The Quest of Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse is a sensational chef with incredible senses, and Gilles de Maistre communicates that well in his labour of love The Quest of Alain Ducasse.
2018
Alex Strangelove
Craig Johnson (director/co-writer of The Skeleton Twins) returns with another sweet story about solving personal ambiguity with wonder, caution, and experience in Netflix’s Alex Strangelove. This time, the angst takes place in high school, as Johnson evolves the “teen sex comedy” sub-genre with positive (and current) messages of sexual orientation.
Hereditary
By: Nick van Dinther It’s so difficult to pull off a horror film that’s truly frightening. Many movies rely on jump scares or violent deaths, but the results rarely stick with you after the fact. It’s a genre that’s incredibly divisive between both fans and critics, and fails more often than it succeeds for both. A filmmaker needs to bring something genuinely special and memorable to the table to appeal to all. Writer/director Ari Aster…
Prodigals
By: Trevor Chartrand Michelle Ouellet’s Prodigals depicts a feeling as much as a narrative. Based on a stage play of the same name, the film is about a group of 20-somethings reflecting on their lives, and coming to terms with the emptiness staring back at them. While it may sound bleak and unsettling, the film isn’t without a few shimmering rays of hope.
Hotel Artemis
By: Trevor Chartrand It’s refreshing to see original scripts can still make their way to the big screen! Between the endless tirade of superhero movies, novel adaptations, sequels, remakes, and reboots, it’s rare to see something that’s actually fresh. Films aren’t often greenlit without a built-in fanbase – and even when they are, they rarely rise above mediocrity. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with Drew Pearce’s Hotel Artemis. The film isn’t going to revolutionize cinema…
Wylie Writes’ 2018 Mid-Year Report
We’re halfway through the year, which means it’s time for Wylie Writes’ recap of the best and the worst films of 2018. Don’t forget to click the coloured titles to read a more detailed write-up about the film!
All Summers End
All Summers End may not know where it wants to begin, but it’s a memorable journey through repentance and youthful maturity.
Let the Sunshine In
Movies about people looking for true love tend to be treated with a lighter attitude. Mostly because audiences respond more efficiently to stories that they can relate to that don’t portray their problems as a wet towel. To my recollection, Let the Sunshine In is the first film – in some time, at least – to put real weight behind this personal mission of romance. Although the film provides relatable results for some viewers, the…
First Reformed
In First Reformed, writer/director Paul Schrader tells a story about characters living in excruciating personal turmoil. He then gradually develops his movie to be more visceral, so the audience can experience similar pain. You would think keeping movie goers in a state of compelling discomfort would be a tricky balancing act for Schrader, but he succeeds with ease; almost as if this area of emotional discomfort is a particular wheelhouse for the Taxi Driver screenwriter.