Before I comment on anything TIFF-related, please let me state my opinion on Kanye West regarding some inappropriate comments made during Taylor Swift's MTV VMAs acceptance speech. Just click this link, as it says it all really. He's not even worthy of being Summer's Eve. He's generic Life brand!
Now that this is out of the way....
I caught Whip It earlier today. The film is directed and produced by Drew Barrymore, starring Ellen Page (Juno). I loved it and I am very certain that it will be a massive hit. The comedy features the right combination of genuinely touching moments, laughs and action to give it crossover appeal. The film centers around Bliss (Page) who is pressured by her mother Marcia Gay Harden to enter the local beauty pageant circuit. Finding little joy in this, she finds inspiration in competitive roller skating and secretly joins a team played by an all-star female cast that includes Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Eve and Zoe Bell. It is from competitive roller skating that Bliss finds a true defining passion, but she must come to terms with having to gain her mother's acceptance in this new life choice. The story leads up to a Roller Derby championship match that pits Bliss' team against fierce opposition from a team led by Juliette Lewis. Grade: A
Now that this is out of the way....
I caught Whip It earlier today. The film is directed and produced by Drew Barrymore, starring Ellen Page (Juno). I loved it and I am very certain that it will be a massive hit. The comedy features the right combination of genuinely touching moments, laughs and action to give it crossover appeal. The film centers around Bliss (Page) who is pressured by her mother Marcia Gay Harden to enter the local beauty pageant circuit. Finding little joy in this, she finds inspiration in competitive roller skating and secretly joins a team played by an all-star female cast that includes Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Eve and Zoe Bell. It is from competitive roller skating that Bliss finds a true defining passion, but she must come to terms with having to gain her mother's acceptance in this new life choice. The story leads up to a Roller Derby championship match that pits Bliss' team against fierce opposition from a team led by Juliette Lewis. Grade: A
Screenwriter Shauna Cross attended this morning's screening and explained to the audience during the Q&A that all the actors had trained rigorously for this film and it showed! Completely and utterly amazing. A must-see. The film opens October 2, 2009.
I'll be getting some snaps of Barrymore, Lewis and Page tomorrow for you all. Can't wait.
Later in the day I was able to get in close with Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe and Julianne Moore. Garner was especially wonderful taking the time to sign autographs for anyone asking for one and when things got a little crazy, she showed concern for everyone's safety, assuring everyone to remain calm; she's wonderful. Her new film with Gervais and Lowe, The Invention of Lying, is getting mixed reviews at the festival. Check out that bling on Garner's hand!
Also, enjoy these gorgeous pictures I got of the three all dressed from head to toe in Tom Ford:
xW
Later in the day I was able to get in close with Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Rob Lowe and Julianne Moore. Garner was especially wonderful taking the time to sign autographs for anyone asking for one and when things got a little crazy, she showed concern for everyone's safety, assuring everyone to remain calm; she's wonderful. Her new film with Gervais and Lowe, The Invention of Lying, is getting mixed reviews at the festival. Check out that bling on Garner's hand!
Enjoy these pics I got earlier:
In the evening I attended the screening of fashion icon Tom Ford's directorial debut A Single Man at Isabel Bader Theatre. The film centers around an English professor named George, played by Colin Firth, who loses the love of his life Jim, played by Matthew Goode. After Jim's death, George decides to end his life. That is, until he regains a clear perspective again after a burgeoning love affair with one of his students Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) begins. Julianne Moore absolutely lights up the screen as George's confidante Charlotte, breathing life again into his otherwise dead soul. It is her unrequited feelings of love for George after their many years of friendship together that creates an underlying current of tension between the two.
Ford has styled this film very much in the same vein as a Wong Kar Wai film - lots of underlying subtext, mundane dialogue, nuances and evoking mood through colour. Although I admit A Single Man is a gorgeous, meticulously styled film, the story itself offers considerably less in terms of substance. The audience comes to empathize with George's character as a lonely soul, but perhaps more focus should have been placed on the backstory of his relationship with the deceased Jim, to give the story some added depth and added dimension. An impressive debut effort on Ford's part, although I did not leave fully satisfied. The film did not have distribution prior to the screening and behind me was a row of impeccably-dressed studio executives, readied for Ford's exclusive after party at The Gardiner. Shortly after the screening, Harvey Weinstein came out the highest bidder and will now be overseeing distribution. Grade: B
Ford, Moore and Firth all stayed behind for an audience Q&A session and I captured a portion of it here for your viewing pleasure:
Ford has styled this film very much in the same vein as a Wong Kar Wai film - lots of underlying subtext, mundane dialogue, nuances and evoking mood through colour. Although I admit A Single Man is a gorgeous, meticulously styled film, the story itself offers considerably less in terms of substance. The audience comes to empathize with George's character as a lonely soul, but perhaps more focus should have been placed on the backstory of his relationship with the deceased Jim, to give the story some added depth and added dimension. An impressive debut effort on Ford's part, although I did not leave fully satisfied. The film did not have distribution prior to the screening and behind me was a row of impeccably-dressed studio executives, readied for Ford's exclusive after party at The Gardiner. Shortly after the screening, Harvey Weinstein came out the highest bidder and will now be overseeing distribution. Grade: B
Ford, Moore and Firth all stayed behind for an audience Q&A session and I captured a portion of it here for your viewing pleasure:
Also, enjoy these gorgeous pictures I got of the three all dressed from head to toe in Tom Ford:
Yum.
xW
I felt so bad for Taylor when I was watching the show. Then I afterwards I heard that she was crying with her mom after she left the stage and that made me so sad and then I was so angry. Kanye can go to hell and die.
ReplyDeleteWhat a complete egomaniacal jackass. i hope he's committed career suicide with those remarks. He should never win an award after something like that!
ReplyDeleteAnother movie I totally want to see (Whip it)!
I am so Kanyed-out honestly. I don't understand what he has contributed to music to warrant him as much respect as he thinks he is entitled to.
ReplyDeleteWhip It! Amazing! I'd totally see it a second time.