I know Parker Mott as a fellow writer and a friend. We met on the set of Eric Marchen’s television show Cinema Seen years ago (when it was originally titled The Film Slate), and we’ve kept in contact ever since.
Unsimulated sex and its utilization in film is a continuing debate between movie aficionados on whether the uncensored acts add to a story or the general moviegoing experience. French filmmakers Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau create a controversial – yet very convincing – argument towards the issue in their minimalist drama Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo.
Misconduct is a soap opera fuelled by star power. However, the film doesn’t aspire to anything more than cheap scandalous thrills.
When Dirty Grandpa was released in January, it was panned by critics and moviegoing audiences stayed fairly quiet. However, after Wylie Writes’ Shannon Page reported that the film was a funny party with irresistible chemistry between veteran actor Robert De Niro and heartthrob Zac Efron, I was inclined to check it out.
After a 5-year hiatus, English filmmaker Terence Davies returns with Sunset Song, an adaptation of the seminal Scottish novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. Davies’ traditionally melodramatic and stilted approach to writing drama is on display here, and a great hindrance to this adaptation.
How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town is a pleasant surprise on a couple of levels. It’s easy to see why this naughty-but-nice crowd pleaser has gathered acclaim; even taking home the Best Feature award at this year’s Canadian Film Fest.
Sometimes, a film may fail at one or two or even five things. A much rarer find is a film that manages to fail at absolutely everything it attempts. The term “attempt” is important, since The Before Time did unintentionally succeed at making me laugh out loud several times – a much higher success rate than many recent comedies.
