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February 2024

Reviews

Lovely, Dark, and Deep

After Barbarian and T.I.M., actor Georgina Campbell is quickly building a reputation as a contemporary scream queen. Her latest turn in Teresa Sutherland’s feature-length debut Lovely, Dark, and Deep is supposed to add another notch in her belt but, unfortunately, the film doesn’t do her any favours and vice versa.

Reviews

Perfect Days

Perfect Days is a balm for the soul: clearing carried-over pessimism, reminding audiences of how astounding life can be, not shaming solitary lifestyles but also suggesting that our hearts should be open to the communities around us.  All of these epiphanies orbiting around the routine of public washroom cleaner Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho, who won Best Actor at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for his introverted performance).

Reviews

Suze

With only two features under their belt, married filmmakers Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart have demonstrated that a story can be singlehandedly developed on a unique and personal dynamic between two characters. While their debut indie I Put A Hit On You may have fizzled after liftoff, their sophomore effort Suze shows growth in all the right areas; resulting in an absolute crowd-pleasing charmer.

Reviews

Your Fat Friend

Anonymous blogging activist-turn-New York Times best selling author Aubrey Gordon is a joy to listen to.  Her opinions regarding her size, as well as the personal experiences that have tangentially spawned because of her weight, have led to outlets allowing Gordon to discuss being fat.  Her career path has also opened opportunities to educate others about various biases and complexities that come from inconsiderate assumptions and soured good intentions.

Reviews

The Peasants

With The Peasants, filmmakers DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman return to a similar animation style that previously earned them an Academy Award nomination for 2017’s Loving Vincent.  Loving Vincent was a tribute to artist Vincent van Gogh, both in spirit and in visual flare.  The Peasants adapts Wladyslaw Reymont’s novel of the same name, and channels the artistry of various painters from the 19th and 20th century.  While I can’t confidently comment on how faithful…

Reviews

One Road to Quartzsite

By: Trevor Chartrand The town of Quartzsite, Arizona hosts an eclectic mix of wanderers each winter, from senior snowbirds in RVs to homeless nomads, from drug addicts to nudist bookstore owners. You’d think the locale, with its bizarre amalgamation of citizens and a variety of worldviews, would be a melting pot for an inevitable conflict.  However, as filmmaker Ryan Maxey demonstrates in his doc One Road to Quartzsite, the town is surprisingly tranquil – peaceful…

Reviews

The Promised Land

The Promised Land presents itself as an epic period drama about a former soldier, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen of Casino Royale and Another Round), dedicating his remaining lifetime to mend a troubled Danish heath and build a settlement.  The challenges he faces include the environmental barrenness of the land, outsiders who doubt Kahlen’s ambitions, and the breaching interruptions by selfish and wealthy Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg).