Category Archives: film

TIFF in the park brings classic screwball comedies to toronto all summer long

02 Thursday Aug 2012

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TIFF in the Park gets bigger and bigger every summer, yet it still feels cosy, surrounded by glowing towers, trees and the night sky.  

OK, so summer’s half over and I’m only posting about this year’s TIFF in the Park screwball comedy-themed lineup now. But I’ve missed all the July classics thanks to my lovely camping adventures in northern Ontario (hello, Algonquin Park!), so I only got my first taste of this summer’s superpopular lineup last night.

And was I ever surprised to discover David Pecaut Square – the go-to green space for free outdoor entertainment, including my famous IDD flashmob – totally packed with movie lovers and freebie fanatics alike.

Sure, last year’s crowds were big, too, but the free outdoor film series presented by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Entertainment District BIA seems bigger than ever. It’s now in its third year, and I remember being one of a handful sitting on the grass three summers ago, watching Casablanca (see photo below), Cairo Time, Dragon Hunters and more. (Of course, I jest. There were more than a handful of us that first summer, but certainly the few of us there were generously spread out, with lots of green space in between.)

“Is that cannon fire or is that my heart pounding?” Casablanca. From TIFF in the Park’s first summer screenings, in 2010. 

Since TIFF started curating its outdoor summer selection last year (I still can’t figure out what the first year’s theme was), TIFF in the Park has been attracting more and more attendees. Last summer, with wonderful, colourful classic movie musicals, like Umbrellas of Cherbourg (see photo below), Mary Poppins, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl and The Sound of Music (my ultimate Christmas movie fave), it became increasingly difficult to find a prime spot – middle centre – if you didn’t get there by 8 p.m.! Apparently, Toronto, movie musicals aren’t just for geeks like me!

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, 1964), a candy-colour French opera with the lovely Catherine Deneuve, kicked off last summer’s series of classic movie musicals at TIFF in the Park.

And as I witnessed last night, Torontonians love their black-and-white screwball comedies as much as they relish their classic movie musicals! Who knew? Like last year, if you don’t get there well in advance of the start time (generally it’s 9 p.m., but by mid-August, it’s 8:30 p.m.), you’ll have to squeeze into the sidelines, with nary a green patch free. Be warned: Film fans start staking out their spot a good hour before the screening, spreading out blankets, freeing themselves of sandals and gathering with friends for a pre-film picnic. Some even bring their dogs!

If you don’t stake out the right spot, you could end up watching TIFF’s classic screwball comedies in the sidelines, with the backs of heads and an anchor line blocking your view. 

As if to acknowledge just how popular TIFF in the Park has become, this year TIFF even has concession stand volunteers walking around the park! There’s one in the photo below, offering popcorn for sale as last night’s film, Hitchcock’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, begins – for those last-minute munchies, natch. You can also visit the concession stand at the far end of the park till about 30 minutes into the film, or you can dash over to any number of nearby restos, cafes, or the always-a-long-lineup Tim Hortons at the corner of John and King.

A popcorn volunteer (far left) walks around offering his wares just as the original Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Hitchcock’s 1941 classic comedy) starts, at last night’s TIFF in the Park. 

I’ve raved about Toronto’s boom of outdoor cinemas before, from the Toronto Port Authority’s Sail-In Cinema (here and here) and the Open Roof Festival to Harbourfront Free Flicks and TIFF in the Park, among others, and Fresh Air Cinema has been part of many of those screenings. The company’s inflatable screens – a double-sided one is used for the Sail-In Cinema! – are quick to set up and quick to tear down. As soon as the film ended last night, the screen deflated in seconds and the magic of TIFF in the Park seemingly went with it.

BEFORE: Crowds are sprawled across David Pecaut Square, watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, enthralled by the magic of TIFF in the Park. 

AFTER: As soon as the film ends, the TIFF in the Park crowd scatters and the outdoor screen, supplied by Fresh Air Cinema, deflates in seconds. 

So, cinephiles, you still have four more weeks of free films to watch at my favourite outdoor cinema! I’m sure the finalé, Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934), with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, will draw the largest crowd of the summer. Be sure to get there early!

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What: TIFF in the Park, the FREE outdoor summer film series presented by TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) and the Entertainment District BIA. This summer’s theme is classic screwball comedies.
Where: TIFF in the Park takes place in David Pecaut Square, the lovely parkette nestled between Roy Thomson Hall and Metro Hall, near King and John.
When: Every Wednesday night all summer long. Start times vary (see below).
Schedule: There are still four more films screening this summer!
Aug. 8 at 9 p.m.: The Philadelphia Story (1940), Katharine Hepburn,
Cary Grant, James Stewart
Aug. 15 at 9 p.m.: What’s Up, Doc? (1972), Barbra Streisand, Ryan O’Neal
Aug. 22 at 8:30 p.m.: The Lady Eve (1941), Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda
Aug. 29 at 8:30 p.m.: It Happened One Night (1934), Clark Gable,
Claudette Colbert
Cost: FREE! 
Why: Who doesn’t enjoy spending a lovely balmy night under the stars, watching classic screwball comedies? 

toronto port authority’s sail-in cinema returns, august 16-18, 2012

24 Tuesday Jul 2012

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The highlight of last year’s inaugrual Sail-In Cinema, sponsored by the Toronto Port Authority, was a splashing, er, smashing success! 

It’s baaaack! The Toronto Port Authority’s Sail-In Cinema, Toronto’s most creative outdoor screening event, gracing the stretch of land – and water – beside Sugar Beach at Corus Quay, is back for its second year of nautical-themed movies screened under the stars and on the lake.

As I wrote last year, the Sail-In Cinema is one of my favourite outdoor screenings in the city. And that says a lot, since Toronto has enough FREE outdoor screenings for every night of the week and then some: take your pick, say, on Wednesdays between Harbourfront and TIFF in the Park, or on Sundays between the west-end’s Christie Pits Film Festival and the east-end’s Movies in the Park at Riverdale Park, or do Tuesday’s Cult Classics at Yonge-Dundas Square, Friday’s Movies Under the Stars at Downsview Park, or Saturday’s Backyard Cinema at Green Space on Church.

But it’s the unique aspect of this waterfront-friendly film series that makes it a big fish in a big pond, um, lake.

That’s because the inflatable double-sided screen (from Fresh Air Cinema) floats on Lake Ontario, so land lovers can watch from shore while those blessed with boats can sail up to the screen, tune into the audio via radio, and watch from the luxury of their deck! You read right! The Sail-In Cinema is special indeed!

In 2011, Jaws was the big draw to Toronto’s Sail-In Cinema. Will it top 2012’s nautical-themed films too? Cast your vote till July 24! That’s tonight!

Last year, the Friday night screening of Jaws was the huge draw (see photo above), with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Finding Nemo attracting a smaller (and younger) set.

This year, cinephiles have until tonight to cast their vote for the three flicks they want to catch this year. Jaws is leading the pack so far, but Creature from the Black Lagoon and Hook are close behind.

And really, who wouldn’t want to see Creature from the Black Lagoon while looking out onto the water, in the dark, under a blanket of stars? Cast your vote today! 

And then visit the site from July 25th to request your free tickets!

[UPDATE: The 2012 Sail-In Cinema picks are below. Get your FREE tickets now!]
Thursday, Aug. 16: The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Friday, Aug. 17: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Saturday, Aug. 18: Hook (1991)

toronto’s open roof film festival heralds the start of summer

21 Thursday Jun 2012

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Open Roof film fest volunteer training 2012

Volunteers gather in the Amsterdam parking lot for a brief training session as the Open Roof Festival prepares to kick-start Summer 2012.

Ahhh, summer in Toronto has arrived! And the heatwave of the past few days has finally subsided. Too bad the thunderstorms that brought tonight’s cooler climes (yes, these days 26°C is cool!) also brought the Open Roof Festival indoors – that is, not so open and def not outdoors.

And we all know how much I love outdoor cinemas: in green spaces (TIFF in the Park), on water (the way cool Sail-In Cinema)…even in a parking lot (read on)!

But thanks to tonight’s looming deluge, Open Roof Festival organizers announced at 6 p.m. this evening that the opening-night outdoor screening ($15 per ticket; see schedule below) would be moved indoors. Conveniently, the building beside the lot houses a 250-person industrial event space, complete with a permanent screen, a wee stage and washrooms…. In. A. Brewery.

Amsterdam's event space

Open Roof screens films rain or shine. If there’s a high chance of showers, the fest moves into the Amsterdam Brewing Company’s event space, which has a permanent screen, washrooms and a 250-person capacity.

The Amsterdam Brewing Company, that is. Kicking off its third season tonight, the awesome outdoor summer-long music and film fest that is Open Roof is basically a weekly Thursday night party in the Amsterdam Brewing Company’s parking lot, which can hold more than 600 people (capacity is one of many reasons to wish for good weather).

But this empty parking lot, a sunken space ringed with grass and covered with gravel, is transformed as night falls and festival goers pour in, under the stars, with the CN Tower and illuminated downtown skyscrapers creating a beautiful backdrop.

Pretty cool, eh?

(The area does, in fact, get quite cool at night, since it’s a couple of blocks from the lake, so sweaters, jackets and the like are a must.)

Cooler still are the Canadian indie bands opening each of the summer-long festival’s 10 films (check out the list of both below). That’s right! Ticket holders enter at 7:30 p.m., just in time to catch the band at 8 p.m. as they perform on the ground right in front of the screen. How music-fest authentic, with bands within arm’s reach!

And what’s a music (and film) fest without cold beer and flavourful food? (I’m thinking about my beloved Hillside and its support of local food vendors varying from vegetarian to ethnic to meat lover to baked goods to organic ice cream!)

Toronto’s first craft brewery, Amsterdam Brewing Company, is the home of the Open Roof Festival.

Given that Open Roof takes place on Amsterdam Brewing Company property, beer from Toronto’s first craft brewery abounds. Be aware that you must purchase drink tickets and can only consume alcohol bought on the microbrewery’s lot. As the brewery store will be open till 11 p.m., beer can be bought at the shop, but it cannot be brought onto the festival grounds, since no outside beverages or food are allowed. Absolutely no glass containers, either.

Pair your drinks (nonalcoholic beverages will be available, too) with the featured local food vendor suited to that movie’s theme. Hungry patrons at this week’s film, Marley, about Jamaican musician Bob Marley, were treated to Jamaican food. Yum!

And what really gets me excited about the fest is that Cycle Toronto (formerly known as the Toronto Cyclists Union) is offering free bike valet parking on site! Majorly handy, since there’s little bike parking at the brewery. Plus, it encourages cycling to the event. Heart.

Now, if you’re spending summer in the city, doesn’t the Open Roof Festival sound like a fun Thursday night out in Toronto? Live music, indie films, beer, food and bikes! I’m so there. Really. I’m a volunteer!

Bad: the Open Roof Festival is beside the Gardiner. Good: the accessible ramp up to the Amsterdam’s washrooms is on the left side of the brewery.

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What: Open Roof Festival, a music and fest celebrating bands and films.
When: Thursdays all summer long (June 21 to Aug. 23, 2012). Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; the band plays at 8 p.m. and the film screens at 9 p.m.
Cost: $15 per film. See TIP below about purchasing tickets. 
Where: The Amsterdam Brewing Company parking lot. It’s a tad out of the way at 21 Bathurst Street, but still accessible by streetcar, bike and foot. The parking lot, BTW, won’t be used as a parking lot, so bike, walk or TTC it. 
Bonus: There’s a free valet bike parking! Thanks, Cycle Toronto!
TIP: Don’t fret if tickets sell out in advance. Organizers limit preshow sales in case the film screens indoors, but they’ll still release tickets the day of.

Films + bands: 
June 21  >  Marley  >  performance by Friendlyness & the Human Rights
June 28  >  Charles Bradley Soul of America  >  performance by Army Girls
July 5  >   Fat Kid Rules The World  >  performance by The Magic
July 12  >  China Heavyweight  >  performance by The Little Black Dress
July 19  >  Herman’s House  >  performance by Stacey Bulmer
July 26  >  Undefeated  >  performance by Run with the Kittens
August 2  >  Hysteria  >  performance by Eucalyptus
August 9  >  Indie Game  >  performance by Parlovr
August 16  >  Moonrise Kingdom  >  performance by Dusted
August 23  >  Beasts of the Southern Wild  >  performance by Bruce Peninsula

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Think the outdoor cinema is the coolest? Read all about these other outdoor film screenings in Toronto:
TIFF’s Outdoor Cinema Takes Over David Pecaut Square 
The Toronto Port Authority’s Cool Sail-in Cinema Makes Waves

ps your mystery sender (love!)

09 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in art, fashion, film, inspiration

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Last night, I saw the doc Calvet as part of Doc Soup, Hot Docs‘ monthly documentary screening series here in Toronto. Intense film, but, gosh, what’s stuck in my head is the short before Calvet: Benjamin Wigley‘s PS Your Mystery Sender. The quirkiest snippet of a film. I wish…I wish it were longer than its wee 9 minutes. It’s about Paul Smith. The Paul Smith! U.K. fashion designer Paul Smith. And how someone has been sending him random objects in the post for 20 years. No boxes. Just unwrapped seemingly random items creatively plastered with relevant postage stamps (a surfboard mailed with stamps of the ocean) and marked with his address, but no return addy. And he has no clue who’s been sending them. Items like an E.T. doll, a football, an orange safety pylon with “happy birthday” written inside the cone (LOVE!!!), a dressmaker’s judy, a watering can, a diorama of his studio…the list goes on. I sooo want to mail him something myself, but I don’t know how it could clear customs unwrapped. You could try it yourself, though. His addy is: 40-44 Floral St., Covent Garden, London, England WC2E 9DG. Tempting, very tempting, no? You can watch the whimsical trailers above and below – I dare you not to smile!

 

 

the joy of books

09 Monday Jan 2012

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This video makes me want to live at Type Books, or at least have a sleepover there! The owners of the independent Toronto bookstore are clearly celebrating the joy of books. Not e-books, not e-readers: books. Physical. Tactile. Pages you can curl up with, dog-ear, write on, smell. A bold, solid-colour hardcover or pretty paperback. I could never give up reading or buying paper books. I like having my own to read again and again – sometimes just a phrase or a scene (Michael Ondaatje‘s novel The English Patient), other times cover to cover (humourist A.J. Jacobs’ memoir The Know-It-All). Books elicit happiness, sadness, anger, dread, frustration, understanding. And in this whimsical stop-motion video, made by the lovely owners of Type, books truly bring us joy.

What: Type Books
Where: 883 Queen St. W., Toronto, Ont., 416-366-8973;
427 Spadina Rd., Toronto, Ont., 416-487-8973
Why: Did you watch the video???

the mediatheque

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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When I lived in Toulouse, I’d bike by the library every day on my ride along the Canal du Midi to French class at the Alliance Française. From my grade-school French classes, I’d learned that the word for “library” in French was bibliothèque (librarie means “bookstore”); however, in Toulouse I learned that bibliothèque in general referred to the university libraries, which Toulouse has plenty of, since it’s a university town (that’s one of the reasons why I quickly fell in love with Toulouse – it reminded me of my hometown hood, the Annex). The three-storey city library – I should call it the grand library – in Toulouse is known as the médiathèque, and a multimedia mecca it is.

Toulouse’s Médiathèque de José Cabanis dazzled me with such novelties as private viewing stations and music centres (where you could actually play the library’s own instruments!). I borrowed my friend’s library card and would go to the Médiathèque after school with some classmates. We’d check out a DVD, pile into our cosy club chairs, put on the provided headphones and watch a flick in French with French subtitles. It was scads of fun, and I was wholly impressed a public library was equipped with such entertainment. Toulouse even had a separate petit médiathèque devoted to CDs!

So when I returned to Toronto, I was excited to discover we had our own médiathèque, the NFB Mediatheque, in the heart of the Entertainment District. Opened in 2002, the NFB Mediatheque is run by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). As the country’s public film producer and distributor, NFB produces docs as well as animated and dramatic films and shorts – all from a Canadian perspective. And sure, you can watch hundreds of NFB films for free online and in the comfort of your own home, but if you’ve access to the Toronto Mediatheque (or the Montreal CineRobotheque) and its digital viewing stations, I say pay a visit and watch some of the 6,000-plus films on-site.

The Mediatheque even presents free screenings, and the cost for special events is minimal at only $5. I’m heading to one tonight, Waking the Green Tiger. Winner of the 2011 Best Canadian Feature Film Award at Toronto’s Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival, Waking the Green Tiger is a documentary about a campaign to stop a huge dam in southwestern China. After the screening, there’s a Q&A with director Gary Marcuse (via Skype) and WWF Canada communications specialist Weiwei Su. The discussion (or will that be socializing?) will then move north one building, to the Friar & Firkin
(160 John St.). C’mon, you know you want to join in on the discussion!

The Upper Yangtze River in southwestern China, from the documentary Waking the Green Tiger.

What: NFB Mediatheque
Where: 150 John St., Toronto, Ont.; 416-973-3012
When: Tuesday to Sunday
Cost: Digital viewing stations and some screenings, free; workshops and some screenings, $5


the toronto port authority’s cool sail-in cinema makes waves

01 Thursday Dec 2011

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Yup, you read right: Sail-in Cinema. Though it’s too cold in December for Toronto cinephiles to attend an outdoor screening (I’m sneaking off to another Innis freebie, Shame, tonight), summer in this city is overflowing with them. And this August, the Toronto Port Authority hosted three nights of free screenings in the harbour. And I mean IN the harbour. Behind Chorus Quay, they anchored a 40- by 30-foot two-sided screen to a barge in Lake Ontario, and projected the movies on both sides so boaters could, say it with me, sail into the cinema (a.k.a. the water in front of the screen) while the landlocked could watch from shore. Neat idea, you say? Sure was! I saw Jaws for the first time, and Finding Nemo, too. And as usual, I took a few pics….

Pretty thrilling watching Jaws for the first time front and centre, next to the water, which, to my relief, does NOT have sharks!

And darkness fell as the shark, well, you know…

For a little comic relief, kid-friendly Nemo and his pals rounded up the fest.

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For more on Toronto’s awesome
outdoor summer screenings,
see Behold, The Outdoor Cinema.

going the distance

27 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by in film, gear, travel

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So the movie The Way is now in theatres, and of course suddenly lots of travel articles are coming out about the Camino. And that has me thinking about my preparations for walking it. Granted, I didn’t do the full 800 km, having only time for the last 256 km plus a few days in Santiago plus a car trip to Finisterre. (Yes, I felt like I cheated by hitching a ride there instead of continuing on foot. Next time, I’ll walk the nearly 800 km plus the 100 km to Finisterre, I promise!) And to be honest, I don’t know if the distance I walked from Astorga to Santiago really was 256 km or more or less: any distances are suspect because every guidebook says something different. I feel like it was at least 256 km – it was a good enough distance to get in a rhythm, to lose myself in walking and the daily routine of the pilgrim’s life, and to have the time to really learn about myself, experiencing what the Camino is about. And one of the first things I learned as I took those initial steps out of Astorga was that I hadn’t trained properly.

Whether you’re walking the entire trail or a small part of it, you should train for the trek. Here are my top five tips for prepping for the trekking.

  1. Wear proper hiking boots. You’d think Step 1 would be to walk, but when you start walking, you should be wearing the boots you will be walking the Camino in, i.e., well-fitting boots that have been broken in. Walking in new boots is a surefire way to get blisters. You’re trying to avoid getting blisters!
  2. Start walking. Walk everywhere, whenever you can – as far in advance as possible. If you’re blessed to walk all of the Camino (or a big chunk), start walking seriously at least 6 weeks before to condition your muscles, and increase the distance a couple of kilometres every week. (I bike everywhere, and only took to my feet 2 weeks before my trip, so it’s no wonder I was having problems with my Achilles tendons before I even left for Spain. My body was so conditioned to cycling, it was fighting me on the walking!) And don’t forget to hoof it up and down hills and go off-road.
  3. Wear your backpack. Make sure it has good support, with a hip belt to remove the weight off your shoulders. And think small – it’s all too tempting to fill a large pack with nonessentials you’ll soon be desperate to give away along The Way. Trust me. You’ll be surprised at how little you really need.
  4. Fill the backpack with gear. Start with lighter things like clothes, then build up to heavier items like toiletries and your sleeping bag.
  5. Wear the clothes you intend to walk in. And I mean wear layers. Mornings in the mountains can be frosty even in late spring, so you’ll need to figure out what layers are suitable for hiking. Because it felt like winter, I’d bundle up, then promptly unzip my convertible pants and remove my jacket and fleece because I was sweating within minutes. Imagine you’re cross-country skiing – you should be cold when you start out, or you’ll overheat once you get moving. Walking in soaked clothes in cold climes is no fun.


TIFF’s outdoor cinema takes over david pecaut square

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in film, music, outdoors, photography

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Off to another Friday flick at Innis, I’m happy to hide indoors to watch Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire free of charge. But what Innis saves me in funds, it lacks in ambience, and I find myself longing for the outdoor screenings that stretch across this city every summer (whoever created FreshAirCinema, the company that supplies massive inflatable screens, is a genius). Downsview, Christie Pits and Riverdale parks embrace the concept, as do Harbourfront Centre and Yonge-Dundas Square. One of the newest devotees, TIFF in the Park, is truly a marvellous thing. Heck, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) on its own makes Toronto an awesome place to live, as evidenced by how electric the city gets come early September. But since moving into the Entertainment District in 2010, TIFF has done its good deeds throughout summer, too, bringing us free movies outdoors every Wednesday night in David Pecaut Square, with the glow of the surrounding skyscrapers and the CN Tower creating a cool Technicolor backdrop (check out my fave TIFF in the Park pics below). No matter where you live, I implore you to watch as many films as you can en plein air! It really is refreshing to be outdoors, sitting or lying on the grass, having a picnic while escaping into the wonderful world of cinema.

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964), with the lovely Catherine Deneuve. A candy-colour French opera set against the deep blue of dusk and the amber glow of downtown. J’adore. (One of my favourite pics I took this summer.)

Ah, Mary Poppins! Another gorgeously saturated Technicolor musical under the stars, um, city lights. I liked how most of us were lazily lying on the grass but still singing along with much enthusiasm.

“Is that cannon fire or is that my heart pounding?” Casablanca. Bergman and Bogie. Need I say more?

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If watching films in a city park
doesn’t do it for you, check out
the awesome Sail-in Cinema!


oh, marilyn

23 Wednesday Nov 2011

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Wow. Would you even guess that this is Michelle Williams? The actress oozes sultry yet vulnerable as Marilyn Monroe in the movie My Week with Marilyn, which wiggles into theatres today.

Visit My Week with Marilyn for more info. Photo courtesy of French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, who takes the most striking portraits; this particular portrait is featured in a Newsweek article on how Michelle became Marilyn.