Paul McCartney has finally agreed to accept the MusiCares Person of the Year award. The prestigious award entails the big gala on the Friday night of Grammy weekend in February. McCartney was offered the award long ago but finally has time on his schedule. He follows last year’s honoree, Barbra Streisand. For Person of the Year, the artist chooses a bunch of performers to sing his/her songs. The honoree also usually puts on his own show. So this year’s gala should be the biggest ever. MusiCares is in the middle of a big campaign to bring in music fans from all over. Go to www.musicares.org to read more about it.
Madonna Movie Review: History in the Making
Madonna does not want us to review her, but to review her movie, “W.E.” It’s not easy. In Madonna’s world, everything is about her. You want to call the movie, her fantasy about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, “M.E.” Up here in Toronto, the screening and premiere of the film have caused a lot of agita. First, few people showed up for the press screening. It was very odd. Had the bad press from Venice really turned people off? Or was it that the movie had been pre-screened for the Canadian press? There’s no way of knowing.
Then the big movie premiere last night: Madonna brings only the two female leads. The men are nowhere to be found because apparently she didn’t get along with them. She made some nice remarks, but forgets to mention the film company that has brought her here. On the other hand, she doesn’t seem perturbed that one of her star actresses, Andrea Riseborough, shines from the stage of Roy Thomson Hall like a real Hollywood legend in a glittery black and silver Dolce and Gabbana dress.
And there’s this whole history thing: is “W.E.” supposed to be accurate? Or Madonna’s interpretation of history? I’ve spent the whole day listening to different rationalizations. “W.E.” is like a gauzy “Wonder Years” version of the story of “the greatest romance in history.” Very little of it is connected to what we used to call “facts.” Apparently, facts don’t matter. This is Madonna’s take on what she thinks really should have happened.
So let’s set that aside. The movie looks great. It’s beautifully edited and composed. The cinematography is unusual, and striking. Madonna knows style. She’s made hundreds of videos, and has learned from that experience. Even though it’s incredibly chaste–no sex, really–“W.E.” moves. It doesn’t linger. Riseborough is perfection as Wallis Simpson, the ambitious, engimatic, hated commoner who got the King of England to abdicate his throne. She’s the original Yoko Ono. With her pearls and pasted down flapper hair style, Riseborough is so captivating that Simpson’s infamous infelicities can be set aside.
There are two unusual moments– and I wish there had been more of them. Early in the couple’s party throwing, the whole decadent gang dances to the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant.” Madonna chose the song for a reason. These people are really vacuous, all of them. She knows it. And in that scene she finally admits what “The King’s Speech” and history chronicled: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were nitwits.
At the end of the movie, Simpson dances to Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” as the Duke lays dying in his hospital bed attached to an oxygen mask. He’s asked her to “dance for me.” But it seems like a spit in the face more than a tribute. And Madonna knows that Simpson had come to hate the former king, the fabled romance long over. Their gilded cage had become a prison.
“W.E.” has been called a big screen shopping spree. It’s certainly a close up parade of expensive objects, the people included. I think the best way to enjoy it is as fiction. The Duke and Duchess were terrible people: Nazi sympathizers, totally self involved. The world was lucky to be rid of them. But who wants to hear that story? Madonna has instead captured their decadence and their isolation. She’s also shown her keen eye for detail. Her next movie–because there will be one–should be drawn entirely from fiction, I think. When her imagination can run wild, untethered to facts, her films will be judged entirely on their own.
Madonna: All Eyes on Duchess of Windsor Movie Premiere
Well, everyone here is counting down to the 6:30pm EST premiere of Madonna’s “W.E.” This morning only 100 people showed up for the first press screening–there were over 500 seats available. The low turnout was rationalized because the movie had already been screened for Canadian press, and two other big films not seen in Venice were showing simultaneously. However, the big “W.E.” gala at Roy Thomson Hall is a hot hot ticket. I’ll keep you updated on Twitter as the night unfolds. And we’ll talk about “W.E.” tomorrow. It’s a gorgeously filmed and edited feature film debut, that’s for sure.
Jon Hamm Is Actually Jennifer Westfeldt’s Boyfriend
For the last few years, Jennifer Westfeldt has been tagged as the girlfriend of Jon Hamm. Ever since “Mad Men” hit it big, Westfeldt–who had starred in and wrote “Kissing Jessica Stein”–sort of got lost in the mix. No more. She’s directed “Friends with Kids” from her own screenplay, and stars in this top notch, moving romantic comedy. The movie has just blown away everyone who’s seen it this weekend. Hamm can now be known as Westfeldt’s boyfriend.
“Friends with Kids” also finally elevates the very talented Adam Scott from sideman to main player. He and Jennifer play long time friends who are not attracted to each other but feel like they should have a child. All their friends have married and have kids with varying degrees of success. Hamm and Kristen Wiig play one couple; Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd are the other. Brian D’Arcy James has a cameo appearance, too.
The baby is born, and into Westfeldt’s and Scott’s lives come, respectively, Ed Burn and Megan Fox as new loves. It’s all so socially progressive, at least for a while. And then things go very wrong.
The plot of “Friends with Kids” is not new. I think many people here in Toronto had a feeling they were walking into something they’d seen before. Surprise! The movie is fresh, and resonates with new observations, well drawn characters, and deep emotions. It’s a descendant of Woody Allen and Nora Ephron, but quite wonderful in ways that it updates conventional concepts. “Friends with Kids” is a total winner, and Westfeldt–who could be Lisa Kudrow’s long lost twin–is again an overnight sensation.
PS This is my favorite kind of New York movie. Jobs are never issued or discussed. Everyone has loads of money and great places to live in. They also have great clothes and personal stylists. Life is but a dream.
“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”
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
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
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
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”
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.