Captain Fantastic
Though it certainly has its charms, Captain Fantastic’s sweet moments and eccentricity fails to mask the serious flaws that begin to surface in the film’s second half.
Articles by Shannon Page
Free State of Jones
Free State of Jones is inspired by real events that took place in Jones County, Mississippi following the United States’ civil war. As expected, Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club) is impressive as Newton Knight, a former army medic who lead an armed rebellion against the confederate army. The film also features strong performances by Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a freedwoman named Rachel, and Mahershala Ali as a former slave named Moses who joins Knight’s movement.
The Saver
Edited and directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld, The Saver follows Fern (Imajyn Cardinal), a newly orphaned 16 year-old who tries to avoid her mother’s fate – and Youth Protection – by becoming a millionaire. Following the advice she finds in a book called How to be a Millionaire, Fern aims to save every penny from the live-in janitor and dishwashing jobs she is able to get by lying about her age. The film is based…
Life Off Grid
Jonathan Taggart’s bare-bones documentary about people disconnected from electric or natural gas infrastructure has a loose, unpolished feel. It’s a fitting accompaniment to an exploration of people who live in a way that many of us would find bafflingly inconvenient.
Knight of Cups
Even long-time fans of Terrence Malick’s particular style of experimental filmmaking might find his latest effort Knight of Cups verging toward self-indulgence.
Coconut Hero
At times, it feels like the filmmakers behind Coconut Hero had a genre grocery list handy and were checking off various requirements for their film. A lovable misfit from a small town? Check. Well-meaning parents who are frustrated with their incomprehensible social-outcast offspring? Check.
Born to Be Blue
Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise, Boyhood) stars as east-coast jazz legend Chet Baker in Robert Budreau’s biographical drama Born to Be Blue, which focuses on the musician’s comeback during the 1960s and his struggle with addiction. The film, which was written, directed and produced by Budreau, chooses to examine a specific period of Baker’s career rather than the entirety of his career – a decision that results in a more intimate experience than one might expect…
The Last Man on the Moon
Based on an autobiography of the same name, Mark Craig’s The Last Man on the Moon documents the experiences and recollections of retired US naval pilot and NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan who, in addition to a couple of other trips to space, was commander of the 1972 Apollo 17 lunar landing. As the last one of his mission to re-enter the vessel, Cernan remains – to this day – the last human being to have set foot…
A Date with Miss Fortune
Real-life couple Ryan K. Scott and Jeannette Sousa wrote, produced, and star as the leading couple in director John L’Ecuyer’s cross-cultural romantic comedy, A Date With Miss Fortune. The film also features appearances by two well-known Canadians: Grammy award-winning musician Nelly Furtado and George Stroumboulopoulos – consider it a Score: A Hockey Musical reunion for the celebrities.
Wylie Writes on the Red Carpet: ‘A Date with Miss Fortune’
On January 28th, Toronto’s Yonge and Dundas Cineplex Theatre hosted a red carpet media screening in preparation for the Canadian release of A Date With Miss Fortune staring Jeannette Sousa, Ryan K. Scott, Vik Sahay (TV’s Radio Active, American Reunion), along with special appearances by musician Nelly Furtado and television personality George Stroumboulopoulos. John L’Ecuyer’s romantic comedy about what happens when a struggling screenwriter clashes with his new girlfriend’s traditional and eccentric Portuguese family has already been released…