BKonthescene

By The BKONTHESCENE Team

The day started at the Scotiabank Theatre for The Nature of Love (French title Simple comme Sylvain).

This was a Quebecois film  – A Quebecois comedy love story  

This Canadian – France romantic comedy from Quebecois actor, writer, and director Monia Chokri (A Brother’s Love) tackles class difference and infidelity.

The Nature of Love, which debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival is the third from Monia Chokri, a romantic comedy dealing with class differences and infidelity.

Sophia, in her 40’s and a French-Canadian professor who’s involved in a congenial relationship with her partner Xavier. After years together we see them growing apart as shown in the dinner party scenes. 

Sophia meets Sylvain, the good looking contractor hired to fix up the couple’s country home. They quickly begin an affair even though they’re very opposite. Meeting each other’s families makes Sophia realize this isn’t for her.  As their affair continues, the tension between their different worlds leads to an unfortunate end. The film The Nature of Love is part social commentary, part love story — and a solid with great acting, beautiful country setting and interesting storyline. 

The next film we saw was Widow Clicquot.

Widow Clicquot is the true story of the struggles of the pioneering woman champagne master, Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (portrayed by Haley Bennett), known as Veuve Clicquot, after the early untimely death of her husband, François (portrayed by Tom Sturridge).

Against all odds, Clicquot succeeds in the male-dominated wine and champagne world despite many obstacles and hardships during the Napoleonic years in France; including rules against women ownership, ferocious competitors such as Monsieur Moët of leading champagne house, Moët et Chandon, war, and poor weather.

Cliquot, in using advanced vineyard management and grape blending, succeeds in saving her family’s champagne house and leading her brand to the forefront of the champagne landscape, usually considered one of the ultimate libations for celebrations in France, Europe and around the world.

FinestKind was the next film we viewed.

Set in New Bedford, FinestKind is the dramatic crime story of 2 hardworking small-town American fishermen brothers, Tom and Charlie (portrayed by Ben Foster and Toby Wallace), their father, Ray (portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones), their colleagues and the love interest, Mabel (portrayed by Jenna Ortega).

The brothers are led astray into a life of drug-smuggling crime after a disastrous day on the seas and then an illegal foray into Canadian waters. With their debts and legal issues, the drama escalates until the cantankerous family patriarch takes matters into his own hands against a dangerous drug gang.

We were off to see The New Boy.

Set in the 1940s, The New Boy is the heart-warming film, with beautiful cinematography, in which Oscar winner Australian actor Cate Blanchett plays a nun entrusted with the care of a new young un-named delinquent aboriginal boy, brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Aswan Reid, brought by police to a monastery located in the outbacks of Australia after he attacks 2 policemen.

The film lays bare the distasteful colonial legacy of Australia and the harmful effects of religious indoctrination of aboriginal children.

We later arrived in Yorkville at MSSM on Cumberland Ave. for the cast party for Smugglers. It was the second time here, as there was also a cast party at this location on Monday. We would view the film on Friday for Day#9.

Some of the guests included: RYOO Seung-wan (Director), KANG Hye-jung (Producer), KIM Kang-e (from production company), CHOI Cha-won (from production company), YUM Jung-ah (actress), PARK Jeong-min (actor), GO Min-si (actress), KIM Sung-yong (YUM’s agent), KIM Do-yeon (PARK’s agent), KIM Dae-hyun (GO’s agent), KIM Jae-min (President, NEW), Danny LEE (EVP, Contents Panda), Youngkyung SOHN (Manager, Contents Panda), Christina SUK (Assis. Manager, Contents Panda), James Shapiro (XYZ, North American distributor) and Giovanna Fulvi (TIFF programmer).

We departed the Yorkville party and stopped by C-Suite, as the cast and crew walked over to this “Speakeasy” themed lounge.

The last stop was the CNE grounds for the Revolver event.

Revolver Films, a Toronto-based company, celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex. The party honoured the individuals who have been instrumental in Revolver Films’ journey through four decades of storytelling. 

Since 1983, Revolver Films has been continually delivering cutting-edge content with the industry’s top creative talents in advertising, music videos, television, and film. The company was the creative force behind acclaimed TIFF films including, “Bang Bang Baby,” “Swimmer,” and “David Bowie’s Dead Man Walking.”

It was the end of Day#8, and we departed The Liberty Grand to recharge for Day #9.