Interview

After an entire day at the airport due to my friends at American Airlines, I'm finally in Toronto. Lesson learned: in Canada, fly Canadian.
 
Just as my plane touched down, the buzz on my Blackberry began around Jason Reitman's (of the Juno fame) 2009 release, Up in the Air. The film, starring George Clooney and Vera Farmiga, is about the topical subject of unemployment, along with the quest for frequent flier miles. Clooney's character, (Ryan Bingham), a heartless, non-committal man with with a winning grin, has big dreams of reaching the 10 million mile mark via air travel. Clooney's job is to fire people–companies hire his firm to do their dirty work–and he's certainly got a gift for it. Clooney is challenged, however, when newcomer Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener) is hired to replace the company's current system with a computer program. Commanding the screen, Kendrick does a great job going toe to toe with our ER hero. I had the chance to sit down with Kendrick and she's cool, calm, and collected–definitely a starlet on the rise. (LEFT: SIR MICHAEL CAINE IN HARRY BROWN)

Harry Brown was one of those cinematic experiences that leaves you feeling like you've been in a physical fight, or ran more miles than you ever thought you could–exhausted and defeated, but in a good way. The beginning credits alone are thrilling–the camera shots were impeccably done and the music complemented each scene with dramatic build ups and powerful chords. Harry Brown follows Michael Caine, who plays the titular character, as he loses both his wife and chess mate to vigilante teens over the course of a few days. Brown begins to see his neighborhood become overrun by crime, violence and drugs and decides to use his Royal Marine expertise to take on the vigilantes, single-handedly succeeding where the police have failed.  Caine's performance is both humbling and tough–he wears the part well, moving from grief to loneliness to strength and anger as he takes on the bad guys.

Party planners are crafty in Toronto. Soho House arranged a gathering for Harry Brown in a subway terminal.  Not only did they bring in bartenders from Ciccone's in Los Angeles, they actually outfitted cars with velvet couches and divine canapes. The party brought the ever-so-easy-on-the eyes-Clive Owen out for a cocktail, among others. Across the street, Canada's ET ushered guests in dresses up ramps via golfcart.  The Precious party last night at the Royal Museum attracted 2009's most dynamic duo–Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, along with most of the film's cast. See also: a Canadian BBQ with Keifer Sutherland. Can't wait to see what the rest of the festival brings...