Movies

TIFF 2012: Craziest ensemble cast

5 films with exessively talented casts

Robert Redford in 'The Company You Keep'

There are two types of ensemble cast movies: ones that were seemingly cast by TMZ (that’s you, New Year’s Eve) and ones that are so truly talent-packed you can’t believe the studio could afford them and co-ordinate their schedules, let alone get all their egos into the same room.

At this year’s TIFF, a solid half-dozen movies are of the jaw-dropping cast variety. Take The Company You Keep, which has its gala premiere on September 9, with Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci and Nick Nolte. Or Love, Marilyn with Elizabeth Banks, Lindsay Lohan, Evan Rachel Wood, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Ellen Burstyn, Adrien Brody, Marisa Tomei and Glenn Close.

Here are five movies that went all-out in their casting, and delivered.

 5)  Love, Actually: Hugh Grant. Liam Neeson. Colin Firth. Laura Linney. Emma Thompson. Alan Rickman. Keira Knightley. And don’t forget Rowan Atkinson.

4)  Everyone Says I Love You: Alan Alda. Woody Allen. Edward Norton. Julia Roberts. Drew Barrymore. Goldy Hawn. Plus a young Natalie Portman.

3)  The Royal Tenenbaums: Gene Hackman. Angelica Huston. Gwyneth Paltrow. Ben Stiller. Luke Wilson. Owen Wilson. Billy Murray. Plus, it’s narrated by Alec Baldwin.

2)  The Thin Red Line: Sean Penn. Adrien Brody. George Clooney. John Cusack. John Travolta. Woody Harrelson. Jared Leto. Nick Nolte. John C. Reilly. And this after footage of Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen and Mickey Rourke was cut.

1)  Ocean’s 11 (2001): George Clooney. Brad Pitt. Julia Roberts. Don Cheadle. Matt Damon. Elliott Gould. Andy Garcia. Bernie Mac. Casey Affleck. With cameos from Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson…and Siegfried and Roy.

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