BKonthescene

By The BKONTHESCENE crew

In the afternoon we arrived at the RED Carpet for The Penguin Lessons at RTH   

The actors and filmmakers elegantly donned the Red Carpet at Roy Thomson Hall. Unfortunately, Missing from the Red Carpet was the main actor of the film, Steve Coogan.  The Premiere film screening took place directly afterwards.     

Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, this dramedy is from director Peter Cattaneo (Military Wives, TIFF ’19). Throughout the film, The Penguin Lessons, the dry wit of actor Steve Coogan, follows this Englishman’s personal and political awakening during a period of crisis in Argentina.

Inspired by real events, The Penguin Lessons teaches that saving a life begins a new responsibility… an adorable penguin.  The year is 1976. Tom (Coogan) lands in Buenos Aires to take up a teaching position at an English boarding school. The city is in the midst of political violence, but the headmaster (Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce) insists his school simply keep calm and continue. Tom is perfectly fine with that. When a coup d’état shuts down the school, he goes to neighbouring Uruguay.

While walking along the beach Tom rescues a penguin drenched in oil from a spill. He feels compelled to sneak the penguin back to Argentina. An unusual and beautiful friendship begins. The penguin becomes a class favourite with all the students and an agent of change for him and, ultimately, the entire school.

Created by  Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty; Military Wives, TIFF ’19), The Penguin Lessons is a heartwarming tale based on a true story with humour and warmth.  An emotional and thought provoking film.  SW

We arrived at The Last Showgirl Red Carpet at VSR and then film   

Tons of excited fans were waiting along King Street West in the fan zone across from Princess of Wales theatre – VSR. They were waiting for Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista, three of the main actors in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. They all looked stunning on the Red Carpet experience. After exiting their vehicles most walked out (with their security) to see the fans. A special guest from Home Alone fame, actor Macaulay Culkin, joined his female friend on the Red Carpet.  Nice surprise!

WORLD PREMIERE  screening of The Last Showgirl Film  VSR

Pamela Anderson is a seasoned performer who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. The latest film from Gia Coppola (Palo Alto, TIFF ’13) shows us a story from behind the scenes of the Las Vegas Strip with an emotional lead performance by Pamela Anderson.

Anderson (Shelley) plays a dancer who’s been performing for 30 years. The other dancers she shares this performance with are her loving, sequin-clad family. The stage manager Eddie (Dave Bautista) announces the show will close permanently and suddenly in two weeks. The dancers must make decisions for their future. But the future looks different for Shelley when aged 50 rather than 20, and your only job skill is dancing experience.

Naturally emotionally unsettled, Shelley tries to reconnect with a daughter she hardly knows, which proves just as difficult as losing the only job she has ever had. Interactions with her best friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), an outgoing cocktail waitress, help Shelley to find her place in her new future world. Coppola shows Shelley’s face as she absorbs news, and the heartbreaking compassion from Eddie’s eyes as he gives the show closing news. The directing with a wonderful group of actors shows the hard life behind the harsh glare of those famous neon signs and stage lights. A wonderful film. Don’t miss it! SW

We were on the red carpet for Nutcrackers starring Ben Stiller. A long wait for his arrival, but the gracious Stiller had time for all the photographers and interviewers during the red carpet, therefore a shoutout to the cast and crew of Nutcrackers. The premiere of Nutcrackers was an exciting event, blending comedy and drama with the star power of director David Gordon Green and lead actor Ben Stiller.

Fans gathered to catch a glimpse of Stiller, known for his comedic genius, as he took on a more nuanced role in this highly anticipated film. Green, celebrated for his versatile directing style, arrived with the cast to cheers, setting the tone for an engaging night. The film, blending dark humor and intense family dynamics, sparked buzz even before its premiere, with the energy on the red carpet making it one of the standout events of TIFF 2024.

We ended the evening with back to back events at Soluna on Queen St.West for: Daniela Forever Starring; Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians), Beatrice Grannò (White Lotus) and Director, Nacho Vigalondo (Colossal, TIFF ’16)

Sharp Corner, which featured: Cobie Smulders (Avengers, Age of Ultron), Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Gavin Drea (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Director, Jason Buxton (Blackbird)

That ended Day #2 for a very eventful day and night.We’ll continue our journey on Day #3.