Sometimes, the most reassuring type of storytelling is the kind that unexpectedly reels you in with material you formally thought was uninteresting. Such is the case for Claire McCarthy’s Ophelia. As a viewer with limited knowledge (and interest) of the classic works of William Shakespeare, I couldn’t help but be swept up in the characters and drama of McCarthy’s reenvisioning.
Still hot off the success of his previous two accolade-winning films (Dallas Buyers Club [2013] and Wild [2014]), Jean-Marc Vallée explores similar themes in a less formulaic way with his latest dramedy Demolition.
The Divergent film series – based on the Young Adult trilogy by Veronica Roth – immediately felt like a cash-in on the success of The Hunger Games film franchise. Divergent is painful in its complexity: set in a typical YA post-apocalyptic future, Tris (Shailene Woodley) must navigate the walled city of Chicago, where factions are systemized by certain characteristics – Erudite is made up of the intelligentsia, Dauntless are warriors, etc. Initiates take a test…
By: Addison Wylie You can’t start off discussing St. Vincent without leading in with everyone’s favourite movie buddy: Bill Murray. Bill Murray is a very tough actor to dislike. He has a charm – an aura – that draws you in and makes you grin like a madman. He’s one of those rare cases where you don’t mind if every character you see him play is – in fact – himself, because he’s immensely watchable…
By: Addison Wylie To say Adore is a misfire would be putting it lightly. A swan dive off the cliffs of good taste is more like it. Adore is not only a wicked boo-boo filed under the heading “films that are just plain wrong”, but it’s a howlingly bad one. There were multiple times where Anne Fontaine’s film had me at a loss for words. However, there were other scenes where Fontaine had me expressing…
By: Addison Wylie The Impossible feels like a little-film-that-could because of its late release date. Which is funny because the film itself miraculously captures the intensity and the devastating outcomes of a cataclysmic tsunami – which is something big budget blockbusters long to do. J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible is a fantastic film with harrowing performances by Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts (who has earned a well deserved Oscar nomination for her role) as well as the…
