Whether by choice or by circumstance, Casey Affleck has skirted the edges of stardom for nearly a decade since his breakout role in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. (more…)
TIFF
TIFF Review: ARRIVAL Cribs From Christopher Nolan’s Playbook
Denis Villeneuve’s carefully constructed alien invasion pic Arrival is as notable for what it does as for what it avoids. It risks that linguistic research and the probing of the human soul can be swapped out for bombastic clashes of military might and still hold an audience’s attention. (more…)
TIFF Review: COLOSSAL Is The Strangest Genre Mashup Of The Year
An at-times uneasy mix between a mega monster movie with an indie coming-of-age tale, Nacho Vigalondo’s genre-jumping Colossal defies easy description. It’s an offbeat, inventive, and uneven movie that nestles uncomfortable truths and earnestness among its giant kaiju fights. (more…)
TIFF Review: THE BIRTH OF A NATION Is Raw and Powerful
The Birth of a Nation – which reclaims its title from a KKK propaganda film made over a hundred years ago – is a heady mix of gut-level artistry and timely history lesson, told from the perspective of an ambitious auteur making his directorial debut. (more…)
TIFF Review: THE DANISH GIRL Is Well-Wrought But Superficial
The Danish Girl has a timely premise – the story of one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery at a time when it was extremely dangerous and much of society held deep prejudices. By all rights it should make for a compelling and important film, especially in the hands of recent Oscar-winners Tom Hooper (Best Director for The King’s Speech) and Eddie Redmayne (Best Actor for The Theory of Everything).
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TIFF Review: ANOMALISA Is Adult Animation, Charlie Kaufman-Style
Having first dealt with puppets tangentially in Being John Malkovich, writer Charlie Kaufman has now fashioned an entire movie around them in the supremely idiosyncratic and quietly moving Anomalisa. (more…)
TIFF Review: ROOM Celebrates The Resiliency Of The Human Spirit
Room faces a considerable challenge – how do you adapt a book that mostly takes place in a cramped room and is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy? (more…)
TIFF Review: HIGH-RISE Is A Rare Gonzo Beast
When a movie opens with its lead eating a neighbourhood dog amidst the post-apocalyptic ruins of a destroyed apartment building you know you’re in for an unconventional time. When that movie stars mainstream (anti-)hero Tom Hiddleston (best known as Loki from Thor) then it’s also bound to inspire strong reactions from mixed crowds, as it did at TIFF this year when it prompted walkouts during its premiere. (more…)
TIFF Review: THE MARTIAN Strands Matt Damon In Space (Again)
The Martian‘s logline sounds like Castaway in space – a lone hero stranded in a remote location, cut off from civilization and desperate to find a way home. (more…)
TIFF Review: FREEHELD Is Familiar But Stirring
Freeheld handles a true story from the recent past in a respectful manner that occasionally feels rote, but nonetheless achieves some emotional power. (more…)
Glen On Film 