For the Love of Film

The title refers to theme of this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Let's face it, there won't be a well detailed account of each day I spent in the Great White North. I'll include a couple of noteworthy tidbits here and we'll call it a day. I didn't end up having a laptop handy and I didn't take enough notes so I'm depending on my memory, which let's face it isn't fantastic.

(the first day)
Me: We're in a foreign country!!!
Jon: But everyone looks like us!!!

(the next night)
I was at one of the festival hotels for dinner. I had just followed a VERY skinny Thandie Newton down a corridor. I was walking up the stairs and looked over to the opposite curving staircase to see Gerard Butler. Then I watched as he checked me out and caught my gaze. Let it be known I was in no way dressed up. Let it also be known that I have never been attracted to Gerard Butler. And ALSO that I wasn't alone and my companion was witness to the happenings. So GB caught my eye and we shared this crazy captivating movie moment wherein I felt like I was dressed in the most flattering of evening gowns. That's the only way I can describe it.

I can still say I'm not super attracted to GB, but I can say I love the way he made me feel. And isn't that what we're all looking for?

No words were exchanged. We both continued our separate ways and that was it.

(some other day)
I was interviewing Susan Sarandon for her movie "Middle of Nowhere." I unfortunately hadn't seen the movie, but I'm usually pretty good about getting a conversation going wherein we get what we need and the subjects are so busy talking that they don't realize I'm not asking the specific questions that would reveal I haven't seen the movie.

So I'm interviewing Susan and the movie's director and somehow we totally get off track and start talking about drinking and kids drinking and pot. Susan feels that drinking and enlisting ages should be the same. She feels like drinking beer and drinking hard liquor should be separate issues. She repeated the advice that you never mix - and that sake and beer means you mixed. All the sudden the cameras weren't even there and we were just sitting at a table in a hotel restaurant. It was weird. But enjoyable.

That same day I had interviewed Anton Yelchin for the umpteenth time. (He's also in MoN.) He's good about remembering me and I enjoy talking to him. Later on in the week I would have a good chat with Paul Dano, who I've also talked to more than once.

I'm trying to think of other interviews that stick out. Jill Hennessy was super nice. As were the Culkin kids I interviewed. I found out I live blocks away from two of the actors in Deadgirl. I also found out I probably don't wanna see that movie.

Greg Kinnear and Alan Alda were lovely. Their director, Marc Abraham, is the brother of my old boss at E! so that gave us that all important red carpet connection and talking point.

As far as movies I enjoyed, I called The Duchess "heartbreakingly awesome." I get to interview the author of the book (which is based on a true story) tomorrow, which I'm excited about. I also enjoyed "Happy Go Lucky." When I told the movie's star Sally Hawkins that I wanted to be the main character's friend she replied in her Brit-ish accent "She would like you." And I was like, YAY! Funny. And of course "Slumdog Millionaire." Not since "Born into Brothels" have I wanted to run to India and pack my suitcase full of little kids to bring home.

I had fun finding out that one of my industry colleagues used to write an advice column for a bridal magazine. It was more fun when we started berating him with questions as to why boys do what they do and say what they say.

I passed on a trip to the top of the CN tower, but did enjoy the view from Panorama, a rooftop bar. (When I post pix, you'll see what I mean.)

We also had a nice dinner with these people. I loved the way father and son interacted. It was fun to watch.

I had an extra day or so at the tail end of my trip to hang in Toronto. It was rainy, so I ducked into the Royal Alexandra theater to catch the stage version of Dirty Dancing.

Things I loved:

-How much the girl playing Baby looked like Jennifer Grey (at least from my seat anyway)
-The amazing dancing skills of the girl who played Penny.
-I loved watching all of the "dirty" dancing live. It really made me wanna get back into yoga and become flexible again.
-the cheesiness of it all and how excited people got at the lines we've been quoting for decades
-the way I still tear up at Baby's convo with her dad on the porch. "You let me down too!"

There's a huge store that reminded me of the Galeries Lafayette in Paris. It's called Holt Renfrew and you basically can't afford anything in there unless you're uber rich. For instance I picked up the tag of a night gown that was either $300 or $3000 dollars. I'm thinking it was the latter. Seriously.

I also visited the Bata Shoe Museum. Mostly because I'm a girl and I like shoes and I wasn't in the mood for a history museum romp (the art museum is closed for renovation).

Well first of all, there was a lot of history. But it was shoes so that made it somehow more manageable. My favorite exhibit, however, was "On Pointe: The Rise of the Ballet Shoe." SO neat. It showed you how they came to be and how they are made and ballets were playing on the walls and famous ballerina's shoes were in cases. I was disappointed there wasn't more dried blood on the shoes, but other than that was totally into it. I never ballet'd, but I do enjoy wearing ballet flats. And movies about ballet like "Centerstage." Eating disorders and taboo love affairs? Count. me. in.

I liked this quote on the wall of the museum:

"I can identify the sound of your feet, for it is through them that life is moving in my direction."

It's a traditional Indian folk saying.

I also like this overheard saying (imagine it in a valley girl voice):

"You know what I mean, bitch?

Gerrad and I can do good impressions for you if you're interested.

I liked that I could watch "Ed" and "Night Court" in Canada. I was also strangely attracted to this show. If you could hear the theme song, you'd maybe understand.

Another favorite random moment occurred on September 11th. As I always do I recalled where I was 7! years ago. The hallway. Melanie. The Today Show. Steve's voice on the radio.

I walked as much as possible in Toronto because I love a good walking city. On this particular day, I was walking AGAIN about a mile or so away to one of the festival hotels. I was following a family of three down the sidewalk. Mom and little boy (who looked to be about 2) were obviously walking dad to work. They were walking slow and other business people were rushing to pass on the side. At one point the mom noticed me behind and pulled aside to let me pass. I told her I actually was enjoying walking behind them. (I didn't mean for it to be creepy, but it might have been.) I like remembering the pace of a child, which is such a contrast to the way we adults tend to rush around. I also liked being witness to this little family moment. As the family turned away from my path, the little boy kept looking over his shoulder at me. He finally stopped walking so as not to lose sight of me and we made eye contact. I don't know, this is all sounding creepy and weird, but sometimes I feel like you can garner a lot from the old souls that reside within children. I smiled and waved and kept walking.

Alright, that's enough for now...
I have some more randomness and a movie review from last night but that can wait.