I remember watching Hany Abu-Assad’s terrorism drama Paradise Now, and feeling genuinely moved by it. I was on edge and even heartbroken at times. Even though I can’t recall the 2005 Oscar contender beat-for-beat, I can still recognize those emotions years later as if I saw the movie last week.
Though Svengali is a fun film with a few genuinely emotionally affective moments, it is difficult to predict whether or not it will be appreciated by North American viewers who – unless they have a pre-existing investment in British Rock ’n’ Roll – will probably feel like they’ve seen this kind of film before.
Stig Björkman has the right ingredients to chronicle a psychological side of acclaimed actress Ingrid Bergman in his award-winning documentary, Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words. But then, almost as if another director hijacked the project, the film chooses a generically trodden formula.
Toronto audiences will be able to catch the “cream of the short film crop” at Carlton Cinema with this year’s Animation Show of Shows courtesy of the program’s curator/producer Ron Diamond. As much as movie goers should always show support for short films, this year’s showcase (consisting of eleven international films) ranges from ingenious to pointless.
Allow me to preface this by disclosing my biases: I have a strong love for Canadian cinema and coming-of-age stories, and I truly believe that Canada perfected the coming-of-age story. That being said, Philippe Lesage’s Les Démons is a fitting addition to this obscure canon.
What we have here is a patchy documentary that works to great effect in spurts.
One of the most unpleasant moviegoing experiences this year takes place far away from any movie theatre. It begins on Netflix, and ends in regret.
The Hateful Eight is, fittingly, Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, and by far his weakest.
What if we were to meet with timeless movie couples who connected through dance? Would they still be dancing, or would they be reminiscing over how they moved people with their routines? For the Dirty Dancing/Footloose crowd, the final stretch of 2015 offers German Kral’s Our Last Tango – the real life story of this very scenario.
Al Purdy Was Here has a lot of strengths going for it including its peaceful camerawork with editing to match, and an enigmatic subject filled with so much knowledge and pathos. But, to me, the most inspiring elements of Brian D. Johnson’s documentary is how illustrative it is with influence.