Afterimage
The late Andrzej Wajda tells a story of artistic integrity in Afterimage, a biopic about Polish avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski.
January 2017
The Worst Movies of 2016
This past year offered plenty of bad movies, but unfunny comedies, shabby horror movies, and excruciating documentaries truly challenged the critics at Wylie Writes. Here are some of their “Worst Of” lists, and don’t forget to click highlighted titles for reviews.
Teenage Cocktail
John Carchietta’s Teenage Cocktail is a surprisingly satisfying small-time endeavour in teenage angst.
Arbor Demon
Longtime lovers Dana (Fiona Dourif) and Charles (Kevin Ryan) are in a relationship rut. She wants more, and he thinks life is pretty swell. The mere mention of having kids sends Charles into stammers, while Dana sighs and continues to suppress signs of her newfound pregnancy.
A Dog’s Purpose
By: Nick Ferwerda A Dogs Purpose tries to demonstrate how strong a bond between man and man’s friend can truly be. It’s also about a dog (voiced by Josh Gad) finding what its life purpose is over the course of multiple lives and many different experiences. It’s odd how five screenwriters (including W. Bruce Cameron – the author of the best-selling book this film is based on) have failed to authenticate characters or emotion – it’s all a…
The Red Turtle
By: Nick Ferwerda As a huge fan of Studio Ghibli’s catalogue, it’s hard not to go into their latest co-production The Red Turtle with very high hopes. I am happy to report that this film does not disappoint.
The Best Movies of 2016
All eyes may be on Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea, or any of the other Oscar darlings, but 2016 offered a lot of other great movies. Below are Wylie Writes’ top picks; don’t forget to click the highlighted titles to read each contributor’s review!
Take the 10
The trailer for Netflix’s Take the 10 does no favours for this surprising flick. It plays up slapstick yucks and crude dialogue, and, worst of all, it believes its the first movie to incorporate violent thugs in broad comedy – it’s detrimental advertising. Luckily, writer/director/star Chester Tam has a trick up his sleeve.
The Skyjacker’s Tale
The Skyjacker’s Tale starts out well enough. Director Jamie Kastner sets the scene with a reenactment of an in-flight hijack situation. Ishmael Muslim, a convicted felon, orders the pilot to change the plane’s route and head to Cuba. The claustrophobic filmmaking, the period detail, real testimonials, and the actors playing their designated roles make this first act particularly tense – the audience anticipates the rest of the documentary.
Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened
By: Jessica Goddard Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened is a documentary that operates largely like a moving, speaking scrapbook, and for this reason it is both preciously poignant and guilty of some (ultimately forgivable) navel-gazing.