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How Can You Love Me Now As You Had Said You Loved Me Yesterday?: A Review of Celine Song’s Past Lives (2023)

  Last summer, I watched what I believed to be one of the best films to come out of the year 2023. In her directorial debut, Korean-Canadian playwright, Celine Song captures an interesting perspective on how love and identity can transform over the course of a person’s life. Past Lives , follows a young Korean playwright – based loosely off Song herself – as she is confronted with having to choose between a love from her past and the love from her present, and asks audiences to consider the forms in which love shapes, breaks, and re-shapes us back into the people we have become and will continue to become as we grow old.  The film’s plot is grounded by one evocative question: does the love sparked within a past version of who we once were exist long enough within us to be re-ignited? Past Lives does well to answer this question through the concept of In-Yun , an ancient Buddhist concept which states that interactions between two people throughout their current lives are rewar...
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Bridgerton season 4 Part One Review

  Dearest Gentle Readers,   The long-awaited season for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) finding a wife is finally here. After reading  An Offer From a Gentleman  by Julia Quinn, it’s safe to say that the majority of the adaptation in Part One is fairly similar, with some much-needed updates.  The second Bridgerton brother has become a fan favourite for his charm, wit and zest for life. Benedict is an artist and sees things through different perspectives. He wants to enjoy the small things that matter because the wonder of the world is much more fascinating than the repetition of soirees and balls within Mayfair.  Many things have changed in the ton since last season. The Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) has taken Penelope Bridgerton, aka Lady Whistledown (Nicola Coughlan), into her circle. She wants the hot gossip first before the new issue of Whistledown is printed, leaving Penelope to work double time in appeasing the Queen, even at balls.  This...
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The Rip Review

  The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching.  While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...
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The Rip Review

  What starts as a follow-up on a tip on the location of a stash of cartel drugs, soon becomes a star-studded guessing game cleverly executed by Joe Carnahan. As a writer and director, Carnahan always knows how to find the exciting and gripping parts of his characters, and the energy they create when playing off of each other. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck continue to work wonders together as Hollywood’s power best friend duo. Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Sasha Calle are particularly exceptional here, and Catalina Sandino Moreno gives a warm strength to the film, too. The film cleverly doesn’t let you in on the full perspective of any character, allowing the audience to shift alliances and predictions as to what the full picture is, as the situation continues to unfold. It’s a fun and rewarding action film, and hey, it doesn’t hurt that the cast behind the main Tactical Narcotics Team are all doing an awesome job. Rating:  ★★★★ Review by:  Gal Balaban
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The Rip Review

  In 2002, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale became co-founders of Artists Equity.  This independent artist-led studio reimagines the relationship between talent, studio, and distributor.   Damon and Affleck have both paved their way in the industry and have created a legacy of their own. Their first professional collaboration (uncredited) was in  Field of Dreams , but their massive rise to fame was in 1997 with  Good Will Hunting.  Their story has always been inspirational because of their ambition. They both won their first Academy Award in their mid-twenties, and the film became a comfort for many breaking into the industry. Their acceptance speech alone would be on repeat for any aspiring artist because it was wholesome and endearing.  Over the years, Damon and Affleck have collaborated on seventeen films together. Establishing Artists Equity created more opportunities to help young filmmakers and gave them the creative freedom to work wi...
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

  28 Days Later   is not only a fascinating zombie film, but has spawned a unique and exciting franchise since. Releasing two films within the span of seven months isn't something most film series can truly earn, but   28 Years Later: The Bone Temple   continues to embrace the violent setting and genre while flipping the themes and styles of its predecessor on their axes. Nia DaCosta's direction is far more patient and just as dark, but there also seems to finally be some cracks of optimism in the world that's gone to hell, with people fighting against a terrifying virus, and some humans even killing one another. That hope comes in the form of Dr. Ian Kelson. Ralph Fiennes' intelligence, compassion, and gravitas serve as a light in the film and to the circumstances that have turned the world into a landscape of fear and carnage. Equally captivating on the other end of things is Jack O'Connell as a vicious cult leader. O'Connell brings to life a character whose r...
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Dead Man’s Wire Review

  Bill Skarsgard gives a captivating performance in Gus van Sant's hostage thriller. His unfiltered thoughts, along with his seeping rage and disdain make it difficult to look away from the actor's amazing dedication to the role. Dacre Montgomery also gives vulnerability and complexity to his character in his strong performance, while Myha'la also shines in a great supporting role. However, the film never quite lives up to that lead performance and fails to subvert expectations of past films where one man is taking another hostage with demands from the authorities and critiques of the system. The shock of the true story's real-life circumstances also doesn't quite land, and the ending is irritating and disorienting at times. You're better off rewatching  Dog Day Afternoon , instead. Rating:  ★★★ Review by: Gal Balaban   
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