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Drama

Reviews

Glassland

Filmmaking is certainly an important form of self-expression, but not all films are created equal;  sometimes a film comes out that serves no purpose, makes no impact and leaves no impression.  Gerard Barrett’s Glassland is a perfect example of such a film.  His film completely lacks any purpose other than to be a series of images giving an illusion of motion on a screen.  Glassland never rises above a TV-movie-of-the-week, and its attempts at slow and…

Reviews

Miss You Already

The girlfriend dramedy Miss You Already is a fitting follow-up for Thirteen filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke.  It just so happens to arrive late in her career after Lords of Dogtown, The Nativity Story, Twilight, and Red Riding Hood.

Reviews

The Legend of Barney Thomson

Robert Carlyle has proven to be an astonishing actor from his memorable work in The Full Monty, Trainspotting, and California Solo.  Though The Legend of Barney Thomson allows the actor to return to his Trainspotting-esque wildness, it’s unfortunate that his first attempt at directing a feature film isn’t quite so flawless.

Reviews

Numb

A suggestion to theatres screening Jason R. Goode’s Numb: your audience may thank you for turning down the air conditioning.  Numb is so effective through its chilly and disorienting environment, movie goers can actually feel the elements leaping off the screen.

Reviews

Sicilian Vampire

Just like staring at an inkblot, “random” and “strange” are the first words that spring to mind if I had to describe Frank D’Angelo’s Sicilian Vampire to movie goers.  However, the oddities give D’Angelo’s film a fever dream allure – it’s entertaining one way or another.

Reviews

The Reflecting Skin

British filmmaker Philip Ridley’s The Reflecting Skin hasn’t screened in Toronto since its Canadian premiere at TIFF in 1990.  Given its vibrant formalism and unconventional approach to genre, Ridley’s first feature simply may have been unable to find a broader audience.  However, the film works well for cult film audiences.

Reviews

Risen

I’ve urged people to give faith-based films a chance despite whatever their beliefs are.  Based on recent flicks I’ve seen, the sub-genre is opening up much more.  Risen, the best work released by Sony’s subsidiary label Affirm Films, furthers my point.

Reviews

One Floor Below

I’m compelled to call the Romanian drama One Floor Below a “one man show” since it features a solitary character (Sandu played by Teodor Corban) dealing with a possible murder he heard from outside an apartment, and how he handles confrontation with the alleged suspect.  The camera is focused on him, and Corban does follow through with his end of the deal – he’s very believable.