Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

The Happy Prince takes place in the final days of Oscar Wilde (Rupert Everett) as he looks back on his failures.

Actor-Writer-Director Rupert Everett crafts an intriguing portrait of a dying man. He focuses on the years Wilde shared with his lover Bosie (Colin Morgan) and the events that circled around the relationship, creating the period in which Wilde lived but also the tragic events he lived through. Everett has devoted much of his craft to Wilde portraying him in the Play The Judas Kiss, which played in Toronto.

Everett is superb as Wilde. His passion and love for Wilde shines through every frame. He encompasses the wild, loving, funny, depressed and sometime angry Wilde effortlessly. Everett surrounds himself with a talented ensemble consisting of Colin Firth, Emily Watson and Edwin Thomas who elevate every scene.

The Happy Prince screens at Sundance on Jan. 21 at 9:30PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 22 at 9AM at PC Library, Jan. 24 at 9PM at Sundance Resort, Jan. 27 at 7PM at Redstone 2 PC, and Jan. 28 at 3:15PM at The Grand SLC.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

I Think We’re Alone Now takes place after the apocalypse and follows recluse Del (Peter Dinklage) who believes he was the only survivor, until fiery Grace (Elle Fanning) bursts into his hometown.

Director Reed Morano crafts a captivating and character driven atmospheric survival tale. Morano’s use of setting to introduce her characters personality adds gives a special touch to this beautiful story. Dinklage is great as the man whose happier to be alone but has a change of heart when Grace comes along. And Fanning is spellbinding as the mysterious Grace whonis full of life. When they come together their chemistry is magnetic. Top that off with a shocking twist and this is an exceptional end-of-the-world Film.

I Think We’re Alone Now screens at Sundance on Jan. 21 at 12:15PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 22 at 9:30PM at Redstone 1 PC, Jan. 23 at 9:30PM at Rose Wagner SLC, Jan. 24 at 9:30AM at The Ray PC, and Jan. 26 at 11:45AM at The MARC PC.

Iconic Clint Eastwood has centered much of his work of late on Non-Fiction and things that have affected the American conscience including 2016’s Sully and 2014’s American Sniper.

The 15:17 to Paris is unique in that stars the actual heroes who in 2015 who confronted a terrorist boarding a train to Paris in the Thalys Train Attack in which four people died after a terrorist opened fire aboard a train before being subdued by passengers.

Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, three American friends, in addition to being those heroes wrote the Memoir on which the Film is based. The Trio were in Toronto today to promote the new Film by Eastwood which stars Judy Greer and Jenna Fischer also.

Among their stops were Global Television‘s The Morning Show (Toronto Edition). We are honoured to get a Snap with these heroic men! We loved that they were into the Mini Wheats sample truck parked outside!

Our Snap:

Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler + Alek Skarlatos are heroes. They are responsible for confronting a Terrorist who opened fire on a train to Paris in 2015. #ClintEastwood cast the Trio to play themselves in his new Film #The1517toParis and they are in town today! 🗼

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🏮 (@mrwillwong) on Jan 23, 2018 at 8:21am PST

See the Trailer:

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release THE 15:17 TO PARIS Friday, February 9, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Warner Bros.)

Hot off its four Oscar nominations today including Best Picture, Luca Guadagnino‘s Call Me By Your Name continues to be a fan favourite for many including ours, and we were fortunate to have it Premiere here at TIFF ’17. Right in time for that important announcement Author and Professor André Aciman who wrote the Novel on which the Film is based, is in Toronto.

Appearing last night at a Book signing preceded by an In-Conversation-With at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Aciman did the rounds earlier today.including The Morning Show (National Edition).

Aciman had several interesting things about his acclaimed Novel and revealed he didn’t have enough courage to submit the “dirty story with a peach” to his agent. What makes Call Me By Your Name unlike other Films centering on same-sex love is that the two central characters are not oppressed. He tells the Audience, “I’m usually ahistorical. I hate realism. I wanted the love of two men to exist as it should: outside of disease, outside of prejudice, outside of bullying, outside of danger.”.

We were lucky to get a Snap with Aciman on his way out:

Hot off its four #AcademyAwards nominations today, #AndreAciman, Professor and Author of #CallMeByYourName in #Toronto for a timely visit.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🏮 (@mrwillwong) on Jan 23, 2018 at 8:13am PST

Mongrel Media release CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, now playing.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Mongrel Media)

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards were announced at 8:22 AM ET in Los Angeles with Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish filling hosting duties. Leading the way with 13 nominations is Guillermo del Toro’s Toronto-made Romance-Fantasy The Shape of Water with 13 nominations including Best Picture, Directing, Lead Actress (Sally Hawkins), Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Original Screenplay and more.

Martin McDonagh‘s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which like The Shape of Water is distributed by Fox Searchlight and winning the People’s Choice Award at TIFF ’17, is seen as the Best Picture favourite. It comes hot-off a win for Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes and three Screen Actors’ Guild Award wins earlier this month. It gets seven nods including Directing, Lead Actress (Frances McDormand), Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell), Directing and Original Screenplay, among others.

While there was uproar that Greta Gerwig was omitted from Directing honours at the Globes, the Academy shows their respect for the Lady Bird Helmer in light of the #MeToo and #TimesUp initiatives at the forefront of discussion. Rachel Morrison also becomes the first woman ever to get a Cinematography nod at the Oscars for Mudbound.

Director Jordan Peele like Gerwig finds Oscars recognition with his first Feature, the Horror Get Out. The Film sees Daniel Kaluuya up for Leading Actor and Peele up for Original Screenplay.

Being in the news much of late with allegations of sexual misconduct, James Franco was omitted from the list despite great acclaim for his The Disaster Artist. The Film centering around “the worst Movie ever made”, The Room, does get a nod for Adapted Screenplay. Others are expressing discontent Armie Hammer for Call Me By Your Name and Wonder Woman were disregarded.

Singer Mary J. Blige gets her first Oscar nomination as an Actress (Supporting) for her work in Mudbound.  She also is up for Original Song with Mighty River from that Netflix release.

Canada gets recognized with Canadian-produced Animated Feature The Breadwinner, in which Angelina Jolie produced. Many thought her First They Killed My Father would get a Foreign Language Film nod but alas it missed.

See more of this year’s Nominees below:

Best Picture

Leading Actor

Leading Actress

Directing

Supporting Actress

Supporting Actor

Documentary

Animated Feature

Foreign Language Film

Original Song

Adapted Screenplay

Original Screenplay

 The Academy Awards air 8 PM ET on Sunday, March 4, 2018 on ABC.

(Photo credit: The Academy)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

On day five at the Sundance Film Festival the weather cleared up and people flocked to the cinemas.

There were two major Premieres tonight. One was for Ophelia and the other Beirut. Ophelia follows the same storyline as the play Hamlet but told through the Ophelia’s perspective. It has a huge Cast consisting of Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, Tom Felton and George McKay.  Beirut is about a U.S diplomat who is called back to Beirut by CIA Operatives after fleeing Lebanon in 1972. It stars Rosamund Pike and Jon Hamm.

There were also plenty of screenings happening in Park City tonight and plenty of buzz surrounding certain Films. The Tale about a woman remembering her first sexual experience and the lies she told herself about it, staring four-time Golden Globe winner Laura Dern, is garnering major buzz around the Festival. Two other Films that have screened and impressed audiences have been Eighth Grade and We The Animals. Eighth Grade follows a girl in her final year of middle school. And We The Animals is about three young boys coming of age while pushing against the volatile love of their parents. Look out for those three Fims throughout the year because they are sparking the most interest at Sundance, so far. Perhaps we will see them even at TIFF?

The final week of the festival is upon us, with plenty of more Films to see. Check back as we continue delivering Reviews of the most buzzed Titles.

(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Burden is the true life story of Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) who opens a KKK Museum in South Carolina with fellow Klan members. When he falls in love with Judy (Andrea Riseborough) he makes the choice to leave the KKK and gets taken in by an African-American Reverend (Forest Whitaker).

What makes Burden a standout is that its told through the perspective of a previous Klan member. Writer-Director Andrew Heckler is unforgiving in his depiction of the horrifying acts which the Klan members practice. But also balances the KKK members’ ideals and the African-American ideals equally which entices the story.

Burden also sees Hedlund’s greatest performance to date. His performance is fearless and all-in. Hedlund physically changes his posture, walk and accent to become Burden. There’s also an incredible Ensemble consisting of Tom Wilkinson as the terrifying KKK leader, Riseborough as the passionate single mother and Whitaker as the conflicted Reverend.

Burden screens at Sundance Jan. 21 at 6:15PM at PC Library, Jan. 23 at 12PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 25 at 9:15PM at The MARC PC, Jan. 26 at 9PM at SLC Library, and Jan. 27 at 8:30AM at The Egyptian PC.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Sorry To Bother You follows Telemarketer Cassius Green (Keith Stanfield) in an alternate present-day version of Oakland, California. When he finds the key to success he gets thrusted into a macabre universe. This Film is out-of-this-world greatness. Writer-Director Boots Riley crafts an ambitiously bonkers satire.

Sorry To Bother You is the most unique Film is years. The entire Ensemble Cast makes this outrageous Comedy set in a realistic world no matter how crazy the story becomes. Stanfield is a powerful force and roots this off-the-wall Film and causes the audience to sympathize with the most outlandish scenarios. But the real show stealer is Armie Hammer as themanic drug-addicted CEO. Hammer is at his best in a role that is furthest from anything he’s played before.

Sorry To Bother You screens at Sundance Jan. 20 at 6PM at PC Library, Jan. 21 at 9:15PM at The Grand SLC, Jan. 22 8:30AM at Prospector PC, Jan. 24 at 12:15PM at Eccles PC, Jan. 26 5:30PM at The MARC PC, and Jan. 27 at 3PM at Sundance Resort.

It seems like everyone’s doing these celebrity or artistic figure comparison photos of late but what happens when you compare the actual voice actors of upcoming INCREDIBLES 2 with their animated characters?

You’ll see! For fun, DISNEY•PIXAR did these side-by-sides of their talent.

HELEN PARR (voice of Holly Hunter), known in the Superworld as Elastigirl, hung up her Supersuit to raise the family with husband Bob, leaving their crime-fighting days behind them. But when she’s tapped to lead a campaign to bring the Supers back into the spotlight, she finds she can still bend, stretch and twist herself into any shape needed to solve the trickiest of mysteries. In short, she’s still got it. That’s good news, too, because a new villain is emerging—unlike any they’ve ever seen before.

BOB PARR (voice of Craig T. Nelson) cherishes his days as Mr. Incredible—a popular Super with mega-strength and the power to singlehandedly take out the bad guys. Ever since Supers were outlawed, Bob’s been mostly lying low, raising the family alongside his wife Helen. But when she’s called on to stretch her Super skills and hopefully change the public perception of Supers for the better, Bob must manage the household on his own, which calls for a completely different set of super powers.

VIOLET PARR (voice of Sarah Vowell), the firstborn of the Parr clan, is an introverted and intelligent 14-year-old teen that doesn’t quite fit in with the normal crowd. Socially awkward, outspoken and sarcastic, Violet plays her teenager role to perfection—all while secretly mastering her superpowers of invisibility and creating force fields. A Super at heart, Violet can’t help her urge to fight crime alongside her family.

DASHIELL PARR (voice of Huckleberry “Huck” Milner) is a 10-year-old boy—restless, relentless, curious—though his remarkable power of Super speed certainly sets him apart. Dash sports a hearty sense of adventure and a boundless supply of energy. He’d love nothing more than to show off his special skills and fight a few bad guys along the way—and doesn’t understand why he has to keep his powers a secret.

LUCIUS BEST (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) is not only Bob’s best friend, he’s a fellow-former Super who’s so chill, he can make ice with the point of a finger. But even when he’s not fighting crime as Frozone, Lucius is all about style. He has a quick wit and a cool, can-do attitude—and he wouldn’t think twice about breaking out his Supersuit if it could help bring Supers out of hiding.

EDNA “E” MODE (voice of Brad Bird) possesses impeccable design sense, a keen understanding of cutting-edge technology and an unmatched skillset. A creative visionary, she longs for the return of Supers so she can once again create functional yet edgy Supersuits. The petite and powerful fashionista treats her clients like family, dahling, but sticks firmly to her long-held assertion: No capes!

WINSTON DEAVOR (voice of Bob Odenkirk) leads a world-class telecommunications company alongside his genius sister, Evelyn. Ultra-wealthy, savvy and suave, Winston goes big in everything he does—including his infatuation with Supers. He has been a supporter of Supers returning—all he needs is a hero (or three) to help him change public perception and bring them back into the sunlight.

EVELYN DEAVOR (voice of Catherine Keener), the brilliant brainchild behind her brother Winston’s telecommunications company, knows her way around tech. She loves tinkering with tech, and has never met a problem she can’t solve.

VOYD (voice of Sophia Bush) is a young, overeager “wannabe” Super and a mega-fan of Elastigirl. Her superpower is the ability to divert and manipulate objects around her by creating voids that allow the objects to appear and disappear, and shift in space.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release INCREDIBLES 2 Friday, June 15, 2018.

(Photo credit: DISNEY•PIXAR)

eOne Films x Mr. Will want to give our young Readers a chance to see EARLY MAN! Advance Screenings take place Saturday, February 10, 2018 in the followig cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Halifax. Passes will be rewarded in packs of four only.

Synopsis:
This animated comedy is set during prehistoric times, when creatures such as woolly mammoths roamed the earth. Neanderthal Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his sidekick Hognob unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age City in an attempt to save their home.

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Richard Ayoade, Mark Williams, Timothy Spall

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK! Kindly indicate your City in the comments there.

eOne Films release EARLY MAN Friday, February 16, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)