The Farewell
By: Jessica Goddard A poignant and sincere exploration of family, loyalty, and cultural divide, The Farewell turns its writer-director’s quirky anecdote into effective drama.
July 2019
The Art of Self-Defense
Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) has recently dodged being typecast as timid characters, but he leans back into those traits to headline The Art of Self-Defense.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love
Filmmaker Nick Broomfield recounts his memories of Marianne Ihlen and singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen in his documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love.
Maiden
By: Jolie Featherstone Maiden opens in the middle of a cold and unforgiving ocean. Waves as tall as houses tumble and crash. A preternaturally calm voice is heard over the roar: “the ocean is always trying to kill you.” The roar continues. A storm brews in the increasingly agitated sky. “It doesn’t take a break.”
Melody Makers: Should’ve Been There
Sam Tweedle, a local theatre critic for KawarthaNow.com, is one of the most well-versed music wiz’s I know. We occasionally run into each other at local productions he’s writing about, but I’m almost more familiar with his online takes on his favourite musicians and underrated albums. During our run-ins, he picks my brain about movies. We agree on Kirk Cameron, we disagree on 1st Summoning, but I digress.
The Beach Bum
A bunch of different ideas coexist in The Beach Bum, but they never truly come together.
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is an efficient documentary, even if it’s as standard as biopic docs get.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Family history is a dependable theme for filmmakers to explore. The Last Black Man in San Francisco, however, is more about what it means to preserve that lineage. In their breakout feature film debut, filmmaker Joe Talbot and actor Jimmie Fails unpack an observational story that’s related to that, based on elements of Fails’ real-life experiences.
Iliza Shlesinger: Over & Over
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger gives at-home viewers an up-close-and-personal look at her career leading up to her latest Netflix special in the “fan-u-mentary” Iliza Shlesinger: Over & Over.
