CONTAGION - MOVIE REVIEW

Still from Contagion

As always, Steven Soderbergh aims high and his latest $60 million Sci-Fi/Thriller imagines a World at the mercy of a mysterious Airborne Killer Disease. It is portrait of what life would be like for us if we were reduced to our most primal need to fight for survival. The Story centers around an international team of Doctors who are called upon with a daunting assignment from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, while the number of victims impacted quickly multiplies into the millions.

Contagion follows the interweaving stories of people around the World impacted by the Disease. Beth (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to the U.S. after a visit to Macau, falling gravely ill within days. Her death then is linked to a number of other mysterious deaths around the World and soon we see the implications of this Disease as it spreads, whether it be her Husband Thomas (Matt Damon) who  never gets an opportunity to grieve her passing as he too is forced to worry about his own health. We also see Erin (Kate Winslet) step-up as a Doctor to face the challenge of dealing with the Outbreak, risking her own life to save others.   

Meanwhile, Ellis (Laurence Fishburne), struggles to suppress his own fears on a personal level to ensure both he and his Wife (Sanaa Lathan) survive, while at once having to maintain order on a public surface as access to an effective Vaccine is extremely limited. We also see Alan (Jude Law), a Medical Blogger out to expose corruption in the treatment of the Disease. Leonora (Marion Cotillard) is sent to China to study the Disease, but soon finds herself also caught amidst the corruption.

TIFF CANDIDATE - "CONTAGION" TRAILER

Still from Contagion

"On day one there were two people.  And then four.  And then 16.  In three months there'll be a billion - that's where we're heading." - Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law)

An international team of Doctors are sent out to deal with the outbreak of a deadly disease.  Contagion opens in theatres via Warner Bros. on September 9, 2011.  Damon, Law, Paltrow, Cotillard, Cranston, Fishburne, Winslet.  Soderbergh.  Bring it!

 

Watch the terrifying Trailer below:

MARION COTILLARD DELIVERS BABY BOY

Marion Cotillard & Mr. Will-W. - TIFF 2010

Congratulations, Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet! Two French Couple are the proud parents of a Baby Boy.  Le nom du bébé? Marcel est son nom ...and he was born last night. And yes I can clarify he definitely isn't mine, although you might think otherwise with all the love beaming from our eyes in the above Photo taken last September in Toronto.

Although we'll be missing Oscar-winning Cotillard in Toronto this Summer, we'll soon see her in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises alongside Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway.

Cotillard as you might recall originally was a frontrunner opposite to star Robert Pattinson in David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis set to begin filming next week. The role eventually went to Toronto's Sarah Gadon.

"MIDNIGHT IN PARIS" WINS RAVES AT CANNES

Still from Midnight in Paris

They love it! Woody Allen's new Film Midnight in Paris with an all-star Cast of Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard and more, just premiered as the opening night Gala at the Cannes Film Festival.

Thus far, reactions seem to be positive. Todd McCarthy at The Hollywood Reporter calls the Film "as beguiling as a stroll around Paris on a warm spring evening" and Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere states that it is a "relatively minor piece that works very well by way of charm and humour". Lookin' good! 

Yes, this is the Film responsible for McAdams and Sheen meeting and falling in love!

Midnight in Paris opens in theatres through Sony Pictures Classics May 20, 2011.

See Photos from its Press Conference held earlier today right here at Zimbio.

(Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics)

MARION COTILLARD CONFIRMS PREGNANCY

Marion Cotillard at TIFF 2010

Elle est enceinte! Congratulations to the beautiful and talented Marion Cotillard who has just announced via her Publicist that she is with Child! The Father-to-be is Cotillard's longtime Lover Guillaume Canet, Actor and Director.

Le Bébé is expected to arrive in the Spring and it would appear that this would conflict with plans to star in David Cronenberg's upcoming Cosmopolis alongside Paul Giamatti and Robert Pattinson.  As mentioned prior, the Film is expected to begin production in Toronto. 

UPDATE (1/24/11): Cotillard has been replaced by Keira Knightley in Cosmpolis.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

ROBERT PATTINSON POSSIBLE IN TORONTO FOR NEW CRONENBERG FILM "COSMOPOLIS"

Robert Pattinson

It's about time Toronto got a break as our Filming Production list of late has been sparse enough to strip us of our "Hollywood North" honours! But get this, Director David Cronenberg has cast Twilight's Robert Pattinson in his next project Cosmopolis as revealed by Deadline. Colin Farrell originally was considered for the role of Eric Parker, but it is Pattinson in the end who wins the heart of the acclaimed Canadian Storyteller. And besides, Farrell will likely get a much bigger paycheque for his work on the new Total Recall Film, also shooting here later in the year with that $200 million budget. Earlier reports had Cronenberg set on Toronto as a locale for the shoot.

The character of Eric is said to be a dangerous risk-taking Businessman who gambles his fortune and potentially his life.

MR. WILL-W.'S GREATEST MOMENTS OF 2010: A REVIEW OF CELEBRITIES WHO VISITED TORONTO

What can I say? 2010 has been a wonderful year for Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven, seeing many highs in terms of exciting new content and readership. Although we’re by no means Perez Hilton or Just Jared, I  maintain a humble grassroots philosophy here.  I don't believe in bashing other Bloggers by constantly calculating their shortcomings, nor do I make boastful claims of being "the best", because I'm not.  I have come with no real Media qualifications other than my opinions, but I  want always to be able to improve.

You'll find that a vast majority of the Celebrity Photos seen here are self-taken and not sold for profit.   Unlike many Celebrity Gossip sites where Bloggers sit in front of their Laptops comfortable in their often biting anonymity, I interact first-hand with many of the Celebrities who appear here. What you're reading comes first-hand - not observed from behind a bush with Binoculars nor re-interpreted.

Besides this, where else can you get detailed Reviews of Albums and Films before everybody else?  I review these beforehand so that you can make better informed choices on where you spend your hard-earned money.  And need I mention Mr. Will-W.'s Exciting Giveaways? This past year alone, we've seen Readers win Marc Jacobs Cologne, Scissor Sisters VIP Concert Tickets, CDs by artists like Rihanna and Ke$ha and Signed Photos from the likes of Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Cory Monteith, James Franco, Sam Worthington and more!  Sponsors stand behind the quality of content featured on Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven and this speaks for itself.

I thank you all personally for your loyalty to me. Things only will continue to get even more exciting in 2011.  Stick around.  Follow on Twitter or become a Fan on Facebook.  

Looking back on the year, there were many bright moments and narrowing it down to a Best-of has been difficult. I am blessed to live in a City which always has something exciting going on and would not be able to do any of this without Toronto. So indirectly, all of this is a big thank you to the City I love most.  I live, breathe, eat and speak Toronto. 

Without further ado, here are Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven’s Greatest Moments of 2010:

Taylor Swift

14. Seeing Taylor Swift.  She's by far the hottest thing right now in Pop Music from a numbers standpoint - and she's not even really Pop, she's Country.  I was lucky enough to see Taylor Swift in November at CTV's Canada AM, part of her crazy day of Promotions in Toronto for third album Speak Now.  Whatever she did, it worked because she sold 1,047,000 copies of the CD in its first week.  This came soon after rumours sparked of her dating Jake Gyllenhaal whom I also got to meet in May.  Although her Publicist kept her at a distance from everyone, it was still a privilege to hear the v. grounded young Singer/Songwriter just be herself.  I'll be seeing her for the first time in Concert next July and am kinda stoked about it, really.

Sir Paul McCartney

13. Seeing Sir Paul McCartney. To say I was only a couple feet away from Sir Paul McCartney in itself is enough to brag about for a lifetime. Although he was pretty much all work, no play during his two days in Toronto this past August, his presence was felt definitely. I caught McCartney quickly rolling down the window of his Escalade to throw a quick wave to Fans outside his Hotel, before heading off to his show at Air Canada Centre. With Vinyl Records, Sharpies, CDs and Cameras all aimed his direction, it was Beatlemania allover again. It was incredibly quick and incredibly memorable.

Andrew Garfield and Me

12. Meeting Andrew Garfield. Although many of us are just getting to know him, Garfield by Summer 2012 will be everywhere due to his new high-profile role as Spider-Man. This year alone, he appeared in two widely acclaimed titles, Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek) and more familiarly The Social Network (David Fincher). I met the talented Brit at the Premiere of Never Let Me Go this past September at TIFF. Although a bit awkward with the fame thing, he still was a Gentleman. Having seen The Social Network just days prior (thanks Nadia), I delivered him great praise to which he replied, "What?  How is it that you've seen it already and I haven't?".  I took two Photos with him and hilariously, he wasn’t quite sure which way to look both times. Just having garnered a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal as Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders of Facebook in The Social Network, he’s definitely a major contender for Best Supporting Actor at next February’s Oscars. Look out.

COLIN FARRELL LIKELY FOR "TOTAL RECALL 2" IN TORONTO

Colin Farrell at TIFF 2009

In a surprise move, it was announced today that Toronto's Pinewood Studios has just secured a loan of $34.5 million from Infrastructure Ontario. This money will be invested into the Studio, while helping Toronto attract more big-budget Productions with the upgrade in facilities.

It is said that a Sequel to 1990's Total Recall will be filming at the Studio beginning March 2011 and the wonderful Colin Farrell has already been offered to play the role of Douglas Quaid made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The high-octane Action Film went on to gross over $261 million worldwide.

There was talk also last year of Farrell filming this year in Toronto alongside Marion Cotillard in Director David Cronenberg's next project Cosmopolis. Expect to see a lot of him around town!

Total Recall 2 is working with a budget of $200 million, making it the most expensive Movie ever to be filmed in Toronto.

Read more details about this major news here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

MR. WILL-W.'S TIFF 2010 BEST-OF LISTS

Nicole Kidman for Rabbit
Hole at TIFF

TIFF 2010 has been wonderful and the last day of the Festival is always bittersweet for me.  After ten days of sheer madness, the normalcy once again is always welcome and for one, I'm sure my dog Billy will appreciate seeing me home more.  And I'm sure my waistline will appreciate it again too as all I've been eating on the go are Hot Dogs (you've never had a Hot Dog until you've had a Toronto Hot Dog), Pastries, Order-at-the-counter Chinese and Starbucks.

Reflecting on my favourite highlights is always a challenge, but this year in particular is difficult to extract from as the first few days of the Festival were extraordinarily concentrated with action, that  surely amidst the madness I might have missed the buzz on some amazing films (i.e. Clint Eastwood's Hereafter) and actors in town.  But if I were to make a few selections, I would narrow it down as follows:





MR. WILL-W.'S TOP FILMS OF TIFF 2010

1. Rabbit  Hole 

2. Black Swan

3. Blue Valentine

4. The Debt

5. 127 Hours

James Franco for 127 Hours

MR. WILL-W.'S GREATEST GUYS OF TIFF 2010

1. James Franco

2. Sam Worthington

3. Ryan Reynolds

4. Ryan Gosling

5. Michael Sheen

MARION COTILLARD AT LITTLE WHITE LIES TIFF PRESS CONFERENCE

Marion Cotillard & Mr. Will-W.

Amazing!  I caught Marion Cotillard going into her Press Conference for Guillaume Canet-directed Little White Lies this afternoon 40 minutes ahead of schedule as she was to arrive at 12 PM originally.

Graciously, she took a photo together with me and I must say how gorgeous the Oscar winner is in-person, light on make-up and always   one to dress classic and simple.  She was v. generous with photos and autographs and personalized a couple photos for me, which will soon be mounted on my wall.  Her PR was v. clear about only being able to sign autographs with a black Sharpie as I was educated by Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven reader that there must be some type of a legal/insurance reason for this.  Interesting.

Check out some more photos of Cotillard below:

MARION COTILLARD AT LITTLE WHITE LIES TIFF GALA

Isn't she gorgeous?  Marion Cotillard is seen here doing a round of Press at the Roy Thomson Hall Gala for Guillaume Canet's Little White Lies.  The French film is about a group of friends who decide to go ahead and take a vacation together amidst a tragedy.  I'll hopefully be getting more shots of the Oscar winner today.  Love her.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

RACHEL MCADAMS FILMING IN PARIS

Canada's Sweetheart Rachel McAdams is currently in Paris filming Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and she is seen here reuniting with missing-in-action Owen Wilson after last being seen together in the 2005 hit The Wedding Crashers.  The film with an all-star cast including Michael Sheen (!), Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard (!) and many more, is about a young American couple who travel to Paris and realize that the grass might actually be greener on the other side of the Atlantic.

Allen, Cotillard and McAdams are all scheduled to be in the city this September during TIFF. Perhaps we might see them out and about partying with one another?

Well, one thing's for sure - McAdams better hurry back as she's scheduled to start filming in Toronto next week alongside Hunk-of-the-Masses Channing Tatum, for upcoming project The Vow!  The Sony Screen Gems drama is about a young couple who get into a tragic car accident, with one of them experiencing severe memory loss.  Expect a "sighting" here soon.

(Photo credit: Fame Pictures/Pacific Coast News Online)

MARION COTILLARD CHATS WITH NICOLE KIDMAN ON AUGUST ISSUE OF INTERVIEW MAGAZINE

Marion Cotillard covers August's Interview Magazine and does an interview with none other than Nicole Kidman, her NINE co-star.  In the article the two talk about Ecology and how while working together on NINE, she was always pushing for others on-set to be more environmentally conscious. 

Kidman tells Cotillard,  "....you’re otherworldly, that it seems like you come from another planet—and I mean that in the most beautiful way. And yet you are the most Earth-based of all of us. That’s a very strange paradox.  Otherworldly, that it seems like you come from another planet—and I mean that in the most beautiful way. And yet you are the most Earth-based of all of us. That’s a very strange paradox. ".

Cotillard is tapped to star in Woody Allen's next film and the actresses had nothing but praise for the Director.  Kidman asks Cotillard, "But Penélope Cruz loved working with Woody, didn’t she?  Cotillard replied, "She loved it. And so did Naomi Watts."  And being close friends with Watts, Kidman stated "Naomi said it was the best film experience that she’s ever had".

INCEPTION REVIEW

Christopher Nolan's Inception isn't a film I can explain simply in a paragraph or so, but I will try my best to be concise. The concept of Inception involves entering one's dreams and planting thoughts into their mind. Extraction would involve going into one's dreams and taking their ideas. In the world where this film takes place, there is technology to do the latter, however whether or not the former can be done remains to be seen. 

Saito (Ken Watanabe) makes a deal with Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) to accomplish the mission of achieving Inception. That is, if Dom can help Saito destroy the inherited empire of Oil Tycoon Robert Fisher Jr. (Cillian Murphy) in planting distrust against his family, Saito can ensure that Dom is cleared of any charges against him.  Dom stands accused of murdering his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and constructs quite literally, a "Dream Team" to accomplish this mission.

The Team consists of Ariadne (Ellen Page), Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Eames (Tom Hardy) and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who each serve a pivotal role in accomplishing the task of capturing Fisher Jr. and subjecting him to Inception. As the Team delves deeper into the Heir's subconscious via multiple tiers of Dreams, we also delve deeper also in the Dom's psyche too, getting bits and pieces of the mysterious circumstances behind Mal's death. Dom is driven to get back home to his two estranged children, driving him and his Team to complete the mission, but will the dark, suppressed thoughts of his mind divert their focus and lead to their downfall?

MARION COTILLARD COVERS JULY ISSUE OF VOGUE

Oscar winner Marion Cotillard covers the July issue of Vogue.  In the interesting article, the magazine follows Cotillard around Paris as she records in the studio with band Yodelice and prepares for a special performance at boyfriend Guillaume Canet's birthday party.

Wearing sunglasses, she manages to escape attention strolling through organic markets and running errands. She takes off her sunglasses and hoards of women come asking for autographs, to which she grants them their wish. 

NEW INCEPTION POSTERS

I still have no bloody idea what this movie is about.  These just-released images of posters for Warner Bros.' Inception have just surfaced, among others with principal cast members.  I have yet to see one for Ellen Page though.  Fantastic art direction here, fitting in with the dramatic gray/blue hues we've seen earlier.  The title's red font gives an impending sense of urgency and danger.  Intriguing.  Cannot wait for this film.  In case you haven't yet entered, don't forget to e-mail me your entry for my exclusive Inception Poster Giveaway.

GIVEAWAY: INCEPTION MOVIE POSTER

I was invited to attend a Marketing Round Table tonight for Warner Bros.' Inception, which is coming out July 16, 2010 in North America and it was interesting going over possible television ads and additional posters for the film.  In all honesty, I still don't know what the film is about after the hour-long meeting other than Leonardo DiCaprio's character being able to enter people's minds through their dreams.  The general impression I get is that they are at a bit of a loss at how to creatively market this film.   Most of us were pretty much confused after seeing potential television spots as to what the film was about, despite appearing very intense and riveting.  The Agency was looking at the efficacy of social utility networks like Twitter and Facebook and we discussed previous public transit advertising strategies which were successful for films.

DVD REVIEW: NINE

Just shy of five months since its theatrical release, Rob Marshall's NINE finally surfaces on DVD. The musical, nominated for five Golden Globes and four Oscars, unjustly was panned overall by critics and above this was released on a very competitive Christmas Day which saw the monster known as Sherlock Holmes steal just about everyone's thunder. Unfortunately, it performed well under its $80 million budget domestically earning $19 million only. Overseas it has fared much better, bringing its worldwide gross to $52 million. That's still a loss of over $30 million for its backers, The Weinstein Co. And this is hopefully where it will recoup more of its losses. I hope my one DVD sale helps.  Read my original review of the film here.

For fans of the film, the DVD offers a very generous helping of Special Features. In addition to a Commentary by Marshall and his romantic partner/Producer John DeLuca, there are a total eight Featurettes. You can learn about the recording of some of the film's key musical numbers and the filming of the scenes they are associated with, plus all about the Costumes and Choreography too. You also learn about the casting of the film's seven female stars and apparently during the casting stages of the film, Marshall saw just about every leading actress in Hollywood - actresses who normally don't have to audition.  He made his choices based on who he felt he would be able to work best with after getting to know them personally. The chosen actresses all attended eachother's rehearsals during filming, offering moral support to one another and became like a family.   They would work together, eat together and party together.  To this day, Sophia Loren claims they all exchanged numbers and still keep in touch with one another.

COLIN FARRELL AND MARION COTILLARD TO ARRIVE IN TORONTO MARCH 2011

Yes!  It was only a matter of time before he'd come back for more of me. Tee-hee  Yes, that's Colin Farrell and me caught in a warm embrace this past September at TIFF.

Farrell has signed on along with Oscar winner Marion Cotillard to star in Canadian legend David Cronenberg's next project Cosmopolis.  As reported here previously, Cronenberg is now in Germany working on The Talking Cure.  According to our friends at PopGoesTheNews, Farrell will play a wealthy Asset Manager in Cosmopolis who loses his fortune while trying to get across New York City in a Limousine.  The adapted screenplay is based on a novel by author Don DeLillo and begins filming March/April 2011 around Toronto.  So very exciting. 

What an honour it will be to have Cotillard, one of my favourite actresses, also in our city.  Her star is also shining brightly right now with a role in eagerly-anticipated blockbuster Inception alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, in theatres July 16, 2010.  (Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

VIDEO: MARION COTILLARD FOR FOREHEAD TITTAES BY JANAE

Forehead Tittaes w/ Marion Cotillard from Marion Cotillard

Who knew Marion Cotillard could do comedy so well? The Oscar-winning actress collaborated together with Funny or Die on this fauxmercial for a product called Forehead Tittaes by Janae, poking fun at the sexual objectifation of women in the workplace. So she wears a pair of boobs on her forehead as nothing gains a man's respect more than being able to look a woman in her eyes. Breastacular.

But trust me ladies, it's not only straight men who are obsessed with breasts, the rule transcends all sexual orientations. Who doesn't love Tittaes?!!