Presidential dramas both lived and Felt
In a hotel which, until a few weeks ago, carried the name of the 45th president of the United States, I went to a party for a flick about the most famous whistleblower to ever take down a prez.
Of all the many halls-of-mirrors that the film fest in Toronto can present, it was probably right up there.
And not just that, but at this tiny do for Mark Felt — a biopic about “Deep Throat” during the Watergate Scandal — the first person I ran smack into was Tony Goldwyn, who, until recently, was a telecommander-in-chief on TV’s operatic Scandal. Turns out he’s in Mark Felt, too — playing the co-director of the FBI. It’s true: the guy just can’t get enough of D.C.!
Catching up with him on the 31st floor of the tower on Adelaide St. that took down the letters T-R-UM-P in dramatic fashion this past summer (while it waits to be turned into a St. Regis), Goldwyn told me how both of his projects were summarily affected by the election of The Donald last November. With Scandal, the writers needed to rewrite a whole arc about “the Russians” — for fear of it being too close to reality. And then there’s this movie, at TIFF, with its obvious echoes of a president facing a special prosecutor, and the whole ongoing drama with James Comey.
“Bob Woodward is in this movie,” Goldwyn told me, filling me in on the key characters of Watergate. “Carl Bernstein is not.”
Bonding further over our political junkie-ism, the dashing actor — who’s an actual heir of Sam Goldwyn, one of the founders of Hollywood, and may be best known to some audiences for his turn in the ’80s classic, Ghost — talked to me about an article in New York magazine by on-it columnist Frank Rich, in which Rich methodically rewound back to those days of Watergate. “It took two years,” Goldwyn reminded of that earlier White House tempest — nearly two years from the first article written about the alleged Watergate incident to president Richard Nixon’s eventual resignation. We let that hang.
Soon enough, the party, hosted by KPMG, was filling up with other cast from Mark Felt — The Man Who Brought Down the White House, Josh Lucas and the beautiful Diane Lane among them. And, of course, the extra-tall, extra-Irish Liam Neeson. Having announced in T.O. that he’s probably done with actionhero parts and is ready to rededicate himself to dramatic roles — ‘Guys, I’m sixty-f---ing-five!” he said — he stars as the eponymous whistle- blower in this latest TIFF offering.
Party watch
Diane Kruger — looking hubbahubba in a silver Prabal Gurung gown — stopped by Luckee, on Wellington St., before darting to her TIFF entry, In the Fade.
Angelina Jolie greeting wellwishers at the Chase restaurant at a Netflix-hosted reception for her directorial effort, First They Killed My Father.
Drake at Sotto Sotto with actress Bria Vinaite — the Lithuanian-born sexpot starring in one of TIFF’s best surprises, The Florida Project.
Shopping in his closet: here for his screwy new one, Downsizing, which he celebrated at Soho House, Alexander Payne let it be known that he was wearing the very same suit he’d donned to the TIFF premiere of his classic Sideways — 13 whole years ago. “I had to let the pants out a little,” admitted the director.
Javier Bardem joining the parade (and parade) of stars who’ve partied at RBC House this week, on Duncan St. — following his premiere of Loving Pablo.
In Toronto, Kate Winslet went on CTV’s etalk about how much she loves Canada — and our PM in particular: “I am obsessed with Justin Trudeau . . . and his mother (Margaret), who I’ve now met.”
“What is The Rock?”: Judi Dench to a reporter at USA Today, when the subject of a certain massive action hero came up in convo this week. (God bless Judi Dench.)
Mary J. Blige, and the rest of the Mudbound cast, carrying on their TIFF-lebration at Weslodge, on King St. West.
Warren Beatty accompanying his lady, Annette Bening, to the premiere of her new latest, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool — where he even got his own standing ovation at Roy Thomson Hall.