Posts filed under "Modern Times"
Review: Upstream Color (2013)
Indie-auteur Shane Caruth, of Primer/Sundance acclaim, is finally back with his 2nd film Upstream Color. Like the meticulously, realistically grounded Primer, Caruth’s sophomore effort is once again based in this apparent total universe of realism. This time around, however, the movie is presented to us as “real” while simultaneously and unapologetically being hallucinogenic, dense with surrealism, [...]
Inside Out LGBT Film Festival 2013: Magnifica presenza (2012)
Director Ferzan Ozpetek of queer cinema classic Steam: The Turkish Bath (1997) returns to the 2013 edition of the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival with charming ghost story Magnifica presenza (Magnificent Presence). The story follows Pietro, an aspiring actor who’s busy settling into a creaky Roman apartment and not getting laid. Imagine his surprise when he learns a pre-war theatre [...]
Inside Out LGBT Film Festival 2013: In the Name Of (2013)
The 2013 edition of the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, May 23 with the Polish film In the Name Of from director Malgoska Szumowska. While the film has been travelling the European festival circuit, Thursday’s 8:00 pm screening marks the Canadian premiere of the film. Advance buzz has been so positive, the [...]
Review: War Witch (2012)
War Witch, (Rebelle is the French title) is a beautiful and elaborate depiction of a young woman during the atrocities that took place in the Congo. Directed by Kim Nguyen, and filmed masterfully within Democratic Republic of Congo itself, the film uniquely forms a beautiful and multi-layered story that is as magical as it is brutally [...]
Review: Sleepwalk With Me (2012)
Growing up isn’t easy. The minute you master something new about yourself, along comes another new hurdle to challenge you thus, requiring further self-reflection and change continuing the ongoing cycle of life. Stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia emphasizes this fact in his beautifully filmed, directorial debut Sleepwalk With Me. An autobiographical coming of age tale, Sleepwalk [...]
Spork (2010)
Spork is like High School Musical on acid. It’s a coming of age story that pushes boundaries, but definitely feels more authentic than a lot of films geared towards tweens today. Spork (Savannah Stehlin) is a hermaphrodite teenager trying to survive middle school, amidst bullying from the popular girls (think Mean Girls), sass from her [...]
Review: Fifty Pence
Modern short films are a tricky lot. They are generally made as calling cards for the director, cinematographer and actors to show their stuff, with the hopes of landing a feature, or as trailers to whet appetites and open wallets. Therefore, it’s hard to watch them without constantly being aware that the talent involved is [...]
Review: The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)
The Giant Mechanical Man is a clichéd love story filled with character actors masquerading as leads. It feels like a very good student film – meaning it’s a fine piece of work, but something’s missing. There’s a very obvious lack of chemistry between the two leads, Jenna Fischer and Chris Messina, and – what’s worse [...]
Run Lola Run (1998)
Run Lola Run is a film with a pulsating heartbeat that keeps the viewer utterly intoxicated under its spell. It’s as fiery as its red-maned protagonist, and as catchy as its musical score. Directed by Tom Tykwer, the film follows Lola (Franka Potente), a bizarre and fantastic young woman struggling to save her lover Manni [...]
Review: The Suicide Shop (2012)
In The Suicide Shop, in a sprawling metropolis not entirely unlike Paris, the Tuvache family are the proprietors of a quaint little boutique which specializes in the procurement of upscale and designer methods of self-annihilation. Colourful poisons in perfume bottles, noose-and-stool combo packages, Japanese katana swords perfect for hari kari – they have it all [...]
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Brandy Dean
Thank you for having an awesome blog! Poor Joseph …
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Brandy Dean
Doh! I've never seen Leave Her to Heaven. Imma pre …
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Kerry Fristoe
I agree with Lawrence Tierney in Born To Kill. Ps …
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Jon Mullich
If we're talking about performances that were snub …
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Jessica P.
Aww, no love for Joseph Cotten? ;) But in all seri …
