Inside Soho House: Javier Bardem celebrated, Paul Haggis denied entry and Josh Brolin’s new BFF

Inside Soho House: Javier Bardem celebrated, Paul Haggis denied entry and Josh Brolin’s new BFF

A Biutiful night: Javier Bardem at the Soho House on Friday (Image: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Grey Goose Vodka)

“Name?”
Paul Haggis.”
“I’m sorry, it’s not on the list.”

Josh Brolin, standing nearby with a cigarette, breaks into hysterics.

This was the scene last night at Soho House—a branch of the international members-only club that’s opened in Toronto just for the duration of TIFF—where stars of the highest wattage gathered to fête Javier Bardem and his new movie, Biutiful. The confusion eventually cleared up, partially thanks to a woman leaving the party who noted “he’s a director” and the hotly sought, Ontario-raised Oscar-winner swung into the lush party space. And yes, Brolin got in too.

Once inside the Grey Goose vodka party, we observe Brolin being introduced to Blake Lively—they talk well into the night—and Josh Lucas walking purposefully back and forth, schmoozing with no one in particular. Producer Harvey Weinstein, fresh off a rave reception for the premiere of his historical drama The King’s Speech, talks up a Hollywood power agent. Bardem, whose new movie is apparently making grown men and women cry, smokes pensively.

Haggis’s agenda is officially free of film responsibilities this week. Saturday’s second annual Artists for Peace and Justice gala at Pears is his only advertised commitment. “I have people calling me up, asking if they can come,” he tells us. “Of course you can come! You’re a huge movie star!”

Bardem is one of such “huge movie stars” talking about hitting Pears on Saturday night (we actually saw him later last night getting a sneak preview of the Pears space). If New York artist Peter Tunney gets his way, Bardem will be donning a smock over his suit as part of the Artists for Peace and Justice event tomorrow night. He is considering giving the stars smocks, canvases and brushes and asking them to create a work of art on behalf of the charity (last year, Tunney convinced Olivia Wilde, Kim Cattrall and Colin Farrell to stamp footprints of paint on a canvas). “That’s as of 30 minutes ago, so things can change,” laughs Tunney.

We guess a vodka party is no place to iron out the finer details of any project.

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