USA TODAY International Edition
Blue- chip releases and flashy would- be blockbusters hit the court of public opinion.
The kidnapping thriller Prisoners, the cosmic nail- biter Gravity, the carracing saga Rush, The Fifth Estate’s no- holds- barred dissection of Julian Assange. Every festival, no matter how pedigreed, showcases big stunners hoping to wow audiences.
This year, one of the most- talkedabout is Gravity, with Sandra Bullock and Clooney as scientists lost in space. “The narrative was stripped into a very visceral journey with only two characters in a very hostile environment without ever stopping the action or the suspense,” says writer/ director Alfonso Cuaron. “The main theme of the film is the possibility of rebirth out of adversity.”
And speaking of strength, he’s in awe of Bullock. “She’s so meticulous about every single detail. She has amazing discipline,” he says. “She started working out like crazy three months before shooting. She started rehearsing with the stunts and puppeteers because she was assisted by puppeteers. She’s tireless.”
Audiences will also keep an eye on Rush, Ron Howard’s new take on the legendary 1970s rivalry between wild- card, sex- addicted driver James Hunt ( Chris Hemsworth) and the disciplined, calculating Niki Lauda ( Daniel Bruhl). Hemsworth shed 30 pounds to squeeze his muscled frame into Hunt’s bottle- size car — and amped up the charm.
“Back then, anything went, and they really did the rock- star lifestyle, thanks to a looming threat of death,” says Hemsworth, who laughs at the idea of arriving in Toronto in ripped jeans and bare feet, a stunt favored by the tradition- eschewing Hunt. “I tend to have a slightly different approach to how he did things.”
How did he learn to drive the lightweight race cars? “‘ Drive it like you stole it’ was the advice I got from one of the mechanics,” he says.
Then there’s the buzzy The Fifth Estate, which opens the festival with a gala screening Thursday. Its portrayal of WikiLeaks founder Assange ( Benedict Cumberbatch) is sure to be divisive; Assange himself refused to consult on or condone the film.
“I’ve been wanting to make a political film for a long time,” says director Bill Condon, who examines Assange’s ambitions. “I’ve heard people say when they watched it, they changed their mind about him every 10 minutes” — and that’s the point.
As for making a movie about hackers? “There was never a script that was on a computer that was online.”