Fitting In
Molly McGlynn’s standout sophomore feature Fitting In manages to be both frank and subtle with its portrayal of teenage coming-of-age.
Teen
He’s All That
“What’s the point to remaking She’s All That?” is a question that frequented my thoughts when I first heard of He’s All That. It was another random project that seemed as if it was putting all of its eggs in one basket, hoping to simply capture the attention of movie goers with the idea of swapping the gender roles of its predecessor. Other than looking to be entertained, I was hoping most of all that…
Anthem of a Teenage Prophet
The melodic title of Robin Hays’ Anthem of a Teenage Prophet suggests, at the very least, a kind of experimental approach to tragedy and trauma. Instead, this adaptation of Joanne Proulx’s award-winning novel Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is surprisingly familiar; replete with the traditional rebellious drug-fueled angst we’ve come to expect from cinematic representations of teenage life in the suburbs.
Toronto After Dark 2017: ‘Tragedy Girls’
Two teenage girls come-of-age in a small town. They use “teen speak”, spend all their time on social media, and find themselves consumed by their various hobbies. What makes Tragedy Girls different from a plethora of similar films is that one of these girls’ hobbies is murder.
Violet
Bas Devos’ feature film debut Violet is an unforgettable movie. There’s so much to admire about it: its cinematography, its patience, and Cesar De Sutter’s outstanding introverted performance. However, Devos’ daring ambition to visualize inner conflict through minimal dialogue may be the film’s strongest achievement.
1 Mile to You
You pick up on a lot of hints when you watch enough movies. In a screening of The Blind Side, I grasped my armrest and held my breath when two characters were happily singing while driving. I know when that happens, an accident is right around the corner and, sure enough, there was.
The DUFF
By: Addison Wylie By playing the role of Bianca ‘The DUFF’ Piper, actress Mae Whitman finds herself in the midst of being typecast. She plays this precocious misfit so well, that I can already envision casting agents salivating. The predicament Whitman and those eager agents find themselves in is that The DUFF isn’t a great movie nor particularly memorable. Its resonating buzz will be made up of satisfactory shoulder shrugs and head bobs from those…
Vampire Academy
By: Addison Wylie Movie goers will always remember the big boom of modern vampires and their iffy lore. Some appreciated what Twilight executed with their movement, while others wished the movement had been executed altogether. That said, I believe we can all agree that fantasies about brooding creatures of the night have had their time in the spotlight and are now starting to peter away slowly. It was like witnessing an out-of-control party scamper off…
The Spectacular Now
By: Addison Wylie The Spectacular Now is the movie about high school I wish I had growing up. It’s easily identifiable and relatable to anyone who felt growing pains or knew someone having a wobbly time through secondary education. James Ponsoldt’s coming-of-age dramedy features two exceptional performances from up-and-comers Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, who play unexpected friends who eventually become smitten with each other. Though, Teller’s motormouth Sutter Keely won’t directly admit it since…
Inside Out 2013: G.B.F.
By: Addison Wylie I haven’t seen it in a good long while, but I was surprised by Darren Stein’s 1999 dark comedy Jawbreaker. It brought that same guilty satisfaction you get when you eat peanut butter out of the container with a giant spoon. You shouldn’t be enjoying it, it’s probably bad for you, but you can’t stop soaking in the indulgence. Since Stein’s latest film G.B.F. deals with this same visual style and the…