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“Shame” Director Will Not Cut Anything to Avoid NC-17 Rating

Roger Friedman
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“Shame” Director Will Not Cut Anything to Avoid NC-17 Rating

Two big movies at the Toronto Film Festival: “Shame” starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan; and “Albert Nobbs,” with Glenn Close and Janet McTeer. Full frontal nudity for everyone! Fassbender goes the full monty a few times, also masturbates, and gets orally satisfied in a gay bar. “Shame” is from English director Steve McQueen (whose parents obviously were not “Bullit” fans.)

Fox Searchlight picked it up, and it’s going to be NC-17 because while it’s not exactly titillating, it is full of graphic sex. Fassbender goes on the shortlist for Best Actor, Mulligan for Best Supporting Actress. The film and director are serious contenders for awards, too. This is a film about a sex and porn addict who is unrepentant. You will not be watching this movie with your parents or your kids. But it is riveting. Fassbender is the new “it” guy. He is also here with David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method.” He’s suave, handsome, sexy and smart. Go back and watch him in “Inglourious Basterds.” He’s part of the famous bar scene.

Director McQueen told me the other night that he will cut any part of this film to get an R rating. Not the three way sex, the gay sex, the self pleasuring, the prostitute, Mulligan and Fassbender–as brother and sister–naked on top of each other or Mulligan quite bloody. So this will be problematic as newspapers and TV will not take ads for NC-17 movies.

Meanwhile, Glenn Close will get her Oscar nod for “Albert Nobbs” and McTeer as Supporting Actress. They make Rodrigo Garcia’s film about a woman disguised as a man working in turn of the century Irish hotel totally believable. “Albert Nobbs” was a surprise at its premiere. I don’t think anyone had great hopes for it. But Close has worked on bringing it to the screen forever. And now it’s a gem, a sparkling gem. Glenn told me at the premiere that she’d studied Charlie Chaplin to pull it off. His spirit definitely informs her characterization. Glenn has five Oscar nominations and no wins. She has a very good chance of finally bringing home a gold statue. She Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, and Jennifer Westfeldt are among the early contenders.

Brad Pitt Hits a Grand Slam Home Run with “Moneyball”

Roger Friedman
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Brad Pitt Hits a Grand Slam Home Run with “Moneyball”

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Brad Pitt had an Oscar nomination with “Three Twelve Monkeys.” (I lost nine along the way!) It seemed like a turning point for the new generation Robert Redford. And then, nothing. Sometimes Pitt was very interesting in a film and not taken seriously. (“Devil’s Own,” “Sleepers,” “Burn After Reading”). Other times, he wasn’t so great — think “Troy.” But maybe it was because the movies weren’t so good. Now with Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball,” Brad is going to get his Oscar nomination and maybe even win. He is note for note perfect as Oakland A’s manager Billy Bean, creating a whole character of such dimension and depth that he surprised maybe even himself.

“Moneyball” is all about how Bean came to be convinced to use something called ‘sabremetrics’–a numbers theory developed by Bill James in the late 70s–to guide his team to victory. In 2002, the A’s–with the lowest salary budget in the major leagues–won a record 20 games in a row. Bean became an overnight genius, and wound up turning down an offer from the Red Sox to become the highest paid general manager in history. The Sox went on to win the World Series, using James as a highly regarded consultant.

Full disclosure: in 1983, I was Bill James’ book publicist for his “Baseball Abstract.” The book became a bestseller, and Bill went on to much success and controversy in the baseball world. He was a genius before his time, and now–almost 20 years later, he’s getting his due thanks to Michael Lewis’s book and this Scott Rudin produced movie. I couldn’t be prouder.

But the movie’s greatness is thanks to Miller and his top top screenwriters Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian. This is “The Social Network” with heart and soul. “Moneyball” also has the underdog spirit–missing from that well made but cold movie. There was never much sympathy in the former movie over which of those obnoxious kids got a cut of millions of dollars. But in “Moneyball” we are routing for Pitt and his team (and Jonah Hill as his Yoda, Paul Brand).

Brad Pitt makes this movie. By the time the A’s are in their famous 20th game–where they blew an 11 run lead–Pitt has completely abandoned his tabloid movie star persona and absorbed into Bean completely. The intelligence that informs his charity work, his real life thoughtfulness, seeps out of him and onto the camera. It’s extraordinary to watch. It also makes it possible for Miller to end “Moneyball” not with the bang of a rousing win–a “Rocky” moment–but a sweet, rich flourish. And that’s when “Moneyball” becomes so much more than just another sports movie and a real work of art.

Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston in Emmy Throwdown

Roger Friedman
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Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston in Emmy Throwdown

Who needs to go to the actual Emmy Awards? Last night (Saturday) top Emmy contenders for Best Actor in a Drama, Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston, came face to face at the Toronto Film Festival. It was around 1 am, and the pair met up at the big all star Soho House party that brought in everyone from George Clooney to Bono. Hamm, of course, is nominated for “Mad Men.” Cranston is now famous for “Breaking Bad.”

Ironically, both shows are on AMC, a cable network that can’t seem to understand or capitalize on its shows successes. The result is “Mad Men” is only now shooting its fifth season, and “Breaking Bad” still doesn’t have a start date for it next season. Oh well.

Hamm and Cranston will each be in penguin suits next Sunday for the Emmys–although Cranston isn’t nominated because “Breaking Bad”s season missed the deadline. But in the meantime, while Cranston and I were reminiscing about his “Seinfeld” days as Dr. Tim Watley–who became Jewish for the jokes–Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt passed before us like the rogue planet from “Melancholia.”

Cranston, evoking his character from “Breaking Bad,” said with a laugh, “It’s simple. I’m going to knock him out with a lead cinch pipe.” Hamm shook his head in his disbelief. Cranston said, once Hamm passed: “Oh no, it’s his year.”

Meantime, Cranston is now in the same boat Hamm was in last year when “Mad Men” was in limbo with AMC. He can make movies until “Breaking Bad” gets a greenlight. Here in Toronto, Cranston is featured with Ryan Gosling in the about to be released — and really great– “Drive.” He said he would indeed consider a movie based on Dr. Tim Watley if nothing else comes up. But once audiences see him in “Drive,” there should be less fanciful offers on the table!

Toronto Film Fest: All the Best Actor Nominees Are Here

Roger Friedman
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Toronto Film Fest: All the Best Actor Nominees Are Here

It’s weird to think, but it does seem like all the Best Actor nominees may already be at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. And even weirder considering that George Clooney, who is sublime in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants,” has also directed Ryan Gosling to a potential nomination in “The Ides of March.” That would make the first time a director was nominated as an actor in someone else’s film, but directed another actor also to a nomination.

Clooney and Gosling are not alone here. Jean DuJardin in the unique and clever “The Artist” is also on the Oscar short list. That makes three. Add in the fourth potential name, Brad Pitt, who could actually win the gold statue for his breakout work in “Moneyball.” Pitt is so good as real life Oakland A’s manager Billy Bean, it’s astonishing. “Moneyball” opens soon, and it’a homerun for Pitt and director Bennett Miller. It’s the best baseball movie since “Field of Dreams” or “The Natural.” It’s breathtaking, and Pitt finally transcends himself, his star persona, and everything else that encumbers him.

So that’s four of five. Who else? Ewan MacGregor is superb in Lasse Hallstrom’s “Salmon Fishing in Yemen,” although the film was just shown last night for the first time to thunderous applause. It has no American distributor yet, but my guess is someone will snap it up for the Oscar season. It’s a huge hit waiting to happen. MacGregor and Emily Blunt are charming, but not lightweight by any means. The Simon Beaufoy script makes the difference.

And  the crazy thing is that all of these people–Clooney, Gosling, MacGregor, Blunt– all hit the Toronto edition of Soho House last night around midnight. They convened with Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, Bryan Cranston, Alexander Skarsgard, Evan Rachel Wood, Jimmy Kimmel, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Giamatti, Eddie Redmayne, directors Alexander Payne, Paul Haggis, and Nicholas Refn Winding, and so, not to mention CAA superagents Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd, plus a panoply of producers, agents, and managers.

Soho House, even at 2am, was so stuffed with A listers that no one on the second floor could move through the scrum. That is, except for George Clooney, who brough new galpal Stacey Kiebler, and worked the room like a man running for president. Clooney is unfailingly charming and polite, gracious to a fault, and ready to chat on any subject. God bless him.

More on all these folks and more still in the next from Toronto this morning. Suffice to say, we’ve been hit with an avalanche of good films and great performances. I am still excited about “Moneyball,” “The Ides of March,” “The Descendants,” and “The Artist,” as well as “A Dangerous Method.” Hey wait: these could be all the Best Picture nominees too! Yikes!

Toronto ’11: Clooney, Pitt, Hamm All in One Night

Roger Friedman
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Toronto ’11: Clooney, Pitt, Hamm All in One Night

Tonight in Toronto, believe it or not, three competing premieres. The schedule here is a little rough this year. Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Jon Hamm are in, respectively, “Money Ball,” “The Ides of March” (which Clooney directed), and “Friends with Kids” (directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, Hamm’s significant other). What a night! And there are plenty of other things going on, including the Toronto premiere of “The Artist,” a shoo in Oscar nominee for Best Picture. So many people came out of “The Artist” press and industry screenings today raving about this clever, unique film.

Also today: David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method,” is a knockout of an intimate film about the friendship between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortenson) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Keira Knightley is their muse and Jung’s lover, Sabrina. Cronenberg simply gets better and better, never failing to make an important, memorable film. Mortenson is well known to all, but here he’s very much in his head and without the usual physicality. All three actors turn in astonishingly precise and beautifully wrought performances. I hope this film gets right kind of release. Howard Shore, by the way, has written a gorgeous, Oscar worthy score–which is no surprise!

Bono: Other Musicians Emulate Our “Ecstatic Music”

Roger Friedman
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Bono: Other Musicians Emulate Our “Ecstatic Music”

So: Bono and the Edge attended last night’s Toronto premiere of “From the Sky Down,” the Davis Guggenheim film about the band U2. The film will run on Showtime. After the screening, I asked Bono why so many songs on the radio — like the new Coldplay and recent Linkin Park–sounded so much like U2. He didn’t respond about specific records–no feuds, please–but did say: “I think Edge has created a sound of ‘ecstatic music’ that you do here more. It’s his patented sound. But people respond to it.”

That was so diplomatic! Bono and Edge were joined by their astute manager Paul McGuiness.But conspicuously absent were Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton. The given reason was that they were spending time with their families. But Guggenheim’s actress wife Elisabeth Shue was there to be supportive, and so were the present rockers’ wives.

And what of the film? The group let Guggenheim have unprecedented access into their creative process. The result is that–especially in the second half–we get to see how they wrote two classics, “One,” and “Mysterious Way.” We also learn a lot about how they almost split in 1991 while making the album “Achtung Baby.” U2 has now been in business for a shocking 36 years. “From the Sky Down” gives an unusual glimpse into why they’ve managed to make it so long.

 

TIFF ’11 Rocks: U2 Here, McCartney Absent, Franco Switching

Roger Friedman
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TIFF ’11 Rocks: U2 Here, McCartney Absent, Franco Switching

The Toronto International Film Festival begins tonight with a gala for director Davis Guggenheim and his U2 documentary, “From the Sky Down.” The security at Roy Thomson Hall is tight, tight, tight. “The green room is closed tonight,” says an insider. Well, if this premiere is like the one for “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark,” there will be a very curtained off area for the subjects of Guggenheim’s movie at the after party. But U2 are not the only rockers in town with a film. Pearl Jam is here with Cameron Crowe and their 20th anniversary film, “Pearl Jam 20.” And Neil Young has his third film made by Jonathan Demme– I guess Demme really loves Neil Young! Stay tuned…

One rocker who won’t be here is Paul McCartney. Even though his “The Love You Make” documentary is getting a premiere on Friday night with director Albert Maysles, McCartney is reportedly back in the UK putting his wedding plans together. McCartney and fiancee Nancy Shevell could very well be tying the knot in the next couple of weeks, I’m told. The Beatle premieres his ballet with the New York City Ballet on September 22nd. Maybe he’ll be a married man by then…

James Franco Toronto news: I’m told that Franco’s scheduled “talk with director Gus van Sant, which includes showing his latest van Sant centric project, is getting moved from Saturday to Sunday. The reason is that Franco is shooting in Detroit. Just as well: Saturday here is going to be booked wall to wall with activities anyway.

 

‘Big Chill’ for Channing Tatum New “Big Chill” Movie

Roger Friedman
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It’s rough out there for indie filmmakers. Take the people behind “Ten Year,” a much anticipated film coming to the Toronto Film Festival this week. “Ten Year”– sort of a modern “Big Chill” type reunion film– has a movie star, Channing Tatum, and a talented cast including Kate Mara, Justin Long, Anthony Mackie, Rosario Dawson, and Oscar Isaac. Even though 28 year old Eric Gores, son of billionaire Alec Gores, is listed as a producer, the budget is tight for Toronto. A memo was sent to the cast this week that reads thusly:

“Dear all,
Just a clarification – and this goes for everyone including Channing – no one is getting car service TO their flight to and from Toronto. Anything in Toronto TEN YEAR will handle which includes airport to hotel, hotel to dinner, dinner to premiere, premiere to hotel, hotel to return flight.
This is our standard deal for TIFF. We will not reimburse for cars outside of CANADA.
Please feel free to give me a call with any questions and concerns?
Thank you!”

I’m told the cast is also flying coach to Toronto. (Well, they’ll be in good company. So am I, on one of American Airline’s flying MRIs.) Ah, the glamorous life!

 

Mary Tyler Moore Gets SAG Lifetime Achievement Award

Roger Friedman
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Everyone loves Mary Tyler Moore, so it’s no shock: the beloved TV star will receive the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award this January. Mary, of course, has many Emmy awards and nominations for her own show and of course “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and a 1981 Oscar nomination for “Ordinary People.” (She lost to Sissy Spacek, for “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”) It’s great that Mary’s getting the SAG award, although I did think that this award was more for character actors, long time vets who’d never actually gotten an award. For example, Mary’s cast mates on her old show, Betty White and Ed Asner, got the SAG in the last few years. But what the heck–Mary deserves all good things…

…Other awards news from yesterday: Warren Beatty is getting a Lifetime Achievement Award from BAFTA/LA on November 30th. Warren is getting ready to launch his Howard Hughes movie, and is allegedly casting it now. One of Hollywood’s smartest guys, Beatty has an Oscar for Best Director of “Reds,” and many other accolades…

Alicia Keys Broadway Play Sets Cast With Stars from “ER” and “Psych”

Roger Friedman
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Alicia Keys Broadway Play Sets Cast With Stars from “ER” and “Psych”

Alicia Keys is producing a Broadway play. Why not? She’s conquered pop music, that’s for sure. The play, “Stick Fly,” will star Ruben Santiago Hudson, Mekhi Phifer (“ER”), Tracie Thoms, and Dule Hill (from the show “Psych”). Lydia Diamond wrote the play, which will be directed by Kenny Leon. Santiago-Hudson is one of the best actors of his generation, so this is particularly exciting. That Alicia has gotten involved in this also shows how interesting her career has become. The lead producers are Nelle Nugent, Alicia Keys, Samuel Nappi, Reuben Cannon, Sharon A. Carr/Patricia Klausner, Huntington Theatre Company, Dan Frishwasser, Charles Salameno in association with Joseph Sirola & Eric Falkenstein. “Stick Fly” opens December 8th at the intimate Cort Theater on West 48th St.

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