Canadian
Hello Destroyer
Kevan Funk’s Hello Destroyer, a complicated and clinical disclosure of the underlying traumas associated with hockey, was well-received at TIFF last year for a good reason: there aren’t many films brave enough to de-mythologize Canada’s national sport.
The Red Maple Leaf
In Frank D’Angelo’s The Red Maple Leaf, special agent Alfonso Palermo (D’Angelo) asks potential suspects to “indulge him” during interrogations. I’ve heard some describe D’Angelo’s filmmaking as indulgent, which is why I smirked whenever Palermo asked this. Whether this was a cheeky wink toward critics is a mystery, and will probably remain unanswered.
Kiss and Cry
Kiss and Cry is a lovely Canadian companion to Josh Boone’s crowd-pleaser The Fault in Our Stars.
Nocturne
Often, you’ll hear a film criticized for having a premise that’s more suited for a short film rather than a feature-length movie. Filmmaker Saul Pincus, who has a background in making shorts, has surely caught wind of this comment because you can see the mechanics in his latest breakout indie Nocturne try to dodge this nitpick.
Blood in the Snow 2016: ‘Streamer’
The strengths in Streamer are very subtle and camouflaged by deliberate monotony.
Blood in the Snow 2016: ‘Inspiration’
Inspiration may be Jason Armstrong’s first feature-length movie in seven years, but he’s been a consistent storyteller. Just this Summer, Armstrong (along with frequent collaborator Mike Klassen) made 9 Days with Cambria, a moderately successful web series confronting abuse through short stories performed by different actresses portraying the same character.
Blood in the Snow 2016: ‘3 Dead Trick or Treaters’
A murderer whose calling card is a scratched-down horror story; a couple goes trick or treating and it quickly gets out of hand; a family brings home a witch to burn at the stake; a group of gutter punks find an easier way to come by food; a pair of police officers have a shady side business.
The Birdwatcher
Siobhan Devine’s The Birdwatcher is a bad movie, but it made me reflect on how spoiled Canadian audiences really are.