November 2017
Lady Bird
By: Trevor Chartrand The meandering narrative of Lady Bird, though at times unfocused and opened-ended, is both heartwarming and humorous as it examines the life of a struggling teen overwhelmed by dysfunction and her perceived notion of persecution at every turn. An offbeat coming-of-age comedy, Lady Bird wonderfully depicts the innocence of youth in search of love, purpose, and acceptance in a confusing and changing world.
Infinity Baby
By: Nick van Dinther Hollywood is often criticized for rehashing the same ideas repeatedly without bringing anything new to the table. At the very least, Infinity Baby bucks that trend and brings us something we haven’t seen before.
Wylie Writes’ One-On-One with Navin Ramaswaran
Starting Friday, November 10, Toronto movie goers can finally check out Poor Agnes, a Canadian thriller that was an award-winner at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival and this past month’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival. As someone who has seen the movie, I’m anticipating the release because I want to know if people will have the same reactions I had. Much like the unfortunate victim who falls for Agnes’ manipulative tricks, Poor Agnes sent me into a freaky frenzy…
Addio Commentary: The Studio Ghibli Resurgence
Addio Commentary is a column used to focus on the underrated and misunderstood. So, why am I using it to showcase Studio Ghibli’s timeless collection of widely-acclaimed films?
God’s Own Country
Yorkshire farmer Johnny Saxby (Josh O’Connor) has a rough exterior that could be intimidating to others. He’s certainly aware of this power as he reflects his standoff attitude to anyone who criticizes him. But, Johnny is also a closeted gay man, distancing himself with personal conflict and confrontations. He acts on sexual desires with casual flings, but his romantic interests remain indifferent. That is, until he meets a migrant worker named Gheorghe (Alex Secareanu).
The Square
By: Trevor Chartrand Striking and unconventional, The Square successfully combines comedy with intense drama to create an unforgettable satirical gem.
A Bad Moms Christmas
By: Jessica Goddard A Bad Moms Christmas, the holiday sequel to last year’s Bad Moms from the same writer/director team (Jon Lucas, Scott Moore) is generally fun, when it’s not trying to force sentimentality. It wouldn’t be accurate to say this movie takes itself seriously, but its insistence on crossing over into sappiness and raunchiness when it runs out of comedy is lazy and unfortunate.