the truth threatens to destroy his career, his family, and possibly his sanity. Directed by Jim Mickle and also starring Michael C. Hall and Cleopatra Coleman, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is a genre-blending psychological thriller that examines the power of time, and how its passing can either bring us together or tear us apart.

Artwork:

See the Trailer:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON streams on Netflix Friday, September 27, 2019.

Rules and regulations here.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!

See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:

1. Renée Zellweger

2. Meryl Streep

3. Tom Hanks

4. Jennifer Lopez

5. Kristen Stewart

6. Joaquin Phoenix

7. Eddie Murphy

8. Bruce Springsteen

9. Taika Waititi

10. The Cast of Knives Out

Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.

See all our sightings and reviews here.

A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.

CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.

ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be  an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall.  Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart!  Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.

HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit  content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.

H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie,  he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.

WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails.  Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!

STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!

DUFFLET PASTRIES  – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!

MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!

CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!

Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a jeweller and compulsive gambler. He cannot seem to keep any of the money or collateral he has, frequently selling it for bet money – even if the collateral does not belong to him. And after Howard acquires a rock filled with precious gemstones, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Uncut Gems is not for everyone and is easily one of the most divisive films at the Festival. Directing duo Benny and Josh Safdie have a distinct style, and they infuse this one with the same look, feel and tone of their Robert Pattinson vehicle, Good Time. What they create is a film that runs over two hours, but somehow only manages to feel 45-minutes long. It moves chaotically and recklessly from scene to scene, gradually ratcheting up the tension to unbearable levels. Just watching the shenanigans and situations Sandler’s character Howard finds himself in is ridiculously-exhausting, but somehow just as wildly exhilarating. The Supporting Cast is solid (inexplicably including NBA star Kevin Garnett), but Sandler is in his own other world here. He plays into some of his classic archetypes but also grounds himself in a totally foreign space, bringing out nuances you would never think possible. I just wish the film had a bit more substance to it.

UNCUT GEMS screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 9:15pm @ Princess of Wales
Tuesday September 10, 10:30am @ Elgin Theatre
Saturday September 14, 1:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre
Sunday September 15, 6:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) is a struggling musician and comedian working at a record store in the 1970s. After interacting and recording conversations with homeless hustlers, he creates an on-stage persona he calls Dolemite and proceeds to become insanely popular. And after making it big with a handful of records, Moore sets his sights on making his own movie.

Dolemite is My Name is profane, rude and always hysterical. While the Film’s structure is your typical slice of life rags to riches biopic format, Director Craig Brewer infuses Dolemite with soul, style, a wicked soundtrack and a wildly eclectic assortment of characters that always keep the film moving and genuinely entertaining. The Film tends to run a bit too long, but you likely will not notice over your laughter. The Film’s look is terrific and the Costume Design from Oscar-winner Ruth E. Carter is downright outstanding. The Cast is fabulous no matter the length of their role, with Wesley Snipes stealing every single one of his scenes. But everyone pales in comparison to Murphy, who sets each of his moments on-screen on fire with his raw charisma and sheer will. He is outrageously funny and subtly heartbreaking. They aren’t calling this role a comeback for nothing!

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME screens during TIFF at the following times:

Saturday September 7, 9:30pm @ Princess of Wales [World Premiere]
Sunday September 8, 12:00pm @ Princess of Wales
Saturday September 14, 5:30pm @ Elgin Theatre
Sunday September 15, 12:00pm @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

A Yeti has escaped from a secret lab and is hiding on a rooftop in Shanghai. One evening, he encounters Yi (Chloe Bennet), a young girl trying desperately to make enough money to go on the vacations her dad always promised her they would take. When it becomes clear that the Yeti is in trouble, Yi and two friends set out on an adventure to bring him home to Mount Everest.

In a year of stellar animated films, Abominable stands out as one of the best. It tells a predictable story, but does so in a way that is heartwarming, charming and genuinely moving. The animation is splendid and the imagination on display here is magical, both figuratively and literally. It has the familiar goofy beats that kids will eat up, but still manages to be really funny for adults as well. It goes surprisingly deeper than most animated films with its focus on family and cultural elements (a major portion of the delightful Cast is voiced by Asian-Americans), and feels all the stronger for it. There are some darker ideas at play in Abominable that I wish were explored better, but the Film seems to deliberately pivot away from them just as quickly as they are introduced. Nonetheless, I was smiling and laughing (and yes, crying) the entire time.

ABOMINABLE screens during TIFF at the following times:

Saturday September 7, 3:00pm @ Roy Thomson Hall [World Premiere]
Sunday September 8, 10:30am @ Winter Garden Theatre
Saturday September 14, 12:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

It’s the 1940s and Europe is at war. Franz (August Diehl) is an Austrian farmer living with his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) and three children. He undergoes military training but refuses to pledge allegiance to Adolf Hitler. And while this does not go over well with the people of his village, it becomes even more problematic when he is conscripted to fight in the war.

In a word, A Hidden Life is breathtaking. From the opening frame to the very last, the Film is a sensuous display of exquisite and absolutely stunning visuals. Being a film from legendary enigmatic Writer/Director Terrence Malick, I fully expected this to be the case. What I did not expect was a functioning narrative that is wonderfully expressive, even when we are just watching people chopping wheat. Diehl and Pachner are fantastic together or apart. The have great chemistry and their narration is vividly passionate, saying everything the visuals cannot. James Newton Howard’s Score is simply marvelous and one of the best of the year. Fair warning though – the structure of A Hidden Life is loose and free-flowing, testing the limits of its nearly three-hour running time. But rather thankfully, each minute is more rewarding than the last.

A HIDDEN LIFE screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 1:00pm @ Elgin Theatre
Wednesday September 11, 2:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Friday September 13, 3:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Saturday September 14, 9:00am @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

The Roslyn School District in Long Island has become substantially more prestigious due to the tireless work of Superintendent Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and his team. But everything starts falling apart when it is discovered that his Assistant Superintendent Pam Gluckin (Oscar-winner Allison Janney) has been embezzling money from the school. And as one student journalist begins digging deeper, it becomes clear that Frank may be involved as well.

Bad Education is equal parts Comedy and Tragedy, made all the more eye-opening by it being inspired by a true story. In only his second Feature, Director Cory Finley has proven himself a terrific young talent with a keen eye for detail and structure. While I would have preferred a less meticulous pace, it allows Finley the opportunity to really explore all of the nuances of Mike Makowsky’s spectacular Script. It is impeccably designed, brilliantly connected and easily one of the strongest at this year’s festival. The Script feels especially authentic given that Makowsky was a student at the school during the real-life timeline of the Film. While the performances are strong across the board, Jackman is the clear standout with his magnificently layered and weathered performance. We all love him as Wolverine, but this may just be his finest hour.

BAD EDUCATION screens during TIFF at the following times:

Sunday September 8, 6:15pm @ Princess of Wales [World Premiere]
Monday September 9, 3:00pm @ Princess of Wales
Thursday September 12, 9:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Friday September 13, 7:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Saturday September 14, 1:00pm @ Winter Garden Theatre