1st Reviews

  Anatomy of a Fall is a perfectly paced, superbly acted courtroom drama, elevated far beyond genre standards by its brilliant dissection of a marriage. You’ll be dragged along through a gruelling trial to uncover the truth, but this is about so much more than a guilty or innocent verdict.  The film wisely avoids taking a concrete stance on the trial, nor does it present you with enough evidence to form a definitive verdict of your own. No, much like an actual investigation, it offers up a puzzling collection of various theories and facts supporting both sides. Although the story is framed around Sandra Hüller’s character, and the fight to prove her innocence, she’s never painted as a villain or protagonist.  Justine Triet is firing on all cylinders from a writing and directorial standpoint. Not only is her script filled with sharp, immersive dialogue, but she makes a number of subtle yet inventive visual choices as well. A lot of the framing and camera work is exceptiona...

  Freelance is a generic action flick, made so much worse by the bizarre choice to shoot it with a lighthearted, comedic tone. Obviously action-comedy is a successful sub-genre of its own, but this confused mashup fails miserably at merging the two.  The best way to describe the movie, is that it feels as if it were written as a serious action flick, but changed at the last minute to incorporate a lighter tone and comedy. If you take away the poorly written and badly timed jokes, the plot kind of works as a straight-faced action movie. I’m not saying it would’ve been any good if that were the case, but it surely would’ve turned out better than this.  If you look at the director’s past work, that theory actually makes sense. His catalogue is filled with action, but no comedy. His experience unfortunately translates to the screen, with some competently shot (albeit a bit uninspired) action, and a lot of horribly executed humour. The movie is just shy of two hours long, and ...

  The North American opioid crisis is a very real, very serious problem. Naturally over the years, Hollywood has taken several runs at shedding light on the issue through film and television.   Pain   Hustlers   is the latest movie to tackle the story, with a glossy and misguided, albeit mildly insightful look at the pharmaceutical reps at the centre of it all.  There are so many fascinating angles a film could take when approaching this subject. “Pill pusher with a conscious” is among the least interesting options, and sadly that’s the route  Pain   Hustlers  takes. It’s interesting to see the plot unfold initially as somewhat of an underdog story, before transforming into something much darker. However, this approach doesn’t really allow us to dig deep into the actual issues surrounding the epidemic.  Director David Yates is best known for helming the last four Harry Potter films, as well as the Fantastic Beasts movies. It truly seems like ...

Makoto Shinkai, The director who brought us Your Name and Weathering With You; brings us another bold and beautiful film, Suzume. Named after the film's young lead, 17- year old Suzume lives the normal life of a high-schooler. She has suffered a loss at a young age, losing her mom when she was a child but she lives with her loving Aunt. One day on her way to school, her world is catapulted into a new direction as she meets a boy named Souta and their unexpected encounter changes everyone's world. On their first encounter, Souta asks Suzume if she knows of nearby ruins. curiosity gets the better of her and she seeks out the ruins on her own and she discovers a hidden door. The door is a portal into another world and unleashes a giant worm creature, one that haunts the region and causes earthquakes when it is unleashed.  Souta is revealed to be a "closer" someone who has inherited the power to close portals and protect the earth but when the Suzume opens the portal, he ...

  It seems like each year there is a single movie released that is utterly bonkers, truly off-the-wall ridiculous and yet also wildly hilarious and infinitely lovable. In 2023, that movie is unquestionably     “Dicks: The Musical.” Yes, the title for A24’s first musical will undoubtedly be off-putting to some, but trust and believe that this wonderfully irreverent comedy is smart about how it crosses the line of good taste. Which, is quite frequently. As foul-mouthed as it is clever and satirical with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, “Dicks: The Musical” begs the question: how can something so stupid be so brilliant?” The answer is of course Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson the duo who not only star in “Dicks: The Musical,” but also wrote the screenplay as well as the off-Broadway musical it’s based on. Rarely is a creative pair as hilariously harmonious as these two are. From their wildly enjoyable performances to their endlessly quotable script, these two are destine...

  Hayao Miyazaki has proven time and time again to be a master of blurring the line between the ethereal and the world as we know it. Through his creative directorial eye, we’ve been swept away on journeys that often feel like strange fever dreams, but somehow resonate on a profound emotional level. Returning from retirement for a final bow, The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki’s deeply personal swan song, and a return to form for Studio Ghibli. I know I don’t need to mention it, because you should already expect it by this point, but the animation is simply stunning. It’s a brilliant culmination of Ghibli’s finest work. The gorgeous hand drawn animation, the delicately painted landscapes, and the subtle use of 3D rendering to convey depth and motion all amount to a breathtaking piece of art than ranks among the studio’s finest visual work. Equally beautiful is Joe Hisaishi’s original score, both delicate and sweepingly grand.  Using fantastical settings to tell human stories isn...

  When we look back at history, the media has masked the brutality that occurred when colonizers came to North America. There is a stripped-down version of this and that of the Indigenous people. The book   Killers of the Flower Moon,  written by David Grann, highlighted the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI. Grann, an American journalist, crafted his novel with court filings and actual evidence proving that William Hale (the Sheriff of Fairfax) orchestrated the murders of the Osage for head rights and insurance. The more Grann uncovered, the more sickening and disturbing the tangled web of deceit and murder became. In the   Killers of the Flower Moon  film adaptation ,  director Martin Scorsese follows Grann’s narrative based on those factual findings. And frames the story as a depiction of the evil within the town and the tragedy one family faces.  Scorsese clearly wanted to highlight the people of the Osage nation and their way of life before t...

  Mike Flanagan is back with the latest of his annual Netflix collaborations, and if you weren’t already convinced that he’s a maestro of modern horror, you will be now. The Fall of the House of Usher brilliantly pulls from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, weaving a larger narrative around several of the acclaimed author’s stories.  Like much of Flanagan’s past work, this is another dialogue heavy outing. The abundance of wordy monologues and conversational back-and-forth makes way for a remarkable performance showcase. Each and every actor is given plenty of delectable material to chew on, and make the most of every second of screen time. The cast is comprised of Flanagan’s regular players, and this group works marvellously together. Bruce Greenwood gives a commanding performance as the head of the Usher family, and Carla Gugino slips playfully into a variety of different roles with ease. It truly is a performance showcase.  There’s an overarching series narrative, but each...

  A film that’ll have your toes tapping and your heart singing, Flora and Son is another music filled delight from John Carney. Led by a trio of wonderful performances and filled with catchy original songs, I dare you not to fall just a little bit in love with this one.  The movie revolves around the turbulent relationship between Flora and Max (Eve Hewson and Oren Kinlan) - a mother and son who rarely see eye to eye. In an attempt to better herself, Flora takes up online guitar lessons, and forms a meaningful connection with her teacher, Jack (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). It’s an uplifting story about self-worth, self-discovery, and finding unlikely common ground where you least expect it.  Hewson is absolutely wonderful, bringing a lot of warmth to such a blunt and opinionated character. You can tell she’s been through some hardships, and it’s led to her putting up walls when it comes to her relationships in life. Kinlan is the match to her fuse, with the two of them constant...

  Full disclosure - I haven’t watched Rebels or The Clone Wars. This series was my introduction to many of these characters, which means I didn’t go into it with the same context as many others. Even without years of lore to enrich my experience, I have to say this is one of the better Star Wars shows of the Disney+ era.  Of course, being familiar with these characters and their stories would’ve been nice, but it’s not necessary to understand and appreciate the series. The first few episodes are a bit exposition heavy, but I didn’t mind because it’s meant to bring new viewers on board. There’s a lot that’ll go over your head if you haven’t seen the animated series, but it’s still an exciting and unique adventure, even if it has you frequently asking “huh?”  Right from the start, I was captivated by the stunning cinematography and outstanding use of colour. This is one of the best looking entries in the entire franchise. The muted, often grey or white landscapes with deep ...

  With   Pet Sematary: Bloodlines , Lindsey Anderson Beer created a prequel surrounding the founding families of Ludlow, Maine. The film is set in 1969, and Jud Crandall (Jackson White) is at the centre of this story. He was the old neighbour in   Pet Sematary   who warned the Creed family about the highway that ran past their house. The score booms loudly in the beginning as Anderson Beer places Bill Baterman (David Duchovny) in the cemetery at night while dragging a body with his dog Hendrix by his side. The moon was full. And the body he buried came alive and took the dog with him. Jud was ready to go to the Peace Corps with his girlfriend Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind) when a bird crashed into their windshield. They notice Hendrix in front of the nose of the car, and the dog looks filthy. They return Hendrix to his owners, the Batermans, only to find that Timmy Baterman (Jack Mulhern) had returned from Vietnam. At first, they think something is off because of his PTSD...

  The first episode of Loki season 2 is now available on Disney +. I was able to watch the first four episodes of the new season and these are some of my spoiler free comments.  Loki season two starts off directly after the events of season one finale. Loki and Silvi killed Kang and released the lock on the timelines. This immediately forms a multiverse and sends the TVA into complete disarray.  Loki and Mobius head on a mission across time in order to try and fix the timeline with the help of their new TVA time specialist, O.B played by Key Huy Quan. He plays this character so well and fits right into the dynamic of Loki and Mobius. The first few episodes play out like a Doctor Who time travel mystery as many members of the TVA travel to different time periods that are of significance to the TVA and its leads. O.B is one of my favorite additions to the season and it truly is only due to the fun portrayal by Key.  Johnathan Majors does return as a variant t...

Great coming of age stories are often disguised as something else, leaving it up to the viewer to interpret a deeper meaning behind the allegory. Of course, this approach isn’t always successful, as the message can either come across as heavy handed or too obscure. My Animal falls victim to the former, presenting its queer coming of age story as a painfully dull werewolf flick.  Despite treading well worn territory, the film does have a couple strong elements at its disposal. I have to commend Bobbi Salvör Menuez for their performance. I could really sense the anxiety of their character being trapped in a body they don’t fully understand or feel comfortable in. Amanda Stenberg is also quite good, and the two of them share some steamy on screen chemistry.  I couldn’t find exact figures online, but it’s obvious this is a very low budget film. In terms of cinematography, score and sound design, it does an admirable job (though the overuse of red light might make you feel like you...