The Middle Man
By: Jeff Ching The Middle Man takes place in the fictional town of Karmack, USA. Of every fictional city I’ve seen in the movies, Karmack is the last place I would ever want to live.
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Quickening
A young woman is caught between the expectations of her Pakistani family and her growing independence in writer/director Haya Waseem’s haunting coming-of-age drama, Quickening.
Kicking Blood
Kicking Blood is a really goofy vampire flick, and I’m not sure how much if it is intentional. I was entertained nonetheless by Blaine Thurier’s film, even if it’s a bit of a buzzkill during the final third.
Run Woman Run
Run Woman Run is a sweet and charming dramatic comedy about family, community, healing, and grief. Written and directed by Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Kayak to Klemtu), Run Woman Run stars Dakota Ray Hebert (In Her City) as Beck, a single mom who is forced to re-examine her lifestyle after she is diagnosed with diabetes. While her father (Lorne Cardinal of Corner Gas) and sister (The Exchange’s Jayli Wolf) beg Beck to start eating right and exercising,…
Moon Manor
Moon Manor didn’t quite work for me. However, it finishes with poignant elegance while sending home a sobering message about stigmas behind certain health conditions. In this case, how does an elderly man (James ‘Jimmy’ Carrozo playing a version of himself) with debilitating Alzheimer’s choose to live his life? Moon Manor’s answer: throw yourself a FUN-eral and go out safely on your own terms. Moon Manor follows Jimmy on his “last day”.
Donkeyhead
By: Trevor Chartrand Donkeyhead is the first feature film from writer/director Agam Darshi, who has extensive credits both in front of and behind the camera. Her film focuses on Mona (played by Darshi herself), the least-successful sibling among the four brothers and sisters in her family. As a failed writer, she is the only one among them who still lives at home, aimless in her pursuits with no job and no prospects. Instead of pursuing…
A Cops and Robbers Story
By: Trevor Chartrand Documentary filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu takes on a recent New York controversy in A Cops and Robbers Story; which focuses on former NYPD chief Corey Pegues. A vocal advocate against police brutality and racism, Pegues was the centre of a media swarm following a recent confession of his darker past.
Marionette
The most interesting thing about Marionette is the question it made me ask myself: if a generic movie is a functioning entry in its genre, should it receive a passing grade? I had just given Netflix’s bombastic blockbuster Red Notice a recommendation because of this same grading method. So, what’s preventing me from doing the same with Marionette?
See For Me
By: Trevor Chartrand See For Me, directed by Randall Okita (The Lockpicker), is an engaging thriller that’s sort-of a reverse Don’t Breathe. In both films, a blind person fends off would-be home invaders – but in Okita’s movie, our visually-impaired lead character is not a sadistic sociopath – she’s (mostly) a good person.