Drama
The Grizzlies
By: Trevor Chartrand You’ll be hard pressed to find a more Canadian film than The Grizzlies; the inspiring true story of an impoverished Nunavut community battling mental illness by creating a sports team. Over ten years in the making, this long-time passion project of director Miranda de Pencier is a not only a well-made dramatic film, but also a small taste of the type of media representation First Nations and Inuit citizens deserve.
Hellmington
Hellmington centres on Detective Samantha Woodhouse, distressed over the recent death of her father and tormented by a forgotten yet mysterious case of the disappearance of a former high school classmate. In order to piece together the puzzle of the latter, Samantha reconnects with her past while she’s in town for the funeral; including meeting old acquaintances and people who were close to her late dad.
Her Smell
Earlier this week, the ALMA Observatory photographed “the first direct image of a black hole”. The picture glowingly pulsates if you stare at it for too long – it’s actually quite marvellous. What the ALMA Observatory may not know is that I had seen a star collapse the night before – a walking black hole, if you will, portrayed by Elisabeth Moss (The One I Love, Us).
Man Running
Gary Burns’ Man Running, which modestly premiered at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival, follows Jim (Gord Rand) as he participates in a 24-hour marathon. The laborious journey he takes is vertiginously interspersed with flashbacks and hallucinations, suggesting a double struggle for the main character: one physical, one emotional.
Acquainted
Acquainted is the type of indie that wants to say something profound about romance. Little does writer/director Natty Zavitz know, dozens of other movies have beat him to the punch.
Through Black Spruce
Through Black Spruce, most of the time, is on the right track. Unfortunately, its disappointing streaks are during the final stretch of the film.
An Audience of Chairs
An Audience of Chairs isn’t just one movie. This new film from Deanne Foley (Relative Happiness) based on Joan Clark’s novel of the same name appears to be a sombre Canadian drama that you prepare for by stuffing your pockets full of tissue. While it is a tear-jerker, it’s also a character drama, a romance, and a message film. And, surprisingly enough, Foley pulls off this trifecta.
