Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 17, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 17, 2012! It's another week of exciting release here in Toronto and I'm excited because it's also our 2nd week in a row of Book to Film Club releases as last week we had The Woman in Black (see podcast review here) and this week we have The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton. But before we get to the super big films, let's have a look at our limited release titles.

This week in limited release this week we have a whole slew of interesting films including Puppet, which really caught my eye as it's a documentary on puppeteering that looks like it takes head on both the love and criticism of the craft. And seriously, I had no idea there was criticism of it, I mean.. really? Who doesn't like puppets? Puppets are awesome. Another film that was already on my radar and now excited to see in release is the Love (2012), a Taiwan/China co-pro that's a really sweet looking romantic comedy which I actually saw the trailer for earlier this year in the theatre when I went to The Viral Factor. I love how many international films we have the opportunity to see here in Toronto, and that continues even mre with this weeks releases of highly acclaimed and Oscar-nominated WWII biopic film In Darkness, South Korean romantic comedy Dancing Queen and Bollywood film Ekk Deewana Tha.

In wide release this week we have our first of the 2012 Book to Film Club releases with The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti based on the kids book The Borrowers and the film version is from Japan, although it's re-voiced here with North American actors which will be interesting to see, and hear! I'm really looking forward to it and I really enjoyed the book. We also have Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which my first instinct is just to rag on it as I didn't like the first one (and I don't think I was alone in that), but when I honestly take in my own reaction to the trailer to this new one, I have to admit it looks like fun, although it also does look like a frighteningly close possibly pseudo sequel to Drive Angry. Last up for wide releases is This Means War which has some special screening releases for Valentine's Day, but 'officially' opens today.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Reel Artists Film Festival
February 22 - 26, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday February 17, 2012 Releases

Dancing Queen
Dir: Lee Suk-Hoon
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Um Jung-Hwa, Jung Sung-Hwa, Ra Mi-Ran
South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Ekk Deewana Tha
Dir: Gautham Menon
Cast: Prateik Babbar, Amy Jackson, Sachin Khedekar
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Dir: Brian Taylor & Mark Neveldine (Gamer, Crank)
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciaran Hinds, Idris Elba, Fergus Riordan, Anthony Stewart Head
USA/United Arab Emirates
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In Darkness
Dir: Agnieszka Holland (Julie Walking Home, The Secret Garden (1993))
Cast: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, Agnieszka Grochowska
Poland/Germany/France/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Love (2012)
Dir: Doze Niu (What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?!)
Cast: Wei Zhao, Mark Chao, Eddie Peng, Amber Kuo
Taiwan/China
Limited Release
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

Puppet
Dir: David Soll
Documentary - feature film directorial debut
Canada/US
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Secret World of Arrietty / Kari-gurashi no Arietti
Dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, David Henrie, Moises Arias
Japan
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

This Means War
Dir: McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Charlie's Angels)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 17, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 10, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 10, 2012!

In limited release this week we have just two releases to choose from and from them are the highly acclaimed and anticipated We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver and starring the formidable Tilda Swinton and we also have the French drama The Snows of Kilimanjuro.

In wide release this week we have and interesting array of choices including political thriller/action flick Safe House starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington or if you are revving up for Valentine's there is The Vow starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams as a couple that go through the challenge of memory loss together. If you are looking for adventure there is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island with The Rock (which might be my pick this week!), the 3D releases of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and the Bollywood release of Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.

If you are looking for a new Valentine's Day pick we do have a mid-week release on February 14, 2012 with This Means War starring Tom Hardy & Chris Pine as two men both trying to win the hear of Reese Witherspoon. Oh, and they are both ...spies. I love both those actors but it looks like their characters spend more time wreaking havoc on each other than trying to woo the girl. Not quite *that* romantic...

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Oscar Nominated Shorts
Animated and live action shorts grouped together in separate programs playing at TIFF Lightbox as of February 10, 2012

Friday February 10, 2012 Releases

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Dir: Shakun Batra - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Dir: Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl [short])
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Luis Guzman, Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Davis, Michael Caine
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Safe House
Dir: Daniel Espinosa (Outside Love, Babylonsjukan)
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Vera Farmiga, Fares Fares, Robert Patrick
USA/South Africa
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Snows of Kilimanjuro
Dir: Robert Guédiguian (Loady Jane, Journey to Armenia)
Cast: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D
Writer/Dir: George Lucas (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, American Graffiti)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp, ay Park
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Vow
Dir: Michael Sucsy - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill, Scott Speedman, Jessica Lange
USA/Brazil/France/UK/Australia/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Dir: Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar)
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly
USA/UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tuesday February 14, 2012 Releases

This Means War
Dir: McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Charlie's Angels)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Til Schweiger
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 10, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 3, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 3, 2012! I'm so excited for this weeks releases, we are back up to our whopping number of films to enjoy with 11 coming to Toronto theatres; plus 2 of those are paranormal and tons are Canadian! It's a great week to be a film lover.

In limited release this week we have 6 films to enjoy and I'm delighted to see that we are getting the spooky film The Innkeepers out in release here in Toronto, it's a fantastic paranormal film that I had a chance to see at Toronto After Dark in 2011 and I just adored. I also shared videos from the Intro and Q&A with director Ti West from the screening at Toronto After Dark, but would strongly recommend only watching them after seeing it as they are very spoiler-heavy. This week is also a big week for Canadian release in limited releases as we have the quirky Canadian comedy Moon Point (hear my podcast review of Moon Point here) which I found to be a quirky & charming delight, the much anticipated Le Vendeur straight from Canada's Top Ten and is high on my to-see list, and we also have the Canadian documentary Inside Lara Roxx following adult film star Lara Roxx who contracted HIV very early in her career. Also out in limited release is Madonna's second turn in the director's chair with historical drama W./E. as well as the release of Mexican film Miss Bala bridging the challenges of an aspiring beauty queen amid a culture of crime.

In wide release this week we have 5 films to choose from and I can hardly contain my excitement for the release of The Woman in Black, a supernatural historical story following Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe of th Harry Potter series), a young lawyer to settle the affairs of an eccentric client after their passing and also a 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection. We also have the teen superpowers flick Chronicle, Canadian documentary Pink Ribbons, Inc and the based on a true story of trapped whales under ice film: Big Miracle. Also out in limited release is the Oscar nominated historical set Albert Nobbs starring Glenn Close as a woman who poses as a man to survive in nineteenth century Ireland.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The Great Digital Film Festival 2012
A selection of classic, cult and popular film shown in digital or High Definition including Serenity, Lost Boys, Spaceballs and so much more
February 3 - 9, 2012 at Cineplex theatres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday February 3, 2012 Releases

Albert Nobbs
Dir: Rodrigo Garcia
Cast: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Aaron Johnson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
UK/Ireland
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Big Miracle
Dir: Ken Kwapis (He's Just Not That Into You, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Ted Danson
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Chronicle
Dir: Joshua Trank - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan, Ashley Hinshaw, Michael Kelly
UK/USA
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Innkeepers
Writer/Dir: Ti West
Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle
USA
Limited Release
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

Inside Lara Roxx
Dir: Mia Donovan
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Miss Bala
Dir: Gerardo Naranjo (Voy a explotar, Malachance)
Cast: Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernandez and Irene Azuela
Mexico
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Moon Point
Dir: Sean Cisterna - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Nick McKinlay, Paula Brancati, Kyle Mac, Kristen Gutoskie
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Pink Ribbons, Inc
Dir: Léa Pool (The Blue Butterfly, Emporte-moi)
Documentary
Canada
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Le Vendeur / The Salesman
Writer/Dir: Sébastien Pilote - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Gilbert Sicotte, Nathalie Cavezzali, Jérémy Tessier, Jean-Francois Boudreau, Pierre Leblanc
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

W./E.
Dir: Madonna (Filth & Wisdom)
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D’Arcy, Oscar Isaac
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Woman in Black **2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club Selection**
Dir: James Watkins (Eden Lake)
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Liz White
UK/Canada/Sweden
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 3, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 27, 2012! Happy Oscar nominations week! As per tradition I've made my 3 lists for Oscar nominations including a details list, a film list with the details of what it's nominated for and a simple film list with # of nominations (great for printing & highlighting). I'm way behind - I've only seen 13 of the 46 nominated features! I'll get to at least one more this weekend but not sure how many I'll get to by February 26, 2012 for the awards. Here's hoping it's a lot more!

In limited release this week we have three films to choose from including the just nominated Canadian film Monsieur Lazhar, which has also been a part of the Canada's Top Ten 2011 and Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It's from writer/director Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama) and stars Fellag, and has inspiring teacher film written all over it. I can't wait to see it. I also am thrilled to see Tyrannosaur hitting a Toronto theatre this week, it's the fantastic directorial debut from Paddy Considine with a story of a hard case man and a strong faith woman who have absolutely nothing in common. One of the best films I saw at TIFF 2011 and features fantastic performances from the cast including Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan. You can hear my review as well as the intro and Q&A with Tyrannosaur director Paddy Considine here on the Movie Moxie Podcast #59. Last up for limited releases we have All's Well That Ends Well, a Hong Kong comedy that hooks up divorcees starring Donnie Yen, it has a really cute trailer showing the 'many different ways to hug' and remake of the 1988 film The Eight Happiness.

In wide release this week we have 5 films in release, first up is The Grey starring Liam Neeson, who I continue to love to see in action-y roles and it's really exciting to see Frank Grillo (Warrior (2011), 'The Gates') in this one as well, it's a survivalist action/thriller that is I understand the premise from the trailer (which is spoilery...), feels a little over the top, but still very interesting. We also have One for the Money, adapted from the book One for the Money by Janet Evanovich and stars Katherine Heigl who is down on her luck and turns to becoming a bail bondsman, and honestly - I think this one looks pretty funny. Also hitting theatres is Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris and looks a mystery/thriller - from a ledge. Also out in release is the animated film Back to the Sea 3D and Bollywood release of Agneepath.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The 8 Fest Small-Gauge Film Festival
A festival focusing on small-gauge film including 8mm, Super 8, 9.5mm, loops and zoetropes
January 27 - 29, 2012 at Trash Palace in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 27, 2012 Releases

Agneepath
Writer/Dir: Karan Malhotra - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Arush Bhiwandiwala, Deven Bhojani, Sunil Chauhan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

All's Well That Ends Well / Baat seng bou hei
Dir: Hing-Ka Chan (La comédie humaine, Poker King)
Cast: Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Lynn Hung, Kelly Chen, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Chapman To
Hong Kong
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Back to the Sea 3D
Dir: Thom Lu
Voices: Christian Slater, Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Tom Kenny, Kath Soucie, John Di Maggio
China
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Grey
Dir: Joe Carnahan (The A-Team, Smokin' Aces)
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Man on a Ledge
Dir: Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns, Keira Sedgwick, Ed Harris
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Monsieur Lazhar
Writer/Dir: Philippe Falardeau (C'est pas moi, je le jure! / It's Not Me, I Swear!, Congorama)
Cast: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

One for the Money
Dir: Julie Anne Robinson (The Last Song)
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Sherri Sheppard, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tyrannosaur
Writer/Dir: Paddy Considine - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy
UK
Limited Release
Film 4 Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 27, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 20, 2012! We are back up to our regular holy-crap-that's-a-lot-of-films number of releases with a whopping 10 new films hitting Toronto theatres. What will you choose to watch this week?

In limited release this week we have 7 films to choose from including the post-apocalyptic thriller The Divide, and I'll tell you it's one hell of a film. Dark and brutal - but brilliant. It's directed by Xavier Gens and it played at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2011 at which point I had the opportunity to interview stars Michael Biehn and Michael Eklund - you can hear that interview here, or read the transcripts here: Michael Biehn interview and Michael Eklund interview. They are spoiler-free interview so you don't have to wait to see the film to dive in! You can also see my review of The Divide as well as videos from The Divide Q&A and Introduction Videos from Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 with director Xavier Gens and actors Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund. More limited release awesomeness comes with Ralph Fiennes directorial debut of the Shakespearean adaptation of Coriolanus, the Hong Kong action flick The Viral Factor starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse, the South Korean film The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon from the director of Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da and the highly acclaimed and much-listed Iranian film A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, all of which I am really looking forward to seeing. We also have Angelina Jolie's directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey and rounding out the limited releases is Not Since You.

In wide release this week we have 3 films to choose from, all of them with action and thrills to enjoy. First up I'm pretty freaking psyched for Underworld Awakening which looks like it's going back to it's vampire action roots with Kate Beckinsale kicking butt, not taking names and looking awesome. There is also awesome Lycan (aka werewolf) action going on and a fantastic cast including Kris Holden-Ried (Dyson on 'Lost Girl') and Charles Dance (Aliens 3, Ironclad, 'Game of Thrones'). For those not counting and not fans of colon usage with multiple sequel'd films, this is #4 after: Underworld, Underworld: Evolution and the prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, although in Underworld-verse-time it appears to be most directly post-Underworld: Evolution. Also action-centric is Haywire with a female lead in MMA superstar Gina Carano and we also have Red Tails with a tagline of "Courage Has No Color" and set during WWII and follows African American pilots who have yet to be given the chance to show what they can really do. That's one heck of a week for films! It's going to be a busy one.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Attack the Bloc: Cold War Science Fiction from Behind the Iron Curtain
At TIFF Lightbox from January 19 - April 6, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario Canada

Friday January 20, 2012 Releases

Coriolanus
Dir: Ralph Fiennes - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Divide
Dir: Xavier Gens (Frontier(s), Hitman)
Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Ashton Holmes, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Eklund, Iván González
Canada/USA/Germany
Official Film Site, Trailer, IMDb Page

The Front Line / Go-ji-jeon
Dir: Hun Jang (Secret Reunion, Rough Cut / Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da)
Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Ko Soo, Lee Je-hoon, Ryu Seung-soo
South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Haywire
Dir: Steven Soderbergh (Solaris, Oceans 11, The Girlfriend Experience)
Cast: Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton
USA/Ireland
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

In the Land of Blood and Honey
Writer/Dir: Angelina Jolie - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic, Alma Terzic, Rade Šerbedžija, Vanesa Glodjo
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Not Since You
Dir: Jeff Stephenson (Flyerman, Bellini's Drive)
Cast: Desmond Harrington, Kathleen Robertson, Christian Kane, Jon Abrahams, Sunny Mabrey, Will Estes
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Tails
Dir: Anthony Hemingway - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, Kevin Phillips, Nate Parker, Daniela Ruah, Michael B. Jordan, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith, Rick Otto, Elijah Kelly
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Writer/Dir: Asghar Farhadi (About Elly, Fireworks Wednesday)
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat
Iran
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Underworld Awakening
Dir: Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein (Shelter - podcast review)
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Viral Factor
Writer/Dir: Dante Lam (Fire of Conscience, Beast Cops)
Cast: Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse
Hong Kong
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 20, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 13, 2012! Our quiet start off of releases this year is not trend as today we are back up to a whopping 9 films in comparison to last weeks measly 2. Let's have a look at what we have in store here in Toronto.

In limited release this week we have The Swell Season following Once actors/musicians and couple Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová in their post-film tour. We also have the indie sweetheart film Pariah following a late-teen lesbian which I've heard amazing things about. Getting international we have the Beijing-set Red Light Revolution and Nanban from India.

In wide release this week we have David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method starring Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung, Viggo Mortensen and Freud and Keira Knightly as a volatile patient; there is a lot of excitement around this one and it was chose as a part of Canada's Top Ten 2011. This week also brings up Contraband has the 'one last job' heist-film formula written all over it, but considering it's from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur who directed the brilliant White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn I can't wait to see it; and I do also happen to be a fan of Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter). Also hitting theatres but one I only just found out about is Joyful Noise starring Queen Latifah & Dolly Parton and with a tagline of "Dream a Whole Lot Louder" I know I have to check it out, plus it's from Todd Graff the director of Bandslam which coincidentally I'm watching as I write this! What are the chances. Rounding out the wide releases we have The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher and a re-release of the 1991 Disney film The Beauty and the Beast in 3D.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screenings

Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Janaury 15, 2012 at 12:45PM and January 19, 2012 at 7:30PM at various locations

Design for Living Trilogy: Gary Hustwit's Design Trilogy
Helvetica, Urbanized & Objectified play January 13 - 17, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox

Shorts Are Not Pants
Friday January 13, 2012 at 7PM at the NFB in Toronto, Ontario, Canad

Friday January 13, 2012 Releases

Beauty and the Beast 3D
Dir: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise (The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Cast: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson Richard White, Angela Lansbury
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Contraband
Dir: Baltasar Kormákur (White Night Wedding / Brúðguminn)
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Caleb Landry Jones, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, J.K. Simmons
USA/UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

A Dangerous Method
Dir: David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis, Eastern Promises, Naked Lunch, The Fly, The Dead Zone)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Sarah Gadon, Vincent Cassel
Canada/UK/Switzerland/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Iron Lady
Dir: Phylida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Harry Lloyd, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach
UK/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Joyful Noise
Writer/Dir: Todd Graff (Bandslam, Camp)
Cast: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance, Dexter Darden, Kris Kristofferson
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Nanban
Dir: S. Shankar (Enthiran, Sivaji)
Cast: Vijay, Jeeva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz
India
Limited Release
Official Film Wikipedia Page, Film Site & Trailer, Sadly I couldn't find an IMDb Page for Nanban!

Pariah
Writer/Dir: Dee Rees
Cast: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, Charles Parnell, Aasha Davis
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Red Light Revolution
Writer/Dir: Sam Voutas (Shanghai Bride, Crash Test)
Cast: Jun Zhao, Vivid Wang, Xiduo Jiang, Masanobu Otsuka
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Swell Season
Dir: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis - feature film directorial debuts
Documentary
USA/Czech Republic/Ireland
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 13, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday January 6, 2012! It's a really quiet week we have with only 2 releases here in Toronto which means it's great timing to check out Canada's Top Ten 2011, the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF which plays at Lightbox this week and has lots of special guests included.

Our one limited release this week is Players, a Bollywood remake of the 2003 version of The Italian Job, which brings up the interesting question of if it's a remake of a remake, it it not in fact a remake of the original? I'm not sure but it's making my mind really think, which is a good thing

In wide release this week we have 1 film: The Devil Inside. It wouldn't be January without a supernatural film to get the year started, and with The Devil Inside exorcisms are on the menu with a personal history tale of a woman who researches them to hone on the truth of her own family history including her institutionalized mother who was exorcised many years ago.

That isn't much to choose from this week but if you are curious to what else we have at the year ahead I have created a 2012 Upcoming Films list, which pictures, synopsis & trailers to give us a snapshot of what to us for the next little while. And if you are staying in this weekend I'd highly recommend checking out the dark Irish comedy The Guard which made both my Best & Most Enjoyed List of 2011; it was released on DVD earlier this week (see more DVD releases here).

Stay warm, and have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Canada's Top Ten 2011
Celebrate the 10 best Canadian films as decided by TIFF
January 5 - 15, 2012 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday January 6, 2012 Releases

The Devil Inside
Dir: William Brent Bell (Stay Alive)
Cast: Fernanda Andrade, Isabella Rossi, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Ionut Grama, Suzan Crowley
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Players
Dir: Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla & Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla (Mr. Fraud, 36 China Town)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of January 6, 2012**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 30, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 30, 2011!

We have a bit of an oddity this week in Toronto with film, likely the rarest thing when it comes to film and that is a week with no new release. Not one! But, the happy flip side to that is that we know all the films that came out and this year that is 400 titles, which is a huge jump from last years 353 titles. Out of those 400 titles, we had 63 Canadian Films (up from 50 in 2010), 37 films released in 3D (also up from 25 in 2010) and 1 re-release. Every once in a while I think of trying to see *all* of the films that come out, and what a feat that would be ...400 films in 365 day! But I'm pretty happy with this years results, as I've seen 100 of those 400 and hoping to catch at least 2 more over the weekend.

Although there are no knew releases to look at, it is the time of year to check in and look back, I've been doing just that and on the latest Movie Moxie Podcast I did a check in on how my Most Anticipated List of 2011 Films faired when all was said and done, as well as reviewing recent releases of Pina and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And I've been busy listing with writing about New Faces and Ones to Watch from 2011 & Favourite Trailers of 2011. There will be more lists to come, including my favourite films and moments of 2011.


Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Friday December 30, 2011 Releases

No releases

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 30, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 23, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 23, 2011!

As we near to the end of the year one of the things I've been thinking a lot about is the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club, which I've really enjoyed and we've read and seen a lot of great and fun films. It was so much fun that I have decided to do it all again and I'm looking at titles for 2012 and if you'd like to have a chance to take a look at titles for consideration as well as share any you'd like to be included you can vote here.

Today I'll be sharing films that come out today as well te holiday releases for today as well as on Christmas Day December 25, 2011. I've never been to the movie theatre on Christmas, although I know for many it's a yearly tradition as it's one of the few place that is open when most of the city slumbers and turkeys-out.

For today, Friday December 23, 2011 we have 4 films to choose from and pretty much an even split of limited to wide releases. The limited releases include 3D dance documentary Pina which I can't wait to see and Roman Polanski's latest Carnage. In wide release we have Bollywood sequel Don 2 (in 3D!), plus Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo starring Matt Damon as a single dad who... you guessed it... buys a zoo. I really want to see that one too, the trailer almost made me cry.

If you are trekking out to the theatre on Christmas Day you have three films to choose from including the limited release of book to film adaptation of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and the wide releases of Stephen Speilberg's War Horse and out resident horror release of The Darkest Hour with the awesome tagline of 'Survive the Holidays' (and it's in 3D). Actually, it's one of the several 3D releases this week including Don 2, Pina and The Darkest Hour which is a wild set of films to have a 3D commonality: A Bollywood sequel, a dance documentary and a horror flick.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Shannon

Friday December 23, 2011 Releases

Carnage
Dir: Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer, The Pianist, Rosemary's Baby)
Cast: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
France/Germany/Poland/Spain
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Don 2
Dir: Farhan Akhtar (Don, Lakshya)
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Pina
Writer/Dir: Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Bueno Vista Social Club)
Documentary featuring the work of choreographer Pina Bausch
Germany/France/UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

We Bought a Zoo
Dir: Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Singles, Say Anything...)
Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, John Michael Higgins
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Sunday December 25, 2011 Releases

The Darkest Hour
Dir: Chris Gorak (Right at Your Door)
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Dir: Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot)
Cast: Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Hanks
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

War Horse
Dir: Steven Spielberg (The Adventures of TinTin, Catch Me If You Can, Jurassic Park)
Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Kebbell
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 25, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 16, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 16, 2011!

Limited release of the week are actually very limited to the documentary Dragonslayer (see review here) centred on skateboarder Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval and the spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy based on the by John le Carré starring Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy & Colin Firth and is certainly on my to see list.

This is a pretty heavy week for adventureous films including both historical mystery/action flick Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise & Jeremy Renner. Wow, those are some really heavy hitters going against each other and both look like could be a lot of fun (although I'm going with Sherlock on this one). If you'd rather get some laughs in there is the comedy Young Adult starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, & Patrick Wilson about a woman who goes back to her home town to win over an high school sweetheart, and this one looks pretty freaking cutting & hilarious. For a more family friend pick we have Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

And jumping ahead little bit to next week we have some mid-week releases including David Fincher directing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) starring Rooney Mara (Tanner Hall) & Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) in the nouveau version of the already adapted from Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women) by Stieg Larsson, the first book of The Millennium Trilogy for which we've already seen the Swedish film adaptations of the entire trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Män som hatar kvinnor, The Girl Who Played with Fire / Flickan som lekte med elden and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest / Luftslottet som sprängdes. In fact, you can see the original actors in other films this week with Noomi Rapace in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows & Michael Nyqvist in Mission: Impossible - A Game of Shadows! Can you tell I'm not jazzed about the redux? And finally we have the wide releases of The Adventures of TinTin featuring the voices of Jamie Bell & Daniel Craig based on the comic books created by Belgian artist Georges "Hergé" Remi, specifically the three of: The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure. Both The Adventures of Tin Tin and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) open Wednesday December 21, 2011; with some evening showings of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Tuesday December 20, 2011. Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Friday December 16, 2011 Releases

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Dir: Mike Mitchell (Sky High, Shrek Ever After)
Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Jenny Slate, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Dragonslayer (2011)
Dir: Tristan Patterson - feature film directorial debut
Documentary following skateboarder Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Edit: Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl
also released December 16, 2011

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Dir: Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Dir: Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Dir: Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in)
Cast: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds
UK/France/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Young Adult
Dir: Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Up in the Air)
Cast: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Wednesday December 21, 2011 Releases

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Dir: David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network)
Cast: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plumber
USA/UK/Sweden/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Adventures of TinTin
Dir: Steven Spielberg (War Horse, Catch Me If You Can, Hook)
Voices: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Cary Elwes, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg & Nick Frost,
USA/New Zealand
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 23, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 9, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 9, 2011! Second release week of December and starting to get more awards-y films out. I recently caught up with some nomination announcements here with both The Spirit Awards & The People's Choice Awards nominations, which feel odd together but are both ones I love because they stay so true to each of their visions.

In limited release this week we have most of our releases of the week with 5 films to choose from and quite a selection they are starring of with the classic Hollywood film The Artist set turning the time of films turning from silent to talkies which looks stylistically gorgeous and I think this will be a big awards film this year too, film honouring film certainly piques my interested! We also have the Sleeping Beauty from first time feature filmmaker Julia Leigh (who also wrote the book The Hunter) following a university student who appears to fall into a world of desires - although it's not very clear whether or not they are her own, I have mixed feelings on this one but I know I have to see it; stars Emily Browning (Sucker Punch). Then we have the Australian drama The Eye of the Storm starring Charlotte Rampling & Geoffrey Rush; based on the book by Patrick White which was *this close* to making it into this years Book to Film Club but I couldn't confirm a release date - and it just popped up a few weeks ago! Ah, well we have it now! And rounding up our limited releases we have 2 documentaries: Into the Abyss from Werner Herzog centred on a death-row inmate and bio/documentary Paul Goodman Changed My Life.

In wide release this week we have just have 2 films hitting many multiple screens including the holiday-centric stars-everyone (billing includes 18 actors!) flick New Year's Eve which feels odd to be so much *before* actual New Year's. We also have the Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter proving to be a new installment in the rather underused babysitting micro-genre.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Japanese Film Screening
FREE Screenings
Friday December 8 - 10, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Remaining screenings include Linda Linda Linda, The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones and Always: Sunset on 3rd St. 2

Friday December 9, 2011 Releases

The Artist
Writer/Dir: Michel Hazanavicius (OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions, OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus)
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle
France/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Eye of the Storm (2011)
Dir: Fred Schepisi (Last Orders, Six Degrees of Separation, A Cry in the Dark)
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling, Dustin Clare
Australia
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Into the Abyss
Dir: Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Encounters at the End of the World, Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979), Grizzy Man, Fitzcarraldo)
Documentary
Germany/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

New Year's Eve
Dir: Garry Marshall (Valentine's Day, Runaway Bride, Frankie and Johnny)
Cast: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Paul Goodman Changed My Life
Dir: Jonathan Lee - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Sitter
Dir: David Gordon Green (Your Highness, Pineapple Express, All the Real Girls)
Cast: Jonah Hill, Max Records, Ari Graynor, JB Smoove, Sam Rockwell
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Sleeping Beauty (2011)
Writer/Dir: Julia Leigh - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Ewen Leslie, Peter Caroll, Chris Haywood
Australia
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 9, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 2, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 2, 2011!

In limited release this week we have six films to choose from and I know many people have been anxiously awaiting Shame from director Steve McQueen (Hunger) starring Michael Fassbender & Carey Mulligan, which has some of the hottest buzz of any film this year. We have two Canadian films in the mix this week with drama Everything and Everyone and documentary Surviving Progress, both of which look very interesting. More documentary goodness with the film My Perestroika centred on 5 people who grew up behind the iron curtain and then we have the Bollywood biopic The Dirty Picture centred on film star Silk Smitha. One film I'm thrilled to see in releases is the highly acclaimed French film Tomboy which follows a young girl who after moving with her family is mistaken for a boy, from director Céline Sciamma (Water Lilies / Naissance des pieuvres).

In wide release this week we have just one release with the Bollywood action flick I Am Singh. Wow, I'm not sure we've every had a week with a sole wide release. Especially in December. Never know what each Friday will bring!

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Pomegranate Film Festival
December 1 - 4, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday December 2, 2011 Releases

The Dirty Picture
Dir: Milan Luthria (Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai)
Cast: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Imran Hasnee, Tusshar Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Everything and Everyone
Dir: Tracy D. Smith - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Ryan Robbins, Gabrielle Rose, Chad Willett, Lane Edwards, Chelah Horsdal, Jerry Wasserman
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

I Am Singh
Dir: Puneet Issar - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Joseph Armillas, Anto Boghokian, Elissa Brentano, Puneet Issar
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

My Perestroika
Dir: Robin Hessman - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
UK/USA/Russia
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Shame
Dir: Steve McQueen (Hunger)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Surviving Progress
Dir: Mathieu Roy & Harold Crooks
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Tomboy
Writer/Dir: Céline Sciamma (Water Lilies / Naissance des pieuvres)
Cast: Zoe Heran, Malonn Lévanna, Jeanne Disson, Sophie Cattani , Mathieu Demy
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 2, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 25, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 25, 2011! Bit of an odd one this week with not too many new films but still very new to theatres are the US Thanksgiving releases. Let's have a look at the selection.

In limited release this week we have just two releases to choose from and I have my eye on Klitschko a documentary on boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko that's playing at The Projection Booth. Our second limited release is Elite Squad: The Enemy Within / Tropa de Elite 2 - O Inimigo Agora É Outro, a follow up to the 2007 crime/drama Elite Squad.

In wide release this week it also feels very quiet with just two releases as well including Bollywood film Desi Boyz and Oscar-bait My Week with Marilyn with Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine, Meek's Cutoff) which is honestly one of the only films that I feel is revving us up for the Oscar season. Will be interesting to see if that changes with the remaining releases of the year.

Although that's all the films that are being released today, we had 3 mid-week releases on US Thanksgiving with The Muppets, Hugo and Arthur Christmas. Lots of fun family fare to enjoy and I know both The Muppets & Hugo are on my to see list (and Arthur Christmas got great reviews so...who know.. might have to fit it in too!

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Canadian Labour International Film Festival
Continues until November 27, 2011 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

European Union Film Festival
Continues until November 30, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Amnesty International Reel Awareness
Human Rights Film Festival
November 24 - 27, 2011 at the NFB in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday November 25, 2011 Releases

Desi Boyz
Dir: Rohit Dhawan - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within / Tropa de Elite 2 - O Inimigo Agora É Outro
Dir: José Padilha (Elite Squad, Secrets of the Tribe, Bus 174)
Cast: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos, André Ramiro
Brazil
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Klitschko
Dir: Sebastian Dehnhardt
Documentary on boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko
Germany
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

My Week with Marilyn
Dir: Simon Curtis
Cast: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of November 25, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 18, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 18, 2011! I'm going to be really quick about the releases this week as I've been offline since Monday and barely had internet which has been surprizingly relaxing, although a big challenge for a research bug like me!

In limited release this week we have 4 films to choose from starting with the highly acclaimed Café de flore from C.R.A.Z.Y. writer/director Jean-Marc Vallée which I know is on my too see list, keeping it Canadian we have the documentary The Whale set on Vancouver Island (or more likely in the water around it....), plus comedy/concert film Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain. Last up for limited releases is The Descendents starring George Clooney (which just last night I found out was based on a book!)and this one was a big interest film at TIFF11 and I imagine it will open wider as holiday season nears.

In wide release we only have 2 films with animated dancing penguins Happy Feet Two and the next-to-last in the The Twilight Saga with Breaking Dawn: Part 1 which continues the romantic adventures between Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) who are looking to tie the knot while tying to avoid conflict with both the Volturi and the Quileutes and with this fourth film we have a new director at the helm as Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and he has taken on both Part 1 and Part II (which will be released in November 2012). And yes, I already have my ticket.

We also have mid-week releases next Wednesday November 23, 2011 for US Thankgiving including Arthur Christmas, Book to Film Club Selection Hugo and.................The Muppets!!!! Which I am ridiculously excited for :)

That's it for this week - check back on the site for links to trailers and official film site, etc which I'll have up this weekend but until there enjoy the festival listing & movie selections.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

aluCine
Toronto Latin Media Festival
November 17-20, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Breast Fest Film Festival
Film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness
November 18 - 20, 2011 at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Canadian Labour International Film Festival
November 19 - 27, 2011 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

European Union Film Festival
November 17 - 30, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
November 8 - 13, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
November 18-19, 2011 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Friday November 18, 2011 Releases

Café de flore
Writer/Dir: Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.)
Cast: Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Hélène Florent
Canada/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Descendents
Dir: Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt, Sideways)
Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Happy Feet Two
Dir: George Miller (Happy Feet, The Witches of Eastwick, Mad Max)
Cast: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Alecia Moore (P!nk), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara, Hugo Weaving, Richard Carter, Common, Magda Szubanski, Anthony LaPagila
Australia
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
Dir: Leslie Small (Aries Spears: Hollywood, Look I'm Smiling) and Tim Story
Documentary
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
Dir: Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Whale
Dir: Suzanne Chisholm, Michael Parfit (Saving Luna)
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Wednesday November 23, 2011

Arthur Christmas
Dir: Sarah Smith
Voices: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen
USA/UK
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Hugo
Dir: Martin Scorcese (Shutter Island, The Departed, Gangs of New York, Goodfellas)
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Moretz, Michael Pitt, Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen
USA
Official Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Muppets
Dir: James Bobin ("Da Ali G Show")
Cast: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper & Rashida Jones and Muppets: Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Animal & more
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of November 23, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 11, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday November 11, 2011! Lots of 'm' mooooooooovies this week which makes me meander to keep using the term movie over film, which isn't even my preference! Also many historical films. Mmmmmmmmmmm. History.

Our limited release of the week include all 4 of our 'm' films plus the Bollywood release of Rockstar. The 'm-ness' includes with financial-crisis thriller Margin Call, Lars von Trier's science fiction/impending disaster film Melancholia, the historical/religious film The Mill and the Cross and the epic 4-hour long film Mysteries of Lisbon/Mistérios de Lisboa.

Our Wide release of the week include the sword & sandals 3D action flick Immortals from visionary director Tarsem Singh (The Fall, The Cell), and I'm really hoping to catch that one as it's one of the film films left to come out on my most anticipated films of the year list! We also have the historical biopic J.Edgar, and rounding out the wide releases is the comedy Jack and Jill where Adam Sandler does double duty playing a brother/sister twins set.

Also be sure to check out my daily coverage of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival here at Movie Moxie throughout the festival.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

European Union Film Festival
November 17 - 30, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival
Films focusing on mental health and addiction
November 4 - 12, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto International Portuguese Film Festival
November 11 - 13, 2011 at Casa Do Alentejo in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
November 8 - 13, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
November 18-19, 2011 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Special Screenings

The Fly
25th Anniversary screening of the David Cronenberg transformation science fiction/horro film is the monthly selection for Cinemacabre Movie Nights presented by Rue Morgue, and after spending a whole week at Toronto Underground Cinema for Toronto After Dark in October I realized I haven't been to one of these screenings for a while so I think I'm going to try and make it out to the goey & gruesome film. It plays on Thursday November 17, 2011 at 9:30 at Toronto Underground Cinema

Prosecutor
This documentary follows the first several cases in the International Criminal Court.
Screens at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Monday November 14, 2011 at 6:30pm and will include live conversation with its subject, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. Check out more information over at the NFB website including the trailer

Friday November 11, 2011 Releases

Immortals
Dir: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall)
Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Kellan Lutz, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Luke Evans, Freida Pinto
USA0
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

J.Edgar
Dir: Clint Eastwood (Hereafter, Invictus, Gran Torino, The Changeling, Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Ken Howard
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Jack and Jill
Dir: Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan)
Cast: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Margin Call
Writer/Dir: J.C. Chandor - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Melancholia
Writer/Dir: Lars von Trier (Antichrist, Breaking the Waves, Dogville)
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård,Charlotte Rampling, Jesper Christensen, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier
Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Mill and The Cross
Dir: Lech Majewski (Glass Lips, Metaphysics, Angelus)
Cast: Rutger Hauer, Charlotte Ramplings, Michael York
Sweden/Poland
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Mysteries of Lisbon / Mistérios de Lisboa
Dir: Raúl Ruiz
Cast: Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira
Portugal/France
Limited Release - TIFF Bell Lightbox
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer, Tickets

Rockstar
Writer/Dir: Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal, Jab We Met)
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shikha Jain
India
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of November 11, 2011**