Canadians are currently witnessing a funny contrast in their local multiplex – Reagan is screening at the same time as Deaner ’89. If Reagan is supposed to accurately depict what the United States was like in the 80s, Deaner ’89 is the “meanwhile in Canada” example.
By: Trevor Chartrand The notoriously quirky Jason Schwartzman (The Overnight) stars in Between the Temples as – brace yourself – an odd-ball character. Shocking, right? In all seriousness though, Nathan Silver’s offbeat film does ultimately prove to be a relatively serviceable, if tired, indie-style dramedy. To the movie’s credit, Silver explores an otherwise formulaic narrative with a character-focused vulnerability that truly enhances the material.
Close to You is stark with vulnerability, living within the vacuum of anxiety from the personal perspective of a trans man.
By: Trevor Chartrand Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap takes a fresh take on music biopics – a welcome approach to an otherwise tired genre. Unapologetically grimy and raw, music is the beating heart of this surprising and enticing gem. The movie chronicles the dramaticized origin of Kneecap, the titular hip-hop band from Northern Ireland. Comprised of Irish rappers Naoise Ó Cairealláin (stage name: Móglaí Bap), Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh (Mo Chara) and their mixer JJ Ó…
Daddio looks like an effortless movie, which is its greatest strength. Some of this credit can be offered to its central stars, The High Note’s Dakota Johnson and Milk Academy Award winner Sean Penn, who are both working at the top of their games. But, it’s writer/director Christy Hall who deserves to be praised for her impeccably controlled feature film debut.
We Grown Now tells a singular story that could very well speak for many families who grew up in Chicago’s now-demolished Cabrini-Green housing development. And with impoverished minorities still feeling the struggle of finding a regular routine, writer/director Minhal Baig (One Night) has made a 90s period film that certainly holds a mirror up to contemporary society.
The scandal at the centre of Britain’s dark comedy Wicked Little Letters – mail addressed from an anonymous source that uses risqué language – seems petty in comparison to the waves of crime procedurals at-home audiences educate themselves on weekly. But as naïve as the crime may appear to be, the controversy spoke to the times and ignited much needed awareness around inequality.
They Shot the Piano Player is an animated docdrama that, ultimately, failed to connect with me. But, to credit filmmakers Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba (co-directors of the Oscar-nominated animated film Chico & Rita), the movie’s efforts are certainly not wasted.
By: Trevor Chartrand Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom is a modern-day fairy tale. A compelling and imaginative film that combines fantastical whimsy with an ominous, satiric edge.
