Thompson on Hollywood

Navigating Documentary 'Venus and Serena' with the Williams Sisters Was Not Easy

Festivals

Veteran broadcast journalists Maiken Baird and Michelle Major spent four years obtaining access to the private world of tennis superstars the Williams sisters for "Venus and Serena," which debuted last week at the Toronto Film Festival. But when the tennis documentary finally premiered, it did so without the Williams sisters. On September 11, they withdrew their support of the film.

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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May 10, 2013 2:48 PM
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TIFF Bell Lightbox to Exhibit Chinese Film Retrospective, from 1935 Rarities to Wong Kar-wai, Edward Yang and Ang Lee

News

TIFF Bell Lightbox, the festival's gallery exhibition building in Toronto, has just announced a new retrospective, A Century of Chinese Film, which will run June 5 to August 11.

By Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio
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May 6, 2013 2:37 PM
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New Clip and Stunning Images From Cianfrance's 'Place Beyond the Pines' with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes

Video

Check out a new clip from Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to "Blue Valentine," "The Place Beyond the Pines." The film inspired critics' raves from its Toronto debut...

By Sophia Savage
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March 4, 2013 1:27 AM
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New Trailer for Redford's 'The Company You Keep' with LaBeouf, Sarandon, Nolte & More

Video

The trailer has landed for Robert Redford's "The Company You Keep," which was just picked up by Sony Pictures Classics before its Venice and Toronto premieres. The thriller is star-packed with...

By Sophia Savage
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February 14, 2013 1:13 PM
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Review: Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha,' Starring Muse Greta Gerwig (VIDEO)

Reviews

Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha" (May 17) follows a young woman drifting through the generous definition of "coming of age" that has become en vogue with the advent of Mumblecore and American indie films over the past decade. Frances Halliday (Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the film and also starred in Baumbach's "Greenberg") is the questionably tender age of 27, facing the woes of Brooklyn rent, a would-be career in modern dance that has stalled mid-pirouette and a best friend who is slowly breaking up with her.

By Beth Hanna
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February 13, 2013 12:58 PM
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New York Film Fest is Big Oscar Nom Winner; Sundance, Cannes, Toronto All Shine

Awards

The New York Film Festival - showing a more selective line-up than any other major one except Telluride - was the big winner when the Oscar nominations were announce this morning. The two films with the most nominations - "Lincoln" (12) and "The Life of Pi" (11) both world premiered at their event...

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 10, 2013 1:50 PM
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IFC Films Lands Baumbach's Black-and-White Gerwig Vehicle 'Frances Ha'

News

IFC Films is acquiring all North and Latin American rights to Noah Baumbach’s "Frances Ha," which the filmmaker co-wrote with his star and muse, Mumblecore darling Greta Gerwig. She has received glowing reviews for the film, which debuted at Telluride followed by Toronto and now, New York. Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver and Michael Zegen co-star.

By Anne Thompson
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September 20, 2012 4:25 PM
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Brian De Palma Q & A: 'Passion,' McAdams vs. Rapace, Sex Tools UPDATED

Interviews

While Brian De Palma is best-known for directing sexually-tinged Hitchcockian thrillers such as "Dressed to Kill," "Body Double," and "Obsession," my two fave De Palmas are Stephen King's "Carrie," which is being remade with his blessing by pal Kimberly Pierce, and "Blow Out," starring John Travolta. While De Palma has scored as a studio technician with a strong sense of style--and bravura camera moves-- in such movies as the original "Mission Impossible," "Snake Eyes," "Carlito's Way," "Scarface" and "The Untouchables," the filmmaker started as an indie in the 1970s and is back in the indie world with European-financed thrillers such as "Black Dahlia" and "Passion," which recently played Venice, Toronto and completes the fest trifecta in New York. The Toronto screening of the film was packed with buyers; no announcement of a sale has been made as yet.

By Anne Thompson
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September 20, 2012 4:01 PM
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Toronto Wrap: Winners, Oscar Contenders and Also-Rans

Festivals

I started out Toronto 2012 with my first Jason Reitman screenplay read-through--his first in Toronto--Alan Ball's Oscar-winning "American Beauty." I'd missed his series of live reads at LACMA, from "The Breakfast Club" to "The Apartment." In a way "American Beauty" was apt preparation for the festival's crowning glory, David O. Russell's ultimate audience award winner, "Silver Linings Playbook." They are in the same vein--a flinty-edged picture of who we are now, laced with dark comedy and self-recognition, with romance and hope still a possibility. That's why "American Beauty" won best picture.

By Anne Thompson
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September 18, 2012 4:29 PM
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Jennifer Lawrence Talks 'Silver Linings Playbook,' Russell, 'Hunger Games' and Prepping for that Money Scene (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Awards

As soon as "Silver Linings Playbook" played in Toronto it became the front runner for the Oscar. This is something its Oscar handlers were seeking to avoid, but the film then went on to win the coveted TIFF audience award nabbed by such past crowd-pleasers as Oscar-winner "Slumdog Millionaire." Yes, "Argo" and "Amour" and "The Sessions" and the Weinsteins' other TIFF entries "The Master" and "Quartet" are also in the Oscar hunt. But right now it's "The Silver Linings Playbook"'s to lose.