By: Addison Wylie This November and December, TIFF pays tribute to one of comedy’s most influential talents. Mel Brooks: It’s Good to Be the King gives movie goers the chance to relive Brooks’ hilarious masterpieces through pristine prints. TIFF kicks off the retrospective on November 15 with screenings of The Producers (5:00 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox) and Young Frankenstein (7:30 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox). However, I’m going to focus on the…
By: Addison Wylie Emptying the Skies finds itself in a scenario where the message is greater than the film its wrapped up in. Douglas and Roger Kass have strewn together interviews and clips from conspicuous raids and tense confrontations to make an eye-opening film chronicling the ever-growing problem of bird poaching in southern Europe. The kindheartedness and tenacity of CABS (which stands for: Committee Against Bird Slaughter) is seen throughout, and their hearts remain open…
By: Addison Wylie Terrence Malick is a filmmaker who marches to the beat of his own drum. His unorthodox work has made audiences ponder, and his unique direction and screenwriting has challenged the actors he’s worked with. He’s certainly a one-of-a-kind with a sixth sense for beauty. I imagine collaborating under his mentorship would provide an artful view of how to express yourself using poetic language and imagery. However, the point of being a protege…
By: Addison Wylie I began watching Propganda not knowing of its satirical backbone, and my head nearly exploded. I’m glad I stopped the film to get caught up on Slavko Martinov’s faux-doc for it may have rendered me utterly speechless. My regret after reading the press release was turning the film back on to finish it. It takes a lunatic to make a “movie” as blunt, sarcastic, and grim as this one. That madman is Martinov,…
By: Addison Wylie David Fincher is a masterful filmmaker, but he’s even better at spinning a web of mystery and suspense. Numerous films in his catalogue deal with puzzling content, and not once have I seen him drop the ball. He’s also a fantastic handler of, shall we say, hidden motivations. Gone Girl is an extremely difficult film to delve into without giving away too much – bear with me. There are people in Fincher’s…
By: Gesilayefa Azorbo The film begins in the aftermath of a car accident. A vehicle lies on its roof, smoke streaming from its upended bottom on a dark, street-lit road. A moment or two go by before you realize someone is climbing their way out of the car. From the ski mask he’s wearing and the gun in his hand, it’s very easy to identify him as “the bad guy”. But then he stands up, grabs…
By: Addison Wylie 2014 has released plenty of exceptional documentaries, but Jesse Moss’ The Overnighters is unlike any of them. The Overnighters is a remarkable film about the human spirit and the struggle to maintain compassion and beliefs within a critical community. Exercising good faith isn’t always a walk in the park when the odds are intimidatingly stacked and judgement is looming. North Dakota’s economy is booming, which has brought plenty of pros and cons…
By: Addison Wylie The September 11th attacks struck fear into our society, providing a sensitive feeling of having our nerves wracked and having a newfound definition to defensiveness. But, sometimes precautions towards the “war on terror” are taken too far and end up doing additional harm to innocent people. Five Muslim men were selected and arrested for having links to terrorism with some of those individuals having a loose relationship to Osama Bin Laden. At…
By: Addison Wylie Every film festival has movies that are so unusual, the audience wonders if the flicks will ever see the light of day. Kung Fu Elliot and Giuseppe Makes a Movie were those films for me at this past year’s Hot Docs Film Festival. The jury’s still out on a release for Giuseppe, but Elliot can be seen by many very soon. It’s a doc that rolls with the punches – no pun intended. The flick starts…
By: Addison Wylie Last September, TIFF featured a Canadian indie named Wet Bum. It sold itself to audiences as an innocent coming-of-age tale about a meek high schooler who finds guidance in her relationships with the elderly. A lot of movie goers ate it up, and found Wet Bum to be endearing. While it’s momentarily touching, I found Lindsay MacKay’s indie had too many precious quirks. Those developed the film into something far less original…