'Gerhard Richter Painting': An intimate portrait of an artist

Gerhard Richter Painting is an intimate portrait of an artist and his multilayered work. Director Corinna Belz manages to capture him artfully. Despite Gerhard Richter's reluctance and his telling her the camera watching him paint isn't going to work, Richter eventually forgets it. A brilliant documentary. Canadian director Atom Egoyan when asked what he thought of the film was overheard to say: "I loved it"

-- Debra Black

Emily Blunt's fishing success

Emily Blunt tells the post-screening crowd at Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Saturday night she tried fishing for the first time in Jackson Hole, Wyo. "I caught eight fish," she said to applause at the Princess of Wales premiere.

No line for 'Gerhard Richter Painting' but Atom Egoyan is there

Dinner with friends. Everyone talked movies they'd seen so far at TIFF. Got to Bell Lightbox phenomenally early. My friend Cathy told me over dinner that there was pedestrian gridlock on the sidewalk at Yonge St. in front of the Elgin and the Visa screening room. People waiting for stars obviously. As for me, no lineup for the international premier of this doc Gerhard Richter Painting. We have the best seats in the house and Atom Egoyan just walked in. Its unnerving however for my friend Cathy who said this: "I've never been first in line!"

-- Debra Black

 

Photos: The secret life of autograph junkies

Serious autograph hounds need to be quick, organized and above all, prepared for anything and anyone.

Wendy Gillis

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Jon Hamm has deja vu

Jon Hamm was in a reflective mood yesterday as we talked about Friends With Kids, the directing debut from his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt. They also co-star in the comedy which premiered Friday night. It screened again Saturday at the Isabel Bader Theatre, the same place where Kissing Jessica Stein starring Westfeldt premiered at TIFF 10 years ago to the day. "It was a real sense of deja vu," Hamm said. --Linda Barnard

'Contagion' hits Queen St. W.

A fake ambulance, paramedic and victim promote the movie.

Debra Black

 

Debra Black

Keira Knightley sports a ... Habs jersey?

Keira Knightley risked rankling a Toronto audience by striding into a film festival press conference with a Montreal Canadiens jersey slung across her shoulders.

The British movie star says she did so at the bidding of her Dangerous Method co-star Viggo Mortensen, who is a big Habs fan.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

 

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

 

Mortensen says he gave his co-star a "thorough coaching" on the politics of Canadian hockey before coming out. He proudly displayed a Habs jersey bearing the name Lafleur on the back, as well as a Scott Gomez sweater.

Knightley says they thought it would get the ire of their Toronto-bred director, David Cronenberg, and it did.

Cronenberg called the stunt "perverse" and expressed mock dismay that it didn't seem to bother Knightley.

Knightley says she actually has no idea who hockey hero Guy Lafleur is, but says she expects her career to take off in Montreal after the appearance.

"Actually, I have to admit I have no idea what the jersey is.... He told me it would wind David up so we decided it would be a good idea," Knightley said Saturday, gesturing to Mortensen who sat beside her.

"Something about a blond demon, I don't know what that means."

"I'm going to be huge in Montreal after this."

-Canadian Press

Viggo, Keira and Kirsten hit town

Viggo Mortensen poses with a really big bottle and Keira Knightley and Kirsten Dunst look moderately unhappy.

-Malene Arpe

Juliette Binoche doesn't do her own stunts

Juliette Binoche made her role in the film Elles, which opened at TIFF on Friday night, a family affair.  Her father played her screen dad in a scene where Binoche's character, Ann, visits him in hospital and massages his feet. "I was massaging my father's feet every day. I was going to the hospital every day ... He was in a very difficult state of time so we made it into art. He's very proud of it, as I am," she said in a post-film Q&A.

The movie, with Binoche as a journalist interviewing young women who turn tricks to finance their studies, required her to film a masturbation scene and she had a witty retort for a man who asked if she "did her own stunts." "You mean the masturbation? No, I was helped by Malgoska," she replied, referring to Polish director Malgoska Szumowska, as the Princess of Wales Theatre rang with laughter.

-Debra Yeo

'Omar Killed Me': Chilling and riveting

Omar Killed Me was a riveting movie that reveals some disturbing flaws in the French justice system and the racism that's endemic in society. Chilling. Next up: I plan to be at TIFF Bell Lightbox really early for my next screening for Gerhard Richter Painting. It's going to be a lovely night for a lineup.

Meanwhile, no star spottings on Queen West but a big sidewalk sale is on, complete with balloons, drumming and guys in Star Wars costumes. Just a regular Saturday in the neighbourhood.

-Debra Black