Quick, tell me what comes to mind when you think Alec Baldwin. An A list talent who has made a splash here and there for some less than savoury elements of his private life? The titan of a clan of thespian brothers? What about political sage? Baldwin has a keen interest in the political world. It is an affinity shared by many peers in his profession who, like politicians, rely on name recognition to keep them in the pubic imagination. The list of actor turned politicians is long, familiar ( Reagan, Schwarzenegger) and mostly unremarkable but for the latest buzz putting Matt Damon in a future bid for the White House.
Baldwin provides an alternative stance, that of the wishful liberal pundit, who opines in a recent column about a lost America.
There were 24 films on my agenda. I skipped out on two due to exhaustion and sold another to a friend. The result: 21 films seen in 9 days. 21 out of 289 feature films is a mere slip of an experience, you may think. But you would be wrong.
I won't bore you with the lesser efforts. What follows in no particular order are my superlatives.
There are all kinds of ways to experience TIFF. When I was a journalist, I spent the festival inside a hotel suite doing interviews or at a intimate press screening, away from the crowds, away from public reactions.
Without a press pass these days, I sit in line ups. If I am alone or holding seats for a willing accomplice, I usually do the time honoured thing. Turn to the person, in front or behind, and ask if they've seen anything good.
This demands a certain extroverted gene, I admit. But it hasn't failed me yet. Everyone wants to share. Read more »
I have been called a little crazy more than once. Packing 10 days of multiple screenings, sometimes 3 a day, is something I've had to explain to puzzled friends. Even more so as seeing films at TIFF involves a tacit agreement that you will have to endure a little pain with your pleasure. Read more »