9-11-2004 (Part 2)
Anyhoo... once the film was over, MC and Assayas (who, I didn't realize,
is her ex-husband!) returned to the stage to field questions from the
audience. I'm not entirely sure what was asked because I wasn't paying
as close attention as I should have. I was a woman on a mission. A
mission to get closer to the stage. Here, then, is my (very poorly
lit!) photographic odyssey:
Photo #1 was taken from my original seat in the rear of the venue. As
you can see, both Maggie and Olivier are teeny. I swear, though, that
that's them—Maggie's the one on the right. ;-) The theater was also
quite dimly lit, and my little camera flash certainly wasn't going to
make it all the way to the stage. So, I thought, I *must* move closer!
[LINDA: Move closer! CLOSER!!!]
Which brings us to Photo #2, taken about a dozen rows further up that
#1. Not bad, but still very dark and kind of blurry. You can sort of
see who's who, but I still wasn't satisfied. I spotted a vacant seat
even closer, so I sprung into action.
[LINDA: For the love of all that's holy, Vickie! Get CLOSER!!!]
Unfortunately, Photo #3 is as good as it was going to get. (Sad, I
know.) Yes, I could have moved even closer, but by now people were
looking at me like I was some kind of crazy guerilla stalker, working
my way up closer and closer like a crazy woman. However, this photo
speaks volumes. Why? Because even though most people will dismiss the
glowing white orb to Maggie's left (our right) as some kind of
flash-induced spot, I know what it really is. That little orb is
all of Linda's love and admiration of Maggie manifested in light. Yep,
that's what it is! It somehow hitched a ride on my karma and popped
onstage. So there you go, Linda! There's a picture of Maggie and (sort
of) you!
[LINDA: I must interrupt at this point. During this whole event, I was at home, on the other side of the continent, in full lotus position... Yes, concentrating all of my out-of-body, flying-across-North-America spirit-transportation powers that I was honing just for this singular purpose. I was pleased that I did, in fact make it to the screening in spirit, as Vickie said. But I must admit, I was a little disappointed in the photo of myself with Maggie. In fact, if Vickie (or Maggie, for that matter), had just opened her mind and squinted a little harder, she actually would have seen this...]
[LINDA: There! I feel a lot better now that I've shared. Now, back to Vickie's report!]
I waited outside the theater afterwards to see if I could snap a pic of
MC in the light of day (and much more close up), but no one emerged and
I left after 15 minutes. I think they all snuck out a back exit.
[LINDA: ... With me flying behind them like Glenda, Good Witch of The West in her magic soap bubble!]
I sprinted home for the world's fastest shower, changed clothes, raced
to McDonald's for a grease-laden lunch/dinner and then went to see
Crash. Remember Crash? The movie I was so excited to see
because maybe, just maybe, Sandra Bullock would magically appear at the
screening? Yeah, well, she didn't show. And neither did most of the
cast—which includes Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Esposito and
Brendan Fraser, all of whom are here in town... WITH SANDRA BULLOCK. They
were ALL at the screening last night, but none showed today. Weird
thing, though: Sandra was at last night's premiere, but she was only
shown for a split-second on the news, literally sprinting into the
screening and avoiding the press. And she was the only cast member who
wasn't at the press conference for the film. That's odd.
Where's Sandy?
[LINDA: Who cares?]
[I was suddenly having a Casa de los Babys flashback from last
year and my Maggie-free festival. *sob* (Sure, Linda's Maggie
shows up in Toronto, but mine? Nooooooo.)]
[LINDA: Damn straight! :) ]
The movie, which follows several characters dealing with race relations
in Los Angeles, was excellent, though. I have never had so many
genuinely tense, anxious moments while watching a film—there were a
number of scenes that literally had me on the edge of my seat, fearful
of what would transpire next. All the characters were compelling and
Bullock, though absent from the festivities and only actually in the
movie for maybe ten minutes, was terrific (and I'm not just saying
that!). She has a kick-ass scene where she screams at her husband
(Fraser) that had many an audience member in stunned silence.
And speaking of stunned silence, that's kind of how I reacted to my
final film of the day, a Canadian documentary called A Whale of a
Tale. Now, if you LOOOOOVE whales or are fascinated by archeology,
then by golly this is the movie for you! But I'm not so much interested
in either subject, and I was (I'm embarrassed to say) totally bored. So
bored, in fact, that I left after 45 minutes. I mean, it's a great
documentary (from what I saw), but it really wasn't for me.
So I went home and prepared the Homage to Maggie Cheung.
Hope you liked it.
[LINDA: I LOVED IT!!! Thanks for your extra Maggie-diligence on my behalf, Vickie! I'm glad to see that your eyes have been opened to The Glory that is Maggie Cheung. And I didn't mean to dis your Maggie Gyllenhaal, or Sandy Bullock for that matter. They are both fabulous gals as well. Cheers!]
Roger Ebert Sightings: No. He is here, right???
Celebrity Sightings: Besides Maggie Cheung, there was David Gordon
Green and two of the lesser-known cast members from Crash,
Michael Peña and... and... drat, I can't remember her name and it's not in
the program book. Poop. Oh, and my sister and her friend Liz saw
Jennifer Esposito, who was apparently waering FAR too much make-up (but
obviously not for an appearance at the screening!) on Bloor St.
Line Buzz: The word on I ♥ Huckabees is decidedly... uncertain. A
whole bunch of people saw it this morning, and almost all of them (of
the half-dozen I talked to, I mean) had the same, so-so reaction.
People didn't love it, but they didn't hate it. And some good buzz for
Les Choiristes, which I'm seeing tomorrow. Yay!
