Monday 12 September 2011

Time flies - TIFF 2007 and perhaps the biggest WDW adventure of them all - so far...

I don't think there's a film festival quite like it and I'm delighted to hear that Maggie Gyllenhaal will be back at the Toronto International Film Festival this Thursday to showcase her Victorian comedy Hysteria in the Roy Thomson Hall. Maggie and Jake have made regular appearances at TIFF over the years, together in 2002 (for Secretary and Moonlight Mile), and  then Jake was there again for Brokeback Mountain and Proof in 2005 and for Rendition in 2007.


Looking back now to 2007, four whole years ago, it makes me realise how fast everything was moving, how quickly we followed Jake from Brokeback in 2005 to Zodiac (Cannes) and Rendition in (Toronto, Rome) in 2007. I hope more than a lot that it won't be too long before we see Jake charm the media and fans alike at another big international festival. Preferably TIFF because you don't have to be press or in the industry to enjoy the excitement of walking around Yorkville, mingling with stars and fellow movie lovers. Some decent cocktails too...And you just never know who you'll see around the next corner.


Back in 2007, on 7 September to be precise, Rendition had its gala premiere in Toronto. It also marked one of the most fantastic and incredible weekends of my life - who'd have thought I would ever have visited Canada from England for just a weekend?! I certainly wouldn't have. I got more than I ever could have dreamed - several close sightings of Jake (and Peter Sarsgaard), a seat in the theatre, meeting with good friends, exploring a new, beautiful city (no-one told me it was that hot in Toronto), and bumping into filmstars and filmlovers. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Ben Affleck, to name just a few.


I realise that quite a few WDW readers may not have enjoyed it all the first time around and so I hope you won't mind if I link to a couple of posts from that weekend as I sink into Jake Nostalgia mode! Here's my report of the gala day itself, a summary with more pictures and a report on what TIFF was like the day after Jake left and it was incredible. But before all that there was biggest thrill of my first night in Toronto, fresh off the plane, when I wanted to walk off my jetlag and I came across the biggest possible proof that Jake was in the city with me. At the end of 2007, I summed it all up.


Afterwards, I learned that other friends were at the Rendition screening including a bunch who were able to get Jake to sign one of his shirts from Brokeback Mountain.I don't think any of us will ever forget.



Pictures from WDW and IHJ.

18 comments:

mermon said...

Hi Kate! :)Thank you very much for that post with so many links to old Rendition and TIFF2007 time. It took me a while to get through all of that. :)
I liked what you wrote about Jake's new way of acting in Rendition and I think you were right about that. He was like more grown up, like a mature man in that movie.
I also like that video with Jake signing a BBM shirt.
I may only imagine, how exciting you were there.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

I'm so, so glad you liked it, Mermon! I can't think of a better weekend in my life and so it means a lot to me! I'm so glad I was there. I always think of it at this time of year. That is a great video - a very special thing for my friends there.

I hope everyone in the UK has weathered the storm ok today :)

mermon said...

Yes, I heard about that storm heading through ocean to UK. You were lucky it was not so strong as in US.
A girl on IHJ mentioned new stuff, Jake is involved to. May be interesting.
Untitled Jamie Foxx Documentary

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Thanks for the link, Mermon. I'll check it out! Sounds intriguing, although (without knowing anything about it) one would have thought Jake's involvement with Jamie Foxx was in the past, but very interesting. Thanks!

Luckily we were ok in the south but it looks like Scotland and the NE and NW got it pretty bad. Hopefully all calm tomorrow.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

PS just checked the link and it shows the cast from the Blame It video that Jake, Ron Howard etc were involved in. So probably it's a behind the scenes documentary for that. Be interesting to see.

mermon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mermon said...

Oh, yes, so it explains that strange cast. Thank you for solving the mystery, Kate.
I just hope it will be more Jake in that film, than in the "Blame it" video. :)

All those pictures of Jake from 2007 TIFF are so pleasant, he looks nice, probably was in love at that time.
I wonder about his striptease from the suit to the T-shirt. Did anyone took a picture of that clothes changing ? :)

paulh said...

I thought that "Rendition" was a very fine film. It has been seen a lot on DVD in libraries, from what I've been able to gather.

The story of the young couple is absolutely heartbreaking. Very much a modern Romeo and Juliet story. You don't realize what finally happened to them until the end of the movie, and then you have to see the movie again because it casts everything in a new light.

I just got back from my sister's cottage in New Hampshire. Remember Hurricane Irene? It caused a lot of flood damage in Vermont, but what many don't appreciate is that it was also devastating in new Hampshire. My sister's cottage suffered about $20,000 worth of damage. The Saco River overflowed its banks, filling the basement and leaving six inches of water on the main floor. The place needed a new water heater, phone line, furnace, etc. The doors don't fit i8n the doorways any more. My sister and her husband spent at least a week cleaning up. They went over the floor many times. Pockets of water in the sofa were still turning up. What a mess!

Monica said...

It was a fun time.
And in 2007 I found this blog, but I began to post frequently in 2008.
I remember the anxiety that we all had with the debut of Rendition. The premiere in Toronto, Rome, the film will go to the Oscars? Esquire Mag put Jake's performance in the film as one of the best of that year. It was great!

Unknown said...

Thanks you so much for the retrospective, Kate. I cannot even beginn to imagine what it must have been like. I'm still head over heels for our Berlin experience, but that was nothing compared to TIFF.

Someone, I think Uli, commented in one of the links that while she wants Jake to be succesfull and recognized by everyone, she's glad there is no such frenzy about him than with Brad or Angelina. I couldn't agree more.
And I think Jake does too.

I truly hope we'll get to have this kind of experience again with EOW.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Morning everyone!

I hope so too, Mermon, but I'm not expecting very much.

I really must see it again, Paul, it's been far too long - I find all the elements of it involving and really quite moving. I think Jake's performance in it is wonderful - not showing much but carrying the weight of the world on him.

I'm really sorry to hear about your sister's house.

Morning Monica! I am so pleased that you've stuck with me from the beginning! Wonderful the friends I've made along the way :)

Hi there Mrs JG! I think the reason why TIFF is so special, as opposed to any other film festival I've been too, is that it takes place in a small area and it takes over every inch of it. Crowds everywhere, in bars and cafes, late at night, the big black cars ferrying stars around, stars in the street, crowds outside the hotels... and it's such a beautiful part of Toronto too. Peter Sarsgaard walked right past me in the street, as did Ben Affleck and his brother. Round the corner, I saw Matt Damon arriving for a party and further along Brad Pitt was holding a big event. And the stars move between them. So exciting!

The Brad and Angelina premiere I saw there was insane. I've never seen anything like it. I'm glad we don't have to experience that to see Jake at an event! I really hope we do too :)

Have a lovely day - the skies are quiet here again today :)

Anonymous said...

TIFF '07!

I agree with everything you've said. Great post!

Anonymous said...

Note that Quincy Jones is part of the cast with the untitled Jamie Foxx documentary - one could reason Jake's lunch date with his daughter.

Unknown said...

I hope that I will have a chance to experience it one day too (TIFF I mean) - preferable with Jake there too!

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Thanks so much, 12:16!

Hi 16:22 - Quincy Jones was in the Blame It video so I wouldn't be surprised if this documentary dates from when they shot it last year.

I hope so too, Mrs JG! It would be so much fun! It would be good to know what's next, what we might see that could pop up in the festivals next Autumn :)

I hope you're all having a good day!

tpe said...

Hello WDW. I look back at the Rendition Premiere at the TIFF with great fondness. But we always look forward the many wonderful things that still lie ahead of us as far as Jake is concerned! :-)

Jake sighting said...

For those of you in Toronto, Jake has been spotted there perhaps there to support Maggie.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Morning everyone!

So good to see you, Tpe! Indeed, there are lots of wonderful moments ahead, I'm sure, and I can't wait for them. There are a few days of the year when I do get nostalgic, mainly because they were such fantastic days in my life :) Can't wait for more of 'em!

Ooh thanks, 1:47! Good news! Fingers crossed for pics...

Have a good day everyone!