By: Addison Wylie The 2015 WIFT-T Showcase is an enlightening selection of eight short films made by Canadian women. The screening taking place at Toronto’s classy Royal Cinema makes for a splendid time out, and will surely restore faith in audiences trying to shake off early year moviegoing stupors. Out of the eight films, I’ve seen half. And, if the films I watched reflect the rest of the submissions, the quality will be mostly consistent….
By: Addison Wylie While I watched The Resurrection of a Bastard, I often wondered where Guido van Driel’s movie was headed. It’s so aimless and without a thought in its busy little head until the existential epiphany its despicable lead character has. However, as soon as I questioned the film, I followed up with another query: Do I even care where this story ends up? Unless the movie is a slapstick send-up, the crime genre…
By: Addison Wylie Once finishing White God, one feels the need to exclaim in delight over the film’s overwhelming strengths. That, or look up other opinions. I did both. Reviews have been circulating ever since the film’s win at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival (White God won the Un Certain Regard Prize), but I didn’t dare look too far into other write-ups. However, the film’s press notes state something very interesting: “Kornel Mundruczó’s newest film…
By: Addison Wylie Montrealer Giuseppe Marinoni is a respected inspiration who builds bicycles. His work continues to be appreciated by cyclists worldwide. But, what a peculiar fellow he is. Marinoni’s attitude changes like the wind. One moment, he’s freely talking to documentarian Tony Girardin about the process behind his constructions, and the next minute, he’s berating the filmmaker for asking silly questions. Then again, the 75-year-old has a dry sense of humour that could only…
By: Addison Wylie The Wonders is slow, unremarkable, and unfortunately, blends in all too well. Writer/director Alice Rohrwacher’s drama is a story of squashed empowerment by a superior who doesn’t know any better. The young Gelsomina (played by Maria Alexandra Lungu) finds herself as a leader within her detached family; which proves to be a blessing and a burden. She’s dependable, trustworthy, and a figure of inspiration to her siblings. However, her father Wolfgang (played…
By: Addison Wylie An after hours horror show goes mad in the uneven Late Night Double Feature. Before the mayhem ensues on the set of Dr, Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror, the audience is treated to a couple of spooky shorts intercut by commercials and previews. For the most part, the film is authentically structured like a craggy cable access show, which provides plenty of chuckles. An ill-placed ad cashing in on the night’s horror theme…
By: Addison Wylie Earlier this year, I gave I Put a Hit on You an unfavourable review. This led me to believe that making a compelling comedy about snippety people bumming around their house was impossible. Mars Horodyski proves me wrong with Ben’s at Home. This film is funny and fully realized, successfully capturing an introvert’s post-breakup buffer period. Ben (played with wit by Dan Abramovici) chooses to stay housebound because he’s satisfied with personal…
By: Addison Wylie Barn Wedding seems like it was conceived by hopeful actors supporting a “let’s put on a show” credence. Unfortunately, when things start to get interesting, Shaun Benson’s directorial debut is a day late and a dollar short when the stakes are raised. The performances in Barn Wedding are sensible portrayals of drifters who are faithful to their friends. They unite for a wedding, but the group grows suspicious about the intentions behind…
By: Mark Barber Tracers is aimlessly plotted, driven only by a cynical, desperate need to financially exploit the parkour craze and Twilight star Taylor Lautner’s now-dwindling popularity. The film’s overall premise and execution recalls Lautner’s previous action outing, 2011’s Abduction. Although Tracers takes itself slightly more seriously, both films have a proclivity for deception. Similar to how Abduction featured no actual kidnappings, Tracers is barely about parkour; it gracelessly vacillates between a modern-day re-visioning of…
By: Addison Wylie Musicians Mike Ford and Murray Foster have a shared enthusiasm for toe-tapping britpop. This appreciation motivated the compadres to develop The Cocksure Lads, an imitation homage to the lively tunes. Foster has taken the ruse further with The Cocksure Lads Movie. While the comedy is lightheartedly harmless, I have a disagreement with how this nutty band has taken the leap to the big screen. The Cocksure Lads, a tame group of goodie-goodies,…