By: Liam Parker Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, a 90% dialogue-free, Polish film whose protagonist is a donkey, is one of the most interesting films of 2022. The movie, named after its donkey, centres itself on the melancholic ex-circus animal as he travels the continent of Europe; witnessing the worst and best sides of human nature and chronicling a microcosm of modern European life along the way.
Numb from the sudden death of his screenwriter wife Oto (Reika Kirishima), actor Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is recruited for a brief residency to direct the play he had previously performed in, and the last play Oto watched him in. Yūsuke has formed a shell around him, refusing to let anyone catch him with his guard down. Aside from theatre, he likes to be alone. His routine is rocked, however, when the theatre program assigns…
An artist making an autobiographical documentary is a bold and, quite frankly, strange move. But in the case of Moby Doc, this choice is on brand for enigmatic electronic musician Moby. Early into the movie, even Moby acknowledges how seemingly unconventional this choice is. This doesn’t excuse the odd conception of Moby Doc but, at least, it gives us an idea of how self-aware the musician is. However, a detrimental line is crossed when Moby…
Directed by Johan von Sydow, Tiny Tim: King for a Day is the story of Herbert Khaury. A social outcast from childhood, Khaury grows up to become Tiny Tim, one of the most unexpected and unusual pop stars of the 1960s. With long hair, a falsetto voice, and a ukulele, Tiny Tim was seen by many as a freak for defying social norms. Tiny Tim: King for a Day argues that Tiny Tim’s insistence on…
By: Trevor Chartrand The second feature film from writer-director Lili Horvát, Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is a strange romantic drama that’s difficult to connect with. If that title seems long and complicated to you, wait until you see the movie. Even for a film that’s barely longer than 90 minutes, this picture is an absolute slog to sit through.
I’m a late arrival to Agnès Varda’s career and, considering she passed away earlier this year, I thought I was too late to start appreciating her filmmaking. But what her final film Varda By Agnès has taught me is that it’s never too late to share or be inspired. And because the film has been made with compassion and love, it never feels like a pretentious exercise.
Greener Grass is a suburban social comedy dressed up as an irreverent weirdo. While it may paint itself into a corner by setting a high bar for itself, I loved being in its company nonetheless.
Jennie Livingston’s award-winning documentary Paris Is Burning has received a 4K restoration twenty-eight years after its initial release, and it’ll screen in select theatres across Canada throughout the year. I believe the re-release was planned in part to curate the footage, but also because the documentary is relevant as ever.
Wild Nights with Emily didn’t “click” with me but, then again, I feel like I’m “missing” something.
