The Whistlers
The Whistlers is a good thriller, but what’s really interesting about Corneliu Porumboiu’s movie is that it rivals similar blockbusters – even though both films are much different in scale.
2020
My Spy
My Spy is the latest addition to a very specific sub-genre that features a rough n’ tough action star dialling it down to shape a more family-friendly image. Dave Bautista, of Guardians of the Galaxy fame, reports for duty in My Spy, following in the steps of fellow wrestlers John Cena and Tyler Mane (Playing With Fire), Vin Diesel (The Pacifier), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Kindergarten Cop). The film that has had the most persuasion over…
Ophelia
Sometimes, the most reassuring type of storytelling is the kind that unexpectedly reels you in with material you formally thought was uninteresting. Such is the case for Claire McCarthy’s Ophelia. As a viewer with limited knowledge (and interest) of the classic works of William Shakespeare, I couldn’t help but be swept up in the characters and drama of McCarthy’s reenvisioning.
Afterward
Afterward is a personal documentary for Ofra Bloch. With a career in psychoanalysis and a desire to make a movie, she sets out to talk with people of various backgrounds about how they’ve been effected by their culture’s history, followed by discussions examining guilt. And with so much cultural animosity taking place in the modern world, Bloch digs deeper to see is if these claims are proven to be contradictive of current discrimination, and then pushes further…
Hope Gap
One thing that can be said in Hope Gap’s favour is that it has a strong sense of place. Filmed in Seaford, Sussex, the stunning white cliffs, quaint village streets, and the dark stone beaches are displayed wonderfully. Hope Gap is, at points, a visually beautiful film; unfortunately, it isn’t a particularly interesting one.
Greenlight
Greenlight works as a thriller, but I can also see it being a cathartic outlet for student filmmakers looking to cut their teeth in an exclusive industry.
Sorry We Missed You
Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You makes for a satisfying slice of life before the story expands beyond its modest reach.
Greed
Writer/director Michael Winterbottom and actor Steve Coogan have collaborated before in biopics (24 Hour Party People, The Look of Love) and straightforward comedies (Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, The Trip franchise), but they haven’t tackled a movie like Greed. Greed binds those previously mentioned genres into a potently bitter, satirical tragicomedy – a fitting playground for Winterbottom and Coogan.
Lie Exposed
By: Trevor Chartrand An adaptation of the stage play Pornography (written by Jeff Kober), Lie Exposed explores a series of relationships on the edge of ending, following each couple’s attendance at a controversial art installation. The art in question features tintype photographs of vaginas, which for most of the couples sparks a conversation about their own sex lives as well as the objectification of the female form. Thematically, the film explores the definition of art…
Run This Town
Run This Town, writer/director Ricky Tollman’s exceptional and intelligent feature-length debut, isn’t just about Rob Ford and and his public busts. It’s not just about Ford’s team of “special assistants”, or the eager journalists who want a big break and be the first to report breaking news. Run This Town is a magnetically contemplative film about the ethical decisions within these careers that jeopardize the integrity of these people.