Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang First time director Shane Black's Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is a richly dark satire on Hollywood film noir and one of the year's most refreshingly wonderful surprises. in this quirky fun-filled ride of a movie, a petty thief (Robert Downey jnr) posing as an actor, is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who's been training him for his upcoming role. Kiss, Kiss pays homage to classic pulp fiction inspired films as well as the buddy film populated by the Lethal Weapon films penned by writer/director Black. The pairing of Downey and Kilmer is a stroke of genius as both are clearly in their element here doing some of their best work in years. Relative newcomer Monaghan is a revelation a hypnotic, sexy and alluring presence. Beautifully crafted by Black, Kiss, Kiss is a smart, sexy and often hilarious entertainment that pokes fun at genre, Hollywood and movie conventions such voice over narratives.
The rest of the day was spent catching up with the stars, beginning with none other than Anthony Hopkins. Sometimes reserved and even prickly withy the press, this time around, he was relaxed and in good humour, as we chatted at length about The Fastest Indian in the World, a film that he clearly loves. Occasionally talking in the New Zealand accent he sports in the film, Hopkins was a total delight, also mentioning high hopes for All the King's Men, shot in flood-stricken New Orleans, his participation in the Bobby Kennedy film Bobby, his passion for music and his hope to bring Shakespeare's King Lear to the big screen. More on Hopkins later on. While Hopkins was a pure delight, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, on the other hand, was not. Usually affable, he appeared gruff and unwilling to answer questions that seemed harmless. He did admit he was relishing the role of playing the bad guy in Mission Impossible. But generally, it was a strange interview from the surly Mr Hoffman. It was then time to catch up with Liam Neeson, in town for Neil Jordan's Breakfast at Pluto. Quiet and reserved, Neeson did say he was looking forward to two projects, a Western he'll be shooting with fellow Irishman Pierce Brosnan and Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln biopic, which he confirmed would go from Lincoln's inauguration to his assassination.
After a brief break, it was time to cover the junket for Corpse Bride. Johnny Depp was wearing a large hat, sported a thin beard and was in a good mood as he talked about the film, and said that Pirates, both of them, were looking good, while Tim Burton conceded he had nothing on his plate. Corpse Bride interviews will be posted very soon.
Harsh Times Managed to see one film before calling it a night: and what a film: Harsh Times, executive produced and starring Christian Bale, opposite Six Feet Under's Freddy Rodriguez. The film follows Mike Alvarez (Freddy Rodriguez), unemployed and looking for a job, and Jim David (Bale) who has just been accepted by the DEA to do his share of the dirty work in Columbia. A pair of hell-raising beer-drinking screw-ups with time on their hands, they spend a few days riding around Los Angeles, causing trouble and leaving havoc in their wake - until it all catches up to them and the good times turn harsh. The directorial debut of screenwriter David Ayer, here is an uncompromising and raw study of male friendship, treated with a visceral and brilliant power. Featuring explosive performances by the pair of leads, Harsh Times is tough, honest, real and captivating. This is pure Indie cinema at its best, not a Hollywood crowd pleaser but then it doesn't try to be. It's a superb debut from a real find of a film maker.
More interviews to begin the day, beginning with Guy Pearce and musician/screenwriter Nick Cave who talked with much enthusiasm about the new Aussie film The Proposition. Cave also admitted he's working on a new script but no details, except that it would not be set in Australia. Then it was off to meet another Aussie, Hugo Weaving, whose film Little Fish was screening here. But we also talked at length about V for Vendetta, which opens in March, and he discussed the challenges of working with a mask. "You don't even see the guy's eyes but he does a lot of talking. It was a very interesting character."
Where the Truth Lies Then finally, in preparation for my interview tomorrow with Kevin Bacon, saw the controversial Where the Truth Lies, from director Atom Egoyan. Part film noir, part erotic thriller, the film tells of a female journalist trying to uncover the truth behind the breakup, years earlier, of a celebrated comedy team after the duo found a girl dead in their hotel room. Though both had airtight alibis and neither was accused, the incident put an end to their act. Incredibly sexy and consistently entertaining, the film does tend to weave through moments of incomprehension, but through solid work by Bacon and Colin Firth, the film works as a stylish and enthralling erotic thriller. Whether it deserves its NC-17 rating in the US is another question, but when it comes to sex, the MPAA remains behind the times as usual.
Tomorrow is this journalist's final day at Toronto, preparing for the real world of LA junkets, but a final blast of interviews include Keanu, Tilda Swinton, Timothy Spall, Gretchen Moll, Freddy Rodriguez and Kevin Bacon. A journalist's day here is never done.
