Addio Commentary: Much More to ‘Mother’s Day’
Let’s take a brief break from hot ticket TIFF screenings and talk about something that most movie goers have tried to forget: Garry Marshall’s Mother’s Day.
Addison Wylie
TIFF 2016: ‘Marija’
In Michael Koch’s feature film debut Marija, the audience observes the dishevelled title character’s routine and her struggle to support herself – it’s certainly enduring to watch.
Urge
On Saturday Night Live, Bill Hader would frequent Weekend Update segments as hip clubgoer Stefon and review the latest, most bizarre nightclubs. Urge plays like a live-action version of what Stefon would describe as a “hot spot”. “After being admitted into the club by eyes projected on the side of the building, guests are fondled by the staff while a man in a balloon suit entertains them, followed by a night of bath salt binging”.
TIFF 2016: ‘India In a Day’
First, the good news: India In a Day moves quickly. As a fan of 2011’s Life In a Day (also co-produced by Ridley Scott), I can admit that Kevin MacDonald’s doc had sagging stretches of unhelpful video. The filmmaker and his editor were too comfortable, which meant they often forgo their timeline.
For the Love of Spock
Do you remember that episode of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory when Sheldon was excited to be interviewed by Leonard Nimoy’s son Adam for a documentary about the Star Trek actor? It turns out that the film was real and not just another sitcom subplot.
TIFF 2016: ‘3-Way (Not Calling)’
Let’s Rap co-stars Emma Hunter and Kristian Bruun reunite in Molly McGlynn’s coy short film 3-Way (Not Calling).
A Tale of Love and Darkness
A Tale of Love and Darkness is a bridge for Natalie Portman’s filmmaking career after directing two short films (one of which acts as a highlight in the otherwise uneven anthology New York, I Love You).
In Order of Disappearance
In Order of Disappearance is a mainstream action/comedy for the arthouse crowd. It’s brave enough to treat its subject matter seriously and in jest, and the performances are of higher versatility than a cast of attractive household names who signed up for a glamour project.
Hooligan Sparrow
I had a career epiphany last year after watching Harold Crooks’ financial doc The Price We Pay: maybe there’s nothing wrong with certain types of movies, maybe I’m just not fit for them. As a critic, you try and watch a bit of everything, but if something doesn’t interest you, don’t try and fake it – respect the filmmaker and the audience they’re playing to and admit it’s not your cup of tea.