Camila Morrone
#TIFF23: “GONZO GIRL” REVIEW
By Amanda Gilmore
Patricia Arquette makes her feature debut with Gonzo Girl the adaptation of Cheryl Della Pietra’s semi-autobiographical novel chronicling her time as Hunter S. Thompson’s personal assistant.
Set in 1992, we follow Alley Russo (Camila Morrone) who’s been hand-picked to be the assistant to the father of gonzo journalism, Walker Reade (Willem Dafoe). It’s been 15 years since Walker’s written anything decent. He’s more interested in consuming cocaine, acid and alcohol than sitting down and writing. Getting him to finish his latest novel is what Alley’s hired to do.
Gonzo Girl is a fast-paced, bold trip through the few months Alley spends with Walker. Arquette and screenwriters Rebecca Thomas and Jessica Caldwell focus on Alley. Allowing the audience to see this man and the women around him, his girlfriend Devaney (Elizabeth Lail) and long-term manager Claudia (Arquette), through her eyes.
Everything she sees is spellbindingly brought to the screen by cinematographer Bobby Bukowski. When Alley first takes acid, he brings us into the world as she sees it. Filled with animation and walls pulsating. Even when no drugs are being taken, Bukowski uses the lens to capture the bizarre world Alley is now a part of, such as seeing the room through the reflection of Water’s sunglasses.
At the centre of Gonzo Girl are two powerhouse performances from Dafoe and Morrone. Dafoe gives a controlled yet outlandish performance as Walker. With a filmography loaded with best performances, his take on Walker will stand near the very top. Rising talent Morrone gives a firecracker performance as Alley who learns more about herself and steps into her independence.
Gonzo Girl screens at TIFF ’23:
Thursday, September 7 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Friday, September 8 at 5:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 3 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
#TIFF23: DAY ONE PHOTOS: PATRICIA ARQUETTE, WILLEM DAFOE AND CAMILA MORRONE FOR “GONZO GIRL”
It’s official TIFFMAS! It was a bit of running about today but thrilled that TIFF ’23 finally has kicked-off. While the Opening Night Gala took place at Roy Thomson Hall and Princess of Wales Theatre for Hayao Miyazaki’s THE BOY AND THE BLUE HERON, it was just like every other TIFF we’ve loved with King Street lit abuzz with starpower in front of Royal Alexandra Theatre for the Premiere of GONZO GIRL, based on true accounts by Hunter S. Thompson‘s assistant. This marks Oscar winner Patricia Arquette‘s first time directing, and in addition to starring in the Film, we also get Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six) and icon Willem Dafoe also! Arquette receives TIFF’s Share Her Journey Changemaker Award this weekend as well. Well deserved.
We’re only getting started but this is a promising start!
Some Snaps:
Not sure if you had a chance to check-out our chat with Sonia Mangat in the CTV eTalk TIFF Lounge, but it was so much fun!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#FIRSTLOOK: “DAISY JONES & THE SIX” REVIEW
To be honest, we’ve never read DAISY JONES & THE SIX, so we came into this with a clean slate. This limited series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s New York Times bestseller, already has many of its fans emphatically excited.
Centering on Daisy Jones (Riley Keough), a young woman with a troubled past, hanging initially on the fringes of L.A.’s music scene in the ‘70s. With a talent for writing lyrics and poetry, she stumbles into the thick of things, forming relationships that lead her into almost accidental stardom. She’s paired together with a struggling band led by Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), who is opposed to having her join the group and relinquishing his control.
Despite Daisy and Billy’s frequent clashes, it is that electric chemistry generated by their immense friction that leads them to create musical magic and finding fame. Success doesn’t come easy as Billy loves his wife Camila (Camila Morrone), but cannot deny his feelings for Daisy. Their relationship is intense and complicated. We also explore some of the Band’s own internal struggles whether it be love, power or vices, which could very quickly destroy everything in an instant.
Without even knowing its premise, it is very apparent right away that all this very loosely is based on the rise of Fleetwood Mac. Their Music is legendary but the stories behind the making of it is even more intriguing. DAISY JONES & THE SIX lends its focus exactly to this with James Ponsoldt (Smashed, The End of the Tour) and Nzingha Stewart (For Colored Girls, Tall Girl) splitting directing duties over ten episodes.
Though things take a few episodes to set the stage, things begin to get really interesting when Daisy and Billy work closely together, butting heads and bickering about everything down to a single lyric. Keough and Claflin’s chemistry is palpable. The amount of commitment and detail they put into their performances is rather astounding. They are unquestionably convincing as musicians and would-be lovers tangled in an impossible situation. Moments on-stage and in-studio make for the most compelling moments of this Series and the Music is unmistakably Fleetwood Mac-inspired.
Where the Series falters is its pacing. It is in no rush bringing us to the point where the band is formed. A story line with Daisy and her best friend Simone (Nabiyah Be) is a running subplot but we aren’t quite sure where it goes as she disappears and resurfaces. Daisy and Billy’s vices serve as plot mechanisms, which aren’t quite treated with the care and sensitivity they deserved. Pacing then almost seems a bit too quick when Daisy goes off to Greece finding love and has to confront trouble in her friendship with Simone. But then everything comes together so beautifully late as the Band deliver what would be their final performance and they come to terms with where they are today as the Series cuts between the past and its current Mockumentary.
The Series is definitely made for faithful fans of the source material and despite some flaws, Keough and Claflin make it all worthwhile, supported by solid performances from its Supporting Cast including Suki Waterhouse as keyboardist Karen Sirko, the captivating Camila Morrone as Billy’s wife Camila Dunne and Tom Wright as powerful producer Teddy Price.
Prime Video Canada release DAISY JONES & THE SIX March 3, 2023.
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