THE TEMPEST - FILM REVIEW

Still from The Tempest

Oh no Julie Taymor, what have you done? With consecutive sub-par efforts Across the Universe and now her adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, the talented Director is hanging on a thread in terms of Critical pardon.

Taymor takes the Comedy/Drama of The Tempest, adapting the original character of Prospero and transforming him here into a Woman - Prospera (Helen Mirren), Duchess of Milan - who has the rare ability to perform Witchcraft.  Prospera is betrayed by her Brother Antonio (Chris Cooper) who tries to usurp her throne by forcing both her and daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) onto a boat, leaving them to die. Trapped on an island, Mother and Daughter are left to their own devices in the name of survival, taking ownership of the land they stumble upon.  They enslave the island's only inhabitant - a creature named Caliban (Djimon Hounsou).

Alonzo (David Strathairn), King of Naples, is on a mission along with Antonio, Sebastian (Alan Cumming) and Gonzalo (Tom Conti) to find his missing Son, Ferdinand (Reeve Carney). Ferdinand however, finds his way onto the island and encounters beautiful Miranda and before long they take a liking to one another, under the watchful eye of a distrustful Prospera.

TIFF DAY 1 - AN EDUCATION REVIEW

The Toronto International Film Festival kicked off today and excitement has lit up the city. I caught the opening gala of An Education at Ryerson Theatre tonight. The film is rapidly catching fire after earning consistently strong reviews across the board at both the Sundance and Venice Film Festivals. Directed by Lone Scherfig, the film takes place in suburban London in the '60s and stars newcomer Carey Mulligan as Jenny, in what is arguably the breakthrough performance of the year. Jenny is a 16 year old girl who gets courted by a wealthy playboy twice her age, David (played by Peter Sarsgaard). She sacrifices her bid for acceptance at Oxford University in the name of love and soon gains "an education" on the importance of having one's own dream. Also, Alfred Molina's performance as Jenny's father was outstanding. Superb. Grade: A

Here are some pics I got from the gala for An Education below and luckily, I had a few moments to chat with Mulligan about her uncomfortable choice of footwear which made her laugh out loud. Also in attendance Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle and Mamma Mia/Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried, the latter who I also got to chat with briefly. Sweet girl.

I was anticipating seeing Penelope Cruz tonight at the gala for Pedro Almodovar's latest film Broken Embraces, but had little luck. She arrived at her gala very late and the public was kept very distant from the talent at Elgin Theatre. Word is that she's been out and about around Yorkville shopping. Seeing that I live in the area, I'll keep those fingers crossed for a chance encounter perhaps.

All eyes were on Megan Fox this evening at Ryerson Theatre for the midnight madness screening of Jennifer's Body. Directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody (Juno), fans of Fox camped out at the venue from midday onwards for a chance to see Hollywood's hottest new starlet. She did not disappoint either, arriving shortly after 11:30 PM. Fox stole the spotlight quickly from co-stars Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody who were very punctual, arriving an hour early. I managed only to snap one shot of Fox, but it came out pretty well considering the manic circumstances. Cody was also very gracious to pose for a photograph for me. Enjoy the photos below:

I'll be attending the gala for The Informant! tomorrow night starring Matt Damon, in what critics are calling his career-defining performance and possibly Jane Campion's new film Bright Star afterwards. Will be spending the day scoping out some Press Conferences and hopefully be bringing you some more gorgeous photos of Megan Fox!

Night!


xW