Review by David Baldwin
A wildfire is raging through Los Angeles and police officer Joe Bayler (Jake Gyllenhaal) is winding down the clock on his shift at the 911-dispatch centre. He has a court date in the morning for something that happened while he is on the job and is ducking calls from a persistent LA Times Reporter. While the shift has been hectic and trying for his Asthma, it gets a whole lot worse when Joe gets a call from Emily (Riley Keough). She pretends to be talking to her young daughter when really she is telling Joe that her ex-husband has abducted her. Going into fight or flight mode, Joe takes down the few details she gives him and sets out to save her – all while staying behind the desk and on the phone with LA law enforcement.
While there are a few other actors on-screen during THE GUILTY (an Americanized remake of a Danish film from 2018), the majority of the Film focuses squarely on Gyllenhaal’s increasingly manic and psychologically distressing performance as he communicates entirely with the ensemble Supporting Cast (which includes the likes of Keough, Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard and Paul Dano) over a device. That may not sound exciting, but THE GUILTY ends up feeling like one of the most intense, white-knuckle Thrillers of the year. Director Antoine Fuqua (last at TIFF with 2016’s Opening Night film The Magnificent Seven) gradually ratchets-up the tension to unbearable heights, moving the story in equally shocking and terrifying terrains – all while never leaving the call centre. Fuqua creates a breathless atmosphere that rarely slows down and makes scenes of Gyllenhaal dialing on a keypad be more nerve shredding than you might have ever thought possible.
The Supporting Cast on the phone is great, yet they never have a chance to compete with Gyllenhaal, who is positively electric throughout THE GUILTY’s 90-minute running time. His desperation is palpable and the way he screams into a phone is enough to leave you shaken for days. He says so much with his bloodshot, emotionally dominant eyes and consistently reminds you exactly why he is one of the very best actors working in the business today. He commands the screen no matter what he is doing, and where others might overact their way through this kind of performance, Gyllenhaal pivots to something more nuanced and measured that quickly becomes positively spellbinding. I was sweating and clutching my seat every second I watched him on-screen, and may have been broken some blood vessels in my face during some of the unspeakable twists. It may get a bit outrageous and unrealistic, but the combination of Fuqua and Gyllenhaal here make for a gripping picture you will not soon forget.
THE GUILTY screens at TIFF ’21:
Sat, Sep 11 Princess of Wales 9:00 PM
Sun, Sep 12 digital TIFF Bell Lightbox 3:00 PM
Mon, Sep 13 RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place 9:00 PM
Sat, Sep 18 digital TIFF Bell Lightbox 7:00 PM
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in TIFF ’21 selection THE GUILTY. Your first glimpse of the Trailer.
Synopsis:
The film takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. Call operator Joe Baylor (Gyllenhaal) tries to save a caller in grave danger—but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and facing the truth is the only way out.
THE GUILTY arrives in Select Theatres September 24, 2021 and on Netflix October 1, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
Sony Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see THE EQUALIZER 2 Wednesday, July 18, 2018. Screenings take place in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
Synopsis:
Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook and indicate your City. Click “share” from there or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.
Sony Pictures Canada release THE EQUALIZER 2 Friday, July 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)
The buzz is feverish for upcoming Boxing Drama SOUTHPAW and Toronto was luckiest of all to host the official Canadian Premiere for the Film. In for the night were Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Hometown Sweetheart Rachel McAdams and a surprise appearance by Boxing Legend Lennox Lewis. Fans lined a specially set-up Fan Pit outside Scotiabank Theatre and quite a few were lucky to be on the receiving-end of graciousness from the Stars, but in all honesty, many were just happy to be in the presence of the A-List talent.
SOUTHPAW, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), tells the story of a Boxer named Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal), who has seen better days. At the urging of his wife Maureen (McAdams) and daughter Leila (Oona Laurence) to spend more time at home, he decides to retire. Upon receiving honours at his retirement gala, tragedy would strike – only the beginning of a downward spiral that would see him lose everything. With the help of a no-nonsense Trainer in Tick (Forest Whitaker), we see a former Champion on a valiant quest for redemption, to regain back what is his and any remnants of what he had left.
We had the opportunity to chat with McAdams, who looked absolutely stunning in pink Dior, and a dapper-suited Gyllenhaal. McAdams plays Maureen, a woman to fight for and Billy‘s reason to live again after she dies prematurely in Southpaw. I ask her about the Women in her life who are worth fighting for and she tells me, “My mom and my sister are at the top of my list. I used to be a figure skater, so definitely Elizabeth Manley.”. We wouldn’t expect a less patriotic answer from the proudly-Canadian Actress who chose consciously Toronto over Hollywood as her home.
I ask her about getting into Maureen‘s headspace and preparation required for the memorable role, which had her working out of Pittsburgh. “I got to spend a bit of time at facilities Billy and her would’ve grown up at” she explains, “I spent time with Boxers and the Boxers’ families and got to know the Sport and how much people give to it, the sacrifices they make and the difficult paths they take to get there.”.
McAdams filmed an intriguing Movie titled Spotlight in the City last Fall, just one of several she’s made in her native Toronto. She sheds some light on it, hinting “It likely will do the Festival Circuit maybe – but it’s not announced”. “It’s great to shoot here. Tom McCarthy (Director) is the best and I love him to bits”. She explains, “It’s an important story that hasn’t been told enough about the Church – a new side, which has an investigatory crew at The Boston Globe and there’s four of them. I got to play the one woman on the team.”. McAdams adds, “She’s just incredible and my hero – generous and gracious with her time, taking me under her wing.”. Spotlight is due in theatres this November, with a likelihood of premiering at TIFF ’15.
Although there wasn’t much time for Gyllenhaal to speak to Digital Media, we were able to sit-in on a couple questions he fielded about his role as Billy Hope and his new perspective on Professional Fighting since making Southpaw. “The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight – I was in rapture for the first four rounds”, he recalls. “Now I think ‘Ooh, what punch is thrown and who’s getting knocked-out.’. I’m watching technique and what the Trainer is up to.”. Gyllenhaal is devastatingly-good, transforming physically and mentally into Billy Hope completely for the Film, just one of a few great Films he’s made these past couple years. A Career Renaissance if you will.
With an inspired interest in Boxing, Gyllenhaal states, “When you become a fan of the Sport, you become a fan of the people in the Sport and it becomes about the story about the particular athlete.”. On his greatest inspiration building Billy‘s character he says, “My most motivating Fighter was Miguel Cotto. He’s so devoted to his family and been in the ring so many times. So many odd things have happened.”. “The Movie’s all about Family. He was my inspiration.”.
eOne Films release SOUTHPAW on Friday, July 24, 2015.
Review to come soon.
More Snaps below:
#JakeGyllenhaal + #RachelMcAdams catching-up at the Canadian #Southpaw Premiere. A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
#JakeGyllenhaal and a surprise appearance by #LennoxLewis at the Canadian #Southpaw Premiere.
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
“You sneakin’ a pic of me?”, #LennoxLewis at the Canadian #Southpaw Premiere. #Boxing A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
#RachelMcAdams just glowing at the Canadian #Southpaw Premiere. Had a lovely chat with her.
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Video of our Chat:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Christina Miguel)
eOne Films + Mr. Will are gonna turn-up the heat this Summer with a chance to see eagerly-awaited SOUTHPAW, starring both Jake Gyllenhaal + Rachel McAdams!
Screenings take place Monday, July 20, 2015 in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Halifax, Victoria.
As an exclusive for Toronto Readers, there will be a Red Carpet Screening held on Thursday, July 9, 2015 with Rachel McAdams and Jake Gyllenhaal in-attendance. A Fan Pit also will be set-up for you to see for those who come early enough!
Official Synopsis:
From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and starring Academy Award® nominated Jake Gyllenhaal (NIGHTCRAWLER, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) comes a story of tragedy, loss and the painful road to redemption… Billy “The Great” Hope (Gyllenhaal) is the reigning Junior Middleweight Champion whose unorthodox stance, the so-called “Southpaw,” consists of an ineloquent, though brutal, display of offensive fighting…one fueled by his own feelings of inadequacy and a desperate need for love, money and fame. With a beautiful family, home and financial security, Billy is on top both in and out of the ring until a tragic accident leaves his wife dead and sends him into a downward spiral. His days now an endless haze of alcohol and prescription drugs, his daughter taken by Child Services and his home repossessed by the bank, Billy’s fate is all but sealed until a washed up former boxer named Tick agrees to take the bereaved pugilist under his wing so long as he agrees to his strict ethos. Relentless and utterly committed to a fighter that thinks as much as he throws punches, Tick rebuilds Billy into a new man: one that is agile, fearsome and uncompromising in the ring while thoughtful, loving and disciplined outside of it. Now, as he works to regain custody of his daughter and mounts a professional comeback, Billy must face his demons head-on as he learns that, sometimes, your greatest opponent can be yourself.
See the Trailer:
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Indicate for us your City also. You may click “share” on this Post for an extra shot or Tweet out the below:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/southpaw @MRWILLW wants us to #win Passes to see #SOUTHPAW. In theatres 7/24!
Mr. Will, Antoine Fuqua, Rachel McAdams + Jake Gyllenhaal:
G’luck, Willionaire$!
eOne Films release SOUTHPAW on Friday, July 24, 2015.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
“You can be anything you want to be to change the World.”.
Based on the popular ’80s TV Series, we’re all excited to see THE EQUALIZER! In this new Trailer we see Denzel Washington at his icy bad-ass best and Chloë Moretz unlike anything we’ve ever seen her in before!
Official Synopsis:
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by — he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
Well then!
Watch the Trailer:
Sony Pictures Canada release THE EQUALIZER on Friday, September 26, 2014.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)
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