Sing Me a Song
Sing Me a Song is a fascinating, observant documentary on the effects of modern technology in a traditionalist culture.
Articles by Addison Wylie
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula
Filmmaker Yeon Sang-Ho established an extremely dangerous threat with Train to Busan, his crowd-pleasing zombie movie which has since been claimed as a contemporary horror classic. His follow-up, Peninsula, continues the story of the deadly virus that continues to sweep South Korea through a team of characters who are all desperate for a new beginning. They believe their new future awaits them if they help retrieve $20,000,000 left in Incheon – a sum that will…
Modern Persuasion
I can’t comment on whether Modern Persuasion is an adequate adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion because, as someone who is shamelessly not a reader, I’m unfamiliar with the original literature. However, just as I did earlier this year with Emma, I can give the perspective of a viewer who is going into the movie cold, looking for something sweet to curl up with. Even though it starts out strong, I’m afraid Modern Persuasion just doesn’t…
Stardust
Stardust has a really good idea for a movie: the rise of an insecure musician who strives for fame but, at the same time, is scared of how his lack of identity will ruin him. If the movie was about an ambiguous celebrity, director Gabriel Range (Death of a President) could’ve had a lot of room to explore the anxieties of fame. Unfortunately, he’s desperate to crowbar these dilemmas into an unqualified and unauthorized biopic…
Songbird
For a movie to be inspired by or use a real-life tragedy as a primary factor in its story, the filmmakers have to justify their utilization well. Not only does Songbird fail to do this, a film using an ever-evolving case of COVID-19 as its crux, but Adam Mason’s movie proves that there shouldn’t be a film centring around this pandemic (or something like it) for a very, very long time. Educational tools (Totally Under…
Love, Weddings & Other Disasters
Romantic comedies can get away with just about any sort of off-the-wall, clichéd nonsense as long as the film sports genuine charisma. The power of uplifting attitudes and chemistry can help viewers go along with unusual plots and characters, and also convince the audience to root for silly love stories.
The Prom
The Prom is a musical about a group of famous performers who use their clout and flashy personalities to make a stand against the discrimination of the LGBT community. However, despite how inspiring this story is supposed to be, the movie is also supposed to be satirizing celebrities who are more concerned about their image than the cause they’re fighting for. It’s a piece of irony that’s lost on The Prom, a film that wants…
Yes, God, Yes
With what little time she has (73 minutes before credits), writer/director Karen Maine accomplishes a lot with her memorable filmmaking debut Yes, God, Yes, a semi-edgy dramedy set in the early 00s about a young Catholic student who has a sexual awakening before embarking on a weekend school retreat.
Zappa
Other than his physical appearance, my knowledge on the life and career of Frank Zappa was nil; which is why I was anticipating the documentary Zappa. Because if a filmmaker is going to educate me on the legacy of a prolific musician, it’s documentarian Alex Winter. Recently known for his return as Bill S. Preston Esq. in Bill & Ted Face The Music, music aficionado Winter is also one of the best documentarians currently working…