TIFF Talk

A critical guide to TV, movies, theatre and music, with daily event roundups to max out your social calendar

December 29, 2011 | 12:55 pm

Year in Review: TIFF 2011, where we saw celebrities everywhere (and even shared a bathroom with one)

TIFF this year was a a non-stop gauntlet of activity, from press conferences to movie screenings (actually), swag lounges and some of the splashiest parties this city has ever seen. We saw Jon Hamm, Madonna, Keira Knightley, the Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Johnny Rotten, Rachel Weisz and hundreds more (seriously, there wasn’t a corner of Yorkville or King West that didn’t have a star sighting—we even shared a bathroom break with Gerard Butler; no big deal). Here, a top 10 list of our favourite TIFF moments

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September 21, 2011 | 4:15 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Seven films that we think are bound for box office (or critical) success

For the regular folk in Toronto, TIFF is primarily a time for star spotting, catching films that might not be seen otherwise and soaking up a kind of glitz and glamour that is otherwise rarely seen in Hogtown. But for the film industry, TIFF is big business—it’s where movies get big distribution deals and money (lots of it) exchanges hands. Over 30 titles were picked up from this year’s film festival, and more deals are surely on the way. We picked seven that we think are likely to be good investments, after the jump.

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September 20, 2011 | 5:25 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: the five o’clock shadow was this year’s hottest accessory for men

We noticed something prickly growing on the chins of many A-list men at TIFF this year (no, not a beard—we’ve covered that already). It seems that amidst the many open collars and untucked shirts, there was a celebrity trend in-the-making: scruff so barely there it could have been accidental—or due to laziness. We think that on Jon Hamm, Ryan Gosling, Gerard Butler, Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Brian Austin Green, the look was decent, but on Philip Seymour Hoffman, Seth Rogen and Brad Pitt, it doesn’t look quite so manly—presumably, the intention—but rather uncomfortably itchy. Vote for your favourite five o’clock shadow after the jump.

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September 20, 2011 | 4:11 pm

The Swag Series: The Right Hand Gal’s lounge comes with free jewelry and a message

Jason Priestley wear jewelry for a cause (Image: Phil Birnbaum)

What it is: The Right Hand Gal, a Canadian jewellery company by sisters Shawna and Randi Herlich, have created a special piece called Noble, a play on the phrase “no bull” in support of anti-bullying causes. The company launched a gifting suite this year at the InterContinental (like Ben Sherman, Alliance and the Tastemakers Lounge before them) to hand out their Noble pendant.

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September 20, 2011 | 3:57 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: “Glowing” (i.e. pregnant) mothers edition

Jennifer Podemski at the premiere of Take This Waltz (Image: Christopher Dross)

Baby bumps were in fashion this year at TIFF, where several expecting stars strolled red carpets in clothes that skirted the usual maternity clichés. Canadian director Sarah Polley announced she was pregnant before the festival started, joining TIFF’s mommies-to-be club that also included Jennifer Garner, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jennifer Podemski.

Check out our slideshow of all four »

: Sarah Polley looked the part of dressed-up indie darling at the premiere of her film Take This Waltz for which she wore a long black satin gown. She’s expecting her first child with husband David Sandomierski.

: Jennifer Garner is expecting her third child with husband Ben Affleck. The two celebs are proud parents to Violet, age 5, and Seraphina, age 2. Garner was pretty in pink at the premiere of Butter, wearing sparkly Valentino. We’d never guess she was pregnant.

: Jennifer Podemski sashayed across the stage at Roy Thomson Hall in a black cocktail dress prior to the premiere screening of Take This Waltz, proudly displaying her very pregnant belly.

: Bryce Dallas Howard was glowing on the red carpet for Restless with perhaps the biggest baby bump of them all—and yet she managed to look event-appropriate and stylish at the same time. Maternity dress, this is not. Howard is expecting her second child with husband Seth Gabel.

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September 20, 2011 | 2:20 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Jason Reitman, Jamie Campbell Bower and Robert De Niro are among TIFF 2011’s worst dressed

Some of TIFF 2011’s men dressed well, some dressed boring in black and white, and some dressed downright casual. Director Jason Reitman showed up to most events wearing an untucked shirt, jeans and sneakers—there’s nothing wrong with slumming it a little bit, but we think this kind of easy dressing is perfect for a 4 a.m. last call and not a red carpet for an Artists for Peace and Justice-sponsored party. We like actor Jamie Campbell Bower’s blousy dotted top, but the tongue-out shoes and wild hair are begging for attention, and we’re not willing to acknowledge either as effortless. As for Robert De Niro, he may be one of the biggest actors of our time, but that doesn’t mean wearing a golf shirt under a blazer with dad jeans and sneakers is any more appealing. Who do you think dressed the worst at TIFF 2011?

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(Images: Jason Reitman, George Pimentel/WireImage; Jamie Campbell Bower, Ernesto Di Stefano/Getty Images Entertainment; Robert De Niro, Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment)

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September 20, 2011 | 2:15 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: The winners, and the losers, from this year’s installment of the Toronto International Film Festival

(Images: Christopher Drost)

Well, it’s a wrap. Some might suggest that there are no winners and losers at TIFF, and that the festival is a harmonious celebration of filmmaking and the artistic spirit. For our part, we say these people are wrong. Life is a competition, and we’ve got the goods on the stars, the parties, the neighbourhoods, the red carpet galas and the films that came out on top—and on the bottom—this year, after the jump.

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September 20, 2011 | 12:57 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Hugh Dancy, Bill Nighy and Ryan Gosling are among TIFF’s best dressed

The men of TIFF didn’t take many risks, since most of our photos are of celebrities wearing black suits with white shirts and no ties (and on occasion, foregoing a button up shirt for a v-neck t-shirt, which should be stopped), but we managed to find some highlights: Hugh Dancy sporting a nicely fitted single-button tweed jacket and an open collar (which was the trend for nearly every male in attendance at TIFF this year) at the Vanity Fair party, Bill Nighy wearing bold glasses and a very trim navy suit at the Page Eight premiere, and Ryan Gosling in a tailored tan suit with contrasting studded footwear (which, frankly, we could do without) at The Ides of March premiere. Which gentleman takes top honours at this year’s TIFF?

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(Images: Ryan Gosling, Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment; Bill Nighy, George Pimentel/WireImage; Toby Canham, Getty Images Entertainment)

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September 20, 2011 | 12:15 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Has Ryan Gosling officially overtaken George Clooney? (Also, Madonna vs. Bono)

Every time we mentioned George Clooney on this site during TIFF, our web traffic spiked. And every time we mentioned Ryan Gosling, same thing. Which led us to wonder, has the young Breaker High upstart finally caught up to the ageless perpetual bachelor in our readers’ hearts? We dove into our statistics to find out (don’t worry, there’s no tricky math ahead):

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September 20, 2011 | 12:00 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: How to be Don Draper (er, Jon Hamm)

Jon Hamm at the George Stroumboulopoulos Hazel Hotel Takevoer party (Image: JJ Thompson)

One of the many A-list celebrities to grace Toronto’s streets last week for TIFF 2011 was none other than Jon Hamm himself—or as he’s perhaps better known, Don Draper, the enigmatic ad executive he plays on the television show Mad Men. Hamm was a class act throughout TIFF: he took in Toronto sights, went to all the right parties and, of course, looked devastatingly handsome while doing it. Based on Hamm’s short but sweet stay in the Big Smoke, we’ve distilled four rules on how to be a gentlemen—Mad Men style—whilst in Toronto, after the jump.

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September 19, 2011 | 4:54 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Olivia Wilde, Rachel Weisz and Sarah Gadon are among TIFF’s best dressed

When the celebs got it right, they really got it right on the red carpet at TIFF 2011—although Olivia Wilde was spotted in a scarf and motorcycle jacket at Grey Goose Soho House, she showed up to the premiere of Butter in a beautiful Marchesa gown with great shoulders and a long flowing skirt (we worried it would be dirtied by the concrete). Jason Wu dressed Rachel Weisz and Sarah Gadon was dressed in Wu by the Bay for TIFF 2011—Weisz at The Deep Blue Sea premiere and dinner wearing a belted floral print dress, and Gadon going for broke with a long slit and small train. We think they all deserve top marks, but who made all of the right choices at this year’s TIFF?

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(Images: Olivia Wilde, Lia Grainger; Rachel Weisz, Alexandra Wyman; Sarah Gadon, Chris Drost)

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September 19, 2011 | 4:20 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: Emily Blunt, Juliette Lewis and Vanessa Paradis are among TIFF’s worst dressed

During TIFF, we’re lucky enough to see a lot of celebrities, and because it is a festival, they usually pull out all the stops. But sometimes there’s a noticeable lack of commitment to dressing to the nines, and sometimes we just don’t understand why celebrities choose to dress the way they do, like Emily Blunt who proved to us that even gorgeous women can’t pull off a wide-legged, sleeveless, could-be jumpsuit with bodice detailing at the Salmon Fishing in the Yemen premiere. We think Juliette Lewis decided to phone it for the premiere of Hick with ripped jeans, aviator sunglasses, a fedora and a cotton tee (and perhaps scarf), while the typically-stunning Vanessa Paradis looked like she may have slept in her velvet pants, bustier (complete with a peplum) and draped jacket at the premiere of her film Café de flore. Who do you think was worst dressed at TIFF 2011?

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(Images: Emily Blunt and Juliette Lewis, Lia Grainger; Vanessa Paradis, George Pimentel)

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September 19, 2011 | 4:10 pm

A TIFF closing party with Jeff Branson from Young and the Restless (we thought it was strange too)

Young and restless, just like us

On Saturday night, the Roosevelt Room and Young and the Restless heartthrob Jeff Branson hosted the TIFF closing party, A Hollywood Romance. We’re not quite sure why Branson was in town, since he’s not currently promoting any films, or what his relationship is to TIFF, but never one to pass up a party, we crowded into the Art Deco-themed night club with the usual Saturday night club kids and a few film-types who looked just as out of place as we did.

Perhaps there’s some truth to critics who believe that TIFF ends on Tuesday after many of the boldface names have headed back to their respective hideaways (or New York Fashion Week). After four hours of old-school remixes and house beats, we had yet to distinguish the Y&R star from the other party-goers packed in like sardines grinding to a remix of Adele’s “Someone Like You.” TIFF was officially over and it was time to catch up on some much-needed sleep. We crossed the velvet ropes and bid farewell to TIFF 2011, until next year.

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September 19, 2011 | 2:49 pm

TIFF 2011 Roundup: We present the yearbook for TIFF’s class of 2011

TIFF 2011 has been packed full of stars, red carpets, exclusive parties, and various quips and jokes, and to celebrate the many achievements of this year’s festival, we present to you a yearbook for the TIFF class of 2011: Keira Knightley, Ryan Gosling, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve McQueen, Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogen, Whit Stillman, Jennifer Garner and Johnny Rotten. Find out what they had to say, and who was “voted” most likely to be beautiful forever in our just-arrived-from-the-printer class album.

Click to read page one of the TIFF 2011 class yearbook »

(Images: Matt Carr/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images)

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