While Jean of the Joneses may be predictable, the film is the work of an exciting new voice in cinema. Writer/director Stella Meghie truly knows how to write fully developed, sympathetic characters; it’s an absolute pleasure to spend 82-minutes with her creations.
After a long, ten-year stint in filmmaker jail, Mel Gibson has returned with Hacksaw Ridge: a gruesomely violent WWII biopic about Desmond Doss, a medic and devout Seventh Day Adventist, who saved the lives of over 75 soldiers during the Battle of Okinawa without killing a single enemy combatant. Hacksaw Ridge features Gibson’s typical heavy-handed religious symbolism to great effect here, and serves as an unnerving contrast to the graphic violence in the film’s third…
Gimme Danger is by no means a groundbreaking documentary. It’s by-the-book filmmaking, full of talking heads and archival footage, and very much reminiscent of the punk rock films of Don Letts. The Letts comment, of course, is not a negative at all. Don Letts is a great person to emulate when searching for cinematic punk rock aesthetics.
Doug Martin (Nick Jonas) is sidetracked by an alluring neighbour, Lena (Isabel Lucas), during a summertime escape. Her husband (Dermot Mulroney) is too unpredictable for comfort, which leads Lena to warm up next to her unassuming and equally randy neighbour. The pair go to great lengths to protect their affair, even if that means resorting to crime.
There’s a scene in Chad Hartigan’s Morris from America where its title character Morris (Markees Christmas) asks his German tutor (Carla Juri) if she can teach him to be charming. That’s an ironic moment for the audience who fully understands just how damn charming the film is.
As divisive as he is, Michael Moore has struck a chord with audiences. His recent ideas about how satire will lead to Donald J. Trump’s demise in this year’s controversial presidential race are used as an outline to preach in his latest film Michael Moore in TrumpLand, a doc made in secrecy that features the Michigan native addressing a crowd of voters in Wilmington, Ohio.
What Happened Last Night is a frat party comedy made by people who barely understand fraternities, have never been to a party, and have a long-winded definition of comedy.
Zach Clark’s dramedy Little Sister could put a smile on anyone’s face. However, that happiness would be more than sporadic occurrences if the film’s quirkiness didn’t get in the way.
Green Room is unappealing – that’s a compliment. Dishevelled characters, dingy lighting, seedy locations, and punk tunes that sound like they’ve been chewed up and spit out contribute to the stress within this thriller.
