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- Written by: Gilbert Seah
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FILM REVIEWS:
BAYI AJAIB (Indonesia 2023) ***
Directed by Rako Prijanto
Indonesian horror movies are a genre in itself. Every year, there are well over 100 films released by the Indonesian film industry with no shortage of films to be seen in the genre.
This means that most of these Indonesian horror films were made in a matter of weeks, which is quite an impressive feat. The one common thread found in many Indonesian horror films is that it is based on local ghost stories and folklore, teaching more about Indonesian culture, the setting often being in Indonesian villages. A few staple themes include class and revenge. Indonesian cinema is rife with angry, vengeful spirits that haunted mansions. A lot can be learnt about Indonesian culture by watching these films. (Editor’s Note: Indonesian films are a personal favourite as my mother’s family lives in Jakarta, Indonesia and speak Indonesian Malay.) This film is shot in Indonesian and Portuguese.
BAYI AJAIB which means Magic Baby (a more appropriate title would likely be Demon Baby) is Award Winning (Indonesian Maya Awards) Director Mako Prijanto’s third movie - and his first foray into the horror genre.
The film begins with a scene in which the protagonist, finding a shiny rock in the river in the village of Hirupbagja., screams: “I am rich,People will no longer look down on me. They will bow down and respect me.” As the saying goes: Be careful of what you wish for. He soon marries Sumi and lives a prosperous life as a landlord. When their child, Didi, was born, his soul was possessed by Albert Dominique's spirit, which was thirsty for blood and terrorized the villagers. The villagers had warned that it is the eclipse and women and children should stay in less they be taken by demons. The baby was born at the moment of the eclipse. Kosim tries to cover up this fact because he is currently running for the new Village Head. He must be able to beat Soleh, who has already won the sympathy of the villagers. But when the spirit threatens his family's life, Kosim decides to free Didi from the influence of Albert Dominique. To do this, Kosim must confront Dorman, a black sorcerer who wants to avenge his great-grandfather on the people who have destroyed his life. Plenty of Indonesian folklore. Director Pronto films often in the blackness of night. The film possesses a great atmosphere of dread, horror and fright in an Indonesian superstitious village setting. The film has a fair share of gore, blood, violence and scary scenes including a climactic exorcism with a levitating body. The special effects are sufficiently appropriate without any over doing.
BAYI AJAAIB opens on streaming May 19th 2023 on Netflix. A worthy Indonesian horror film!
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THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE (Chile/France/USA/Germany 2022) ***
Directed by Francesca Alegria
Chilean director Francesca Altria’s first film THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE is an ambitious and lyrical film about the environment, human beings and their connections. If the film’s title sounds confusing, so is the film and it takes a while to fu=igure what is going on. Director Algeria tackles many current social problems, perhaps taking a bit too much on her plate.
The film begins with a motorcycle accident (or suicide?) in a river. The woman emerges from the water just as the camera shows shoals of dead fish on the beach. There is, according to the film, a riot protesting the poisoning of the river by a chemical factory. This is Magdalena (Mía Maestro), who drowned herself decades ago. Now she is back from the dead as if time stopped – still gorgeous, still dressed in the boiler suit she wore when she drove her motorbike deliberately into the river. Magdalena’s husband collapses when he spots her bike suit outside a mobile phone shop. Their adult daughter Cecilia (Leonor Varela) – just a girl when her mother died – drives from the city with her two kids to look after him at the family’s dairy farm. Cecilia has a trans daughter who wants to be a boy, much to mother’s chagrin but these days one has to let one’s offspring choose their gender. Then there is also the relationship between Cecilia and her mother contrasting the one between her and her trans daughter. It is a bit confusing before one can figure out exactly what is happening, not that the story will lead into any concrete solution. Yes, it is a poetic tale and if one resigns the film to this fate, director Algeria’s film works as an emotionally compelling contemplation of nature and human emotions.
As for the cows, there are lots of them Cecelia returns to the dairy or cow farm. As fro cows singing, they might be, but the audience is not shown any of the singing or moog ons screen. One thing that is interesting to learn is that the calves are not fed their mother’s milk or there will be no milk left to be sold for the farm to earn a profit. The difficulty of daily farming is one of the subjects covered in the film. The cows are. however shown to be gentle and shown to be creatures to be cared for. There is a long scene in which a calf is carefully cared for by a human, a very well crafted and naturally charged scene.
Though there is no happy ending, redemption is possible and can arrive in different forma, as the ending of the film shows.
THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE, which premiered at Sundance opens May 19 at the Quad Cinema in NY and May 26 at the Landmark Nuart in LA, followed by national expansion. The film is yet to have a Canadian release date.
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DARK NATURE (Terreur Sauvage)(Canada 2023) **
Directed by Berkley Brady
Director Berkely Brady lends her hand into the genre of horror with a totally female perspective. From Calgary, her film is gorgeously shot in the stunning landscape of the Albertan side of the Canadian Rockies.
DARK NATURE begins uncomfortably with the relationship of the protagonist Joy (Hannah Emily Anderson) and her husband. They begin to have sex, but the result is far from gratifying. He is angry and abusive. He then apologizes for acting like an asshole and she forgives him. The same cycle of events, though not always sex related, keeps recurring. He keeps physically and mentally abusing her, and she keeps taking him back. Something's got to give. And it does! This is how the film begins.
The film moves to the present which follows Joy, a survivor of domestic abuse, joining her friend Carmen and her therapy group for a secluded weekend retreat in the Canadian Rockies. Led by the enigmatic and indigenous Dr. Dunnley - whose methods are experimental and sometimes dubious - the experiment shatters the line between reality and illusion. Joy begins to suspect that she is being stalked by her attacker (that could be her husband or someone else or something), when in reality the whole group will be forced to face a threat even more terrifying than the monsters of their past.
The first half of director Brady’s movie is pretty good. There is a solid sense of horror and evil lurking and one can never tell what really is happening. The mystery and beauty of the Canadian Rockies add to the conflict of Joy’s feelings. The girls in the mysterious mountains is reminiscent of the Australian classic horror by Peter Weir PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) where a group of schoolgirls disappear under the watch of headmistress Rachel Roberts.
Unfortunately things turn south during the second half. Once the mystery is revealed that a monster of some kind is lurking in the hidden cave, the film turns into a monster/victim gory fest. The mystery is gone and there is nothing left to surprise the audience except to provide the customary escape from monster narrative. Of course a few of joy’s company are sacrificed on the way. The other thing that hurts the movie is the obvious overdone male hating theme. The husband is depicted as a totally sadistic villain with no redeeming qualities. The film’s cast is also largely female with hardly a male, good or bad, in sight. Dr. Dunnley’s character is the most amusing with her insistence that healing is her forte. Her mumbo-jumbo medical tactics are just enough to annoy the hell of any sane and rational person. It is not surprising (spoiler alert here!) that she is one of the first to be killed off, to the delight of the audience.
DARK NATURE ends up a two star movie but a 4-star if it ended halfway without the appearance of the cave monster with no explanation of where it came from. The film will be released wide in theatres across Canada and the US starting May 19th, 2023.
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LE OTTO MONTAGNE (THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS) (Italy/Belgium/France 2022) ***½
Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch
It is a long running time of 147 minutes for this epic journey of two males experiencing life and all that life can deliver. The film opens with two boys, both at the same age of 12, Bruno and Pietro meet each other for the first time in a remote mountain village at the base of the Alps. Pietro’s mother rents a house in the mountain village and arrives with him. Pietro is the boy from the city who is always alone and this is the first time he has a companion in the form of a playmate Bruno, the only boy in the village of fewer than 200 inhabitants. Once the first road of the village was built, instead of attracting more people to live in the village of Grano, more villagers left, as Bruno explains to Pietro. The boys play in the mountain countryside, beautifully photographed building dams in the river, wrestling in the grass and splashing water in the streams - an idyllic setting for growing up as boys.
Directors an Groeningen and Vandermeersch realize the power of the setting of the film, which is adapted from the award-winning novel by Paolo Cognetti, portraying through observant detail and stunning landscape photography the profound, complex relationship between Pietro (Luca Marinelli) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who first meet as children there. Pietro and Bruno remain as boys during the first 30 minutes of the film.
“The next morning my father returned to Turin.” The memory of that morning will last forever.” so says Pietro. Indeed the scene of Pietro, with him, his dad and Bruno is one of the film’s most suspenseful and dramatic scenes. The scene also shows important facts about the boys and their relationships with each other and their respective = fathers. It is a complex and very well thought-out scene and one of the best of the film in terms of information rendered in a subtle manner.
The transition of the two protagonists from boyhood to 31-year old men is unfortunately abrupt, occurring at the 45 minute mark of the film. One would automatically try to associate each man with the respective boys that the audience remembers instead of imagining the men as individual characters. Another topic that is ignored is puberty. The friendship of the two boys is extremely strong with a tight bond formed between the two. The subject of homosexuality is conveniently ignored in the story. One would expect these feelings to surface up in some form or other judging from the fondness each boy has for the other.
The main lead of the film Luca Marinelli, still relatively unknown in Canada, is a famous star in Italy. Quite a few of his films have screened locally at the Contemporary Italian Film Festival.
The film ends up a slow but captivating epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps. THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS (Le Otto Montagne) is formed in Italian with a little local Italian dialect.
The film is the Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
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FAITHFULLY YOURS (Netherlands 2022) ***½
Directed by André van Duren
The Netflix Dutch thriller FAITHFULLY YOURS is a film about lies and liars. Every character in the film is a liar and a cheat of some sort. The question is who succeeds the greatest liar of them all. The film begins with the famous quote from none other than George Bernard Shaw: “The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.” There is also a fictitious book written by one of the characters in the film entitled “To Lie the Truth”. At its best, the occasionally brilliant script from no fewer than three writers, Elisabeth Lodeizen, Paul Jan Nelissen and André van Duren teases and plays with the subject.
Using each other as alibis, two friends sneak off to indulge in secret affairs, but their elaborate web of lies unravels when one of them goes missing. One is a judge who makes judgement in family court, often deciding which spouse wins custody over the children. Bodil’s best friend and herself head to Belgium via train to indulge each other’s affairs, while fooling their individual husbands. Bodil keeps Isabelle’s phone which the husband has put a tracker on, so that her husband thinks Isabel is with Bodil the night. But the next morning, Bodil finds her friend missing with a photo of her friend brutally murdered. The judge becomes a suspect. Bodil has to testify to the police, but to keep her friend’s and her secret safe, she muddles the truth. Things are not what they seem as the husbands are also not as innocent as they appear to be. At the half way mark of the film, one is prone to guess the identity of the killer. My guess of who the responsible one is, was half correct, yet there is much that cannot be predictable in the story owing to the huge web of intrigue carried out. The script also fools the audience with a few false clues.
The sex scenes are tastefully executed without the need to show much nudity and for the segments that nudity needed be shown, it is blurred out and left to one’s imagination. The film is also more gruesome in the description of the murder (for example the fine detailed description of the garrote i.e. to kill (someone) by strangulation, typically with an iron collar or a length of wire or cord."he had been garroted with piano wire”.
FAITHFULLY YOURS is a well written taut little mystery Dutch thriller about lies, deception and murder that holds attention for start to finish.
FAITHFULLY YOURS was awarded the Golden Film Prize. The Golden Film (Dutch: Gouden Film) is a film award recognizing domestic box office achievements in the Netherlands. The Golden Film, initiated to stimulate the Dutch film industry, is awarded to films from the Netherlands once they have sold 100,000 tickets. Since its introduction, the Golden Film has been awarded to more than 100 films. The film was theatrically released in Netherlands on 22 December 2022 and premieres in North America on Netflix 17 May 2023. Worth-seeing, for sure!
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FANFIC (Poland 2023) ***
Directed by Marta Karwowska
What does the film title FANFIC (Netflix original Polish movie) really mean? The words at the artist of the film describe it as: a short story masking the wonder of fictional and real characters.
There has been in recent weeks three films on transgender characters - L’EMMENSITA, THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS and now from Poland FANFIC. Each film tackles the trans issue differently and each rather successfully and with sensitivity. FANFIC is arguably the most aggressive of the three, delving right into the issue head on with anger and without retribution. All three films deal with teens transitioning and coming totems with their gender. Acceptance, particularly by their parents, is the key.
Nothing works, says the trans at the start of the film. She is stealing her father’s meds so that she feels better snd will not harm herself. She attends regular therapist sessions but wants to quit unless her therapist gives her meds. “Nothing works!” she cries. And she is desperate and angry half the time.
The plot of the movie written by director Marta Karwowska and Marta Karwowska follows two high school students who create a confusing yet intimate relationship. Each of them faces personal problems individually, sexually. A teenage student faces a major gender identity crisis as she starts growing up. While trying on boy’s clothes, she discovers that she is more comfortable wearing them and continues to wear them, much to the teasing of her classmates. Her father also insists that she changes back to her old female dressing, blaming himself .that he has not spent enough time with her for her problems. Trapped inside her own body, she feels uncomfortable and looks for ways to change herself. Moreover, she also goes through body dysmorphia and constantly tries to cover up the parts that make her a woman. The other is gay, the fact made known only half way through the film when she asks him and he replies that he is homosexual.
The film is a little messy at the start but the film starts to get its bearings after the first third of the film. The film can be praised for the honest portrayal of the emotions teens go through when they question their sexuality, what trans and homosexuality mean or otherwise. There is also a brief discussion in the classroom scene when the sexuality topic is brought up.
FANFIC also deals with the sex issue. Should a girl who trans to a boy have sex with a boy or a girl? The film is daring enough to tackle this issue while many films on trans conveniently avoid the topic. The trans here falls for a gay boy and the two attempt sex with daring and bravery not knowing how it might turn out.
The film gets a little preachy at the end with voiceover lines like “Everyone is okay. No one is a mistake.” The film has already succeeded on its own terms and the director should be confident of that.
FANFIC begins streaming on Netflix as an original; movie on May the 19th.
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FAST X (USA 2023) *
Directed by Louis Leterrier
FAST X bears striking similarities to the latest JOHN WICK 4 film, both of which prioritize expensive, stunning, and spectacular action sequences at the expense of other aspects. With a production cost of $340 million and a runtime of 142 minutes, FAST X showcases a nuclear sub appearing in Antarctica, Dwayne Johnson wielding weapons during the end credits, a nonsensical yet sexy martial arts fight between the female leads, and fight sequences that lack continuity. While the action sequences are impressive, the overall plot becomes increasingly over-the-top and ridiculous, keeping audiences hooked to see what director Letterier and his crew will come up with next. From the start of the film, featuring a car chase involving a heavy vault hijacked and dragged by two cars, to a fiery round bomb threatening to destroy Rome, no scenario seems too outrageous for the film's narrative.
Throughout numerous missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have consistently outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and outdriven their adversaries. However, in FAST X, they face their most formidable opponent yet: a terrifying threat from Dom's past, driven by a desire for blood revenge and determined to dismantle Dom's family and everything he holds dear. Dom's journey takes him from Los Angeles to Rome's catacombs, from Brazil to London, and from Portugal to Antarctica. Along the way, new alliances are formed and old enemies resurface. The stakes intensify when Dom discovers that his 8-year-old son is the primary target of the vengeful antagonist Dante (Jason Momoa). FAST X boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including returning members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood, as well as Academy Award winner Charlize Theron.
The responsibility for the chaotic mess that is the 10th installment of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, FAST X, is difficult to attribute to a single individual. Justin Lin, the Taiwanese American director who gained prominence after his 2002 film BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, has had his share of poorly received films, such as the heavily formulaic ANNAPOLIS. However, to his credit, he has directed several successful FAST AND FURIOUS films. In FAST X, Lin was replaced by French director Louis Letterier, known for his work on the action-packed TRANSPORTER films, although Lin maintains producing and writing credits.
FAST X features a plethora of notable cameos, including Dame Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, and Dwayne Johnson, among others. However, it is Jason Momoa's performance as the narcissistic and deranged villain that steals the show and leaves a lasting impression.
One would think that films would have been done with sexist scenes such as the scantily clad girls posing with the fast exotic cars. If FAST X, a total mash-mash of action special effect sequences hastily put together without thought of narrative, continuity or meaning is the future of film, then moviegoers have not much to look forward to.
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IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT (USA 2023) ***½
Directed by Billy Miossi
IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT centres of the Voyager program.
The Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two robotic interstellar probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. In the film, the audience learns that they were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favourable alignment of the two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, to fly near them while collecting data for transmission back to Earth. The NASA project was approved. After launch the decision was taken to send Voyager 2 near Uranus and Neptune to collect data for transmission back to Earth.
At present, the Voyagers are still in operation past the outer boundary of the heliosphere in interstellar space. The film explains that the heliosphere is the the sphere of the solar system, which contains the sun, the Earth and its planets. Outside is interstellar space where no earthly ship has ever travelled. The Voyagers were to collect and transmit useful data to Earth.
Voyager did things no one predicted, found scenes no one expected, and promises to outlive its inventors. Like a great painting or an abiding institution, it has acquired an existence of its own, a destiny beyond the grasp of its handlers - the words of Stephen J. Pyne.
The Voyager program is covered in detail and is tremendously intriguing for several reasons. One is the awe of space. Space and the unknown have always fascinated mankind and director Miss spends a fair amount of time on the topic explaining the far reaches of the solar system as well as the various planets in the system. Second is the technology involved. The technology is only explained briefly, understandable as the details will not be understood by non-engineers or scientists. But the essentials such as the need to make the voyage when the planets are aligned to take advantage of shortest distance can be understood. Other facts like using the orbit of the planets to gain speed for the voyagers is mentioned but the reason is not explained. The final is the element of humankind involved. 45 years after the launch of the Voyager space mission, the team that dedicated their lives to the mission now must save it. Director Miossi speaks to a few of the team , many now in their senior years to talk about the project. The team members are: SUN MATSUMOTO, ENRIQUE MEDINA, FERNANDO PERALTA, JEFFERSON HALL, TODD BARBER, SUZY DODD, and CHRIS JONES.
One wishes that more of the discoveries made by the voyagers be mentioned. For example, at Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered a substantial magnetic field around the planet and ten more moons. Its flyby of Neptune uncovered three rings and six hitherto unknown moons, a planetary magnetic field and complex, widely distributed auroras. As of 2023, Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have ever visited the ice giants Uranus and Neptune.
It might be quieter in the twilight but in this twilight it is simply amazing. For its subject(s), IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT is one of the most astounding documentaries to hit screens in 2023. The doc is available on May 19th on VOD.
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MASTER GARDENER (USA 2023) **
Directed by Paul Schrader
Writer/director Paul Schrader has a superb body of work that includes the scripts of RAGING BULL and TAXI DRIVER as well directing films like my favourite AFFLICTION and BLUE COLLAR, HARDCORE, THE CARD COUNTER and CAT PEOPLE among others. His latest film THE MASTER GARDENER which also contains very troubled characters, unfortunately fails to engage and trudges along like a plant seeking nourishment being planted under poor conditions.
Deep within the lush grounds of Gracewood Gardens, horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) tends to more than just plants. With a meticulous hand and unwavering devotion, he's created an idyllic sanctuary for his demanding employer, Mrs. Haverhill. Sigourney Weaver). But when troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell)
arrives seeking apprenticeship, Narvel's perfectly cultivated life begins to unravel, unearthing secrets from a violent past that threaten to destroy everything he holds dear.
Like Robert De Niro and other Schrader troubled characters, Edgerton’s Roth also has a hidden past. Roth used to be a neo-Nazi and his skills and violent nature, though hidden, are waiting for a chance to re-emerge. Yet this man seeks forgiveness and redemption that obviously will not come easy. Yet, he sleeps with both his employer as well as her grand niece.
The sets and gardens are stunning and make up what else Schrader’s film misses. performances particularly Weaver’s and Edgerton’s are superior despite the slow and messy script that just teases the audience of things that will happen but only at the end but with little shock that is evident in other Schrader films.
MATSER GARDENER had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2022.. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States by Magnolia Pictures on May 19, 2023
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A NEW OLD PLAY (China 2021) ***
Directed by Qiu Jiongjiong
There are two big factors that initially turn one off from venturing into watching this occasionally magnificent and stunning period Chinese epic. The fritz is the almost 3 -hour running time and the second is the generally little known history of Chinese opera and its function in the twentieth century. But this is education and a grand one in the making. As a boyinnSingapore, I walked to the back of the stage of one such opera and noticed the singers in action, voicing extremely high notes loud and clear, nothin that I have heard being so astounding - an early experience I could never forget. This film A NEW OLD PLAY brings back immediately that childhood memory, expands on the subject and mesmerizes. A NEW OLD PLAY is understandably difficult to watch though not without its rewards.
The film opens in the dark of night with shadowy figures on the screen that can be made up of a man slowly pumping up, slowly the tires of a bicycle. It turns out that Qiu Fu, a leading clown-role actor in 20th-century Sichuan opera, departs this world and must reluctantly set off for the Ghost City under the escort of two underworld officials, the underworld being hell of course. Qiu Fu is familiar with the two escorts, him having performed operas with characters from the underworld - ever so often. Along the way, he meets old friends. As they recall the past, earthly scenes creep into the mists of the Netherworld.
The story is based on the family history of the film’s director Qiu. It depicts the birth of the New-New Theatre and Opera School—in Sichuan Province, in the nineteen-twenties—as a by-product of the civil war and the Nationalist Party’s victory. The troupe’s founder, a soldier and a true lover of Sichuan opera called Pocky (Qiu Zhimin, the director’s actual father), welcomes a seven-year-old foundling named Qiu Fu (Chen Haoyu), rejected by the other opera troupe, as observed in a stretched out but comical dinner scene alike to OLIVER TWIST in which the poor street urchin is derived from getting a helping of porridge. who becomes his prize student. During the Second World War, the company joined the resistance to Japanese occupation. After the adult Qiu Fu (Yi Sicheng) emerges into a star performer, he realizes his dreams. But the changing political times have drastic consequences on the opera.
As power shifts, the troupe is cast loose to wander meaninglessly through a broken world. Despite this unsettled destiny, shaped by war, famine and political turmoil, Qiu Fu becomes one of the finest clown-role performers in Sichuan opera. And yet, one day he finds himself clapped in a pigsty as a political revolution rages outside.
In the director’s own words, the film is a slice of his own history and his family’s; but also a travelogue of minstrels wandering together through this world and the next. They are his immediate forebears, and this is his ‘pre-biography.’
A NEW OLD PLAY, though not a bad film will be a hard sell to Canadian audiences as it is overlong and deals with a subject unfamiliar and likely uninteresting i.e. Sichuan opera.
A NEW OLD PLAY has a digital release on May 16 2023, coming to Prime Video, iTunes, & Vimeo-On-Demand.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? (UK 2022) **
Directed by Shekhar Kapu
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? is a romantic comedy that delves into the age-old question posed by its title within the context of arranged (or assisted) marriages. The film explores the notion that love can blossom even when a couple has only met once before their wedding, as arranged by their parents. Drawing inspiration from films like Woody Allen's LOVE AND DEATH, where characters navigate the possibility of falling in love despite their arranged union, this movie takes a similar approach. It introduces the audience to the groom's parents, who have a successful arranged marriage and hope to replicate the same for their son with the comical assistance of Mo the Matchmaker.
The story revolves around Zoe (played by Lily James), a successful documentary filmmaker in London who is addicted to dating apps but seems to attract the wrong partners. On the other hand, her childhood friend Kaz (portrayed by Shazaad Latif from STAR TREK: DISCOVERY) decides to embrace the tradition of arranged marriage, following in his parents' footsteps. Zoe accompanies him on his journey to Lahore, documenting his arranged marriage as her new project. Along the way, Zoe starts questioning her own approach to finding love and wonders if she could glean something valuable from the Pakistani tradition.
While the film attempts to put a unique spin on the romantic comedy genre by incorporating elements of Pakistani culture and arranged marriages, it occasionally falls back on clichés. It comes as no surprise when Zoe eventually falls in love with Kaz, as their connection is heavily hinted at throughout the story. Director Shekhar Kapur, known for his successful films like BANDIT QUEEN and ELIZABETH, makes the most of the script penned by British writer Jemima Khan. Khan, who lived in Pakistan for ten years with her former husband, Pakistani ex-cricketer Imran Khan, describes the film as "a love letter to Pakistan."
Adding to the cast, Oscar winner Emma Thompson delivers comic support as Zoe's overly concerned and anxious mother, constantly hoping her daughter will settle down and have children. However, Thompson's talent is underutilized due to the generally unfunny script. Jokes involving FaceTime and her dog's eating habits fall flat and fail to generate laughter. Conversely, Azmi Mirza shines in her portrayal of Kaz's mother, delivering humor effortlessly through her character.
The film's soundtrack, composed by Nitin Sawhney with contributions from British-Pakistani record producer Naughty Boy and musician Joy Crookes, stands out as a highlight. The soundtrack includes an original song by Naughty Boy titled "Mahi Sona," featuring a special vocal performance by Lily James. Kanika Kapoor and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also make noteworthy contributions to the soundtrack.
Despite a few innovative additions to the romantic comedy genre, such as the incorporation of Pakistani culture and vibrant Bollywood-style dance sequences and scene shot in Lahore, Pakistan, the film falls into the familiar tropes of Harlequin romance, ultimately becoming totally predictable. The outcome of the lead characters finally coming together comes as no surprise.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? opens in theatres across Canada on May 18th.
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ANGEL APPLICANT (USA 2023) ***½
Directed by Ken Meyer
In the documentary ANGEL APPLICANT, filmmaker and protagonist Ken Meyer turns the camera on himself, offering viewers a sensitive and beautiful glimpse into the experience of living with a rare autoimmune disease called systemic scleroderma. The film opens with Meyer sharing his diagnosis, which he shares with celebrated Swiss-German artist and Bauhaus teacher Paul Klee. Throughout the film, Meyer draws connections between his own corporeal experiences and Klee's expressive artwork, using his skills as a commercial art director to create stunning images that deepen our understanding of both the art and the illness. The result is an earnest and vulnerable memoir, disease diary, research project, and artist portrait all in one. Despite its focus on illness and suffering, the documentary is full of unexpected magic and uplift, making it a rare feel-good film. Meyer finds comfort in Klee's art, which he sees as a strange language of cryptic code meant just for him, sent by an empathetic messenger showing him a defiant way forward through the pain. Klee's paintings are worth the price of admission alone, and demonstrate that not everything needs to be explained to be understood. Overall, ANGEL APPLICANT is a moving and inspiring testament to the power of art and the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Festival Screenings
Sunday May 2nd at 5:15 PM - At TIFF Bell Lightbox
Wednesday, May 5 at 2:30 PM – At Scotia Bank
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FILM REVIEWS
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET (USA 2023) ***½
Directed by Kelly Freeman Craig
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET is an American coming-of-age period comedy drama film written for the screen, co-produced, and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume. Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction. Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974). Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023. The film cannot have been more timely.
After rejecting several offers to adapt her book in the 49 years since its publication, author Judy Blume sold the film rights to James L. Brooks and Kelly Fremon Craig, who worked together on The Edge of Seventeen, with Craig set to write and direct. It is a worthwhile wait as this is a solid and faithful adaptation of Blume’s novel, capturing all the nuances, trials and spirit of teen youth. A studio bidding war over the distribution rights was won by Lionsgate. This is a rare departure for Lionsgate who now distributes dire action films and is in desperate need of a hit since their TWILIGHT and DIVERGENT young adult hits. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET is a solid teen film that caters to both adults and the younger folk, and this film and future adaptation of Blume’s books might just be the thing Lionsgate needs.
The film begins in1970 when the protagonist, Margaret, is 11 years old. Margaret Simon's family moves from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Her mother is Christian and her father is Jewish, but Margaret was raised without an affiliation to either faith. She frequently prays to God, beginning her prayers with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.” Margaret feels uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation. For a school assignment, she studies religious beliefs, hoping to resolve her faith-based issues. Her study includes attending different places of worship to learn about religious practices. Her Jewish grandmother, Sylvia Simon, takes Margaret to Rosh Hashanah services and hopes her granddaughter will embrace Judaism.
Other Grade 11 issues Margaret faces include anticipation of her first menstruation (which is humorously explained in less than a minute), boy crushes, breast envy among other things that are only important to kids that age.
But director Craig has done a faithful adaptation that works for a variety of reasons. The antics the girls are up to are simple, real and what many an audience experience in their youth. For example, to prevent slow growth of their breasts, the girls believe in doing breast exercises while chanting: “We must, we must, we must increase out Bust!”. There is the cute boy next door; and of course for the girls the worry about their upcoming first period. For Margaret, she worries both for her breast size and also, praying to God that she would not be the last to get her period. These are worries that youngsters deem important but are in reality not. Thirdly the performances by all the young cast are excellent, believable, sweet and endearing, especially Abby Ryder Fortson in the lead as Margaret. Veterans Rachel McAdams and Academy Award Winner Kath Bates are both a delight to watch playing Margaret’s mother and grandmother respectively.
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET will win the hearts of many for its humour, drama, story and look at a slice of ordinary real life that every female goes through.
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FREAKS VS. THE REICH (original title: Freaks Out!H (Italy/Belgium 2020) ***
Directed by Gabriele Mainetti
FREAKS VS. THE REICH is the sophomore effort of director Gabriele Marinetti best known for his film THEY CALLED ME JEEG, never distributed in theatres but had a showing at Toronto’s local ICFF Italian InternationalFilm Festival and was voted by the crisis jury (of which I was a member) as Best Film. Tee director tackles a more ambitious and more difficult film. Despite its tacky title, the film is a serious piece that covers strong emotional characters. The characters in this case are circus performers, or freaks at the half penny circus.
During World War II in occupied Rome a group of circus performers endowed with supernatural powers band together to fight the oppressive Nazi regime’s occupation of Italy in FREAKS VS. THE REICH, a fantastical historical action-adventure. It all starts when Israel, the owner of their circus, disappears in the attempt to find a getaway overseas for them all. Not everyone agrees to go with him, but one can understand the reason as Israelis a Jew. The four friends are in disarray. Without anyone looking after them but above all, without the circus, they lose their social placement and they feel only as sideshow attractions on the loose in a city at war
Looking to flee the Nazi menace for the shores of America are four super-powered circus performers: there’s beautiful, young, electrically-charged Matilde, Cencio, an albino with the ability to control insects, Mario, a dwarf graced with magnetic powers, and Fulvio, a strongman covered from head to toe with hair. Matilde gets the most attention in the film, and the story includes a coming-of-age element as well from her point of view. She is able to light electrical bulbs but anyone who touches her can feel an electric shock. She has a father figure, Israel who is captured by the Nazis.
On their heels is the psychotic Franz, an ether-addicted, six-fingered Nazi who runs the nearby circus, Circus Berlin and believes that the supernaturally gifted quartet will help him turn the tide of the war, delivering the ultimate victory for Hitler and the Reich. Franz is a freak himself gifted with certain powers like being able to look into the future. He has seen Hitler shoot himself. Franz Rogowski (recent film, UNDINE) plays Franz, with madcap intensity.
At its best, FREAKS resembles a Federico Fellin as Fellini loves to have segments in his films involving the circus in one form or another (FELLINI SATYRICON and 8 ½). The characters here are part of a circus and a few of the film's segments are as weird as those found in a Fellini movie. Even the music score of the film (the music is by both Michele Braga and the director himself) resembles a bit of the music of Fellini’s frequent composer Nino Roa.
FREAKS has an overblown ending that blows away the film’s credibility and whatever strength it has built. It opens VOD/Digital on April the 28th.
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PETER PAN & WEDNY (USA 2023) ***
Directed by David Lowery
PETER PAN & WENDY is the new 2023 American fantasy adventure film directed by David Lowery (PETE’S DRAGON) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Halbrooks. A live-action adaptation of Walt Disney's 1953 animated film Peter Pan, in turn based on the 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (also known as Peter and Wendy) by J. M. Barrie, the film contains the story already everyone is familiar with - which is shame, as three are little to no surprises left in the story, no matter how hard the filmmakers try.
The film stars Alexander Molony (in his film debut) and Ever Anderson in the title roles. Jude Law makes a welcome presence as an unrecognizable Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe and with Molly Parker and Alan Tudyk as Wendy’s parents.
Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, meets Peter Pan, a boy who can fly and refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers, Michael and John, and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, Wendy encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever.
The film is handsomely shot, no doubt in Canada in the provinces of Vancouver and Newfoundland. The sea and rocky cliffs are well used to get effect. The live-action fight sequences are done with a touch of fantasy and derring-do. The segment with Captain Hook jumping across the crocodile looks both amazing and scary. There are lots of special effects like the golden fairy dust throughout the story.
The cast is largely eclectic with indigenous actors portraying the natives of Neverland. Wendy and siblings and family are white where everyone else is not. Films these days do the best to give all non-whites an equal opportunity.
The film went through delays due to the Pandemic. It was supposed at one time to have a theatrical release but it now arrives to direct streaming on Disney+ from April the 28th. Too and as the magnificent landscapes would look really good on the big screen.
POLITE SOCIETY (UK 2023) ***
Directed by Nida Manzoor
POLITE SOCIETY (perhaps a reference to the novel A TALE OF TWO CITIES - the best of times; the worst of times) belongs to the category of cross-cultural comedy that made films like EAST IS EAST and its sequel and BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM great commercial successes. When POLITE SOCIETY opens, there is a shot of a field and shop houses at the far end that is immediately recognizable as Shepherd’s Bush (to me anyway, a frequent London visitor) in London England. There, shops of Indians and Pakistanis are common, in a slightly poorer neighbourhood than one is used to see in London, England.
Ria Khan believes that she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends' help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists, in the name of independence and sisterhood.
The subject of sisterhood is effectively captured by the camaraderie of the two sisters. Lena films Ria doing her Kung-Fu kicks though Ria often falls flat the floor. The sisterhood is about to be broken when Lena is to be wed off to a handsome beau whose looks can be quite deceiving. It is up, to Ria and her fight technique to save Lena from impending doom. And with the help her eclectic classmates, including a bully that eventually warms up to her - yes, a cliched storyline included.
Football in BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is replaced by sort of sci-fi storyline in which the protagonist’s sister has been selected by an evil mother to have herself cloned. It is odd that writer/director Manzoor chooses to blend in this fantasy/horror to a real life comedy of family and sisterhood. It is fun to watch, but the blending is odd and out of place. It seems that as long as the audience is kept on their toes, it is ok for director Manzoor to incorporate it in her film.
The fight scenes are nothing too spectacular and are executed more for humour than anything else. “I am the Fury”, yells Ria often,,just before she engages in a fight. Truth be told, Ria is not that good a fighter but not for want of trying. Director Manzoor’s film is full of colour, especaully the Pakistani dresses from the saris to the groom’s handsome uniform. The cast is mainly Pakistani with a few locals though the film is set in London. The two leads playing the sister and the relatively unknown cast do a credible and spirited work.
POLITE SOCETY is definitely crowd-pleasing, and it presses the right buttons, though too predictably. Besides the weird storyline, there are few surprises as what will happen at the end, though following a well worked formula often works into a lively and entertaining film. Critics might frown for reason of the film’s feel-good cliched and well work material.
Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada will be releasing POLITE SOCIETY in theatres on April 28th, 2023.
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RADIANCE (VERS LA LUMIERE) (Japan 1987) **½
Directed by Naomi Kawase
RADIANCE or TOWARDS THE LIGHT, the English translation of the French title VERS LA LUMIERE is a drama/romance made back when that got a premiere at Cannes and a release in Japan in May of 1987. RADIANCE has never made it to North America but will finally be seen when it gets a VOD/digital release on April the 28th 2023.
So, what is so special about the film RADIANCE? Or is it more the director Kawase that is of nterest? The darling of Cannes, Kawaseq had her films often premiered there with her serving on the Cannes jury once as well. Born and raised in Nara, Japan, KAWASE graduated from Visual Arts Osaka in 1989. Her films, EMBRACING and ‘KATATSUMORI’ received international recognitions and awards at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1995. With her first feature, SUZAKU (1997), she became the youngest filmmaker to receive the Camera d’Or at the Festival de Cannes with her. At the Festival de Cannes, she has also won the Grand Prix with The Mourning Forest /MOGARI (2007), the Carrosse d’Or in 2009, and also served as one of the jurors for the competition in 2013. In 2015, KAWASE was bestowed with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture. In 2017. RADIANCE was selected as one of the competition films and given the Ecumenical Jury award.
As the film opens there is narration by Misako (Ayame Misaki) as she creates movie audio descriptions before a class of blind people. Her passion and her commitment to her work leads her to create scripts full of colours and textures in order to make them as accessible as possible to blind audiences. She tests it on a group of 10 blind people. At one of the pre-premiere screenings, she meets Nakamori (Masatoshi Nag ase), a renowned photographer who gradually loses his sight and ability to practice his craft. Nakamori's strong character makes him the only one to firmly criticize her scripts. He complains of her being too intrusive with too many descriptions filling in the gaps, leading to confusion, He helps Misako see the coldness of her careful descriptions. Despite the differences that arise between them, both manage to create a strong relationship that allows them to explore a world previously invisible to their eyes. In the last scene of the film, the old man struggles to climb a small dune, at the top he stops facing the setting sun. This reflects the message transmitted by his impassive face without imposing a vision on the viewer.
The budding romance between Misako and Masaya is a slow one. They begin at loggerheads. The chief complaint about Misako’s verbal descriptions of movies is that she puts in too much thus being intrusive and not leaving much to the imagination. Director Kawase takes the point to heart as her film is extremely sparse.
One scene has Masako punch Nakamori, calling that the act feels good. In real life, director Kawase was charged with fist punching one of her staff, leading to problems on the set of one of her films.
RADIANCE is a slow but sincere work, as are the other films by Kawase. This could be the reason her films are an acquired taste for many.
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SISU (Finland 2022) ***1/2
Directed by Jalmari Helander
The word SISU as the film informs the audience not once but twice during the film is a word depicting a white-collared energy, of a spirit that never gives up - a word with no English equivalent. There is a lot of fucking issue in this violent gory horror flick that premiered last year in the Midnight Madness Section of TIFF.
In cinematic terms, it means a hero or protagonist that refuses to die. In the twilight of World War II, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) strikes a rich vein of gold in the wilderness of Lapland in Northern Finland. Making tracks with his new-found bounty for the nearest town, the man runs afoul of a retreating detachment of Nazi soldiers led by an odious SS Obersturmführer (Aksel Hennie), who set their sights on claiming the gold for themselves. Unfortunately for these stormtroopers, this is no ordinary miner, but rather a mythic one-man army who epitomizes the quintessential Finnish concept of SISU. In the hero's refusal to die, he undergoes a whole lot of graphic beating that might be too intense for even the most seasoned horror fan to watch.
The film has been appropriately selected to open the Midnight Madness of TIFF. Watch out for the hanging scene where a nail from the wooden post gets nudged into his wounded leg.
Total maniac mayhem but also extremely entertaining.
TRIALS TO TRIUMPH (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia
Primarily, TRIALS TO TRIUMPH is the story of Freddie Stevenson’s meteoric football career, the crash that followed, and his reinvention. But the doc also digresses other mini-accounts of other football celebrities and their trials. There is not one but three directors. The doc understandably feel unfocused as it without notice, jumps from one to another athlete’s story But the audience gets to witness primarily stories of struggle & redemption from Freddie Stebvenson as well as minor stories of Maurice Benard, Delvin Breaux, Tony Gaskins, and more and see them overcome the odds in these powerful, real conversations.
TRIALS TO TRIUMPH was directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia. This inspirational documentary based on Stevenson’s Best-Selling memoir features interviews with Freddie Stevenson, Maurice Benard, Dasia Torres, Neno Torres, Tyrell Lyons, Tony Gaskins, Dr. Dan Ratner, Delvin Breaux, Terris Stevenson, Sylvia Stevenson, and Ryan Green. It was produced by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Freddie Stevenson.
Life is resilience, says his coach. And Freddie’s life shows it. The major part of the doc has Freddie talk to the camera as well as those close to him, relatives like his father and mother and also his then girlfriend.m His girlfriend says: “ He would go to the gym and give 110%. His father and mother were always there to support him and offer the pain and struggles their son had to go through. It is inspirational not to hear the words from Freddie himself but of the words of those close to him as observations also tell the whole story.
There is an extended talk by Freddie’s father at the beginning of the film explaining how much hardship with limited opportunities available for coloured folk. He confesses to drug dealing, hiding the fact from his son, Freddie and how he was sentenced to prison. His incarceration followed by him becoming a born againChristian. The film almost gets preachy about Christianity but gaudy stayed away from the issue. Though this testimony has nothing to tell with TRIALS TO TRIUMPH, the segment is actually the film’s most interesting part as it deals with real life problems of the coloured folk.
One of the key issues omitted in the doc, the larger problem that is responsible not only for Freddie’s football injury but for the injuries of all footballers is the fact that football is a dangerous sport with already documentation of a very high percentage of permanent injuries arising from professional football players, particularly in the injury of head concussion, which fortunately Freddie does not suffer from. It is hinted that Freddie after recovering from an injury and offered a job back into football realizes the fact, and hesitates before accepting the position in the NFL. But the problem is systematic and more serious. North America is the only country in the world that champions this sport. The closest Europe has is rugby and Australia has, isastraluaq rules football.
Gravitas Ventures will release TRIALS TO TRIUMPH on digital platforms on May 2, 2023. The film has a running time of 1 hour 35 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.
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- Written by: Gilbert Seah
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- Category: Movie Reviews
FILM REVIEWS:
BLACKBERRY (Canada 2023) Top 10 *****
Dorectedby Matt Johnson
BLACKBERRY sees the rise and fall of the company, Research in Motion (RIM) through their main product the smartphone, a smartphone that combines, text, the internet and the phone using their famous clicking keypad. The film follows the founders of RIM, two friends, Mike and Doug played by Jay Baruchel (who also executively produced the movie) and director Matt Johnson himself. They hire the fired CEO of another company Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) who turns the product of RIM into a success and the companying a billion dollar company. This is where the film soars the audience to feel-good highs as then underdogs take on the world. The film’s second half sees, sadly the company’s downfall as greed, pride and of course Apple’s iPhone, with no keypad) revolutionaries the smartphone industry.
Many stars shone in BLACKBERRY Among them is dismartrector/actor Matt Johnson. hailing from Toronto itself and seldom heard of American actor Glenn Howerton, only previously seen before in limited TV series, the most notable being IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. Howerrton down a bald wig to look like the balding character, a high-flying CEO and Harvard Business graduate, Jim Balsillie who arguably can be the one considered the genius the rise of Blackberry (or the company behind it, Research in Motion) as well as its downfall. The first question that will come to many an audience’s mind is: “Where did this guy come from?” Absolutely perfect in the role, Howerton stable to swing the audience to his side as he champions the BLACKBERRY product and also get the audience to despise him when he brings the company down. The film should bring this talented young actor, who looks much younger than his bald character to fame. Ironically, Johnson and Howerton are both comedians at heart, transiting successfully to comedic drama in the film.
The film looks like the period it is set from the 80’s to early 20’s from the props (Cathode ray tube monitors, range of Blackberry products on display, landlines in the office), wardrobe, set decor and even the choice of its throwback music soundtrack.
BLACKBERRY is the excellent case of Canadian moviemaking that does almost everything right especially in acting, directing, and writing, making modern Canadian history and high-tech both entertaining and a pleasure to watch. BLACKBERRY will be a strong contender (the film gets my vote anyway) for the Toronto Film Critics Association Best Canadian Feature next year.
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to rule the world, only to find that no one would listen? This is the intriguing story of how a group of geeks took over the world, which has been adapted into a true-story film featuring real people from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The film focuses on the rise and fall of Research In Motion (RIM), a small Canadian company that initially lacked business acumen, but changed the tech industry with the invention of the world’s first smartphone. Who better to direct this movie than Matt Johnson (THE DIRTIES, OPERATION AVALANCHE), a gifted director known for his remarkable films featuring geeky characters and stories? With his growing popularity, Johnson is the perfect choice to bring this incredible tale to life on the big screen.
BLACKBERRY depicts the success of RIM through its main product, the smartphone, which combined text, internet, and phone capabilities using its iconic clicking keypad. The movie follows the founders of RIM, two friends named Mike and Doug, played by Jay Baruchel (who also served as an executive producer) and director Matt Johnson himself. They hire Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), the fired CEO of another company, who transforms RIM's product into a billion-dollar success story. The film takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of feel-good emotions as the underdogs take on the tech industry. Unfortunately, the film's second half depicts the company's downfall due to greed, pride, and the revolutionary impact of Apple's iPhone, which lacked RIM's iconic keypad.
BLACKBERRY boasts a talented cast, including director/actor Matt Johnson, who hails from Toronto itself. The film also features Glenn Howerton, an American actor who was previously seen in limited TV series, with his most notable role being on IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. Howerton dons a bald wig to look like the balding character, Jim Balsillie, a high-flying CEO and Harvard Business graduate, who is arguably the genius behind the rise of Blackberry (or the company behind it, Research in Motion) as well as its downfall. Howerton's superb acting skills swing the audience to his side as he champions the BLACKBERRY product, and also garners their despise when he brings the company down. The film should bring this talented young actor, who looks much younger than his bald character, the recognition he deserves. Ironically, Johnson and Howerton are both comedians at heart, who make a successful transition to the genre of comedic drama in the film.
BLACKBERRY is set in the period from the 1980s to the early 2000s, which is reflected in the props, wardrobe, set design, and even the choice of the throwback music soundtrack. This film is an excellent example of Canadian moviemaking that does almost everything right, especially in acting, directing, and writing. It makes modern Canadian history and high-tech both entertaining and enjoyable to watch. BLACKBERRY will undoubtedly be a strong contender for the Toronto Film Critics Association Best Canadian Feature next year (and it certainly gets my vote!).
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BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER (USA 2023) **
Directed by Bill Holderman
Writer/director Bill Holderman and the main cast returns to the big screen after the successful box-office hit THE BOOK CLUB in 2014 that cost only $14 million to make and made $104 million. Four women have attended a monthly book club for 40 years, bonding over the suggested literature, and have become very good friends. The plot of that film has the 4 women read the well-known and naughty Fifty Shades of Grey and are turned on by the content. Viewing it as a wake-up call, they decide to expand their lives and chase pleasures that have eluded them.
Book Club: The Next Chapter , the sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.
The returning four are:
Vivian (Jane Fonda), who owns and builds hotels, runs into Arthur (Don Johnson), a man whose marriage proposal she turned down 40 years before. They begin a flirtation, but she has always refused to settle down because she enjoys her independence. The magic question which no genius needs to get the incorrect answer is whether they will wed in the end. The story here has a surprise wedding planned by the other 3for Vivain but there is a hitch getting to the wedding on time.
Diane (Dian Keaton who has star billing) is recently widowed, and her daughters would like her to move closer to them in Arizona because they perceive her to be in danger as she lives alone.
Sharon (Candice Bergen) is a federal judge who's been single since she divorced her son's father over 18 years ago. Sharon is flaring with a police officer (Giancarlo Giannini)
Carol (Mary Streenburgen) has a successful marriage to Bruce (Craig T Nelson), who has recently retired, but they have recently rekindled their intimacy.
Holderman’s lazy script fails to explain the reason the film is called BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER. Nothing is mentioned of how the 4 met or the notion of any book club. Without the first 10 minutes of screen time, the audience sees each of the 4 women change among half a dozen outfits for no reason - a point emphasizing that Hollywood is just too much money to spend on garbage. Which is what the script is - falling into cliched territory with hardly any surprises on the way. The film is also an ego trip for the 4 ageing actresses - stars in their heyday, credit given to them, but are now resolved to playing ladies that are still able to have sex and get any handsome men their hearts desire. Needless to say, the script contains a huge number of lewd jokes to say that these four women are still cool.
The script co-written by Holderman and Erin Simms does contain a few laughs at the first third, judging from the screening I attended, though none came from this reviewer. This film is strictly for fans of Fonda, Keaton, Bergen and Steenburgen. And even then - there is a huge strain to enjoy this sequel as the original was barely passable.
BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER opens in theatres May the 12th.
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CALL ME KATE (USA 2023) ***½
Directed by Lorna Tucker
(photo of Hepbrun in LION IN WINTER)
She is known as Miss Hepburn but she would insist: CALL ME KATE. The doc on the 4 time Academy Award Winner - the most times every actor or actress have ever won the coveted Oscar (MORNING GLORY and in her last 3 films: GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, THE LION IN WINTER and ON GOLDEN POND; the LION IN WINTER being my fondest role of Hepburn). Her most famous films include BRINGING UP BABY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY and THE AFRICAN QUEEN.
The doc begins with the name Katherine Hepburn repeated a few times in voiceover, making the audiences wanton to repeat the star’s anew as many times as well. She is introduced by the legendary Angel Lansbury.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (she lived to 97) was an American actress whose career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over six decades. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited personality, and outspokenness, her personality the first thing that is highlighted in the doc, cultivating a screen persona that matched this public image, and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. Her work was in a range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, and earned her various accolades, including four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer. In 1999, Hepburn was named the greatest female star (and indeed she is) of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute.
Nostalgia flows from the beginning of the doc to the end. It repeats from the black and white archive footage, shots from other old films particularly the famous ones and the return to the look of old movies.
The dad point in Kate’s life, that many of hr fans are unaware of is the death of her eldest brother by suicide from hanging. She had gone to fetch Tom one morning for breakfast and found him hanging in his room. She took the body down and laid the cold body on the bed. Her parents dealt with the grief by instructing the family never to mention Tom and as if Tom had never lived. Bit Kate would live life for both of them. Tom had told her the night before his death that he had loved her but she did not think too much of that,
The film’s most touching moments is the love relationship between Kate and her husband and good friend Buddy. They married but she realized thatch had too much difference in personality. She wanted to go back to New York. But Luddy, her husband, in the words of the doc realized that he had married a madwoman.“Whatever you want to do Kate…. I love you.” And Judy packed up their bags and moved to New York with Kate.
The magic question asked to Hepburn as in an episode of the Dick Cavett show is what inspired? Hepburn credits her success to intelligent and inspiring parents and experiences that she went through before the age of 15.
If Katherine Hepburn has never inspired you, this doc on Hepburn certainly will inspire you and with great admiration for her determination, ability and body of work delivered with a huge dose of nostalgia .
CALL ME KATE is a Netflix original; documentary streaming beginning May th 12th. The doc makes an easy and light entertaining watch at home.
CARMEN (Australia/France 2022) ***
Directed by Benjamin Millepied
Benjamin Millepied, former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet and choreographer of the film "Black Swan," makes his directorial debut in CARMEN, a modern-day interpretation of Bizet's classic opera. The film opens with a breathtaking dance performance in the Mexican desert, where the mother of the protagonist is tragically shot by a gunman. The surreal and impressive scene sets the tone for the rest of the film, which features dream-like dance sequences and a majestic score by three-time Oscar nominee Nicholas Britell.
CARMEN tells the story of Carmen, a fiercely independent young woman who flees to the US after her mother's murder. Along the way, she meets Aidan, a border guard and Marine suffering from PTSD. Their journey together leads to a budding romance, but it is a poor imitation of the love story in the original opera. Solid performances are delivered by both Melissa Barrera and rising star Paul Mescal, looking really buffed as a marine should, compared to his physique in his last film AFTERSUN.
One of the film's strengths is the presence of Rossy de Palma, a regular actress in Pedro Almodovar's films, who plays the mercurial owner of La Sombra nightclub, a sanctuary of music and dance where Carmen and Aidan find solace and their unwavering love for each other. However, the film's attempt to blend reality with dance and music is uneven, and the dance and music sequences often feel disconnected from the rest of the story. The climactic dance scene between Carmen and Aidan is impressive, but it feels out of place in the film. Actor Mescal’s dance looks pale in comparison to Barrera’s.
Despite its flaws, "CARMEN" is an ambitious film that showcases Millepied's talent as a director and choreographer. The impressive dance and music sequences, as well as the strong performances by the cast, make it worth watching. In particular, Paul Mescal's performance demands attention and shows that he will continually be a talent to watch in the future. CARMEN opens in Toronto and Vancouver on May 5th, and in Montreal on May 12th, with more cities to follow throughout the spring and summer.
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EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (Belgium 2021) ***
For full review click on the link to our sister website:
THE MELT GOES ON FOREVER - THE ART AND TIMES OF DAVID HAMMONS
(USA 2022) ***
Directed by Judd Tully and Harold Crooks
At the beginning of the doc on the black American artist who refused to follow convention - David Hammons, an explanation is given as to the reason the doc is called THE MELT GOES ON FOREVER. In one of Hammon’s artistic stints, he sells snowballs. When a customer buys one, the snowball is given to her in a plastic bag, which she keeps in her freezer for 6 months till her mother asks her to throw it out. It is then that this customer realizes that this was the work of David Hammons.
THE MELT GOES ON FOREVER chronicles the singular career of the elusive African-American art star David Hammons from Watts rebellion era ’60s L.A. to global art world prominence today. Hammons’ category-defying practice – rooted in a deep critique of American society and the elite art world – is in the words of one art critic “an invitation to confront the fissures between races” as the artist seeks to go beyond the dominant culture and his own to a new one for the 21st century.
Featuring eminent artists, curators and critics, a rich trove of archival footage, animation, and an evocative soundscape, The Melt is a record of the work of an artist who constantly defies the establishment and remains subversive at every turn.
For many unfamiliar with the work of Hammons, the doc provides invaluable insight of an artist who works on the fringe, often in poverty unable to buy expensive art materials and how he managed his own success. His works are often shown on full display in the doc, many meticulously and painstakingly done like the poles made up of beer caps.
THE MOTHER (USA 2023) ***1/2
Directed by Niki Caro
New Zealand female director Niki Caro and Jennifer Lopez join forces in an above average action drama THE MOTHER. Caro is famous for the New Zealand film, WHALE RIDER followed by the Disney live action hit, MULAN.
Jennifer Lopez plays the unnamed mother who is also a former high profile assassin. While fleeing from dangerous assailants, this former assassin comes out of hiding to protect the estranged daughter she left behind. Films about a strong woman protecting a child has been successful box-office fare in the past, as is evident by the two GLORIA films, particularly the first one directed by John Cassavetes starring his wife Gena Rowlands playing an ex-gangster moll protecting her neighbour’s boy, the son of the mob’s accountant turned informant. In THE MOTHER, the strong woman is protecting her daughter who she is forced to give up for the daughter’s safety. There is a play of emotions, though excessiveness is kept at bay.
THE MOTHER must be complemented for its extremely well executed and exciting action scenes. All the tension is achieved primarily through sharp editing. In the most impressive of these - the kidnapping of the daughter, now grown up and in school is superb taut edge of your seat suspense. From one camera shot of empty cartridges flying off the mother’s rifle to the look through the rifle’s sighting scope, to the falling of the shot dead bodies, the arrival of additional vehicles to the kidnap of the girl, there are about a dozen appropriate edits within the span of a few seconds. The other impressive similar scene arrives at the beginning of the film where two interrogating FBI agents are taken out - a foreshadow of the action to come. A chase with the mother on a motorbike is done with the use of a hand-held camera, the jittering framing adding to the nerve-wrecking situation. Comically too, are the procession of schoolgirls and a wedding just waiting to be run down by the mother’s bike and the chased prey.
Segments are set in Havana in Cuba. This is indeed rare for an American film to be shot in Cuba and the film sure looks as if it did. In reality, the film was shot in the old town of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria to substitute vapour Havana in Cuba. The Gabinete Literario, located there, was used as a casino. The south of the island was also chosen to film a party in a villa. Principal photography also took place in Vancouver, Canada.
Je-Lo, as is expected of Je-Lo the star singer actress with the great bod to show off, gets to show it off when she has to change her clothes in a car - a weak excuse to show off her body.
THE MOTHER is a Netflix original Jennifer Lopez movie and marks one of her better outings, streaming beginning Friday May the 12th.
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A NEW OLD PLAY (China 2021) ***
Directed by Qiu Jiongjiong
There are two big factors that initially turn one off from venturing into watching this occasionally magnificent and stunning period Chinese epic. The fritz is the almost 3 -hour running time and the second is the generally little known history of Chinese opera and its function in the twentieth century. But this is education and a grand one in the making. As a boyinnSingapore, I walked to the back of the stage of one such opera and noticed the singers in action, voicing extremely high notes loud and clear, nothin that I have heard being so astounding - an early experience I could never forget. This film A NEW OLD PLAY brings back immediately that childhood memory, expands on the subject and mesmerizes. A NEW OLD PLAY is understandably difficult to watch though not without its rewards.
The film opens in the dark of night with shadowy figures on the screen that can be made up of a man slowly pumping up, slowly the tires of a bicycle. It turns out that Qiu Fu, a leading clown-role actor in 20th-century Sichuan opera, departs this world and must reluctantly set off for the Ghost City under the escort of two underworld officials, the underworld being hell of course. Qiu Fu is familiar with the two escorts, him having performed operas with characters from the underworld - ever so often. Along the way, he meets old friends. As they recall the past, earthly scenes creep into the mists of the Netherworld.
The story is based on the family history of the film’s director Qiu. It depicts the birth of the New-New Theatre and Opera School—in Sichuan Province, in the nineteen-twenties—as a by-product of the civil war and the Nationalist Party’s victory. The troupe’s founder, a soldier and a true lover of Sichuan opera called Pocky (Qiu Zhimin, the director’s actual father), welcomes a seven-year-old foundling named Qiu Fu (Chen Haoyu), rejected by the other opera troupe, as observed in a stretched out but comical dinner scene alike to OLIVER TWIST in which the poor street urchin is derived from getting a helping of porridge. who becomes his prize student. During the Second World War, the company joined the resistance to Japanese occupation. After the adult Qiu Fu (Yi Sicheng) emerges into a star performer, he realizes his dreams. But the changing political times have drastic consequences on the opera.
As power shifts, the troupe is cast loose to wander meaninglessly through a broken world. Despite this unsettled destiny, shaped by war, famine and political turmoil, Qiu Fu becomes one of the finest clown-role performers in Sichuan opera. And yet, one day he finds himself clapped in a pigsty as a political revolution rages outside.
In the director’s own words, the film is a slice of his own history and his family’s; but also a travelogue of minstrels wandering together through this world and the next. They are his immediate forebears, and this is his ‘pre-biography.’
A NEW OLD PLAY, though not a bad film will be a hard sell to Canadian audiences as it is overlong and deals with a subject unfamiliar and likely uninteresting i.e. Sichuan opera.
A NEW OLD PLAY has a digital release on May 16 2023, coming to Prime Video, iTunes, & Vimeo-On-Demand.
TWICED COLONIZED (Canada/Denmark/Greenland 2023) ***
Directed by Lin Alluna
TWICE COLONIZED has been chosen to open the 2023 Hot Docs in Toronto for many reasons, the more important ones being its timely subject matter, the film being Canadian and that the film is made by and concerns indigenous people.
The film centres on Inuk activist Aaju Peter and marks a Toronto homecoming for Peter after her 2006 film, ANGRY INUK chronicled her campaign to preserve the Inuit seal hunt, the film that won the audience award at the 2016 fest.
The doc follows Peter as she continues her fight for Inuit, Indigenous, and First Nations communities to have a say in discussions about their own affairs. Warning: It is a very angry film as can be witnessed in the film’s first 10 minutes as Peter lashes out her points of view on several key issues like the seal hunt and the mining while emphasizing that the Inuits are children of ice, and all human beings are children of the sun.
“We knew from the moment we watched this potent film that it was the right doc to open our milestone 30th-anniversary Festival,” said Hot Docs Artistic Director Shane Smith in a statement from the festival. TWICE COLONIZED doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths as it sharply addresses Canada and Denmark’s colonizers past and present. It brings this urgent and crucial story to life. Captivating, riveting and angry. However, the film is clearly one-sided and though relevant and crucial points are made, there is always some good that has come from colonization that is not mentioned. Neither are there any solutions offered. At the start of the film, Peter complains of having to live in Denmark as she was singled out to move there as she was a top student in her school. Her father championed the fact. Peter complained about having been taught to brush her teeth daily and use the fork and spoon during meals. Brushing teeth is a plus and a positive lesson. Also, the education that Peter received eventually allowed her to be a lawyer to fight for the rights of her people. If she was not taken out of her indigenous school, she would not be able to accomplish what she has accomplished to this date. She also complains that seal-hunting is the right of her people. She claims that unemployment and teenage suicide rates among the Indigenous are the highest in the world. The rest of the world has advantages that her people do not have. True, but she is unwilling for any compromise. Also seal hunting is extremely cruel and should be banned or at least the number killed be limited as a compromise. Her experiences at the residential schools are omitted in the film with the excuse that she had been uprooted so many times that she cannot remember her childhood.
TWICE COLONIZED premiered in the World Cinema Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Alluna and the director, Peter and other guests were on hand at the Hot Docs premiere on April 27 ahead of Twice Colonized’s theatrical release on May 12.
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BALLOON ANIMAL (USA 2020) **
Directed by Em Johnson
BALLON ANIMAL is a coming-of-age story of a 24-year old female balloon animal artist, Poppy (Katherine Waddell) who works closely with her father (Ilia Volok) in a circus environment. Her father is the boss of the Valentine Travelling circus.
Poppy Valentine, a young circus performer who has grown up in her family's traveling circus, begins dreaming of what life would be like outside of its fences. Now in her mid-20s and with more un-welcomed responsibility weighing her down, she is desperate to figure out if this life is for her. As she slowly begins to take time for herself, finding independence and even love, she strains her relationship with those around her in the tight-knit circus community. Amidst her overprotective father, stressful circus expectations, and a blossoming curiosity for a life of her own, Poppy must decide if the risk is worth leaving everything she's ever known behind.
A very simple story told simply - perhaps too simply. At one point in the film Poppy and her two girlfriends from the circus make it out together on a night of the town - the one they are performing at. At the local bar that they visit, one of them says: “this is pathetic, there are only about 4 people in here.” The same can be said of the film. Though BALLOON ANIMAL is set in a circus environment, the amount of ‘circus’ shown is quite pathetic. There are no circus animals at all shown, no circus acts at all and believe it or not, not even a clown. One of Poppy’s friends says she is an trapeze artist but not trapeze swings are shown at all. The other claims to be a kids clown. Again not clowns or clown costumes are seen. The only circus act shown is a sorry introduction the circus show that lasts some 3 minutes or so. There is one scene where Poppy sits in the empty seats of a ferris wheel. The excuse given in the film is that the season of the circus is over and that the perfjoamcne are therefore done. Will the audience fall for it?
Another unexplained situation is the difference in accent between Poppy and her father. Her father has a clear East European accent, which is unexplained at all, while Poppy speaks totally American.
Waddell is supposed to be a 24-year old, but she looks in her mid-30’s. The Paris stylist of the film has her hair dyed in various colours from green to blue and other supposedly ‘youthful’ colours. Again, will the audience fall for it? The boy that Poppy’s a fling with, a pimpled face skinny lad, looks so much younger than her. Despite the fact, Waddell tries her best to be convincing. Ih she, and all her friends are at the age of their characters, it can be safely said thatbtheyare doing a good job.
BALLOON ANIMAL is available on VOD on Friday, April 7, 2023 in North America on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Comcast/Xfinity, Charter, Cox and other viewing platforms.
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OPERATION FORTUNE (RUSE DE GUERRE)(UK/USA 2022) ***
Directed by Guy Ritchie
The new Guy Ritchie action comedy begins with a gang of Ukrainian mobsters stealing a device known as "The Handle"; it's worth estimated at billions of dollars. The British government person in charge (Eddie Marsan) hires Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes) to retrieve the Handle before billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant) can sell it to the highest bidder. Nathan hires super-spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) to lead a team made up of Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza), JJ Davies (Bugzy Malone() and others. The team travel to Madrid, seeking the courier intended to transport the hard drive containing the data from the Handle. Their search is interrupted by a rival of Nathan's, Mike (Peter Ferdinando) who seems to have also been hired to retrieve the Handle. Sarah manages to copy the hard drive's contents first. Learning that Simmonds plans to host a charity gala in Cannes, the team decides to infiltrate it by blackmailing Simmonds' favourite movie star, Danny Francesco (Josh Haretnett), into helping them distract Simmonds. Simmonds encourages Danny to spend some time in his Turkish villa in Antalya. Orson infiltrates the Ukrainian mafia house to hack their computers, disguising it as a robbery. The British government warns Nathan that the Handle is an advanced AI that can be programmed to defeat any security system in the world. The story is by coincidentally timely, with the current banking crisis at hand.
OPERATION FORTUNE is typical Guy Ritchie and his fans should not be disappointed with what his new movie provides - which is more of the same in terms of stylized British crime action comedy. It also stars action Jason Statham who’s collaborated with Ritchie many a time. If one wants to watch a serious crime caper auctioneer, the best of the best is THE SQUEEZE (1977) directed by Michele Apted. Director Ritchie has made his mark with his best film LOCK STOCK ANDTWO SMOKING BARRELS and his worst films like SHERLOCK HOLMES where he butchered the classic by swapping a mystery clue whodunit with fast editing action nonsense.
Fortunately, OPERATION FORTUNE falls in his spirit of LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS. The film contains exotic locations with filming shotgun Qatar and scenic Turkey. There is a car chase involving a vintage classic though the car chase which also involves helicopter is not really one to be remembered. There is sharp dialogue, expressive wardrobe worn by the stars as well as expensive set decor of the rich and wealthy. The characters that are equally flamboyant includes Danny, a Hollywood famous movie start and a billionaire arms dealer. So, there is plenty if opportunity for show. In fact, the film looks better that its $50 million budget spent on it.
OPERATION FORTUNE plays like Jason Statham as a Guy Ritchie type James Bond complete with tuxedo and suave fighting skills. The film is aided by spirited performances particularly by Plaza, Hartnett and Grant. Grant has been getting a lot of publicity for his ‘rude’ humour after the Academy Awards red carpet interview and his recent villain role in DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. Aubrey Plaza is one of the most underrated actresses of the day, following her hardly seen comedy EMILY THE CRIMINAL. Gorgeous Hartnett surprises here with his stint at comedy.
OPERATION FORTUNE opens in Toronto April the7 th, though it has already opened internationally before the date.
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OUT OF THE LOOP (USA 2023) ***
Directed by Michael Alexander
"Out of the Loop" is a 2022 documentary directed by Michael Alexander that focuses on stand-up comics in Chicago. The film features interviews with many lesser-known comics in the city, including Deon Cole, Hannibal Burris, Godfrey, Lil Rel Howery, Jeff Garlin, and the late Judy Tenuta. They share their experiences and stories about the trials and tribulations of starting their comedy careers in a polarized and segregated industry.
While the material may be somewhat limited, the documentary achieves its aim of providing an entertaining and informative look at the comedy scene in Chicago. Director Alexander poses basic questions to the comics, such as when they realized they wanted to become comedians, where they first performed, and what their influences are. These questions help put their experiences into perspective and highlight the challenges they face, especially for female comics of color who often face additional obstacles due to their race and gender.
Despite its focus on the entertainment industry, "Out of the Loop" also serves as an educational look at a different field. The documentary is interesting and funny, with comics telling jokes even during their interviews. After watching the film, viewers may be inspired to watch other comics, both famous and aspiring, to compare their standards and what makes a master comic.
"Out of the Loop" has a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes and will be released on digital platforms by Gravitas Ventures on April 11, 2023. The documentary is not rated by the MPAA.
Trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19cVmMgrTq2vLQhinGhWhurOnTaB3pBaC/view
SIMULANT (Canada 2022) ***
Directed by April Mullen
Director April Mullen raises a thought-provoking question about the consciousness of artificial intelligence in her new sci-fi thriller. Set in the future, the film features Faye (Jordan Brewster), a woman who activates her late husband’s Simulant Evan (Robbie Amell), an android replica programmed with his memories, after a fatal car crash. Sims, which can dream and make love, are introduced in the story, stretching the limits of credibility. Faye struggles to love Sim Evan, but cannot bring herself to deactivate him. She seeks help from a programmer Casey (Simu Liu), who illegally hides Evan from authorities and helps him gain consciousness and become more human. Evan is determined to win back his wife's heart but must avoid capture by government agent Kessler (Sam Worthington), who oversees Simulant Compliance and the deactivation of dangerous and sentient Sims.
While the film's first act can be confusing due to the sudden introduction of characters like Casey and the coincidences of events, it eventually finds its footing. The story's surprises of revealing who is human or a sim can also be disorienting. The film contains a bit of action in segments where agent Kessler hunts down deviant Sims, who appear to have superhuman abilities. The audience is allowed to take either side, sympathizing with the Sims for their limited human qualities and desire for more powers such as overriding human commands. The Sims are controlled by four strict precepts, which are enforced and informed to the audience at the start of the film. If a sim disobeys a precept, it is known that the sim has been altered by Casey.
Director Mullen effectively utilizes the gritty landscape of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and its nearby rural lands to create the film's setting with some futuristic-looking alterations. The film contains elements of eeriness, a technical-styled score, fascination, and a futuristic art deco atmosphere, all essential to the success of a sci-fi film. Although not flawless, Simulant has the potential to engage audiences and spark discussions about artificial intelligence and its intersection with human consciousness.
Simulant opens on April 7th in theaters across Canada.
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THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (USA/Japan 2023) ****
Directed by Aaron Horwath and Michael Jelenic
Live action adaptations have more often than not failed with horrid films. THE FLINTSTONES Warner ]Bros. Looney Tunes and The Marios Bros have seen similar fates. After the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 live-action Mario film, Nintendo became reluctant to license its intellectual properties for film adaptations. But surprisingly THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE, a completely computer-animated adventure film based on the Nintendo's Mario video game franchise, with special appearance of Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) is surprisingly inventive, hilarious and completely entertaining. The film has the feel of the Minion films as it was animated in the Illumination (The Minions) Universal Studio in Paris, France. Based on the Nintendo game, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is a U.S. and Japan co-production with a French touch.
The film combines both the elements of fantasy and reality. Being sucked by an oversized pipe in the underground sewers of Brooklyn Mario (Chris Pratt) finds himself in a colourful land filled with polka dot coloured mushrooms called the Mushroom Kingdom. The running joke is that Mario hates mushrooms. “Who does not like mushrooms?” screams Mario’s dad at the dinner table. In reality the Marios Bros are "blue-collar guys”, Italian-American plumbers from Brooklyn. There is also a little romance between Mario and the Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) from the Mushroom Kingdom, before Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island retconned them as lifelong residents of the world of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Entertaining the film is, but not necessarily for the whole family. Though basically a fairy tale fantasy complete with princess castle and all, there is one very dark and eerie scar sequin in which little children might have nightmares watching. This is when Luigi ends up in Darklands, pursued by monsters with large jaws as he jumps over flowing lava in the dark for his dear life. Another is the big fight segment, gladiator style between Mario and Donkey Kong.
Brian Tyler composed the score for the film, working closely with longtime Mario composer Koji Kondo to incorporate themes from the games within the film's score. The composition features an orchestra, choir and bands, as well as "Italian instruments, accordions, live drums, mandolins and whistling human voices. Songs from Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key were improvised for the film. Donkey Kong is introduced in the film accompanied by the title theme music from Donkey Kong 64, the "DK Rap", composed by Grant Kirkhope.
The film works too largely because of its humour. Comedians Seth Rogen and Jack Black voice characters and tokens infections laugh can immediately be recognized. The humour is largely of the goofy sort that adults should also appreciate, with lots of references to the Nintendo game like the Italian stereotyped but still funny jokes, the jumping around and thereferences to the games like jumping over planks and pipes.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE has a Wednesday opening and is projected to earn at least $73–105 million domestically on its opening week.
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HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE (USA 2022) **
Directed by Daniel Goldhaber
HOW TO BLOW UP YOUR PIPELINE is a well-intentioned but unfortunately poorly executed environmentally friendly thriller drama that is all over the place trying especially hard to be a thriller like Henri-Georges Clouzot’s LA SALAIRE DU PEUR but failing miserably. Director Goldhaber ends many segments with an exciting part, like an explosion and then interrupts it with the background story of one (or two) of the activists. It is confusing at first as it goes back in the time-line not to say that it makes little purpose to employ this technique, unless one is making a series in which the end intrigues the viewer to watch the next episode. The virus young subjects leave much for the audience to care for. They just do what they think is right. The film gives mixed messages on what to do with the environment. Should everyone be as destructive by blowing up other pipelines and destroying property? The film also opts out for a cop-out happy ending. One might lay part of the blame to the film’s source material, Andreas Malm’s controversial 2021 non-fiction treatise of the same name.
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KIDS VS. ALIENS (Canada 2022) ***
Directed by Jason Eisener
The new horror comedy streaming on Shudder may sound cheesy based on its title, but that is because the film fully embraces its cheesy nature. However, this does not necessarily detract from the film's entertainment value. Director Eisener successfully leans into the film's cheesiness, resulting in an over-the-top and highly entertaining horror comedy.
KIDS VS. ALIENS is part of a group of Canadian films that are often erroneously recorded as American, despite not referencing any specific location. Although the film could easily stand in for America, it is evident from the absence of American accents, the scenery, and the presence of Canadian actor Calem MacDonald, that the film is Canadian. The movie was shot around Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where the director was born and was financed by the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia. The film is reportedly based on the director's own childhood experiences.
Although the story revolves around kids and teens, KIDS VS. ALIENS is not a children's movie, as evidenced by the frequent swearing by the young characters and the graphic violence and gore that involves lots of blood and gooey substances. Actor Calem MacDonald delivers a standout performance as the traitor boyfriend villain, Billy, who ultimately gets his comeuppance. MacDonald's impressive physique is also on display in a bedroom scene where he takes off his shirt, showcasing his toned body that perfectly complements his good looks. Hailing from Nova Scotia, where the film is produced, MacDonald is a rising star who has appeared in Canadian series such as TRAILER PARK BOYS and the CBC comedy MR. D.
For a low-budget Canadian horror comedy, KIDS VS. ALIENS boasts impressive special effects and lighting that create a convincing atmosphere of an alien invasion at a beachside residence. The movie is set to stream on Shudder, the horror streaming service, beginning on April 14th.
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QUEENS ON THE RUN (FUGA DE REINAS) (Mexico 2023) ***
Directed by Jorge Macaya
As the breezy title implies, QUEENS ON THE RUN is a light (with some laugh- out loud moments) action comedy - more comedy than action, that aims to entertain simply with a simple story for its hour and a half running time. For the reason the film does not aim high, it succeeds as a female feel-good, road trip comedy but do not expect anything in the vein of THELMA AND LOUISE.
4 female ex-schoolmates decide to abandon their individual lives (not too funny here nor too convincing) and decide to take a road trip (with no husbands, no children just naked) they had always wanted to take. The motive is rather: “No matter what age, life is an adventure. It’s never too late to start over. No matter what age, there is a beast inside us waiting to wake up.” Of course, no surprises - they literally bump into some trouble which they get out of eventually based on their female verve and unity.
Nothing special, this Netflix original from Mexico serves as an entertaining and forgetful time-waster. Extra bnus for female audiences, which is the targte audience for this movie. Males - be prepared for abuse! But fun abuse!
RENFIELD (USA 2023) **
Directed by Chris McKay
RENFIELD is the new comedy horror fantasy that takes liberties on the Bram Stoker Dracula novel and updates the tale to modern times. The film’s central character is Dracula’s (Nicholas Cage) servant Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). Renfield finds a new lease on life in modern-day New Orleans when he falls in love with Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), a traffic cop, and decides to finally stand up to his creator in hopes of finally breaking free of his servitude.
Performances-wise, Nicholas Cage does a remarkable job as the deranged vampire, hamming it up the best he can and succeeding immensely bringing in most of the film’s pleasures. Hoult is the pretty boy hero and Awkwafina does what the rapper/ comedienne does best - doing Awkwafina as most audiences are familiar with in her roles such as in CRAZY RICH ASIANS.
The romance portrayed by Rebecca and Renfield is a strange one - as strange as one is human and the other a half monster. There are no kisses or sex, not even the holding of hands or a light peck on the cheek. It shows perhaps that love can overcome all boundaries. Or perhaps the romance could have just been left out more conveniently in the story.
RENFIELD in the Bram Stoker 1897 novel is Count Dracula’s servant. Arguably this insect eating half vampire is more interesting than his master, the count himself. In Stoker’s Dracula, he is the deranged, fanatically devoted servant, helping him in his plan to turn Mina Harker into a vampire in return for a continuous supply of insects to consume and the promise of immortality. Throughout the novel, he resides in an asylum, where he is treated by Dr. John Seward. The devotion in the novel is left intact but everything else about RENFIELD appears to be changed for ‘artistic entertainment’ purposes, which in the film’s case is for comedy fantasy horror.
The film contains lots of swearing, blood and gore and action fight scenes. The amount of blood seen is understandable as Dracula is a blood drinking vampire, but the insect eating scenes are more disturbing. There are lots of gore from broken limbs to decapitation, but all done in the fun and spirit of entertainment. Everyone swears in the film, particularly Rebecca, The action scenes are exciting enough though more could have been done in improving their continuity.
The best thing about the film occurs at the end during the closing credits. The film is deliberately made to look all scratched up like the old horror movies of Dracula and other horror classics, with dancers that are mentioned in the credits but can hardly be seen performing owing to the blurred images.
As a fantastic comedy horror, the film fails as both a comedy and a horror. The comedy is childish and bland though the storyline is just passably modified to suit current times. The film is definitely a horror fantasy though hardly an entertaining one, a rather muddled up blend of too many ingredients in one pot.
SWEETHURT (Australia 2022) ***
Directed by Tom Danger
From down under, arrives a new quirky comedy of the young entitled SWEETHURT. A play on the word “sweetheart”, the story is about being hurt when or after falling in love. There are two interlocking stories here one with a young indigenous male and another with a female. Bit are trying to get over their breakups.
In the director (Tom Danger( and scriptwriter’s (Logan Webster) heartfelt look at love and heartbreak as a young adult, SWEETHURT follows Jacob (Rav Ratnayake), who embarks on a road-trip to a small, beach-side town with his two best friends Mike and Drew, (Mehdy Salameh, Logan Webster) as well as his sociopath sister, Abby (Sam Germain), for what promises to be a fun weekend of going through their newly-deceased grandfather's stuff. When friends get together with an empty house in view, a party is just waiting to happen. And when a party is waiting to happen, all hell will break loose. Upon arrival, Jacob's true motivations are revealed; his ex-girlfriend, Olivia (Alannah Robertson) now with some new hunk Tyler, lives in the town, and Jacob wants one last shot at probably disappointing her again. Meanwhile, in the second story, Skye (Tyra Cartledge) has just had her heart broken, and the only one who can pick up the pieces is her best friend Carly (Rhiaan Marquez) - together, they go on a voyage through the night as Skye struggles with her burgeoning sexuality, having to deal with perverts, pirates, and worst of all - her parents. There is also a baby goat, of course.
The film features a pop-punky, fist-pumping, skateboardy soundtrack, evoking the ripped-jean vibes of the late 90s/early 2000s. SWEETHURT features pop-rock legends Third Eye Blind, current glam-rock megastars The Struts, underground pop-punk royalty Mest, as well as a collection of modern and classic bands from all over the world, creating a nostalgia-soaked instant classic of young adult angst, romance, friendship and partying until you pass out.
SWEETHURT is not as good or as hilarious or even as original as it wants to be, but not for want of trying. Take for example, the dialogue that tries so hard to be original and funny - the one referring to the scenic route, which means meeting up with the average guy before dumping him for a hotter one, once the average guy has introduced all his better looking friends.Audiences have seen films with wilder parties, crazier stories with young teen love anode course much funnier teen comedies with teen angst. Still SWEETHURT is amusing and entertaining and watchable for its short running time of 92 minutes.
SWEETHURT has made its rounds at various film festivals, already screened at Byron Bay Underground Film Festival, New Jersey International Film Festival, and Sydney Underground Film Festival.
Gravitas Ventures will release SWEETHURT on digital platforms on April 18, 2023. The film has a running time of 92 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.
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ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (USA 2023) ***
Directed by Peyton Reed
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA is the long awaited and much anticipated sequel to ANT-MAN that entertained Marvel fans in 2015 with action combined with much comedy.
As in all MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films, there is little story but a simple premise to go on. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with Hope's parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) , and Lang's daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), go on a new adventure exploring the Quantum Realm that pushes their limits and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
The action super hero here, in diminutive size in Ant-Man , (Rudd) an Avenger and former petty criminal with a suit that allows him to shrink or grow in scale while increasing in strength. After the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Lang has become a well-known celebrity to the public, as well as the author of an autobiographical book titled Look Out for the Little Guy, which tells a different version of how he helped save the universe. When the film opens. Lang is signing copies of his book, a task that Cassie frowns down upon. Cassie wants to save the world. But she lands her family and the multiverse in grave danger instead.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA can be considered the most family friendly Marvel action franchise. In this film, family values are stressed. Even the grandparents (on the mother’s side) are brought into the picture. It is all about the daughter growing up right with solid values. The film is also funnier and often quite cartoonish, making the film suitable for little kids. Noticeably too, is the lack of swearing and violence.
The funniest and most winning creature in the film is MODOK (an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing), a character with an enlarged head and baby limbs. He is Pyn’s old friend Darren. When MODOK first appears on the screen, Scott or ANT-MAN’s first reaction is “Darren?” to which he replies: "I am now known as the ultimate weapon.” Vassie tells him: “Don’t be a dick.” later on in the film, words that the ultimate weapon then takes to heart to redeem himself. Not only is MODOK ridiculous to look at with his skinny arms and legs, but the character is given the funniest lines. One can forgive a string of film faults when given the good laughs provided by MODOK, the character that saves the movie.
QUANTUMANIA is likeliest the funniest of all the Marvel super action hero movies - no complaints about that. Lead actor Paul Rudd is also a comedian and director Reed has basically directed all comedies, such as BRING IT ON. Special effects, action, sets are typically what is expected from a Marvel film, but best is to see QUANTUMANIA for its humour.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA opens widely in theatres on February the 27th.
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BOY FROM NOWHERE (Canada/Philippines 2022) ***
Directed by S.J. Finlay
The Philippines has been given a bad rap by Hollywood lately. In Jennifer Lopez’s SHOTGUN WEDDING, her character’s wedding is hijacked by supposedly Filipino pirates and in the Julia Roberts and George Clooney vehicle TICKET TO PARADISE, Filipino rebels descend on their daughter's wedding. Both films ended up being filmed in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic respectively. BOY FROM NOWHERE is based on true events with Filipino rebels. This film was shot in the Philippines.
Shot guerrilla style in dangerous parts of the southern Philippines, BOY FROM NOWHERE is S.J. Finlay’s feature film debut. It features a cast of non-actors whose lives closely mimic the tale of a boy caught up in a chain of events beyond his control. After losing his father and home when his fishing village is burned down in an attack, a lost and gentle young boy named Gary sets off inland to find his mother and her tribe. “Why is my skin not as dark as the others?” Gary is curious and wonders of his origins and he asks his father the question. Vulnerable and malleable, he battles hunger and solitude, drifting into the wrong crowd as he is brainwashed into becoming a child soldier for the local rebel faction until further loss leads him to find a more meaningful purpose for his life.
The film is beautifully shot showing the beauty of the Philippine countryside. But Gary ends up in the city of Malaybalay, far from home. Malaybalay, officially the City of Malaybalay is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 190,712 people.
The underwater shots of Gary swimming (his tribe is fishermen) and of Gary playing basketball are well executed and worthy of mention.
It is obvious that the topic that director Finlay wishes to bring to the audience's attention is the existence of child soldiers. Gary is recruited through a young friend slightly older than himself, who ends up being shot into film. The film is based on real life characters and the friend actually survived.
Finlay’s film is sympathetic to the rebels, despite their guerrilla tactics and acts of violence to further their cause. The audience gets to hear their arguments and disgruntling against the government, one-sided that they may be. But it is the peaceful way of rebellion that director Finlay wishes to make known. It is farming to put food in the mouths of families, a fact more important than fighting and killing. The climax of the film has Gary decide whether o go with the guerrillas or the farmers.
Director Finlay pays tribute to quite a few classic movies in his film.. Gary sings during a karaoke session THE SOUND OF MUSIC Roger and Hammerstein song “Climb Every Mountain” which symbolizes his quest to succeed beyond all odds.
The film is shot in Basaya & Tagalog (English Subtitled) and opens on Amazon on February the 17th, 2023.
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CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (aka SWORD OF DESTINY)
(Taiwan/Hong Kong/USA/China 2000) Top 10 *****
Directed by Ang Lee
Hailed by critics and audiences alike, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON the martial-arts sword saga has been on the list of many’s top10 films of 2000. 22 years later and February the 17th sees the 4K restoration on the big screen where epics such as this, should be seen and experienced.
The star of the piece is the legendary Green Destiny sword in which the bearer is able to wield exceptional power. The trouble and the story begins when a thief that turns out to be young Chinese warrior steals this sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation. Set against the breathtaking landscape of ancient China, the story is of two women whose fates intertwine. Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) is a warrior who, in the name of honour, has long suppressed her feelings for legendary fighter Li Mu Bai (Hong Kong action star Chow Yun Fat). Jen (Zhang Ziyi), on the other hand, is a young aristocrat who longs for a life of crime and passion. When a famed sword belonging to Mu Bai is stolen, Shu Lien and Jen come face to face – not only with each other, but also with their destinies.
The film has everything an epic has to offer - adventure, action, romance (times two), a journey, the fight between good and evil and all in a period backdrop of beautiful ancient China with excellent cinematography by Peter Pau, of the bamboo forests where the climactic fight takes place and the barren desert and mountains. The musical is composed by Dun Tan with cello solos by world famous Yo-Yo Ma. The stunning fight cinematography is by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix).
The cast is excellent, especially a younger Michelle Yeoh who is nominated this year for her performance in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. But the prize performance belongs to Martial Arts film veteran star of many Shaw Brothers sword fighting action films, Cheng Pei-Pei as Jade Fox, the villain of the piece. Cheng Pei-Pei wowed audiences in her debut film, the Shaw Brothers production COME DRINK WITH ME directed by the legendary King Hu who went on to make classics like DRAGON INN, LEGEND OF THE MOUNTAIN and A TOUCH OF ZEN. Ang Lee’s film clearly pays a wonderful tribute to King Hu’s action films. It is Ang Lee’s first action film and he manages a feat that Chinese director Zhang Yimou failed in his Martial-Arts epics like HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS. Lee combined the fight choreography with edge of the seat excitement, the latter being lost in Zhang’s films. The flight of the combatants across the roofs and the tops of the bamboo trees are perfect examples of Ang’s and his team’s mastery.
In case one has forgotten, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film now known as the Best International Feature. The film is definitely worth another viewing, especially after 22 years.
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MARLOWE (Ireland/USA 2022) **
Directed by Neil Jordan
When it was announced at Cannes that Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME) would be directing a new Philip Marlowe movie with Liam Neeson in the titular role, there was much commotion and hype. Added to the top cast were heavyweights Diane Kruger (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS), Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming and Danny Huston. The question is whether the film will meet up to expectations.
Based on the novel The Black-Eyed Blonde, the 1939’s-set film in Bay City, California with the oil and movie businesses in full swing, sees private detective Marlowe (Neeson) hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress. Initially it looks an open and shut case, but Marlowe soon finds himself in the underbelly of Hollywood’s film industry and unwittingly drawn into the crossfire of a legendary Hollywood actress and her subversive, ambitious daughter.
Who is this Marlowe character? In the words of Marlowe himself in the film: “I am just an ordinary Joe trying to earn a buck while staying out of jail.” The script also steals from other movies as in the scene when Marlowe says: “I am too old for this,” taken from the LETHAL WEAPON franchise.
Director Jordan plays it safe with the production values - sets, props as well as dialogue and references. Perhaps too safe! This film lacks punch! He pays homage also to film noir films kill Roman Polanski’s CHINATOWN in which a character (played by Faye Dunaway) is seen with a damaged eye shot with a bullet on the film set. There is always too much said that happening and it does require a lot off audience concentration to follow- a case of too much concentration paid by the audience for little reward.
The one positive aspect of the film is the creation of the Raymond Chandler atmosphere. “I have never ever seen a sober driver” says the owner of a drinks club in the city. At the film’s beginning , the audience first sees the femme fatale at Marlowe’s office, complete with silhouette. There is much dialogue that illustrates the precision of Marlowe’s detective skills.
Neeson’s Marlowe is an ok portrayal for all that it is worth. It is a far cry from his TAKEN franchise. His character is often referred to as a big man, and Marlowe does gets his fair share of beating up the baddies. As in all the Marlowe films, Marlowe will get himself beaten up.
The best Raymond Chandler Marlowe film remains Robert Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE with Elliot Goulding he title role followed by THE BIG SLEEP and FAREWELL MY LOVELY. Other films like Roman Polanski’s CHINATOWN and the Humphrey Bogart films put this one to shame. The ingredient missing in Jordan’s MARLOWE is the shock (or surprise) element. The big twist in the plot at the end (for example when the villain tuned out to have raped his daughter so that the Faye Dunaway’s daughter was also her sister) or the lesbian dancing partying neighbours in THE LONG GOODBYE were what made the old film noir films different Jordan uses action as an alternative in his film..
MARLOWE will open in theatres on Wednesday, February 15th.
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OF AN AGE (Australia 2022) **
Directed by Steve Stoleski
OF AN AGE comes with the heading ‘one of the most romantic films ever seen’. Whether the words are true to anyone is up to the individual. But there are a lot of darkly lit scenes in which faces are hidden and cannot be seen.
OF AN AGE is a gay falling in love film, sort of Harlequin-style. There is a slight obstacle though one could do with a stronger one, which obviously will be overcome for the two star crossed immigrant Aussie lovers to come back together again. Audiences have seen all this before. There is nothing really new in the film and director Stoleski takes his time with his film just trudging along without much happening. Stoleski begins his film with a 5 - 10 minute solo dance sequence in which the audience is introduced to the main character, Kol (Elias Anton) where the actor gets to display his talent, not so much in dance but for showing off his body, with lots of twists, turns and grinding.
One wonders the reason this mediocre film got made and picked up by Universal and Focus Features. The film is born and bred in Melbourne, Australia and the director had won a few talent awards and given money to do the movie. Goran Stolevski was born and grew up in North Macedonia before migrating to Australia as a teenager. He completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne and a Masters in Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts. He won the Ruben Mamoulian Best Director Award at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival with You Deserve Everything, before attending the Berlinale Talent Campus and MIFF Accelerator as well as receiving the $50,000 Lexus Fellowship for his short film My Boy Oleg. Stoleski appears to be a Melbourne prodigy. OF AN AGE is Stoleksi’s second full-length feature, his first being a horror drama.
Set in the summer of 1999 as an 17-year-old Serbian born, Australian amateur ballroom dancer Kol experiences an unexpected and intense 24-hour romance with a friend's Ebony (Hattie Hook) brother, Adam (Thom Green).
The film begins with the girl, Ebony waking up on a beach not realizing how she got there and what had happened to her. She scrounges a coin to make a telephone call to Kol, who happens to be dancing and showing off his body to the audience. She is in quite a state and wants him to borrow a car to pick her up immediately. The car he borrows ends up to be from her brother, Adam which is how the two meet. Yes, they meet in the car. Apart from these sequences, that have nothing much to do with the story but wasting time. The film is generally a slow trudge with nothing much really happening. It does not help that Stileksi’s camera is always up close with closeups of faces and objects. If only he would pull back the camera more often. This kind of film creates a false sense of urgency, making the audience often more uncomfortable than not. It also does not help that Stoleksi plays with the sound editing so that it is often not easy to decipher the words uttered by the characters. They, speaking with an Australian accent does not help North American audiences either.
Focus Features and Universal releases OF AN AGE on February the 10th, and exapns on the 17th just after Valentine’s Day.
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- Details
- Written by: Gilbert Seah
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Movie Reviews
FILM REVIEWS:
CALVAIRE (The Ordeal)(Luxembourg/Belgium/France 2002)
Click on the link for the full review on our sister website.
https://toronto-franco.com/article/21-cinema-movies/371-film-review-calvaire-the-ordeal
COCAINE BEAR (USA 2023)
Directed by Elizabeth Banks
Review embargo lifted Thursday at 4 pm ET
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EMILY (UK 2022) ***
Directed by Frances O’Connor
EMILY is British actress Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut. She has starred before in similar pieces such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
EMILY is a 2022 British biographical drama film written and directed by Frances O'Connor in her directorial debut. It is a part-fictional portrait of English writer Emily Brontë (played by Emma Mackey), concentrating on a fictional romantic relationship with the young curate William Weightman (OliverJackson-Cohen).
As Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey) is ill and near death, her older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) asks her what inspired her to write her novel, the classic piece Wuthering Heights.
Going back in time, and sometime in the past, Charlotte, who nearly graduated from school, returned home for a visit. Emily tries to talk to her about the fictional worlds she created while Charlotte is at school, but Charlotte tries to dissuade her from these juvenile activities. At the same time, a slightly dashing gentleman, William Weightman, a new curate, arrives. While her sisters and several other young women seem enamoured with the young man, Emily is dismissive of him. While visiting the Brontë home, Weightman partakes in a game the Brontës have invented where they take turns donning a mask and impersonating a character with the other members, guessing who the character is. When it is Emily's turn, she claims to be possessed by the ghost of their deceased mother. Charlotte, Anne and Branwell become distressed, while Weightman is disturbed by the scene.
Emily goes with Charlotte to her school to learn to be a teacher while her brother Branwell goes to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. Both Emily and Branwell return shortly after as failures, Branwell proclaiming he is now more interested in writing and Emily at a loss for what to do.
The story continues with the characters interacting with each other, which involves a few more pressing issues, such as love and death.
Director O’Connor captures several unique scenes from the English period. The best of these has the four women and three beaus off for a picnic in the countryside when rain suddenly comes pouring down. It is a simple yet gorgeous scene in which the picnickers run for cover under a practically leafless tree. They laugh and charge in the rain, with their joy rubbing off on the audience.
A fine job for a first-time director, kudos to Francis O’Connor, her acting experience obviously paying off. She elicits solid performances from all her players, who do well credibly with their roles without any overacting. Often, the actors' nuances and expressions are sufficient to get the mood of a setting.
EMILY is well worth watching, never mind that it all sounds like a feminine film, with main female characters and issues like romance, social standing, and mores as the film’s issues. But the film covers the universal issue of accomplishing what others expect of one or what one expects of oneself against what one is capable of doing.
As for prizes, EMILY has received three awards at the Dinard British Film Festival: Golden Hitchcock, Best Performance Award for Emma Mackey and Audience Award.
EMILY premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival before being theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Pictures on 14 October 2022 and opens in local cinemas on the 27th of February, 2023, a little later.
Trailer:
EMILY (UK 2022) ***
Directed by Frances O’Connor
EMILY is British actress Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut. She has starred before in similar pieces such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
EMILY is a 2022 British biographical drama film written and directed by Frances O'Connor in her directorial debut. It is a part-fictional portrait of English writer Emily Brontë (played by Emma Mackey), concentrating on a fictional romantic relationship with the young curate William Weightman (OliverJackson-Cohen).
As Emily Brontë (Emma Mackey) is ill and near death, her older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) asks her what inspired her to write her novel, the classic piece Wuthering Heights.
Going back in time, and sometime in the past, Charlotte, who nearly graduated from school, returned home for a visit. Emily tries to talk to her about the fictional worlds she created while Charlotte was at school, but Charlotte tries to dissuade her from these juvenile activities. At the same time, a slightly dashing gentleman, William Weightman, a new curate, arrives. While her sisters and several other young women seem enamoured with the young man, Emily is dismissive of him. While visiting the Brontë home, Weightman partakes in a game the Brontës have invented where they take turns donning a mask and impersonating a character with the other members, guessing who the character is. When it is Emily's turn, she claims to be possessed by the ghost of their deceased mother. Charlotte, Anne and Branwell become distressed, while Weightman is disturbed by the scene.
Emily goes with Charlotte to her school to learn to be a teacher while her brother Branwell goes to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. Both Emily and Branwell return shortly after as failures, Branwell proclaiming he is now more interested in writing and Emily at a loss for what to do.
The story goes on with the characters interacting with each other which involves a few more pressing issues such as love and death.
Director O’Connor captures several unique English period scenes. The best of these has the 4 women and three beaus off for a picnic in the countryside when rain suddenly comes pouring down. It is a simple yet gorgeous scene in which the picnickers run for cover under a practically leafless tree. They laugh and charge in the rain, with their joy rubbing off on the audience.
A fine job for a first time director, kudos going to Francis O’Connor, her acting experience obviously paying off. She elicits solid performances from all her players, who do well credibly with their roles without any overacting. Often the actors’s nuances and expressions are sufficient to get the mood of a setting.
EMILY is well worth the while to watch, never mind that it all sounds like a feminine film, with main female characters and issues like romance, social standing and mores as the film’s issues. But the film covers the universal issue of accomplishing what others expect of one or what one expects of oneself against what one is capable of doing.
As for prizes, EMILY has received three awards at the Dinard British Film Festival: Golden Hitchcock, Best Performance Award for Emma Mackey and Audience Award.
EMILY premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival before being theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Pictures on 14 October 2022 and opens in local cinemas on the 27th of February, 2023, a little later.
FREE SKATE (Finland 2021) ***1/2
Directed by Roope Olenius
A promising figure skater flees from Russia to Finland to escape her inhumane circumstances.
Following a successful run on the global film festival circuit, Canadian distributor IndieCan Entertainment offers audiences the chance to experience the beauty and trauma of being a world-class athlete with FREE SKATE. FREE SKATE is from Finland, the country of origin, and tells the disturbing story akin to the #MeToo Movement, already too commonly known.
Director Roope Olenius' feature is written by lead actress Veera W. Vilo, who stars as the promising figure skater fleeing from Russia to Finland to escape her inhumane circumstances. The film is based on Vilo’s own experiences as a gymnast, her colleagues’ experiences, and disturbing stories of female athletes and dancers that have come to light after the start of the #MeToo movement.
FREE SKATE begins with a female body (Vilo) lying across an icy road in the midst of winter. It turns out that it is the body of a figure skater who then recovers fro 2 day of being in a coma. An address in her pocket allows her to be connected to her grandmother. It turns out that the country is Finland. Actress Vilo’s script is all over the place in the first half and is a tad confusing as to where each scene is taking pace. If one can distinguish Russian from Finnish, one can tell whether the action is taking place in Finland where the figure skater currently is or in Russia before her escape. Otherwise the film is difficult to follow.
Once the film’s half way mark is reached, everything becomes clear as to what is happening. The skater, after delivering a prize winning skating performance is granted an interview in the media. The skater decides to tell it all, how she jumped countries (Russia to Finland) with a story according to the interviewer, which everyone wants to know about, But with the story goes grave danger as the skater’s perpetrators are now aware of her whereabouts. It is at this point that the film starts to make sense and therefore becomes more effective and thrilling.. FREE SKATE is both a drama and thriller, a thriller because the baddies from Russia will not leave the skater alone and follows her to Finland. It is surprising that one of the villains is the skater’s father, who had been paid a sum of money to sell off his daughter. This man follows her to Finland and attacks his now mother who has put up the skater in her house. This is a difficult scene to take in and watch.
There is much to be entertained by FREE SKATE. There are excellent figure skating sequences to complement the drama and abuse faced by the skater. (The skater is unnamed).
The theatrical release, of FREE SKATE has been postponed from January owing to Cineplex Odeon wishing to prioritize Academy Award related films during the time before the Oscar ceremonies but FREE SKATE will be available as originally schedule on a number of digital and cable platforms in North America, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, iNDemand and DISH, starting February 28, 2023.
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GOD’S TIME (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Daniel Antebi
The phrase GOD’S TIME is taken from a phrase spoken during an addiction sharing session in which an addict talks about her abusive boyfriend, Russell who has moved in and kicked her out of her apartment while keeping her beloved dog as well. She talks about killing him with a gun her dad had given her but relents saying: “pray that he will die in GOD’S TIME.” She says the same words every time she shares. On the one time she does not say those words, a fellow addict who has fallen in love with her thinks that she is going to Russell’s place with the gun to shoot him. Dev attempts to stop her from doing the murder, saves her and Russell and perhaps hopefully has her fall in love with him. This is the premise of the new film GOD’S TIME written and directed by Daniel Antebi.
Best friends and recovering addicts Dev (Ben Groh) and Luca (Dion Costelloe) are secretly in love with fellow addict Regina (Liz Caribel). At every meeting they hear her share her wild fantasy to kill her evil ex-boyfriend. But one day she changes her share; now she sounds serious. This sets Dev and Luca off on a 24-hour odyssey through pandemic-gripped New York City to stop Regina from making a life-shattering mistake. As their friendship is pushed to the brink, Dev and Luca realize their bond is unbreakable in this kinetic, vibrant debut from writer and director Daniel Antebi.
Director Antebi’s film is intense just as addicts tend to be, and his film is aided by frenetic performances by all the lead actors. There are lots of shouting, screaming and fast talk that create a film that does not let the audience rest nor take a breather. The story covers quite the few issues like addiction and recovery, revenge, friendship, romance and all blended in relatively successfully. The trouble with a story covering so many issues is, as the proverb goes: “too many cooks spoil the broth”, none of them is satisfactorily resolved, except the best friend issue, which looks like a cop-out. The credibility of the story is what makes the film ticks. It is tough to see addicts trying to recover but often failing because of human weaknesses as well as human temptations. There is a whole lot of lying going around in the film. Lying and not telling both actually mean the same thing. Every addict can lie that he or she has come clean but one cannot lie to one’s conscience. Also words will slip out that will reveal the truth as the film demonstrates.
For all the effort put in, Antebi’s feature is not half bad, credit to him and his crew for trying so hard.
The very frenetic film GOD’S TIME premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and won a Special Jury Prize for Best Performance for Liz Caribel. IFC Films will release the film in theatres on Friday, February 24 in NY, LA and select cities and on VOD platforms. Prepare for a wild ride!
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JUNIPER (New Zealand 2021) ***
Directed by Matthew J. Saville
The film follows a self-destructive teenager, Sam (George Ferrier) suspended from school and asked to look after his feisty alcoholic grandmother, Ruth (Charlotte Rampling) as a punishment. The story is based on the true life experiences of director Saville who also had a toxic grandmother who had broken her leg and he was forced to look after her. According to him, she was funny, angry and a force to be reckoned with. But like all exterior brave seeming people, she has a weakness. She is afraid of dying alone.
So, director Saville helms this tribute to his grandmother in this rather entertaining look at relationships and death.
Sam is forced to look after his grandmother who arrives in New Zealand from the U.K. His father (Marton Csokas) has to go the U.K. for business. They have no homie but have to leave Sam with Ruth. As the dad says: "She is the only one keeping us from going broke. We have no choice. Everything is going to be fine.” But Ruth has a nurse as well but she needs Sam when she is not around.
Ruth drinks quite a lot. Her normal is a jug half of gin and half of water with a twist of lemon.
The film’s best parts are those with Sam and his grandmother together. In one of these meetings, She pulls the plug out of the socket thus disabling her from buzzing him through the electric circuit. In anger, she tosses a glass at him but misses. Sam stands right in front of her and dares her to throw another glass at him. The glass hits him right in the temple. When he dares her to repeat the act, she remarks that she has run out of annunciation. At times Sam is so mad, he leaves her.
New Zealand is shown with its beautiful countryside with white horses galloping around. The sweetest scene has Sam dancing with her grandmother.
JUNIPER is fortunate to have as its main star the British Actress Charlotte Rampling. Rampling has starred in arthouse European films including Richard Lester’s A HARD DAY’S NIGHT and THE KNACK AND HOW TO USE IT. Though her most famous role is that of a Nazi prisoner in Liliana Cavan’s THE NIGHT PORTER, she has also starred in a number of Francois Ozon’s films including LE PISCINE (SWIMMING POOL). It is admirable that she lends her hand to first time filmmaker director Matthew J. Saville (thesis his first full length feature after making two shorts) as well as newcomer young actor the Kiwi George Ferrier. Now she has New Zealand as a place she has worked in on her resume. Rampling has also won won the Berlin Film Festival Award for Best Actress, the European Film Award for Best Actress, and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. for her recent 45 YEARS.
JUNIPER opens in Canadian Theatres beginning February 24 with a VOD release to follow on April 4.
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METRONOM (Romania/France 2022) ****
Directed by Alexandra Belc
METRONOM is a political drama, the politics only coming forth at the halfway mark of the story. The first half of the rather disturbing film looks and feels like a teenage romance flick in which a boy and girl, very much in love with each other, are forced to separate because the boy is moving to Germany from Bucharest, Romania.
The title of the film is derived from METRONOM, a radio show clandestinely broadcast by Radio Free Europe, animated by the Romanian radio journalist and producer Cornel Chiriac from exile. Cornel got assassinated in Munich in 1975. The research conducted by the director Alexandru Belc was a personal foray into adolescence and into a teenager’s life in Romania at that time, the time of my parent’s youth. The setting is the dangerous times of the post ’68 era and the most interesting period of the communist regime, as it was the time of greatest social and cultural contradictions. Young people were all listening to Metronom that became a window to the western life.
The film begins with what looks like an innocent meeting between two young lovers, still in school, Ana and Soren. Soren has to leave for Germany and Ana is visibly upset. They are to meet one last time at a party held by a friend but Ana does not wish to go, but eventually changes her mind. Her mother does not grant her permission but her more lenient father says ok. When the time comes, mother gets her way, but Ana leaves for the party anyway. This is where and when the trouble starts - at this near half point of the film, where the film takes a strange and complete turn into a political suspense drama. That night, while partying with her friends, they decide to send a letter to Metronom, the musical program which Radio Free Europe broadcasts clandestinely in Romania. It is then that the Securitate, Ceausescu’s secret police arrive. They are brought into the police station, questioned, threatened and some beaten.
Director Belc tells this story through the eyes of the teenage girl (Ana), in love with a boy (Sorin) who leaves the country for good. The script becomes more and more a support for Ana’s inner emotions, and everything started gravitating around her. Every shot of the film is closely following her, she is the one who brings us into this innocent world of music, liberty, adolescence, and love. She is present in every scene, in every moment of the film so we can see the world through her eyes. If a scene starts without her, it definitely ends with her and vice-versa.
The film won its director, Alexandra Belc the Best Director Award in the Un Certain Regard Section of Cannes last year. It is clear to see the reason. Besides his extensive research into the authenticity of the subject, setting and atmosphere from the music, dialogue, props and performances, the film is a showcase of the meticulous care and effort devoted into a film that pays off in its delivery. METRONOM opens TIFF Bell Lightbox on Friday, February 24, 2023.
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