Jessica Chastain hugs fans, talks corsets at the world premiere of period piece Miss Julie

At Sunday afternoon’s world premiere of Miss Julie, the 1890-set drama by Norwegian writer and director Liv Ullmann, no one could concentrate on anything but costumes—perhaps not totally surprising for the debut of a richly adorned period piece. The film focuses on an upstairs-downstairs affair that unfolds over the course of a single evening between an Irish count’s daughter, played by Jessica Chastain, and his valet, played by Colin Farrell (unfortunately, not present at this year’s TIFF). To be certain, the buttoned-down, laced-up world of late 19th-century Britannia is a particularly charged backdrop against which to explore themes like repression and class structure. But nope, none of that talk here today at the Elgin Theatre. The most common questions: “Jessica, what did you keep from wardrobe?” (The corset.) “Who are you wearing?” (Dior.) “Do you like walking red carpets and getting your picture taken?” (Yes.) Good grief.