Reviews
On the Adamant
On the Adamant, the latest endeavor from French documentary filmmaker Nicholas Philibert (The Land of the Deaf, Each and Every Moment, Nénette), is an almost deceptively subtle film. Following staff and clients of a psychiatric day centre on a floating structure in the Siene River in central Paris, On the Adamant combines slow, languid shots of the river (and the city that surrounds it) with interviews and scenes of the centre’s daily activities where patients paint, play…
Mean Girls
Nearly 20 years after its initial release, a different rendition of Mean Girls – the cult teen flick penned by and co-starring Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey – tries to make as much of an impact as its predecessor did.
Spaceman
Spaceman can seem intimidating to Joe Schmore scrolling through Netflix new releases: the cool intergalactic setting seems limiting, Adam Sandler is flexing his most sombre acting chops yet, and is that a giant spider he’s talking to? But when you boil the movie down to its basic fundamentals, Spaceman is not as challenging as one may think. This drama, which is pretty good to boot, is easy to follow and empathize with. This is, however,…
Lovely, Dark, and Deep
After Barbarian and T.I.M., actor Georgina Campbell is quickly building a reputation as a contemporary scream queen. Her latest turn in Teresa Sutherland’s feature-length debut Lovely, Dark, and Deep is supposed to add another notch in her belt but, unfortunately, the film doesn’t do her any favours and vice versa.
Drugstore June
Happy Madison apologists who have gone up to bat for Grandma’s Boy can rejoice – director Nicholaus Goossen has returned with a new cult flick in the making.
Perfect Days
Perfect Days is a balm for the soul: clearing carried-over pessimism, reminding audiences of how astounding life can be, not shaming solitary lifestyles but also suggesting that our hearts should be open to the communities around us. All of these epiphanies orbiting around the routine of public washroom cleaner Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho, who won Best Actor at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for his introverted performance).