Liz Unna’s documentary Making Time bounces between subjects who all share a career in watchmaking, and have an overall obsession with time itself. Being a horologist has put life into perspective for these meticulous people, and has issued a number of self-reflections and epiphanies. This collective fascination is the frequency Unna invests all of her storytelling confidence in. Unfortunately, Making Time lacks personal touches as well as a coherency between the doc’s interviewees.
The intentions of Retrograde are tough to pin down and, if the viewer likes the movie, the Canadian indie is even more difficult to recommend because of how persistently obnoxious it is. I should know because I belong in this camp, and I’m going to do my damndest to explain why I think Adrian Murray’s movie is a brilliant comedy.
So Much Tenderness reunites me with Colombian-Canadian filmmaker Lina Rodriguez eight years after reviewing her feature-length debut Señoritas. While I can see a bit of growth between then and now, Rodriguez is still stuck in her naturalistic, fly-on-the-wall approach to personal character studies.
By: Jeff Ching Wes Anderson is one of very few current directors where viewers can watch 10 seconds of a trailer promoting his film, and immediately identify it as “a Wes Anderson movie”. I don’t know whether that’s a good or bad thing, but credit to him for such a distinctive style. He may be the most “auteuristic” auteur ever, if that makes any sense. Does it? I don’t know. Moving on…
By: Jolie Featherstone Becky Hutner’s urgent Fashion Reimagined is an important report, rendered through masterful storytelling. Formally hired to edit docs (Revolution, Being Canadian), it’s near impossible to believe that Fashion Reimagined is Hutner’s feature-length documentary directorial debut.
Dalíland isn’t your typical biopic where the viewer walks away with specific details about the subject’s life and career – in this case, artist Salvador Dalí (played splendidly by Sir Ben Kingsley). Although there are biographical scenes in Mary Harron’s movie, it boils down to a story about ego and how other people react to it. In that respect, it kind of works on a similar frequency as Harron’s American Psycho, except far less bloody…
Persian Lessons simply peaks too early, but you can’t fault director Vadim Perelman (The House of Sand and Fog, The Life Before Her Eyes) for not trying to maintain the audience’s interest.
A biopic about the conception of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto may seem like a watershed moment for pessimists who claim Hollywood is running out of ideas. But, I implore those movie goers to change their attitude and give Flamin’ Hot a shot, especially if they’re looking for a winning Father’s Day flick. The film’s messaging about integrity, determination, and self-encouragement is enough to crack the toughest nut.
