By: Addison Wylie I began watching Propganda not knowing of its satirical backbone, and my head nearly exploded. I’m glad I stopped the film to get caught up on Slavko Martinov’s faux-doc for it may have rendered me utterly speechless. My regret after reading the press release was turning the film back on to finish it. It takes a lunatic to make a “movie” as blunt, sarcastic, and grim as this one. That madman is Martinov,…
By: Addison Wylie David Fincher is a masterful filmmaker, but he’s even better at spinning a web of mystery and suspense. Numerous films in his catalogue deal with puzzling content, and not once have I seen him drop the ball. He’s also a fantastic handler of, shall we say, hidden motivations. Gone Girl is an extremely difficult film to delve into without giving away too much – bear with me. There are people in Fincher’s…
By: Gesilayefa Azorbo The film begins in the aftermath of a car accident. A vehicle lies on its roof, smoke streaming from its upended bottom on a dark, street-lit road. A moment or two go by before you realize someone is climbing their way out of the car. From the ski mask he’s wearing and the gun in his hand, it’s very easy to identify him as “the bad guy”. But then he stands up, grabs…
By: Addison Wylie 2014 has released plenty of exceptional documentaries, but Jesse Moss’ The Overnighters is unlike any of them. The Overnighters is a remarkable film about the human spirit and the struggle to maintain compassion and beliefs within a critical community. Exercising good faith isn’t always a walk in the park when the odds are intimidatingly stacked and judgement is looming. North Dakota’s economy is booming, which has brought plenty of pros and cons…
By: Addison Wylie The September 11th attacks struck fear into our society, providing a sensitive feeling of having our nerves wracked and having a newfound definition to defensiveness. But, sometimes precautions towards the “war on terror” are taken too far and end up doing additional harm to innocent people. Five Muslim men were selected and arrested for having links to terrorism with some of those individuals having a loose relationship to Osama Bin Laden. At…
By: Addison Wylie Every film festival has movies that are so unusual, the audience wonders if the flicks will ever see the light of day. Kung Fu Elliot and Giuseppe Makes a Movie were those films for me at this past year’s Hot Docs Film Festival. The jury’s still out on a release for Giuseppe, but Elliot can be seen by many very soon. It’s a doc that rolls with the punches – no pun intended. The flick starts…
By: Addison Wylie Last September, TIFF featured a Canadian indie named Wet Bum. It sold itself to audiences as an innocent coming-of-age tale about a meek high schooler who finds guidance in her relationships with the elderly. A lot of movie goers ate it up, and found Wet Bum to be endearing. While it’s momentarily touching, I found Lindsay MacKay’s indie had too many precious quirks. Those developed the film into something far less original…
By: Addison Wylie I don’t normally write reviews for TV movies, but when I do, it’s for The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. A film that only exists to peak curiosities and indulge Bell actor Dustin Diamond. As someone who grew up watching Zack Morris and the gang attend Bayside High and ensue in melodramatic hijinx, it’s hard not to write this review from a fan’s point-of-view. Jason Lapeyre’s biopic about Saved by the…
By: Addison Wylie There’s a world where rainbows cross the sky day in and day out, animals play in harmony, and shiny people joyfully smile without a care to be had. I know it exists because I’ve just seen Common People, a sweet British film that’s available right now on iTunes to rent or purchase. Stewart Alexander and Kerry Skinner’s film is one of these vehicles where movie goers are dropped off in tiny slices…
By: Addison Wylie You can’t start off discussing St. Vincent without leading in with everyone’s favourite movie buddy: Bill Murray. Bill Murray is a very tough actor to dislike. He has a charm – an aura – that draws you in and makes you grin like a madman. He’s one of those rare cases where you don’t mind if every character you see him play is – in fact – himself, because he’s immensely watchable…