Tel Aviv on Fire
A rising writer of a Palestinian soap opera tries to cater to everyone, while covering up his own secret, in Sameh Zoabi’s award-winning comedy Tel Aviv on Fire.
2019
Free Trip to Egypt
Free Trip to Egypt is the epitome of a “feel-good movie”. The fact that it’s also a documentary is proof that positive affirmations can manifest organically.
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable
Most people unacquainted with pro surfer Bethany Hamilton (myself included) may only know about her dangerous run-in with a tiger shark, which resulted in her left arm being bitten off (a story adapted in 2011’s Soul Surfer, based on Hamilton’s autobiographical best-seller). I wholeheartedly recommend Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable to those movie goers. Not only does Aaron Lieber’s documentary fill us in on Hamilton’s career using stylistic flare, but the film does an exceptional job showcasing…
The Stone Speakers
One of the best things about moviegoing is watching a rising star come into their own element. Up-and-coming actors are always praised for this, but we don’t shed enough light on indie filmmakers who finally find the right vehicle for them.
Astronaut
Sending the unlikeliest of people into space–from Jason Voorhees to Homer Simpson–has always been a crowd-pleasing move. So it should come as no surprise that Shelagh McLeod finds the same results in her feature directorial debut Astronaut, which sends seventy-one year old Richard Dreyfuss into the heavens, in perhaps the Oscar winner’s best performance in years.
The VelociPastor
Jokey films like Hobo with a Shotgun, Ghost Beaver Kick, and the WolfCop series should be graded on a scale on whether the movie was able to cash in on its ambitious set-up. Brendan Steere’s The VelociPastor belongs in the same camp, and it measures up quite well. Y’know if you’re expecting an outrageous revenge flick of jurassic proportions.
There Are No Fakes
Kevin Hearn, keyboardist for The Barenaked Ladies and an avid art collector, accidentally opened a can of worms by purchasing a painting by late indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau. During an exhibit of Hearn’s curated pieces at the Art Gallery of Ontario, his Morrisseau was proven to be bogus. This pivotal event (which also led to a lengthy court case) pulled a thread, unravelling conflicting opinions surrounding a remarkable mystery behind Morrisseau’s work.
Wylie Writes’ One-On-One with Veronica Ngo
Furie, the highest grossing Vietnamese movie of all time, took North America’s digital platform by storm last month. What’s perhaps even more notable is how the vehicle has propelled Veronia Ngo to action heroine status. Ngo (Bright, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) stars as provoked mother Hai Phuong who will do anything (and fight anyone) to save her kidnapped daughter.
Roads in February
Directed and Written by Katherine Jerkovic, Roads in February is a beautifully shot and immersive film that explores the relationship between a young Hispanic Canadian named Sara (Arlen Aguayo-Stewart), and her grandmother (Gloria Demassi).