From Academy Award®-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence) comes a poignant and deeply human musical about a family that survived the end of the world.

An urgent and unforgettable cautionary tale, The End stars Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), Academy Award® nominee Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road), George MacKay (1917) and Moses Ingram (Lady in the Lake, The Queen’s Gambit). The screenplay is by Oppenheimer and Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair), with songs by Joshua Schmidt (music) and Oppenheimer (lyrics).

THE END is in select theatres December 13, 2024 via Elevation Pictures.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

By Nicholas Porteous

In Joshua Oppenheimer‘s first narrative feature The End, our planet has become uninhabitable, and an opulent, extended family (Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, George MacKay, Bronagh Gallagher, Tim McInnerny and Lennie James) clings to existence in a salt mine. Their days are spent hanging paintings, tending to toy models of the past, and getting in a bit of exercise. If you’re feeling a bit aimless–in any aspect of your existence–wait til you meet these people. In spite of their rudderless lives, they seem pretty content–at least on the surface. They are still coping, to one degree or another, with their responsibility for how the end of the world went down, maintaining comforting narratives about their past lives. When an unexpected visitor appears (Moses Ingram), the family is forced to recalibrate everything they’ve taken for granted about their routine lifestyle and personal narratives. Did I mention it’s a Musical?

The End is, for better and worse, unlike most movies I’ve ever seen. It takes a classic post-apocalyptic premise and injects the whimsy of a musical, while maintaining a core sense of a drudging, daily existence leading nowhere. It’s paradoxically expansive–infused with generous, super wide frames full of characters and set design–and also deeply interior. Near-motionless. These isolated beings, trapped in a social bubble of their own design, come off like aliens, completely out of practice when it comes to connecting with others. It’s as charming as it is confounding. Michael Shannon is particularly compelling as the aloof patriarch, giving what is likely the most tender performance of his career.

Outside of its songs, there’s little to no attempt to fight the inertia of this dying world. The End is a movie that feels longer than it is, and refuses to weave its various character threads into a compelling shape, abandoning one subplot for the other as its runtime drags onward. It’s a perplexing experience. I’m glad I saw it at the festival on a giant screen with an excited audience, because it’s so singular, but I can’t recommend The End as anything beyond a big swing novelty that may very well leave you cold and tired.

The End screens at TIFF ’24:

Thursday September 12th at 9:00 PM at Scotiabank

A first look at the official Trailer for Guillermo del Toro‘s PINOCCHIO, has arrived. Opening in select theatres this Friday, this fantastical re-imagining of this beloved tale arrives on Netflix in time for the Holidays!

Synopsis: 
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion film directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, the film features an all-star voice cast with Ewan McGregor as Cricket, David Bradley as Geppetto, and introducing Gregory Mann as Pinocchio. Other cast includes Finn Wolfhard, Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, with Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz and Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton.

Cast: Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman

Guillermo del Toro‘s PINOCCHIO arrives December 9, 2022 on Netflix. It plays at TIFF Bell Lightbox Friday, November 11, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By Mr. Will Wong

Shot in secret during the Pandemic in Wales, Joanna Hogg continues the story of Julie, which began in 2019’s The Souvenir. Looking to make a Film about her mother, Julie (Tilda Swinton) takes her mother Rosalind (also played by Tilda Swinton) to a home she grew-up in, now a hotel. The vacation is meant as bonding time between mother and daughter, culminating in Rosalind‘s birthday, all the while avoiding family.

Julie hopes to get a bit of work done on this working vacation, but is struggling to focus. She hears howling noises at night that keep her up. She then learns that the house holds also some sad memories in addition to happy ones, and this is a turning point for Julie as she faces her mother’s mortality, and realizes she doesn’t have much time.

Hogg strikes a unique tonal balance here in THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER. It is dark, mysterious and eery, but also incredibly heartfelt and affecting. This very much falls in my own personal Top Five of the Festival this year entirely on the tremendous and exact work from incomparable Swinton. It’s just mindblowing how she is able to play two characters who are bantering through most of the Film, so seamlessly. Quite the feat.

THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER screens at TIFF ’22 as follows:

Sun, Sep 11 IN-PERSON TIFF Bell Lightbox 6:15pm

Mon, Sep 12 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre TorontoClosed captioning, Descriptive sound 3:00pm

Thu, Sep 15 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre TorontoClosed captioning, Descriptive sound 5:30pm

Sun, Sep 18 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre TorontoClosed captioning, Descriptive sound 1:00pm

After its Premiere at Cannes, THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING soon will get a release here in Canada.

Synopsis:

A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, George Miller directs.

Elevation Pictures release THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING in theatres August 31, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Scholar Alithea (Tilda Swinton) has always been content in her solitude. But that might change when she goes on a trip to Istanbul. While at a local shop, she finds a small glass vase. Back in her hotel, a fantastical being called a Djinn (Idris Elba) breaks free from that tiny vase. In return for his freedom, he offers Althea three wishes but they have to be her life’s deepest desires.

Visionary Writer-Director George Miller is back with this Fantasy-Romance Film. His style is on full display as we follow Alithea in her story which is told like a fairy tale. Three Thousand Years of Longing does carry a lot of narration. There’s the voice-over work from Alithea along with the stories Djinn tells of his prior failed attempts at freedom. Normally, this much narration would hinder a Film. However, Miller’s stylistic Direction makes it entertaining.

Through all of the visual spectacle found in Three Thousand Years of Longing, there is a tender story of finding love in unique circumstances. Additionally, Miller is telling a story about the importance of telling one’s life story. He does this through Alithea and Djinn. She is adamant she’s lived a life of pleasant solitude and doesn’t believe she has a deep desire. Instead, she takes an interest in Djinn’s three thousand years trapped by a magician’s curse.

It’s the stories Djinn tells that draw Alithea to him. Learning about his prior passions, heartbreaks and longings makes her fall for him. Swinton, as usual, is spellbinding. She brings a comedic layer to Alithea that resonates with the audience. Elba is the perfect choice as this Djinn yearns for freedom. He brings humanity to this fantastical being. The chemistry between the two gets stronger as the story progresses. This isn’t a fault, it’s a strength. It shows the progression in their feelings for one another.

Three Thousand Years of Longing has an important message on freedom and love: that it can’t be forced.

Three Thousand Years of Longing screens at Cannes ’22:

Fri, May 20 at 7:00 PM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Say, May 21 at 6:30 PM at CINEUM IMAX

Searchlight Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal a chance to see Wes Anderson’s star-studded opus, THE FRENCH DISPATCH!

Screenings take place as follows:

October 20:

• Toronto: Cineplex Varsity at 7:00 PM
• Vancouver: Cineplex International Village at 7:00 PM

October 27:

• Calgary: Scotiabank Theatre Chinook at 7:00 PM

October 28:

• Montreal: Cineplex Forum at 7:00 PM

Synopsis:

THE FRENCH DISPATCH brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th-century French city. It stars Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City there. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance.

NOTE: Winners will only be contacted from the official account above. Please do not accept friend requests from other accounts asking you to input your personal information on a link. We will never ask you for credit card information with our contests.

Rules and regulations here.

Searchlight Pictures release THE FRENCH DISPATCH October 22, 2021 in Toronto, with additional cities to follow.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

Visionary Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Paterson) brings us his latest effort, THE DEAD DON’T DIE featuring one or the most eclectic Casts ever!

Synopsis:
THE DEAD DON’T DIE – the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat and Tom Waits. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release THE DEAD DON’T DIE Friday, June 14, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

SUSPIRIA already is one of our favourite Films of 2018. We just know it without having seen it.

Synopsis:
Susie Bannion travels to Markos Dance Academy in Berlin, after which the artistic director, Madame Blanc, becomes fascinated with her dancing skills. After a series of mysterious disappearances among the students, Susie, her new friend Sara, and the elderly psychologist Jozef Klemperer find out the school may harbor dark secrets that could kill them all.

For now we can savour this haunting Trailer for the Horror-Thriller Remake starring Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson!

Watch it below:

Check-out Thom Yorke‘s (Radiohead) SUSPIRIUM from the Film below:

AMBO Films release Suspiria is in theatres Friday, November 2, 2018 in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. It expands November 9, 2018 in other cities.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Studios)

Well I know what we’ll be doing Victoria Day weekend! Netflix launches the official Trailer for upcoming original feature, WAR MACHINE starring Brad Pitt!

Synopsis:
In a film for our times, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General’s roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody – raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today. His is an anti-establishment, pro-soldier exploration in the form of an absurdist war story of a born leader’s ultra-confident march right into the dark heart of folly. At the story’s core is Brad Pitt’s sly take on a successful, charismatic four-star general who leapt in like a rock star to command NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to be taken down by his own hubris and a journalist’s no-holds-barred expose. War Machine addresses the debt we owe to soldiers to question the purposes to which they are being directed.

War Machine stars also Emory Cohen, Topher Grace, Anthony Michael Hall, Will Poulter, Lakeith Stanfield, Meg Tilly, Tilda Swinton and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Some new stills:

See the Trailer:

Netflix Canada stream WAR MARCHINE Friday, May 26, 2017.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)