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Trevor Chartrand

Reviews

Marlene

April 15, 2022Wylie Writes Staff1 Comment

By: Trevor Chartrand Marlene dramatizes the notorious true story of the wrongfully-convicted Canadian Steven Truscott, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of classmate Lynne Harper in 1959.  Appropriately, the movie pays special attention to his wife, the titular Marlene, who spent years tirelessly researching his case and eventually clearing his name.  The justice system is put under close scrutiny during this understandably melodramatic, romanticized, version of true events and director Wendy…

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Reviews

Learn to Swim

March 24, 2022Addison Wylie0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand In this feature directorial debut of Thyrone Tommy, Learn to Swim focuses on the failing relationship between a stubborn jazz saxophone player Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) and an up-and-coming singer, Selma (Emma Ferreira).  The film plays with time and takes place both before and after the relationship has failed.  I hesitate to compare the film to 2009’s 500 Days of Summer, simply because Learn to Swim takes a much more sophisticated, and…

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Reviews

Donkeyhead

March 11, 2022Wylie Writes Staff0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand Donkeyhead is the first feature film from writer/director Agam Darshi, who has extensive credits both in front of and behind the camera.  Her film focuses on Mona (played by Darshi herself), the least-successful sibling among the four brothers and sisters in her family.  As a failed writer, she is the only one among them who still lives at home, aimless in her pursuits with no job and no prospects.  Instead of pursuing…

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Reviews

Big Gold Brick

February 26, 2022Wylie Writes Staff0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand Big Gold Brick is the brainchild of writer/director Brian Petsos, whose first feature film comes fully-loaded with a surprisingly star-studded cast.  Featuring Andy Garcia, Megan Fox, and Oscar Isaac, this surreal comedy-drama has its moments, but ultimately gets bogged down by a slow pace and a series of uneven tonal shifts.

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Reviews

Help

February 16, 2022Wylie Writes Staff0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand Short film writer/director Blake Ridder is on the right track with his feature-length debut Help, but the movie struggles to tell a cohesive story.  This neat little thriller is tidy and simple, but ultimately falls apart during its goofy, over-the-top final act.  While the film has some decent visuals and an acceptable sense of pacing and style, it’s hard to take the narrative seriously.

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Reviews

A Cops and Robbers Story

February 8, 2022Wylie Writes Staff0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand Documentary filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu takes on a recent New York controversy in A Cops and Robbers Story;  which focuses on former NYPD chief Corey Pegues.  A vocal advocate against police brutality and racism, Pegues was the centre of a media swarm following a recent confession of his darker past. 

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Reviews

See For Me

January 11, 2022Wylie Writes Staff0 Comments

By: Trevor Chartrand See For Me, directed by Randall Okita (The Lockpicker), is an engaging thriller that’s sort-of a reverse Don’t Breathe.  In both films, a blind person fends off would-be home invaders – but in Okita’s movie, our visually-impaired lead character is not a sadistic sociopath – she’s (mostly) a good person.

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