By: Addison Wylie The German Doctor (or its Spanish title, Wakolda) is a solid slow burn. It’s also a not-so-slow slow burn. Allow me to explain. It appears this film about a relocating Argentine family who is followed by an unknown yet concerned doctor would like to move at a more patient rate. The actors on screen are prepared to show their unease with properly drawn out weariness and filmmaker Lucía Puenzo shows he has the chops to tackle…
By: Addison Wylie It must be nice for director Mike Clattenburg to know the Trailer Park Boys fan base he’s co-created isn’t going anywhere. That must be why his latest criminal adventure with Sunnyvale’s best isn’t afraid to experiment with a beginning of downbeats. Clattenburg – who knows how to maneuver through ridiculous circumstances with these hilariously seedy characters using DIY filmmaking – oddly sets the bar low with the likability factor this time. He…
The Special Need (DIR. Carlo Zoratti) By: Parker Mott The Special Need is a playful pun on that little itch a late-bloomer might get when he or she starts to become interested in the prospect of love and sexual intimacy. This ticklish desire is possible as well in those with mental or physical disabilities; the problem is our educational and even judicial systems do not teach citizens about or condone this issue. It’s merely swept under the…
An Honest Liar (DIR. Justin Weinstein & Tyler Measom) By: Addison Wylie An Honest Liar is a chip off of James “The Amazing” Randi’s block. Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom’s doc is as entertaining and clever as any of Randi’s illusionary deceptions. Residing in Toronto, Ontario before joining the circus and becoming one of the most successful magicians of all time, Randi set out to disprove charlatans and phonies claiming to have mystical powers when really they…
By: Addison Wylie Audiences were given Pompeii earlier this year, a sweeping epic that had Paul W.S. Anderson bumbling his way through a history lesson and throwing every type of overused trope he could think of towards the paying public. It was a boneheaded film that was calculated by people solely thinking of what mainstream audiences eat up, yet had no respected consideration towards those who endured Anderson’s mess. What Cinco de Mayo: The Battle…
Kung Fu Elliot (DIR. Matthew Bauckman & Jaret Belliveau) By: Addison Wylie Matthew Bauckman and Jaret Belliveau’s Slamdance favourite Kung Fu Elliot goes through three stages. First, there’s the ultra cheese. Elliot Scott (also known as “White Lightning”) is a martial arts expert and is set on being Canada’s first notable action star. He’s produced a few independent films to which he also peddles out. The films shine of lo-fi aesthetics, but it’s hard to not turn…
The Last Season (DIR. Sara Dosa) By: Gesilayefa Azorbo It’s often said that there’s nothing stronger than the bonds of brotherhood forged between fellow soldiers. Regardless of place of origin or beliefs, the experiences that form one’s life as a soldier are often common across borders, with a mutual understanding that often transcends other differences. The Last Season is ostensibly a film about a mushroom hunt. The town of Chemult, Oregon, population 135, is also home to…
Sleepless in New York (DIR. Christian Frei) By: Addison Wylie There’s narration – nay – lots of narration in Christian Frei’s Sleepless in New York from lonely people who have been dumped. The voiceovers wear thin after a while, but they do serve a purpose. The doc is a film that gets “the break-up” right. Frei is fortunate to have received good applicants from his open casting call (street-laden flyers inviting heartbroken souls to participate), and those…
The theme of human connection has never been so prevalent. The latest technology seems to be fastening people away from face-to-face interactions, and Spike Jonze’s Her made it clear as to what path the human race could possibly fall into. Filmmaker Tony Shaff has made a documentary that tries to follow suit. But, can he stick his landing? Hotline (DIR. Tony Shaff) By: Addison Wylie Hotline has an intriguing dynamic. Tony Shaff’s documentary focuses on those conversations that…
Shield and Spear (DIR. Petter Ringbom) By: Parker Mott “Everything is political”, a group of South African artistes extol as mantra in Shield and Spear, which has its world premiere at Hot Docs. This saying is called, in conventional wisdom, “The Activist’s Argument”; it also resembles Ai Weiwei’s line that “art is politics” from his documentary Never Sorry (the latest documentary on the provocative Chinese artist, The Fake Case, is also at Hot Docs).