Canadian Film Fest ’18: The Cannon
Boogie Nights meets The Wrestler in Marshall Axani’s The Cannon. Although those are some fairly daunting examples to follow, The Cannon – for the most part – does a decent job of keeping up.
Canadian Film Fest
Canadian Film Fest ’18: The Go-Getters
In The Go-Getters, Jeremy LaLonde’s first foray into the twisted genre of dark comedies, audiences are convinced that misery really does love company; especially in the metropolis of Toronto.
Canadian Film Fest ’18: A Swingers Weekend
Certain topics pertaining to sex and intimacy aren’t really taboo anymore. We’ve had an influx of orgy comedies (A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town), and filmmakers have also captured stripped-down dating culture in the current digital age (Jackie Boy, as well as with glossier mainstream movies). Because of these advancements in storytelling, Jon E. Cohen’s underwhelming feature film debut A Swingers Weekend feels a few years too late.
Canadian Film Fest ’17: The Heretics
As a film critic, you try your hardest not to be jaded. However, I find myself struggling not to make blasé comments about Black Fawn Films’ latest horror movie The Heretics.
Canadian Film Fest ’17: Modern Classic
Making a movie like Modern Classic requires film experience, and I’m not talking about knowing how to assemble a shot list. It’s a taxing process of compromises that pulls you through the ringer while you remain hopeful and eager. Modern Classic, a flippant film about this love/hate relationship, uses catharsis and dry humour to exhale.
Canadian Film Fest ’17: Broken Mile
Justin McConnell is a filmmaker who uses tension marvellously, usually either channeled through shadowy environments or visceral fears. In his latest film Broken Mile, he breaks personal ground by using time to intensely disorient his audience.
Canadian Film Fest ’17: #AnAmericanDream
Ken Finkleman (of CBC’s cult hit The Newsroom) wryly lampoons streamlined success in #AnAmericanDream.
Canadian Film Fest ’17: Filth City
Budding filmmaker Andy King has been in hot water with former Toronto councillor Doug Ford, the brother of late mayor Rob Ford who was caught up in worldwide controversy involving drug use caught on tape. The plot of King’s feature Filth City is centred around a belligerent, frantic mayor searching for a video that captures his illicit drug binging at a house party – you can see why Doug is a little mad.
Across the Line
At first glance, Across the Line is a common film that exposes a type of impressionable racial discrimination filmmakers have acknowledged before. This time, the devastation hits close to home (Nova Scotia) and allows a breakout director to handle the heavy material in a different way that doesn’t dance around the aftermath.
Canadian Film Festival ’16: 20 Moves
In the spirit of Harv Glazer’s Rubik’s Cube documentary 20 Moves, I really tried to sum up my opinion about the film in 20 words – it didn’t work. But, hey, I don’t mind elaborating on the aptitude of Glazer’s satisfying work.