Canadian film lovers have to appreciate a Canadian promoting a Canadian film on a U.S. talk show. Nina Dobrev was on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Monday night promoting Run This Town, a saga on the Rob Ford crack video while he was the Toronto mayor.
Unfortunately, from everything we've heard, Run This Town isn't a good film. Worse than that was Robyn Doolittle's role being cast by a man.
I'm glad they're rewriting the fact that it was a female reporter who investigated Rob Ford. Why have a woman be a lead character when a man could do it? Ammaright? https://t.co/Nx3holhuZW
— Robyn Doolittle (@robyndoolittle) April 10, 2018
Robyn Doolittle talks 'crazy' about Rob Ford on Daily Show
Robyn Doolittle, now with The Globe and Mail, was with the Toronto Star back then. Doolittle was one of three journalists who saw the Rob Ford crack video.
Writer-director Ricky Tollman, in his feature debut, reduces Doolittle's significant journalism career into Bram (Ben Platt), a recent college graduate forced to work on lame entertainment stories.
Mena Massoud (aka Aladdin) is cast as a special assistant to Ford. Dobrev plays a new hire at Ford’s office who discovers an extremely toxic work environment.
Our look back at former Toronto mayor Rob Ford
British actor Damian Lewis plays Rob Ford with prosthetics described in more than one review as looking like Mike Myers as Fat Bastard in the Austin Powers films. American actor Jennifer Ehle plays a major character in the film.
Run This Town features more Canadian talent further down the call sheet, including Scott Speedman, Gil Bellows, Lauren Collins, David Eisner, and Hamza Haq.
Argo gives filmgoers diminished taste of Canadian history in Iran
As we saw with Argo, telling a true-life Canadian story can get lost in sensationalist storytelling. The Rob Ford crack video story would make a great movie. We have serious doubts that Run This Town tells that story. We also have concerns that Americans might think this is the real story. "Rob Ford" and "crack video" will always go together. That story would be worth knowing.
CanadianCrossing.com Daily Show coverage
Glad that The Daily Show and other shows are willing to promote Canadian film. Let's hope that extends to better Canadian films.
Run This Town will be available in theatres in select U.S. and Canadian markets and on demand this Friday.
video credit: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah/Comedy Central; YouTube/Elevation Pictures
Twitter capture: @robyndoolittle
photo credit: Run This Town film
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