Katak, The Brave Beluga
The French-Canadian produced animated movie Katak, The Brave Beluga is a copycat of other family flicks. But as far as knock-offs go, this is certainly one of the better ones.
Canadian
Happy FKN Sunshine
From the producers of Poor Agnes comes the provocatively titled Happy FKN Sunshine feels, an angry indie with a vague connection to its story.
Wylie Writes’ One-on-One with Jeremy Lalonde
When I reviewed a sci-fi flick named Ashgrove at this year’s Canadian Film Fest, I sensed that it was a different type of movie for its director Jeremy Lalonde. It was significantly more dramatic than his previous work, which have either been ensemble comedies (Sex After Kids, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town) or high-concept projects (The Go-Getters, James vs. His Future Self), and I felt like he was challenging himself as a storyteller to look…
Stay The Night
After HR specialist Grace (Andrea Bang of Luce and TV’s Kim’s Convenience) is passed over for a promotion, she resolves to embrace spontaneity and have a one-night stand. Little does she know that the handsome stranger she met in the bar (Joe Scarpellino) is really an NHL player from out of town navigating a professional setback of his own.
The Swearing Jar
By: Liam Parker Reminiscent of Jason Robert Brown’s hit musical The Last Five Years, The Swearing Jar takes the traditional tropes of a rocky relationship and turns them completely on its head. The Swearing Jar is a masterclass in storytelling. What begins as a beautifully sombre tale of love and heartache accented by musical interludes of haunting beauty, descends into a striking and refreshingly human tale of sorrow, loss, and grief.
Pretty in Plaid: A Review of ‘Drinkwater’
By: Liam Parker Nostalgia in cinema is a fickle thing. If done right, it can invoke memories of a forgotten time; sparking comforting feelings in those that lived through it and sparking interest in those who didn’t. Done wrong however, and it can feel like the film is just rehashing old material – like your drunk uncle telling you the same jokes you read in a dog-eared joke book from your elementary school library. While…
TIFF 2022: ‘So Much Tenderness’
Environmental lawyer Aurora (Noëlle Schönwald) has sought out refuge in Canada after her husband is mysteriously killed. She flees across the border from Colombia and then, after some additional information is explained about Aurora’s backstory, the film fast-forwards to the refugee’s contemporary lifestyle in Toronto. Despite finding new roots and separating herself from the past, some new reminders and concerning sightings have Aurora second-guessing her identity.
Becoming a Queen
Becoming a Queen is a very straightforward documentary that zeroes in on one person, their career, and their primary achievement. The film follows this standard structure well enough, issuing the occasional bit of history along the way, but I wish director Chris Strikes followed a less conventional format to this vibrant subject matter.
The Long Rider
The Long Rider is a welcomed return to documentary filmmaking for director Sean Cisterna (Moon Point, Kiss and Cry, From the Vine).