SARAH POLLEY COMMENTS ON "TAKE THIS WALTZ"

Sarah Polley & Mr. Will-W.

Just as I was heading into a Screening tonight, I ran into acclaimed Gemini and Genie Award-winning Actress/Oscar-nominated Screenwriter Sarah Polley coming out of the National Film Board of Canada.  Just as she head off to her next destination, kindly she stopped to pose for a Photo.

I had to of course ask her my most burning question - whether or not her Toronto-filmed Take this Waltz will be premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.  She smiled back at me, "Nothing's finalized yet!".  That answer would in the least bit appear to indicate it's in close contention?  And considering her favourable relationship with TIFF, I'd say she's a shoe-in! 

Polley's 2008 directorial debut Away from Her premiered at TIFF, eventually seeing Julie Christie get an Oscar nomination, in addition to a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for her own writing.  I did camp-out at the set for Take this Waltz last Summer and you can read some of my coverage here.

JUDD APATOW'S ALL-STAR MOCK PSA FOR THE AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE

Director/Screenwriter Judd Apatow's been everywhere this past week promoting his new book I Found This Funny: My Favourite Pieces of Humor and Some That May Not Be That Funny At All, including an appearance alongside Robin Williams and Kylie Minogue on Jay Leno last week.

The Director of The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up recently brought together a slew of stars for this mock Public Service Announcement for the American Jewish World Service, a non-profit organization which educates the American-Jewish community on Global Justice.  This Clip, produced for website Funny or Die is absolutely hilarious and here we see Jewish stars like Sarah Silverman and Jerry Seinfeld, to clearly non-Jewish celebrities like Don Johnson to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to Lindsay Lohan, voicing their thoughts on AJWS.  Lohan even pokes fun at her own financial debt.  

*sigh* Once upon a time when times were better, before Emma Stone came along....

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK REVIEW

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is one of the biggest surprises of the year. The Documentary so perfectly hits it on-the-head that even the ultimate Perfectionist in which it centers upon herself would approve lovingly. Many of us known Rivers as a Comedienne. Cruel, plastic, brash, mean, infuriating, funny. Anyone watching this film from by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg will get an eye-opener of a look at Rivers' storied rise to fame, wondering why it is that at age 75 she still works as hard as she still does.

I mean, yes we all love Betty White right? Joan Rivers too has been hard at work for many years and still relevant. Many of us fail to acknowledge Rivers for her contributions to women in Comedy.  In seeing clips of her earlier work where she attacked subject matter deemed controversial in her day, like Abortion and Pregnancy on stage as part of her Routines, do we see that influence she has had on the face of Comedy. It is safe to say that there would be no Sarah Silverman or Kathy Griffin today if it weren't for Rivers. Griffin even acknowledges this on camera.

To this day, Rivers still says "yes" to gigs at dive clubs, hawks Jewellery on QVC and is willing to sit through the humiliating experience of being insulted by younger fellow comedians on The Comedy Network's The Comedy Roast. The Bitch is tough as nails and knows that in order to continue living her lifestyle (compared to that of The Queen by her Manager Billy Sammeth), everything comes at a cost. She's relentlessly looking to fill her Itinerary and takes offense to being credited as having "paved" the way for women in Comedy. She clarifies that she is still working and "paving" the way for them.

SARAH SILVERMAN SPOTTED IN TORONTO | AUTOGRAPH CONTEST

She doesn't really care if your ethnic or religious group is offended by her jokes. And that's why I love her. Comedian/Writer/Actress Sarah Silverman is definitely one of my favourites for her brazen brand of humour. She pushes the envelope in her satirical approach to addressing stereotypes in a manner so brilliant that one cannot help but find humour in her irony.

Silverman has been flying in and out of Toronto filming Sarah Polley-directed Take This Waltz, which I have covered here previously. Production is set to wrap tentatively at the end of August and she plays the role of Seth Rogen's sister in that film. There are also rumours circulating that she will be appearing nude in the film for the first time although this has yet to be confirmed.

I had the chance to chat with Silverman quickly on her way out to lunch with her good friends Noah Wyle and Steven Weber, both in-town also filming different projects. Both gentlemen arrived at her Hotel and waited about 15 minutes for her outside, sipping on their Coffees before Silverman came out finally a vision of youth, all smiles in Ray-Ban Sunglasses, a Hoodie and Knapsack sans Make-up.

TAKE THIS WALTZ BEGINS FILMING IN TORONTO

Filming started a couple days ago for Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley's latest film Take This Waltz, to be distributed by Mongrel Media. The casting for the film however, is dead-aimed at the Oscars with a dream ensemble including Academy Award-nominee Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman.  Williams has been getting a great amount of ink for her role in upcoming The Weinstein Co. production Blue Valentine.

I did have a chance to visit the set which is tucked away in Little Portugal, quiet enough yet still accessible to the city. Upon arrival, I could see Crew members in charge of Locations advising local residents to stay off their porches so not to be in the shot, as this particular scene was set at 5 AM. Low and behold, I could see a radiant Williams giggling with co-star Luke Kirby, with whom she develops feelings for in the film. Take This Waltz touches upon the question of fidelity as Williams' character (married to Rogen) is said to struggle with commitment.

Polley could be heard calling "Action!" and "Cut!" from around the corner as her and the Crew followed Williams and Kirby around the block multiple times on a Trolley. In this scene, Kirby could be seen pulling a Rickshaw, while Williams conversed with him on her feet.

AN EARLY LOOK: TAKE THIS WALTZ

News like this just brings out the stalker in me.  Canadian great Sarah Polley's new project Take This Waltz starts filming this July in Toronto. The film is about a woman who realizes that she might be addicted to the "Honeymoon Phase" of her relationships. The actress-turned-director has cast - get this - comedienne Sarah Silverman, the ultra-selective Michelle Williams and the über-busy Seth Rogen, who only recently wrapped-up production on The Green Hornet and is now in Vancouver working on a film he wrote and directs, tentatively titled I'm With Cancer.  That film is based on Rogen's real life experiences and his friendship with a friend who suffered from the illness.

The last time Polley directed a feature in 2006, actress Julie Christie wound up receiving a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for Away From Her.  Expect  a similar fate for Williams who is normally outstanding, although seen far too little.  (Photo credit: Associated Press)