The Birdwatcher
Siobhan Devine’s The Birdwatcher is a bad movie, but it made me reflect on how spoiled Canadian audiences really are.
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The Hotel Dieu
After a blow-up at a house party over a drunken bad decision, brothers Luke and Travis (Andrew Rotilio and Charlie Hamilton) drive home in a huff and are struck by a pick-up truck. Travis receives minor injuries, but The Hotel Dieu follows a blinded Luke as he endures a strenuous recovery and discovers romance while staying at the hospital.
Khoya
Sami Khan’s indie drama Khoya is a captivating cascading trip through India as Indo-Canadian Roger (Rupak Ginn of TV’s Royal Pains) embarks on a quest to restore his birth history. But, when the film isn’t washing over the audience, the movie falters and indulges in its own mystery and melodrama.
Wylie Writes’ One-On-One with Stefan Phillips
Watching The Pasta Killer was a great experience. Not only did it reassure me of the power a great story can have over its audience, but it was nice to switch perspectives from a supportive friend to a fascinated movie goer.
The Waiting Room
I remember interviewing filmmaker Igor Drljaca in 2012 when his feature film debut Krivina was a selection at TIFF. Even though his slow-burning drama Krivina left me lukewarm, I walked away from our one-on-one with a movie goer’s gratification, knowing that Drljaca – with his confident opinions – was going to have an interesting career ahead of him.
How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town
How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town is a pleasant surprise on a couple of levels. It’s easy to see why this naughty-but-nice crowd pleaser has gathered acclaim; even taking home the Best Feature award at this year’s Canadian Film Fest.
The Rainbow Kid
Try this premise on for size: a scared young man – Eugene – attempts to put an end to his bottoming-out fate by hitting the road and finding theoretical gold at the end of a literal rainbow. Being enrolled in special classes has given the handicapped student a slanted view of reality – a contradiction since he witnesses his chain-smoking mother giving up daily. While on his trip, Eugene quickly finds out that the world can…
No Men Beyond This Point
No Men Beyond This Point is a Canadian comedy that isn’t constantly funny as it is consistently clever.
A Sunday Kind of Love
In Geordie Sabbagh’s indie A Sunday Kind of Love, the audience follows an aloof, cynical author Adam (played by Dylan Taylor) as he struggles through his writer’s block and procrastinates. His girlfriend Tracy (played by Meghan Heffern) tries to motivate him, but his moping is unstoppable. He retreats to a nearby coffee shop and meets Emma (played by Melanie Scrofano), who presents herself as an admirer and soon reveals that she’s actually, well, death (sans black cloak and scythe).