"Definitely not something to try at home": Orlando Bloom on physical transformation for his role in 'The Cut'
In the thriller, Bloom plays an ex-boxer who suffered a defeat that ended his career as a champion in the ring. Then, when he 'trains for redemption,' a synopsis teases, an 'obsession takes hold and reality unravels -- and he may be spiralling into something far more terrifying.'
Bloom was 'excited by the challenge' of transforming himself for the role, as per People.
'What I hadn't expected and was surprised by was the mental toll that this kind of intense discipline takes,' he said, adding, 'The paranoia and anxiety were very real and disturbing, caused by the lack of sleep -- turns out you can't sleep when you're hungry!'
Bloom said, 'Water restriction to get to my lowest weight for the final scenes led to obsessive thoughts of food, dreaming of what I could eat when finally off a diet of tuna and cucumber,' according to People.
He warns that the length to which he went for 'The Cut' is 'definitely not something to try at home.'
He said, 'I was supervised weekly and my blood work monitored by an expert nutritionist, Phillip Goglia, who helped me lose 30 pounds in approximately three months,' as per the outlet.
'Ultimately, this is a story about the struggles we all face and what it takes to battle our internal demons and find self-acceptance,' added Bloom.
The film, directed by Sean Ellis and written by Justin Bull, also stars Caitriona Balfe and John Turturro. It had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, reported People.
'The Cut' is in theatres on September 5. (ANI)
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
KOREN: TIFF's shameful erasure of the Israeli perspective
This is more than a snub to one filmmaker. It is a test of whether our cultural institutions have the courage to live up to their own values A sign is seen outside the TIFF Lightbox ahead of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 3, 2024 in Toronto. (Photo by Brian de) The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has long prided itself on being one of the world's premier cultural events — an institution that champions artistic integrity, fearless storytelling, and the exchange of ideas. This week, it abandoned all of that. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account TIFF quietly dropped The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue from its lineup. The documentary, by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, tells the harrowing true story of Noam Tibon, who drove from Tel Aviv to Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7 to rescue his son and two young granddaughters trapped in a safe room while Hamas terrorists rampaged through southern Israel — murdering, raping, and kidnapping civilians. These atrocities were proudly recorded by the terrorists themselves, often on GoPros, and broadcast for the world to see. The film is not propaganda. It is not even political. It is a deeply human story about courage, family, and survival in the face of unimaginable evil. By any honest standard, it belongs at TIFF. After public criticism, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey apologized and said he would explore ways to reinstate the film. That's welcome — but it only underscores how quickly the festival's first instinct was to sideline the Israeli perspective, and how reluctant it remains to defend that perspective on principle. The official reason for the removal? Copyright concerns. According to the festival, the filmmakers did not have permission to use some of the October 7 footage. In other words, TIFF is faulting them for not obtaining a release form from Hamas terrorists. This is not just absurd — it is shameful. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The decision is also a betrayal of TIFF's own stated mission: To 'enlighten, enrich understanding, and foster empathy.' How can you foster empathy while erasing an entire perspective from the public square? Let's be clear about what is happening. TIFF is not just avoiding controversy; it is preemptively silencing the Israeli narrative. The festival is operating on the same three principles adopted by Arab leaders at the Khartoum Conference of 1967: No peace, no recognition, no negotiations. The anti-Israel movement in the West has embraced these principles more rigidly than many Arab states themselves. And now, TIFF has chosen to comply — whether out of fear, convenience, or both. This is not an isolated act. Across North America and Europe, the Israeli perspective is being pushed out of cultural spaces. Plays cancelled. Exhibits pulled. Speakers shouted down. Filmmakers told to find another platform. The goal is not debate — it is erasure. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The irony is that Israel's enemies often claim they want dialogue, 'critical conversations,' and 'multiple narratives.' But in practice, their position is simple: The Israeli narrative has no right to exist. It must be excluded, shamed and buried. And the more violent and disruptive the threats, the faster institutions fold. TIFF's decision comes at a perilous time. Canada is moving toward recognizing a Palestinian state, even as Hamas openly calls on supporters to escalate violence worldwide. In recent months, Jewish Canadians have been assaulted in Victoria, Montreal, and Saint John. Synagogues, schools, and businesses have been vandalized. The message from extremists is unmistakable: There is no place for Jews — physically or narratively — in public life. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By caving to that pressure, TIFF has sent a chilling message to Toronto's Jewish community, which has played an integral role in the festival's history: Your stories are not safe here. This is more than a snub to one filmmaker. It is a test of whether our cultural institutions have the courage to live up to their own values. TIFF's choice makes the answer clear: When forced to choose between artistic integrity and political convenience, it will choose convenience every time. Read More There was a time when film festivals understood their role. They were guardians of expression, even when the stories they screened were uncomfortable or unpopular. They believed audiences were capable of engaging with difficult truths. They knew that empathy cannot be selective — that the whole point of art is to bridge human experience, not narrow it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By uninviting The Road Between Us, TIFF has failed that role. It has told the world that the Israeli perspective is too dangerous to be shown — not because it is false, but because it might make some people uncomfortable. That is not integrity. It is capitulation. And it will not end here. If the precedent stands, it will be easier to erase the next Israeli story, and the one after that, until an entire people's lived experience is absent from our cultural record. That is how erasure works — not with one grand act of censorship, but with a thousand small acts of cowardice. TIFF now has a second chance. It can follow through on the CEO's apology and reinstate the film, standing by the principle that art is for everyone — not just those with the loudest, angriest voices. To do otherwise is to abandon the very foundation of artistic freedom. There is still time for TIFF to prove it has the courage to live by its mission. But every day it delays, the damage grows — not just to its reputation, but to the cultural fabric of this city. Because if a film about a grandfather rescuing his family from terrorists can't be shown at a festival supposedly dedicated to truth and empathy, then TIFF is no longer a festival. It's a filter. And the stories it filters out are the ones we most need to see. — Daniel Koren is the Founder and Executive Director of Allied Voices for Israel Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls World Relationships
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
WARMINGTON: TIFF film censorship shows Toronto's antisemitism to the world
Get the latest from Joe Warmington straight to your inbox Cameron Bailey, Toronto International Film Festival CEO, attends the GREAT Tea At TIFF With BAFTA, BFI, BFC, Film4, BBC Film, INK & BGC Toronto at the Bisha Hotel & Residences on September 8, 2024 in Toronto. (Photo byfor BAFTA) There comes a point when Toronto is going to have to decide to not let Hamas run the city anymore. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Perhaps the absurd and insulting censorship of The Road Between Us at the Toronto International Film Festival making the front page of the New York Post and being mocked by other media and organizations around the world will finally be that time? 'Show no evil,' screamed the New York Post's headline of TIFFs decision to pull the Barry Avrich film that depicts a rescue of a Jewish family during the Oct. 7, 2023 slaughter by Hamas in Israel. The subhead read: 'Hamas didn't give permission.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas and its behind-the-scenes funding sources have been running things for too long in Toronto. They control the streets and do whatever they want, when they want. Jews in Toronto no longer feel safe in their own city as they endure constant harassment, see their schools shot up, synagogues and shops vandalized, and are even shunned by the mayor who didn't attend the one-year anniversary of the murderous pogrom that saw more than 1,200 Jews and internationals slaughtered and many more taken hostage. Some don't want that story told. But trying to suppress what Hamas and its antisemitic backers did doesn't change the dark reality. But TIFF, as of this filing, we're still digging in. 'Claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false,' says TIFF president Cameron Bailey. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While writing he wanted to 'express my sincere apologies for any pain this may have caused' the Jewish community, Bailey is still of the view they 'remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF's screening requirements' for it to be shown at next month's festival. In other words, they have final cut. Many see this as Hamas effectively having final say. Barry Avrich at the Canadian screen Awards held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on Sunday March 1, 2015. Dave Thomas/Toronto Sun The notion that there needs to be permission to use Hamas footage is nothing more than a smokescreen to try to find a way to shelve this important story showing the barbarism of that day. The rewriting of history has been ongoing. But as long as taxpayers are involved in funding this festival, the party should come to end immediately. The apology from Bailey for any pain this has caused is not an apology. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And the damage is done no matter what happens next. Not just to the festival but to the city. Unless there is a fast reversal and actual apology, private and taxpayer sponsorships will rightfully be at risk. And resignations and or firings should be next. 'This is a terrible situation that should never have happened,' said Paul Godfrey, former Metro Toronto chair and Postmedia founder. 'It has embarrassed Toronto.' Godfrey said the city and his 'close friend' Avrich deserve immediate apologies and the film should be aired as planned. 'It's a terrible slap in the face to Barry, who has brought fame and honour to the Toronto International Film Festival. This is not acceptable,' said Godfrey. 'It's an idiotic move. If this is not reversed, some of the board members should be ashamed of themselves and resign.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, has apologized--and that's because your voices are making a difference. Thousands of you emailed him directly, and he heard you. But an apology is not enough. We need the 'The Road Between Us' reinstated. The Festival's decision not only… — CIJA (@CIJAinfo) August 13, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Now more than ever the Jewish community needs its allies to stand up and voice their concern over the hate and division permeating in our society,' B'nai Brith said in a statement. 'TIFF's decision to rescind its invitation to screen The Road Between Us at its upcoming festival is not just an insult to the Jewish community, it is an affront to Canadian values. The silencing of Jewish voices and marginalization of our narratives jeopardizes the vitality of our entire society.' The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs added, 'We cannot let this stand, demand TIFF reverse this decision now.' Calling it 'shameful censorship,' Meir Weinstein of Israel Now said he expects hundreds to attend a protest outside the TIFF office at King and John Sts. Thursday night at 7. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is a runway scandal that has badly embarrassed Toronto. It calls for Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney to weigh in. While Bailey has asked for 'compassion' and 'sensitivity' and 'patience,' he really is in no position to be making any more decisions on this matter. He has messed it up beyond repair. With the cancellation of last year's 'Russians at War' film and now this, it's clear TIFF is not a place where free ideas are allowed to be expressed. The world sees the front-page coverage Bailey and TIFF can't control. The signal is clear to the Jewish community and to the world — that the history of Oct 7 can only make its way onto the prestigious film festival schedule as long as Hamas gives permission. Now is the time to show Hamas and to express to the world that the evil terrorists who perpetrated the black sabbath on Oct. 7 are not in charge here. Or are they? jwarmington@ Councillor Pasternak and I are strongly urging TIFF to reverse its rash decision to pull 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' from this year's festival lineup. This important film deserves to be screened as planned. Read our full joint statement here: — Brad Bradford✌️ (@BradMBradford) August 13, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto International Film Festival is now censoring a film about a man rescuing his own family from Hamas terrorists. The Toronto International Film Festival receives millions in funding from the federal government. Rescuing family members from terror is too… — Melissa Lantsman (@MelissaLantsman) August 13, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Please read my statement regarding the Toronto International Film Festival's decision to withdraw 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' from its 2025 schedule. — Stan Cho (@StanChoMPP) August 13, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists World Relationships
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Antony Starr pens farewell note for his 'Homelander' character as 'The Boys' final season wraps shooting
Washington, DC [US], August 14 (ANI): Actor Antony Starr penned an emotional goodbye to his 'The Boys' character Homelander on Wednesday as the Amazon series wrapped production on its fifth and final season. In his Instagram handle, Antony Starr penned a long, heartfelt caption and posted some behind-the-scenes photos from the superhero satire. The actor called his character 'Homelander' a true 'highlight' of his career. 'Difficult (for me) to put into words what an incredible ride this has been. How much life and growth has occurred. How amazing the team is. It's truly been the highlight of my career,' Starr wrote. 'When we began, I had no idea what was coming. This juggernaut left the station and never stopped. Except for that Covid moment. Oh and the strikes. That was a thing too. But apart from those two times, it never stopped, boldly making its mark on the television landscape. There's nothing else like it. It lives in its own lane,' added Antony Starr. With production on the final season having wrapped, Starr then handed out thank yous to 'the incredible Canadian crew. The amazing production team. The insanely talented cast. The people at Amazon and Sony that took a chance on this insane thing(and made the great choice in casting me)and all the other people that contributed in some way, big or small, to this beautiful, complex, warped, delicious show.' The actor then thanked showrunner Eric Kripke, whom he called his 'co-parent with his twisted gem of a character'. 'We created a monster, sir. And I will miss him, and you. Till we roll out the last season. When I'll see you. But this creative chapter is closed, and I'll miss it, brother,' added Starr. 'The Boys' first debuted in 2019 and has received both commercial and critical acclaim, landing eight Emmy nominations, including for outstanding drama series. Though the final season of 'The Boys' isn't expected to air until next year, spinoff series 'Gen V', which follows college-aged supes, is set to premiere its second season on September 17. (ANI)
