Addison Wylie 2015 cranked out a lot of great movies. I was actually able to form a “best of” list before even thinking of those cinematic duds. However, that doesn’t excuse the following films. These frustrating films put my patience to the test, even so far as to push me out of the movie altogether. Don’t worry though, I returned to finish that defeating film. And, yes, it was the worst film I saw all year.
Young Nathan (Asa Butterfield) has issues interacting with people. Diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum (with a little bit of synesthesia), Nathan much prefers patterns and numbers – making him a wiz at mathematics. He shared a special connection with his father, but after dad perished in a vehicular collision, Nathan withdrew even further, and burrowed deeper into mathematics. His mother (Sally Hawkins), unable to connect with her son, signed him up for personal advanced…
Addison Wylie 2015 was a great year for movies, and I hope returning readers will see those results on the lists below. However, I understand if my favourites at the tip of the iceberg aren’t surprising – they haven’t changed since the mid-year report. A couple of excellent documentaries, and an army of dogs set the bar astronomically high. On another note, I hope people will consider checking out the films that flesh out the…
By: Mark Barber Youth is Paolo Sorrentino’s follow-up to his Academy Award-winning film The Great Beauty, and his first English feature. I have not seen The Great Beauty, but the constant praise for its Felliniesque style makes sense, given that Youth is just as self-reflexive and oneiric as famed Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s films.
By: Mark Barber Carol is a difficult film to describe without context. I have occasionally found myself at odds with contemporary representations of queer identity, as it refuses to abandon elements of tragedy that have dominated for so long. As Vito Russo points out in his celebrated The Celluloid Closet, queer characters rarely receive a happy ending. Same-sex relationships were taboo for much of the 20th century, which was then reflected in their filmic representation….
By: Shahbaz Khayambashi Hitchcock/Truffaut is a perfect example of a book-to-film adaptation that has been made to relieve viewers from having to read. It’s a SparkNotes version of the eponymous book, taking bits and pieces of the writing and spacing it out with interviews so movie goers will be distracted from the lack of attention in the production.
By: Addison Wylie After accumulating directorial experience with shorts films and serving as a producer on critically acclaimed indies such as Simon Killer and Martha Marcy May Marlene, Josh Mond has taken the leap to feature films with James White. A film that will convince you that Mond has been in this business longer than his back catalogue suggests.
By: Trevor Jeffery There are some people who do physical challenges for the fun of it, and some people who participate in physical challenges for the accomplishment. Then, there are some people who do physical challenges because of self-loathing, mental lapse or aptitude for enduring pain. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young is a documentary about all of these folks.
By: Shahbaz Khayambashi Requiem for the American Dream does not have anything new to say if the viewer is familiar with Noam Chomsky’s ideas, but watching one of our greatest minds speak is always a treat.
