28th Toronto International Film Festival Coverage: Day Five

Halfway there! Another busy day with coverage of Neve Campbell, Naomi Watts, Val Kilmer, Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes and Robert Downey Jr. Check out the photos below.

Neve Campbell brought her dance film The Company to the Festival, returning her to the city that started her career. Neve studied at the National Ballet School and also appeared in the dance chorus of the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera (where she also met her first husband, a theatre bartender). Neve’s film, which she produced and co-wrote, was a labour of love for the former dancer. She wanted to make a film that focused on dance and dancers as opposed to using them merely as the background to another story.

The Singing Detective press conference featured co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Katie Holmes. The slightly erratic Downey Jr. had nothing but praise for his younger co-star. He thought she was great when he worked with her on Wonder Boys, but when he saw her work again on this film he was blown away and said that it reminded him that some people still have growth and work to hone their skills.

The great Cate Blanchett was in town to promote a couple of films, the biggest of which was the Jerry Bruckheimer production Veronica Guerin. Asked whether she was wary of playing a real-life character, Blanchett said that in this situation an actor needs to be willfully naive in order to play them. She also was very aware and respectful of the family’s grief about their loss. Cate said that, “I’m an actor not a mimic,” and portraying a person’s life is about capturing their spirit and mannerisms and not physically looking exactly like them.

TIFF Day Five Photo Galleries