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:

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)