The People’s Joker feels as if it comes from the nichiest corners: an autobiographical mixed media art piece, based on the filmmaker’s own trans coming-of-age, that reclaims pop culture as a way to personally convey and connect the past to the present. But as specific as The People’s Joker may sound on paper and as polarizing as it appears on screen, this wickedly transgressive tragicomedy is one of the most accessible films ever contributed to…
How to Have Sex is either a cautionary tale or a party movie with a heart or, maybe, it’s both.
Molly McGlynn’s standout sophomore feature Fitting In manages to be both frank and subtle with its portrayal of teenage coming-of-age.
By: Jolie Featherstone Ariane Louis-Seize’s feature film directorial debut, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, is an intriguing horror-dramedy that has the makings of a cult classic. Think gothic Wes Anderson, or Richard Ayoade’s Submarine (2010) meets Tomas Alfredson’s Let The Right One In (2008).
Golden Delicious is melodramatic molasses. Each emotional beat, as sincere as they may be, can be seen coming from a mile away as they slowly roll their way towards the screen. Personal epiphanies from the characters feel like déjà vu to movie goers who may be more than familiar with coming-of-age stories involving closeted teens becoming more in touch with who they are.
Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s When Morning Comes is a true standout in the overcrowded coming-of-age sub-genre. It’s also a landmark in slice-of-life filmmaking.
By: Jolie Featherstone Adorable funnyman and prolific Hollywood actor Randall Park (seriously, look at his IMDB page) makes his feature film directorial debut with the much-anticipated Shortcomings, based on the lauded graphic novel series by Adrian Tomine who also adapted the screenplay.
Serpent’s Lullaby writer/director Patricia Chica, who has always been busy with making short films and music videos, completes an effortless transition to feature-length storytelling with her debut Montréal Girls, an affable vehicle for herself and her breakout leads. The movie pushes past its familiarity with notes of magic realism and method acting. The results are impressive, though the story still rings some bells.
Thematic crossovers and shared stories are bound to happen when so many movies are being released close together; these flukes are not uncommon. While it’s easy for movie goers to gripe about déjà vu, it’s hard to complain when the separate works are good in their own right.
L’immensità is a mesmerizing 70s slice of life, anchored by excellent performances and deeply felt emotion both in front of and behind the camera.