Hot Docs 2019: ‘On the President’s Orders’ Documents the Philippine Drug War
‘On the President’s Orders,’ directed by James Jones and Olivier Sarbil, is a jarring account of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Tag: film review
Creations of Chaos: Anastasia
On this edition of Creations of Chaos, it’s My Fair Lady meets mysticism and murder. We go Once Upon a December to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the film, Anastasia.
Takashi Miike’s ‘Blade of the Immortal’ slices and dices, but it could use a trim
Takashi Miike’s been one of the biggest shock jockeys of Japanese cinema for eons. Ichi the Killer (2001) was a high-splatter mark for lovers of extreme gore, and Miike’s output has … Continue reading Takashi Miike’s ‘Blade of the Immortal’ slices and dices, but it could use a trim
‘Mudbound’ is a fascinating, moving film
Mudbound is a fascinating, moving film from director Dee Rees. Set in the deep south during the forties, this adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s 2008 bestseller is deeply affecting but not … Continue reading ‘Mudbound’ is a fascinating, moving film
God’s Own Country
Francis Lee’s debut feature God’s Own Country finds its soul in the rugged English countryside, bleak and affecting. Getting raves on the indie circuit, it’s a stark romance about a … Continue reading God’s Own Country
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Noah Baumbach knows families. Not feel-good crap or five-hankie manipulated drama. Baumbach families are a lot like the ones we share, with real awkwardness, back-handed affection and incidental trauma wound … Continue reading The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
TIFF Leans Into Blade Runner 2049 Hype with High Concept: The Films of Denis Villeneuve
Next week, Blade Runner 2049 releases to immense hype, sans the original’s helmer Ridley Scott. That this is a good thing is almost undeniable, after Scott’s belaboured Alien sequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Instead, fans … Continue reading TIFF Leans Into Blade Runner 2049 Hype with High Concept: The Films of Denis Villeneuve
TIFF 2017: Zama
Zama, the long-anticipated return of Argentinian director-extraordinaire Lucrecia Martel, is an astonishing work of colonial examination and technical perfectionism.
TIFF 2017: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Martin McDonagh’s likes his comedies like his coffee: black. Actually, I have no idea how McDonagh takes his coffee, if he takes it at all. But boy does he have … Continue reading TIFF 2017: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
TIFF 2017: Dragonfly Eyes
Dragonfly Eyes, Chinese artist Xu Bing’s first foray into feature-length filmmaking, is a direct glimpse into what the future of cinema might be.
TIFF 2017: High Fantasy
Jenna Bass’s latest film, High Fantasy, is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of South Africa’s multi-cultural youth. Appearing as a sort of homemade travelogue, High Fantasy is filmed as … Continue reading TIFF 2017: High Fantasy
Marriage Under a Microscope Overshadows The World Of ‘The Commune’
Man. I guess people were so depressed in the seventies they’d try just about anything. As we live through a fast-forward remix of the Watergate scandal, it’s interesting to take a … Continue reading Marriage Under a Microscope Overshadows The World Of ‘The Commune’