Day#4-Sun.,Sept.10th,2023

By The BKONTHESCENE Team

We started Day#4 at Roy Thompson Hall for Dumb Money.

Dumb Money is the high profile financial story of the amateur investors and hedge fund billionaires that became the infamous GameStop Wall Street scandal. The high profile cast includes: Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Shailene Woodley, and America Ferrera. Director Craig Gillespie has stars Paul Dano and Seth Rogen battling each other with a David vs. Goliath financial fairy tale story.

GameStop was a struggling business and with the pandemic, it would appear that the writing was on the wall. Hedge fund managers Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) put billions on the hope that it does “tank”. Keith Gill (Paul Dano) thinks otherwise and shares with his online followers that the stock of GameStop is undervalued.

Gill operating out of his home basement as an on line amateur investor was so convinced for years that the company is a great investment, and he was posting regular charts, updates and videos online to make his point. His online followers, who are run of the mill average people, start to believe him and start to buy the so called undervalued stock. Everyone from Gamestop employees, nurses, Gill’s family and university students jump into the frenzy of buying the stock.

It’s an amazing story that makes the kings of Wall Street close shop and the underdogs making millions. The David Vs. Goliath tale that really happened is a funny story to add to director Gillespie’s filmography.

Next Goal Wins-A comedic retelling, by brilliant and hilarious Oscar-winning screenwriter South Pacific native Taiki Waititi, of the story of the American Samoan Soccer team, which is best known to be at the losing end of the worst defeat in World Cup history with a 31-0 loss to Australia in a qualifying match in 2002, with its new Dutch-American manager Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) attempting to get the team’s first goal and win during the qualifying rounds for the 2014 World Cup. Next Goal Wins is a fun film documenting the life in the small South Pacific island nation American Somoa and its hapless World Cup soccer team.

Dream Scenario-
A deadpan but hilarious comedy, starring Nicholas Cage as Paul Matthews, involving a professor’s weird predicament of being initially innocently inserted into peoples’ dreams, which takes a nasty turn as the dreams become nightmares. We follow on a wild ride as the typical and average family man goes from relative anonymity to unintentional celebrity status with some surprising consequences.

Memory-
Jessica Chastain stars in this thoughtful well-meaning film about the unfortunate effects of mental health.
After careful character development, the film follows how Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), a former classmate and now a sufferer of mental illness and a resident of the public home for mental health sufferers, follows Sylvia (Jessica Chastain), a worker at the public home for mental health sufferers, home from their high school reunion, from which a touching relationship develops. This film shows how past, present and future may become intertwined with unknown outcomes.

Knox Goes Away-
Know Goes Away is a thrilling movie in which an accomplished professional hitman, John Knox, played by Michael Keaton, tries to correct his life’s deficiencies, especially with his long-estranged son, when he develops rapidly deteriorating dementia. The ensuing journey into the world of hitmen brings about twists and turns.

Michael Knox, in his directorial debut, and playing John Knox, enlists the assistance of his closest trusted friend Xavier (Al Pacino) to keep him on track as his memory quickly deteriorates while he races against time in this exhilarating film.

Next Seven Veils RED CARPET Princess of Wales With great excitement, Canadian filmmaker ATOM Egoyan and cast appeared on Red Carpet for the World Premiere of Canadian film SEVEN VEILS screening.

Seven Veils made its official TIFF Special Presentation World Premiere at the Festival on Sunday, September 10. Atom Egoyan and his Chloe star Amanda Seyfried reunite for this psychodrama about a young theatre director as she re-examines her own trauma while working on a production of Salome. Given the job of remounting a Canadian Opera Company production of Salome after the death of its revered creator, her mentor, a young director (Amanda Seyfried) is forced to re-examine her tangled personal history with the project, the deceased man, and her own family. Atom Egoyan’s past films explored families devastated by loss and betrayal, parents and children’s issues. Seven Veils continues Egoyan’s fascination with manipulation and abuse, as entitled men impose their will on the women and leave them to deal with the results. Egoyan’s project includes his love of opera, using this year’s COC production of Salome, which he directed, into the film, and casting stars Kupfer-Radecky and Ambur Braid as fictional performers. A beautifully made film with setting, acting and plot riveting.

Next was the world premier of Arthur&Diana a film of the Discovery program at TIFF. In this playful auto-fictional road trip film directed by Sara Summa, who stars alongside her real-life brother, Robin Summa, the audience embarks on an amusing journey from Berlin to Paris. Siblings Arthur and Diana set off in their late father’s old Renault, accompanied by Diana’s adorable two-year-old son. Their mission is to renew their cherished childhood car’s expired MOT while making a pit stop to visit their aging mother.

The film revolves around the dynamic between Arthur, the carefree geocaching enthusiast, and Diana, the practical and slightly anxious older sister. Together, they navigate a winding road filled with laughter, police encounters, impromptu parties, and even a detour through Italy.

What immediately strikes the audience is the film’s distinctive style. Instead of the crisp cinematic images that audiences are now used to, it embraces the grainy textures and warm hues of ’90s film stock using old ’90s video cameras. This deliberate choice adds authenticity and a sense of nostalgia, perfectly mirroring the love and conflicts between the siblings.

The director, Sara Summa, explained during the Q&A session that they chose ’90s cameras also to streamline the equipment setup, as they were filming inside a car with a two-year-old, quick capture of precious moments was essential. Arthur&Diana captures the tension and stability that define family relationships, all set against a backdrop of heartfelt nostalgia and contemplation of the past and future.

Sorry/Not Sorry, a documentary directed by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones and produced by The New York Times, closely examines the accusations against comedian Louis C.K., the consequences faced by those who spoke out, and his return to comedy.

The documentary emphasizes the impact of Louis C.K.’s actions on the women involved, highlighting the lasting effects they experienced and the difficulty for the audience in general of drawing the line in supporting “cancelled” celebrities.

“I think everybody lives with a certain amount of hypocrisy, and this is the amount that I’ve allocated myself.” says a person going to Louis C.K.’s sold-out Madison Square Garden show near the end of the film is perhaps the most honest and transparent answer to this messy question of “cancelled” celebrities and their redemption.

The next screener was SOLO. TIFF was delighted to announce that the 2023 Jury has selected Solo, directed by Sophie Dupuis as this year’s Best Canadian Feature Film.

The World Premiere of Canadian film SOLO by director Sophie Dupuis. Set in Montreal’s vivacious drag scene,. Set in Montreal’s vivacious drag scene, this character study from writer-director Sophie Dupuis (Underground) blends emotional intelligence with flair. Focusing on a talented performer whose past and present merge in unexpected ways, Solo is a tale of desire, dependence and self-actualization. Simon is a skilled makeup artist by day and a sensational drag artist. Scenes include lovers and artistic partners, crafting sexy, flamboyant duets that thrive on their intrinsic chemistry and Simon. Dupuis’ portrait balances empathy with these different personalities. We get to see the life of drag performers – in the dressing room, in their daily lives and on stage. An engaging and fascinating plot. Present for the Q & A following the screening at Roy Thomson Hall were Director Sophie Dupuis and cast members Anne-Marie Cadieux, Félix Maritaud and Théodore Pellerin. The film was brilliant and the director and cast showed their togetherness in creating this Quebecois film.

We walked over to Marbl on King St.W.to our last stop for Cinema Center.We attended the red carpet for “IRENA’s VOW”
and The Creative Coalition’s Spotlight Soiree hosted by The Creative Coalition President, Tim Daly.

In addition, the Cinema Center hosted the Collider Media Studio during the daypart. Here, top filmmakers, Directors, and cast members will stop in for exclusive interviews with the popular entertainment site.