Mongrel Media
Guns Akimbo
Guns Akimbo is a great example of how talented people can turn guilty pleasure entertainment on its ear.
The Whistlers
The Whistlers is a good thriller, but what’s really interesting about Corneliu Porumboiu’s movie is that it rivals similar blockbusters – even though both films are much different in scale.
Lie Exposed
By: Trevor Chartrand An adaptation of the stage play Pornography (written by Jeff Kober), Lie Exposed explores a series of relationships on the edge of ending, following each couple’s attendance at a controversial art installation. The art in question features tintype photographs of vaginas, which for most of the couples sparks a conversation about their own sex lives as well as the objectification of the female form. Thematically, the film explores the definition of art…
Come to Daddy
Most movies build towards a crescendo, yet the first act of Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy is the climax. But then, instead of gradually hitting new heights, Timpson’s film simmers to a tepid temperature. Despite the outrageous feedback you may have heard about the movie’s wild qualities, Come to Daddy is actually family tame (if you’re used to off-the-wall genre pieces).
Come to Daddy
A film can sometimes take so many risks, twists, and turns that the movie itself becomes borderline indescribable. Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy falls in this camp, so how do I even begin to discuss it?
The Traitor
By: Trevor Chartrand While epic in scale with an ambitious, decade-spanning story, The Traitor is ultimately a disappointing, bloated film. This movie sets out to tell the gritty true story of the Italian mafia’s first police informant, Tommaso Buscetta (Pierfrancesco Favino), however, this lengthy picture gets bogged down with an overstuffed plot. Even with such rich and captivating source material, the film is ultimately uninteresting due to its failure to satisfy in the ‘audience accessibility’ category.
Jay & Silent Bob Reboot
Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes reprise their self-made iconic roles, New Jersey’s infamous stoners Jay and Silent Bob, in Jay & Silent Bob Reboot. While the film is certainly fan service, the results are funny, off-the-wall, and – dare I say – sweet.
Wrinkles the Clown
When I hear the names “Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker” attached to a project, I drop everything I’m doing. These two filmmakers are showcasing outstanding work in the documentary genre. Their doc Welcome to Leith, about white supremacists targeting and flipping a small town into their own personal basecamp, was a terrifying look at the escalation of evil. At first glance, their latest film Wrinkles the Clown looks to be as scary. Their…
Cunningham
With Cunningham, director Alla Kovgan has made a biographical documentary about deceased choreographer Merce Cunningham that, I believe, he would’ve been happy with. The tribute has been tailor-made to emulate his unique style of dance and movement; from the individual dance reenactments directed with precision by Jennifer Goggans to Kovgan’s tour of Cunningham’s career through curated interviews from performers he worked with in his dance company.