A real RockNRolla

An added bonus to the RockNRolla interviews this morning: the addition of Toby Kebbell. He wasn’t on the list of interviewees, but he ended up accompanying Jeremey Piven and Chris Bridges.

As I mentioned earlier, Kebbell steals this film by being the most outlandish in a colorful cast. I’m sensing the studio knows this, and (wisely) made sure he was around to help promote.

This is a good film, and Kebbell’s the best part of it. You’ll hear more about him as we get closer to release date (Oct. 31 in the States, tomorrow in the UK). And now we have proof Ritchie likes him.

As it turns out, Kebbell’s character, a rock star junkie, wasn’t supposed to live long enough for a sequel. But after the film tested, people demanded to know what happened to this guy. And so Ritchie grabbed Kebbell months later and shot the ending you will see in October. It works. And if Ritchie can make The Real RockNRolla after he wraps Sherlock Holmes (which begins production next month), I’ll be first in line.

Toronto is a walking festival. Oh, you can pay for cabs and subways, but that adds up. Plus, the weather is gorgeous (28 degrees, which means “warm” in our beloved Fahrenheit) and the city is loaded with walkers, so you get in line and bustle along.

Appaloosa

My cell phone, on the other hand, does not want to roam. Currently I have three voice mail messages - even though my phone has yet to ring - and I can’t access my voice mail. Hope they aren’t too important. Keira, if it’s you, call my hotel!

I’ve wandered into two screenings so far: Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla and Ed Harris’ Appaloosa. I’m still mulling over the latter, which is so authentic it can’t possibly be populist. I think that’s why I prefer Ritchie’s flick right now (snap judgement, noted). Rock accepts its a Guy Ritchie film, but aspires to be more (and often succeeds). Harris’ film accepts its a traditional, throwback Western, and is content to stay in the confines of the genre. That makes it good, but a bit short of great.

4 p.m. - The Brothers Bloom, Rian Johnson. Brick made my Top 10 in 2006. Love the cast. Hopes are high.

I left Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla wanting to spend more time with unpredictable Toby Kebbell, a fantastic relative newcomer who plays a rock-star junkie with reckless abandon. Apparently Ritchie shares the sentiment, as the movie all but promises a sequel. Best news of this just-beginning festival.

Toronto

Alarm clock. Airport. Parking deck. Shuttle. Security. Currency exchange. Plane. Runway. Wait. Air. Land. Customs. Customs. More customs. Taxi. Hotel … TORONTO!

So, I’m here. Tonight? Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla. I pray this kinetic director reclaims his mojo. We shall see.

You can learn a lot by reading this article by L.A. Times blogger Patrick Goldstein.

• Warner’s President and COO Alan Horn can be brutally honest when he wants to be. On the release of Guy Ritchie’s latest, produced by Joel Silver:

Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we’ll honor, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to.

The filmmakers have every right to do what they think is best in support of their movies. But we have the right to do what’s best for Warner Bros.

• Even established filmmakers like Guy Ritchie and Danny Boyle can find their films all dressed up and nowhere to show.
• There’s such a thing as having too many movies on your slate.
• The big studio experiment with small indie arms may be coming to an end.

(That last point is really more my take on it, given how everything Horn is talking about here is predicated upon many of these wings, including two of his own, closing down.)

Apparently, Robert Downey Jr. has agreed to sign on as the famed detective Sherlock Holmes in the Guy Ritchie reimagining of the famed fictional character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Not to be confused with the proposed Judd Apatow guided comedy pairing Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell as the Master of Deduction and his medico sidekick respectively, this update starts filming in October. No word yet on who will be Tony Stark’s Watson. And here’s a bigger question - how will Ritchie’s self-referential style support such a well-known literary figure? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.