By: Addison Wylie David Fincher is a masterful filmmaker, but he’s even better at spinning a web of mystery and suspense. Numerous films in his catalogue deal with puzzling content, and not once have I seen him drop the ball. He’s also a fantastic handler of, shall we say, hidden motivations. Gone Girl is an extremely difficult film to delve into without giving away too much – bear with me. There are people in Fincher’s…
By: Gesilayefa Azorbo The film begins in the aftermath of a car accident. A vehicle lies on its roof, smoke streaming from its upended bottom on a dark, street-lit road. A moment or two go by before you realize someone is climbing their way out of the car. From the ski mask he’s wearing and the gun in his hand, it’s very easy to identify him as “the bad guy”. But then he stands up, grabs…
By: Addison Wylie 2014 has released plenty of exceptional documentaries, but Jesse Moss’ The Overnighters is unlike any of them. The Overnighters is a remarkable film about the human spirit and the struggle to maintain compassion and beliefs within a critical community. Exercising good faith isn’t always a walk in the park when the odds are intimidatingly stacked and judgement is looming. North Dakota’s economy is booming, which has brought plenty of pros and cons…
By: Addison Wylie The September 11th attacks struck fear into our society, providing a sensitive feeling of having our nerves wracked and having a newfound definition to defensiveness. But, sometimes precautions towards the “war on terror” are taken too far and end up doing additional harm to innocent people. Five Muslim men were selected and arrested for having links to terrorism with some of those individuals having a loose relationship to Osama Bin Laden. At…
By: Addison Wylie Last September, TIFF featured a Canadian indie named Wet Bum. It sold itself to audiences as an innocent coming-of-age tale about a meek high schooler who finds guidance in her relationships with the elderly. A lot of movie goers ate it up, and found Wet Bum to be endearing. While it’s momentarily touching, I found Lindsay MacKay’s indie had too many precious quirks. Those developed the film into something far less original…
By: Addison Wylie I don’t normally write reviews for TV movies, but when I do, it’s for The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. A film that only exists to peak curiosities and indulge Bell actor Dustin Diamond. As someone who grew up watching Zack Morris and the gang attend Bayside High and ensue in melodramatic hijinx, it’s hard not to write this review from a fan’s point-of-view. Jason Lapeyre’s biopic about Saved by the…
By: Addison Wylie There’s a world where rainbows cross the sky day in and day out, animals play in harmony, and shiny people joyfully smile without a care to be had. I know it exists because I’ve just seen Common People, a sweet British film that’s available right now on iTunes to rent or purchase. Stewart Alexander and Kerry Skinner’s film is one of these vehicles where movie goers are dropped off in tiny slices…
By: Addison Wylie You can’t start off discussing St. Vincent without leading in with everyone’s favourite movie buddy: Bill Murray. Bill Murray is a very tough actor to dislike. He has a charm – an aura – that draws you in and makes you grin like a madman. He’s one of those rare cases where you don’t mind if every character you see him play is – in fact – himself, because he’s immensely watchable…
By: Addison Wylie Force Majeure has a thought-provoking concept that shocks the audience and the characters involved. Writer/director Ruben Östlund then proceeds to run his movie around in circles until its green in the face. It’s a process he continues to repeat until that once interesting premise transforms into an exhausting, ineffective tale. The concept: the ideal family vacations to a picturesque resort. It’s hinted the husband is business-oriented, so this time away from his job should be…
By: Addison Wylie If you grew up watching teen movies or were exposed to the batch of PG-13 high school flicks that flooded cinemas from the 90’s to the early 2000’s, it’s natural to have a repellant reaction to Charlie Lyne’s doc Beyond Clueless. The documentarian intentionally takes your beloved guilty pleasures and dissects them to find running themes. An introduction using 1996’s The Craft tells us exactly what movie goers are in for, and…