By: Addison Wylie Suitably enough, Now You See Me knows how to handle an audience that’s skeptical to its tricks. But the production has to admit, when you pitch “bank robbing magicians”, it’s hard for audiences not to hide an eye roll. Director Louis Leterrier, however, pulls off a movie that knows how to disarm movie goers of cynicism and delight us with boxes full of double crosses and twists. Unlock one of the hidden…
By: Addison Wylie Europa Report made my head throb from boredom and ache from excessive visual irritations. But before all that negativity, Sebastián Cordero’s found footage sci-fi opened my mind with its art direction and effects. Europa Report’s most impressive strength is its ability to make the audience feel as if we’re in that same spaceship as the featured crew members heading to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. Cordero has used subtleties to blend numerous…
The Newton Brothers have ears for music and a drive like no other. Not only has the duo – who is made up by Andy Grush (right) and Taylor Stewart (left) – dabbled in many different genres, but the pair have taken on a hefty load producing musical scores for seven films in eight months. Grush and Stewart attended TIFF earlier this month to support three films they were apart of. Oculus directed by Mike…
By: Addison Wylie It’s neat to watch a subject take on an evolution people didn’t see coming. In Red Obsession’s case, that subject is wine – and it’s progression isn’t pleasing everybody. Documentary filmmakers David Roach and Warwick Ross capture a timeline that shows how wine went from something that was considered an art, to a product that is more of a business decision than anything. The price of wine keeps on climbing to a…
By: Addison Wylie It’s more than likely Peeples has a script that was generated from ideas thought by a living being and then written with human hands. But, try convincing yourself of that as you watch Tina Gordon Chism’s comedy. It’s impossible. The screenplay – written by Chism – is more of a systematic sitcom template structured like an edition of Mad Libs. Audiences can see each set-up, misunderstanding, and the results the mishaps create…
By: Addison Wylie I’m divided on the latest re-release of The Wizard of Oz. I’m not dramatically “on the fence”. I would lean towards a hearty recommendation in an instant. But, it has me feeling many different things. On one hand, I’m very grateful this film is getting another run in select theatres. As someone who has never seen The Wizard of Oz (I know, I know…), I’m pleased myself and other newbies get a…
By: Addison Wylie The World’s End, the last outing in Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, yet again pairs the filmmaker up with actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to tell a tale of everyday men in monstrous peril. This time, Pegg and Frost play former friends who had a falling out between their teenage years and adulthood. Gary King (played by Pegg) hasn’t given up living the high life of booze and babes. Meanwhile,…
By: Addison Wylie If you told me Parker was directed by someone who has directed more than one movie, I’d be fairly skeptical. If you told me that Parker was directed by an Oscar winner, I would seriously question the accuracy behind that statement about a film that plays its cards as vapidly as possible. But, regrettably, it’s a fact. The latest action caper featuring Jason Statham is not only directed by someone who has…
By: Addison Wylie If The Guilt Trip does anything right from beginning to end, it’s the casting. Not only do Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand play off one another well, but they make a very convincing mother-son team. It’s easy to believe Rogen as an embarrassed hard worker who tries to separate himself from his overbearing mother, and Streisand takes hold of that smothering role with great effect. She’s irritating at times, but that just…
Well, now that TIFF has come to an end, let’s take a trip back to August. If you can believe it, August was busier than my experience with the Toronto International Film Festival. At Film Army, I was checking out different programmes hosted by Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, watching smaller independent fare, as well as getting ready for TIFF while setting up IFFFT coverage – the International Fetish Film Festival Toronto. It’s great to cover…