Alex Mallari Jr.

Reviews

Morningside

Morningside kicks off with a brilliant Steadicam shot introducing an ensemble of characters. The camerawork and direction has flare without gloating, and the actors – nearly all fresh faces – have genuine chemistry with each other. This sets a high watermark for Ron Dias’ Scarborough-set drama about a community centre facing an inevitable closure; while its residents prepare for holiday festivities and vent about the city’s gentrification. Unfortunately, Dias’ Morningside peaks early and this terrific…

Reviews

The Announcement

Short films do not get a fair shake in the modern cinematic world.  Not only do they not get equal screening time in theatres, but they are also often ignored by critics;  unless they are being reviewed as part of a bigger body of shorts. This is certainly disheartening, because these shorts often come from those who will compromise the future of film, and because you will occasionally come across something notable – something which…

Reviews

Code 8

Code 8 is an Indiegogo funded passion project from actors Robbie and Stephen Amell that raised over $3,000,000 (Canadian) crushing the campaign’s $200,000 goal – that’s impressive.  I learned about the crowdfunding after watching the movie, which made my appreciation for the film grow.  But, I still think Code 8 is both a tedious action/thriller and a mishmash of too many observational social commentaries.