Business as usual

I'd like to be sampling Toronto's cuisine more than I've had time for.  Basically it's been a donut and one meal, but I was able to sit and enjoy my lunch today at the O&B Canteen, which is next to the festival's hub, the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

There's really no reason for posting another view of my lunch other than to give you a little bit better sense of the surroundings.

And then I saw the new film starring Val Kilmer and directed by that guy who made The Godfather.

If this all seems frivolous on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, well, that's how I spent the day.  I'll admit that it was kind of a relief not to be around what I imagine was inescapable reflecting on the tragedy.  The festival acknowledged it with a well-intended but ultimately misguided short that preceded each film.  September 11 falls during the festival every year and affected the tenor of it in 2001, not that I was at it then.  So bringing it up made sense, even if the piece about it was, umm, awkward.

Off the red carpet

The film festival up here has its share of glitz and glamour.  I've seen a few filmmakers on the streets but haven't walked by any stars in the normal course of attending films.  I happened to be near the Moneyball red carpet on Friday and tried to peek through the throng to see if I could see anyone I may have caught a glimpse of Brad Pitt, but I couldn't tell you for sure if it was him.  That was kind of a crazy scene.

I am getting to see directors, actors, and actresses on a pretty regular basis when they introduce films and talk about them after they've played.  Up above you see the director and star of Trishna.  I don't expect you to know who Michael Winterbottom is, but you may recognize Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, or L'Oreal ads.

The screening for Melancholia had a red carpet, although for those of us lined up to get inside, there wasn't much gawking we could do as we were ushered inside.  For us the star power was reserved for the stage.  Showing up for the premiere were Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgård, Kiefer Sutherland, and Udo Kier.

I'm not up here for the celebrity spotting, but it is kind of exciting to see these folks.  Coming out of Melancholia I was about ten feet from the red carpet for the next film and caught good looks of Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks.  Yep, I guess I'm at a big, international event.

Celebrity connection

When I mentioned that I was going to be at a film festival, it was not out of the ordinary to be asked if I would be meeting any celebrities. The event that I attended does make it easier to bump into them, but it's not like I go out of my way to make such encounters happen. Plus, while these may be recognizable folks, they aren't always people whose names people know. I've met Robert Forster at it, for instance, and a couple directors. I've stood in line next to Michelle Monaghan for concessions and John Malkovich for coffee.

One of the filmmaker guests at this year's event was an actress with whom I share an alma mater. I'll wager you may not know her name, but you probably recognize her from one of her roles in films, episodic TV, or your pick of I Love the (name your decade) VH1 programs.

I happened to be wearing a polo shirt with the school's name on it one of the days. After the last film of that day I came around the lobby's corner to meet up with some fellow critics for a night on the town. It turns out that one of them was going to introduce me to her, but it wasn't necessary as she and her director noticed what my shirt said and asked if I went there. Thus I ended up entering into a brief conversation with her.

The weird thing was that by this point we'd shifted outside the theater's front doors and were talking while a photographer was standing several steps away trying to get pictures. I imagine it was for the local newspaper, or maybe it was for the festival. Anyway, it was slightly strange to be speaking to her while that was going on. We'd also be interrupted periodically by those who wanted to get their picture taken with her.

It was a nice chat, even if I came clean to say that I wasn't crazy about the film she was in that played at the festival. (She asked and didn't seem put off by my trying to be tactful answer.) She graduated two springs before I started attending the school in the fall, so we were never there at the same time. (I initially guessed our years there might have briefly overlapped.)

From there it was time for the group to make its way to a nearby bar for karaoke. This actress and a couple of the other filmmakers tagged along. This festival in particular builds a sense of community that I doubt you get at much larger events, so the social intermingling of press, filmmakers, and whoever else is in the know isn't out of the ordinary.

Our group pretty much took over the bar, although there were some locals around when we happened to descend on this place. I had no intention of singing anything and stuck to it, and anyway, I might have been gone by the time my selection would have reached. (I stayed until nearly 2 a.m., and some people had yet to have their names called.) The actress in question did take her turn on the mic, as did the other filmmakers in attendance. I wouldn't be surprised if it's on YouTube, but I haven't found it.

So, there you have it, a little bit of my Hollywood hobnobbing in central Illinois.

In knitting news

While in line at the grocery store I noticed a magazine with a cover announcing that Sandra Bullock was "stabbed in the heart". Since I've heard nothing about her being physically attacked, I assume this is in reference to the end of her marriage about a year ago. A year ago! Even if this stuff interests you, is there really anything new here?

Of course, there seems to be no celebrity gossip too small or over-reported to make the rounds. Since I'm grasping at straws for something today, I lower myself to the same level: Jennifer Aniston is a knitter.

Where there's a will

It's amazing what one can find when pressed into daily blogging duty and not having anything of your own worth writing about. For instance, there's another celebrity to add to the list of knitters: Will Forte.

That interview is a few years old, but it would seem that he's stuck with it, at least a little. Who knew?

Does Russell Crowe knit?

An article about knitting's origins and its celebrity-credited resurgence ticks off plenty of familiar names from stage and screen who've expressed fondness for the needlecraft.

Once again I see the same picture and claim that "even" Russell Crowe knits. Honestly, I've always been pretty skeptical of this information. The repetition of it--based on a photo shoot picture? a single internet story? wishful thinking?--hasn't inspired any more confidence in its veracity.

As an image--the temperamental tough guy indulging a fondness for a hobby associated with old ladies--it holds a lot of affirming power for men and women who knit. If Crowe is a knitter, then how knitting must be masculine and worthy of one's time, right? (Yes, I realize this opens up an entire can of worms about gender and the marginalization of female domains, but in this case I use "worthy of one's time" because clearly the suggestion of Crowe being a knitter means something to some women.)

But is it true? There's an anonymous source who claims Crowe knits, although the 2004 item reads more like gossip column fodder. (The publication doesn't inspire tons of confidence either.) This 2001 article might be the genesis of all the other mentions of Crowe as a knitter. At first I thought it might provide a definitive answer to the mystery, but notice that there isn't even an unnamed source.

A commenter to a 2007 story tries to shoot down the knitting Crowe rumor. While there's no reason to put any stock in what this person says, I'm more inclined to believe her than pieces that seem to have passed along this as fact like in a game of telephone. Why, here's a June 12, 2009 story that makes the same flimsy statement that Crowe is a knitter.

Best as I can tell this rumor has been going around for eight years, but of the articles I've pulled up, none come straight from the horse's mouth...or even anyone with a name. Of course, short of the unlikely prospect of interviewing him myself, I'll not come upon a definitive answer. Perhaps one of my readers or her husband might straighten this all out if the opportunity arises.

Snow and celebrities

The day began with light snow and slush--nowhere near as much as forecasters ominously predicted, by the way--but it was like Hollywood in these here parts.

Ed Begley Jr. was on campus as part of a lecture series, and I accompanied the students who had the opportunity to interview him. My impression: tall but not as tall as I expected.

This evening I went to Ohio State to see author James McBride interview Spike Lee, the recipient of this year's Wexner Prize. Since the weather promised awful rush hour traffic, I slipped down to the university area early, got something to eat, and found a quiet spot to knit in public. Since I haven't had much time to knit lately, it was wonderful to have a half hour that I could devote to working on a blanket.

I liked it so much that I decided to continue knitting when I got to my seat in the auditorium. A middle-aged couple sat down behind me. I could tell that they were talking about what I was doing. I struck up a conversation with the woman, who is also a knitter. She is currently working on a sweater for her son. Another woman a couple rows down also expressed a wish that she had thought to bring a sock to knit while waiting for the program to begin. Around this time I stopped knitting because I encountered a bad spot in the yarn, but I did get to kill the time chatting about knitting with these strangers.

I had high hopes for the interview with Spike Lee. I went to a similar event in 1997 when Roger Ebert conducted a fascinating talk with Martin Scorsese. The two discussions could not have been more different. Tonight's program was, in a word, underwhelming. Some other adjectives: unfocused, rambling, and, in a word I don't associate with the provocative director, boring.

Perhaps my expectations were incorrect. I thought I would get Lee talking about his body of work. After all, that's why he was awarded the prize. Instead I witnessed a scattershot chat about Lee and, more specifically, the film he has coming out later this year. (McBride wrote the source book and screenplay, which explained his presence.) We got to see a teaser montage cut to opera (?). The discussion was over in what I'd estimate was a little less than an hour, which was just as well if it was going to continue in the same vein. Definitely disappointing.