Drama
Wylie Writes’ One-On-One with Sook-Yin Lee
Sook-Yin Lee is currently mystifying Toronto movie goers with her long-awaited return to feature-length filmmaking. Octavio is Dead! gradually reels us in with a dream-like allure as we observe Tyler (Sarah Gadon) rediscover herself through the death of her absent father (Raoul Max Trujillo). From there, Lee strings her audience on a winding narrative that consistently maintains a personal intimacy throughout its run.
Octavio Is Dead!
Pardon me for sounding blasé, but I can’t help but clench when a Canadian film makes supernatural suggestions. Other than the odd exception (A Sunday Kind of Love), these are ideas that are usually squandered of their potential (Considering Love & Other Magic). Imagine my surprise in Octavio Is Dead!, the latest filmmaking effort from Shortbus actor Sook-Yin Lee, when the writer/director treaded familiar ground but drove her film in a darker direction; blending different…
The Lockpicker
A teenager’s public suicide sends shockwaves through their high school, as students and teachers alike reel and cope. On the fringe of the tragedy is Hashi, a shy creative writer who had a close friendship with the victim. Being generally shy and uncomfortable to begin with, Hashi – despite finding an emotional connection through poetry – doesn’t know how to exhale his pain. Unfortunately, he chooses ways to grieve that are detrimental to his life.
Hereditary
By: Nick van Dinther It’s so difficult to pull off a horror film that’s truly frightening. Many movies rely on jump scares or violent deaths, but the results rarely stick with you after the fact. It’s a genre that’s incredibly divisive between both fans and critics, and fails more often than it succeeds for both. A filmmaker needs to bring something genuinely special and memorable to the table to appeal to all. Writer/director Ari Aster…
Let the Sunshine In
Movies about people looking for true love tend to be treated with a lighter attitude. Mostly because audiences respond more efficiently to stories that they can relate to that don’t portray their problems as a wet towel. To my recollection, Let the Sunshine In is the first film – in some time, at least – to put real weight behind this personal mission of romance. Although the film provides relatable results for some viewers, the…
Disobedience
Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman) follows up his recent Oscar win with Disobedience, an unforgettable drama that will have everyone talking.
Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2018: ‘Disobedience’
Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman) follows up his recent Oscar win with Disobedience, an unforgettable drama that will have everyone talking.
Kodachrome
Before making Kodachrome, filmmaker Mark Raso directed Copenhagen and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper wrote This Is Where I Leave You. Both of those were modest movies with family drama and pleasant dynamics. Kodachrome is more of the same from these two men, which is good for Netflix audiences looking for an easy watch, but slightly disappointing for movie goers expecting more than unchallenging schmaltz.
Mobile Homes
I can’t decide whether Mobile Homes is genuine or not. Its portrait of off-the-grid living and underground ugliness looks real to an upsetting extent, but the characters are unbelievable.