For the second year, I attended a screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Last year's TIFF screening of The Good, The Bad, and The Weird became the best theatrical experience. I cannot imagine any screening coming close in topping last year. Last night's screening -- of Hirokazu Kore-eda's lastest, Air Doll, at the Scotia Bank Theatre -- may not have matched the same level TGTBATW generated. But the quality of Air Doll and the presence of Kore-eda -- amongst a few notable surprise guests (will mention later) on stage and in the audience -- made this screening almost as good.
-- Ticket for Air Doll --
We squeezed through and cued into the opening of the Air Doll line (around 7:30pm), amid a relatively small group of film goers for the screening. The time leading to 9pm produced a rush of film-goers sprinting and weaving through large crowds cued for various screenings.
We finally walked inside theatre 2, and side-stepped through a row with reserved signs plastered on the back seating of the first six cushioned seats. We grabbed a couple of seats seated beside the "reserved" seating. A few seats near the front had the same reserved signs stuck on them.
As the theatre lights dimmed, while gazing at the bottom stairwell, a familiar face in Japanese cinema appeared. The sad thing...... we couldn't remember his name. But his slightly frizzled and slightly unkempt hair -- his distinctive trademark, it seems -- made him recognizeable under the dimmed lighting.
There was a reason we chose these seats. These seats beside the reserved seating. Kôji Yakusho (Tokyo Sonata, Kairo, and a few other films I realized I've seen him in), the Japanese born actor -- a regular in most Kiyoshi Kurosawa pictures -- climbed eight stairs, strayed left into our row, and quietly picked a reserved seat beside ours. Beside Mr. Yakusho, sat another familiar face, a face we still can't place a name to and what films he appeared in. Mr. Yakusho was in Toronto to promote his directorial debut, Toad's Oil. The film also screens at TIFF.
-- Jô Odagiri and Hirokazu Kore-eda speaking to the audience (shitty pic I took and the only 'good' one T_T) --
On stage, on a black platform, stood a fairly short Kore-eda. A microphone in his hand, and a translator on his right, he addressed the audience in Japanese. Moments after, Kore-eda made a surprise introduction to one of the most successful and talented actors working in Japan today...... Jô Odagiri. Dressed in all black, with a black top hat, and what seemed like black knee-high boots.
A question and answer period commenced after the film's end. Before that, during the rolling credits, we walked down to the stairwell for the exit. Yakusho made a quick exit before we stood from our seats. We strolled pass Kore-eda lined against the wall, waiting for his second appearance (as he mentioned before the film started "I will be back"). We paused halfway towards the exit, contemplating on shaking his hand. No pictures or autographs. A thank you and a handshake would be fine.
Kore-eda approached the stage once the rolling credits rolled. We inched forward and lined ourselves against the wall. The theatre doors swung open, and Kôji Yakusho and his still unnamed friend took to a wall right beside us again. We listened intently to Kore-eda's answers to audience questions on isolation (the film's central theme), role of women in Japanese society, the film's score, and others.
With the last question answered, the space around us crowded with film-goers and fans surrounding Yakusho. While in front, Kore-eda too was surrounded by photographers and audience members. A few autographs scribbled on ticket stubs, a couple pictures taken, and Yakusho calmly strolled for the exit. We exited theatre 2 thereafter, down the escalator, and outside through a small crowd of screaming Japanese girls wanting an autograph, a picture, and a glance at their own celebrity...... Kôji Yakusho.
*A review of Air Doll will be posted soon.
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