Year: 2017

RADIUS (Canada 2017)

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Radius Poster
Clip

A man wakes with amnesia and finds people mysteriously dead.

Directors:

Caroline Labrèche, Steeve Léonard

Writers:

Caroline Labrèche 

Stars:

Diego Klattenhoff, Charlotte Sullivan, Robert Borges

 

The Verge describes RADIUS as a high concept movie from start to finish and that it relies on surprises to keep the story moving.  No argument here with The Verge’s statement but upon closer examination of it, there is nothing to say that what is written makes RADIUS a good movie.

The main problem with RADIUS is its outlandish plot which is totally unbelievable.  True there are surprises and more incidents but getting all the mysteries tied up neatly is something writer/directors Labréche and Léonard (the cult favourite TURBO KID) have failed to achieve.

When the film opens, Liam (Diego Klattenhoff) wakes from a car crash at the bottom of a ditch with no memory of who he is.  As he makes his way into town, he discovers that anyone who comes within a 50-foot radius of him dies instantly.  Out of options, he tries to live in seclusion to protect others.  The film though made in Canada is set in the States complete with shameful references to NASA.

Labréche and Léonard now introduces a new character and another twist to the sci-fi story.   One day, Liam’s murderous power seems to subside with the arrival of a woman (Charlotte Sullivan) who says she was in the crash with him.  She too is suffering from amnesia and looking for answers.  The story allows the characters to remember certain events that suit the story and to forget others also to suit the story.

The amnesia is the third element in the story.  Together they then embark on a journey to uncover who they really are.  Into the picture comes the woman’s husband who she forces to help her and Liam.  Worse still, there is a silly hint of romance between the two despite the presence of the husband, who for all that matters, seems a more decent (as well as better looking) guy than the cussing Liam.

As if credibility has not already been stretched to the limit, the story suddenly reveals cases of missing persons where the bodies have not been recovered.  This must be the most ridiculous angle put into the film.

At this point with the story heading towards so many directions, it is difficult to care about the main characters or the ending.  Fortunately, the film runs no longer than 90 minutes.

The film is a joint Manitoba Quebec production.  The barren landscape not only shows the nothingness of a large part of that province but reflects where the film is heading.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NExqMxRRM64

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BIG TIME (Denmark 2017)

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Big Time Poster
Trailer

 

BIG TIME follows Bjarke Ingels during the course of 7 years (2009-2016), while he struggles to finish his biggest project so far. We are let into Bjarke’s creative processes as well as the endless compromises that his work entails.

Director:

Kaspar Astrup Schröder

Star:

Bjarke Ingels

 

BIG TIME is look at Danish “starchitect” Bjarke Ingels, (following him for 7 years from 2009 to 2016) named “one of architecture’s biggest innovators” by The Wall Street Journal.  In 2016, Time Magazine named him one of “The 100 Most influential People” on the planet.

The film opens with Bjarke in a cab in NYC.  He is there to take on two high-profile projects that will change the Manhattan skyline, the VIA 57 West, a pyramid apartment complex with a courtyard inspired by Central Park.  The other is Two World Trade Centre.

At one point in the documentary, a character, Mr. Sullivan praises the man to be one where creative juices are flowing and how people working with him are on a high exhilarating level.  That feeling of exhilaration occasionally rubs off the film onto the audience as the audience witnesses the man’s work.

Often, Bjarke (as he is more affectionally called) stands in front of a table, white paper in front of him, holding a felt pen. He outlines his designs while speaking aloud articulating both the design and the philosophy behind it.  These few segments are the best in the doc that show how the creative genius thinks and how the ideas flow.  Bjarke is at the age of 40 with a lot of his successful work done between the age of 31 (when he started) and 40.  Bjarke also says in the film that one should not wait but continually create and build, with the example given of past architects that have suddenly died.  Louis Kahn died of a heart attack in a restroom at Manhattan’s Penn Station.  Le Corbusier drowned while taking a swim in the Mediterranean Sea.  

Antoni Gaudi was hit by a tram on his way to church in Barcelona.

It is within reason that Bjarke speaks this way.  The film begins too with music accompanying weird patterns on the screen.  It becomes apparent only later in the film what these patterns are.  They are the patterns obtained from the MRA and MRI scans of Bjarke’s brain.  Bjarke has what could be a small tumour which is discovered at the mid-point of the film.  It gives him incredibly bad headaches preventing him from working any further.

Bjarke’s triumphs include Copenhagen’s Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant with a 

ski slope on its roof and a chimney that emits “smoke” rings that are actually steam.  Ingels is also the brain behind Vancouver House, set to open in 2018.  He also talks about Sydney’s Opera House as the world’s greatest architecture design.

Director Schröder (RENT A FAMILY) also reveals Bjarke’s personal life thus making the doc more personal.  Bjarke at 40 is finally finding his partner in life in the form of a Spanish lady who he intends to marry, by buying her a unique engagement ring.

The film ends with Bjarke and fiancee walking through the completed VIA 57 West complex, ending the doc on an appropriate high.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK0mGdMKMW4

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LA DANSEUSE (THE DANCER) (France/Belgium/Czech 2016)

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The Dancer Poster
Loïe Fuller was the toast of the Folies Bergères at the turn of the 20th century and an inspiration for Toulouse-Lautrec and the Lumière Brothers. The film revolves around her complicated relationship with protégé and rival Isadora Duncan.

Director:

Stéphanie Di Giusto

Writers:

Thomas Bidegain (collaboration), Giovanni Lista (novel)| 6 more credits »

Stars:

Soko, Gaspard Ulliel, Mélanie Thierry |

 

A 2016 French biographical musical drama film based on the true story, directed and written by Stéphanie Di Giusto and co-written by Thomas Bidegain and Sarah Thiebaud, based on the novel by Giovanni Lista, LA DANSEUSE opens with the film’s subject and protagonist carried away after what looks like an injury during a dance.  This scene is returned to at the film’s halfway mark after she collapses from her first performance.

Director Di Giusto then takes her audience back to the dancer’s early days before she began her dance career, which is assumed must be a famous one.  Loie Fuller (Soko) is revealed as a rebellious teen taken in by her stern mother after her alcoholic father dies.  Loie promises to be obedient and not cause trouble which translates in movie terms that she will be disobedient and cause trouble.  Besides posing nude and starring on stage, she finds her calling as a dancer, though what occurs on screen does not seem credible.  One assumes what occurs must be true as the film is based on a true story.  Di Giusto uses that as carte blanche to bring in whatever she likes and portray the incidents however she deems suitable.  The result is a rather rough film, with too many incidents inserted inappropriately leaving the narrative disjointed.

Isadora Duncan (Lily-Rose Depp) is Loie’s dance peer.  Her appearance might eclipse Loie’s story, but Di Guisto keeps that in check.  Still it is hard to like Loie’s character.  Di Giusto shows her as strong willed, stubborn to perform at risk of her personal health, self destructive  and one who never accepts authority.  Loie comes off as an unlikeable character no matter how dedicated she is to her art.  As for the choreography with flowing dresses, it is quite different from ballet or modern dance and is a style in itself, taking a while to get used to.

The film is oddly shot in French and quite a bit in English.  The mother is English while the father is French, which is assumed the reason.  LA DANSEUESE is a period piece set in France and the period atmosphere and costumes show it.  The film won the Cesar for Best costume Design (by Anais Romand).

The most famous of the cast is Gaspard Ulliel who always looks dashing in this case playing Loie’s romantic interest.

The film is an ok biography which is keen to reveal the (anti-feminist) prejudice of the times and travails the main subject went through.  Di Giusto makes no attempt to make any of her characters likeable from Loie, to Isadora Duncan and to lover Louis and her other lesbian lover, Gabrielle (Mélanie Thierry). The result is a difficult film to like.

LA DANSEUSE was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.  It took a year before finally released here, and might be worth a look if one likes period drama with some dancing added in for good measure.  The film was nominated for several Cesar and Lumiere Awards, including nods for Best First Feature and acing (main and supporting) roles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hqdhfZ7UFA

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PYEWACKET (Canada 2017)

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Pyewacket Poster
A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.

Director:

Adam MacDonald

Writer:

Adam MacDonald

Stars:

Nicole Muñoz, Laurie Holden, Chloe Rose

 

Writer/director Adam MacDonald’s (the little seen 2014 horror BACKCOUNTRY) new feature is another horror but seen from the point of view of teenager, Leah (Nicole Monoz).

Leah is the typical teenager in high school, as the film reveals at the start.  She is happy, nuanced and has issues with her parents, in this case her mother after her father’s death.  The mother (Laurie Holden) is falling apart, in depression and boozing, as in the words of Leah: “I don’t know what I am coming home to any more,” as the mother literally begs for Leah to offer her support in dealing high her inner demons.  When she decides to uproot the family to a cabin out in the country, Leah gets visibly upset, though as she tries her best to hide it.  But when the mother says she cannot stand seeing her father in her, Leah loses it.  She conjures the demon PYEWACKET to do away with her mother.  Leah tells her school friends who dabble in the occult, but they are shocked that Leah would want to kill her mother.

Things take an awkward turn when mother becomes more tolerable and asks Leah for her forgiveness for things said and done.  Leah want to undo the black magic.  In a slight turn of events, she invites her friend, Janice to stay the night.  Janice ends up freaking out that night, though no reason is given why.

This is a case of paranoia versus actual demonic horror.  Are there really footsteps in the night and monsters or are they all part of Leah’s imagination?  This is where MacDonald’s film works best.  There is nothing supernatural that occurs in the first half of the film.  When a monster is shown in the second half, the audience is still unsure whether the creature is real or Leah’s imagination.

The film contains a few loose ends – the main one being the convenient forgetting of providing the reason Janice got scared away from the house that night of the visit.

Though the film is a full Canadian feature, the film is clear not to include any Canadian town names.  The town and school that Leah attend are not named and neither is the county.  The town whee Leah and the mother escapes from could be any American or Canadian state.  This would mean that the film stands a better chance  at American distribution.  But Leah attends a book signing event and consults with the occult book’s author from the U.S.  So, all things assumed equal, one would assume the film be set the U.S.

The film makes good use of sound (example the crescendo of traffic noise) for scare effects.  The cinematography (the woods with no leaves) by Christian Bielz also adds an eerie creepiness.

The trouble with this film is that is is so believable – that the audience would almost wish that there would be more weird shit in the film, credible or not.  The film also questions whether a curse can be undone, a question never dealt with in other horror films.

PYEWACKET ends up a solid scare flick but it could do with more gore and violence.

Trailer: http://www.tiff.net/tiff/pyewacket/?v=pyewacket

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THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS (Ireland/Canada 2017)

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The Man Who Invented Christmas Poster
Trailer

The journey that led to Charles Dickens’ creation of “A Christmas Carol,” a timeless tale that would redefine the holiday.

Director:

Bharat Nalluri

Writers:

Susan Coyne (screenplay), Les Standiford (book)

Stars:

Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce

 

The last Christmas Ireland and Canada collaborated on a film that had a setting in NYC was the film BROOKLYN that was an immense success, critically, commercially and financially.  THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS appears on paper as another perfect adaptation, that begins in NYC at Yuletide.  This is the story of how Charles Dickens came to write about A CHRISTMAS CAROL, the arguably most popular of all his novels  – yes the one where Ebenezer Scrooge turned over a new leaf after meeting the ghosts of Christmas, past present and future.

The film opens in 1943 in NYC, right after Dickens (played cheerfully by DOWNTON ABBEY’s Dan Stevens) achieved fame an success from his latest book “Oliver Twist”.  He is the toast of the town.  An appearance at a theatre shows him over celebrated amidst dancing fanfare and fireworks that shock him, literally to the ground.

The idea of making a film about the writing process of A CHRISTMAS CAROL instead of another remake make seems more logical given the uncountable number of film or TV films made already.  Unfortunately, THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS based on the reported well-researched book of the same name by Les Standiford  on the inspirations behind Charles Dickens’ beloved ‘A Christmas Carol,’ is a travesty.

For one, though the biopic reveals lesser-known details of the author’s life, these details are not so favourable, thus changing the beloved view the public has on the man – not a good idea at Christmas, the time of good cheer.  Dickens is portrayed as a man who loves fame, who is often out of touch with his family and book ideas.  He thinks he can come up with a hit at any time and the fact that he has had several flops after “Oliver Twist” never bothers him.  He does not have any financial sense.  But worse of all, director Nalluri makes the fatal mistake to reveal that Dickens steals ideas and names, and does not possess original ideas for his stories.

To make matters worse, Christmas is depicted here as dying commercially.  It is deemed to be an excuse for workers to take a day off.  Dickens is shown the awkwardness of a tall Christmas tree, and told that the Germans use it.

The film does look good with sufficiently  cheery Christmas period atmosphere with horse drawn carriages and some snow.  

The films highlights Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer in the role of Scrooge.  Plummer only briefly appears and does the customary performance that is nothing special.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS offers nothing more than the disgusting artificial cheer of the season.  Everyone is supposed to be in good spirits with all the problems of the world hidden away.  A predictable story, bland direction and unconvincing acting among other things result in this very bland and boring Christmas film.

There is only one word to describe THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS.  In the words of Ebenezer Scrooge: “Humbug!”

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxcnYR3mcPU

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THE BREADWINNER (USA 2017) ***1/2

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The Breadwinner Poster
Trailer

A headstrong young girl in Afghanistan disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

Director:

Nora Twomey

Writers:

Anita Doron, Deborah Ellis

Stars:

Saara Chaudry, Laara Sadiq, Shaista Latif

 

As cute as the animation of THE BREADWINNER is, the film’s charm lies more in the delicious tale set in a foreign county where surprises can occur around every corner.  Surprises can be good or bad, but the good ones are elating.

THE BREADWINNER is animated feature created from an innovative mix of 2-D animation with acrylic and digitally painted environments, as well as digital paper cut–out segments.  It is Nora Twomey’s first solo directorial debut after making two other animated features SONG OF THE SEA (2014) and THE STORY OF KELLS (2009).  The story is a current one centred on woman’s rights in a male dominated country.  Angelina Jolie, known for her humanitarian efforts executively produced this film.

Based on Deborah Ellis’ award-winning novel, the story centres on an 11-year-old Afghan girl Parvana, born into an ever-changing world of conflict and oppression in Kabul, who finds strength in the love of her family and the power of storytelling.  Kabul is Taliban controlled and Parvana sees her father suddenly whisked to prison for no reason.  Her family – mother, older sister and baby brother are unable to fend for themselves.  Parvana dresses up as a boy in order to go around town to buy food and to work as the family breadwinner.

It’s just the way it is.  That is the reason things are the way they are in Afghanistan.  Those are the words uttered to her when she is told that she is unable to visit her father in prison.

Still, if there is a will there is a way, especially if money involved.

“Don’t do anything that stupid.” “I will find him.  Nothing you can do will stop me.”  That is her determination to see her imprisoned father. Her spirit is enough to inspire as the film does occasionally. 

As in most animation, magic plays a big part in the film’s enchantment.  In THE BREADWINNER, the magic comes from the story she tells her little brother.  The story is so original and magical that it almost eclipses the main one at hand.  The story involves a village that had the village’s seeds for the next year stolen by the jaguars of the evil Elephant King.  The boy’s quest is to get the seeds back and thus save the worried villagers from starvation.  To overcome the elephant king, the boy has to find things, that shine and ensnare.  It is a good story which intercuts to the main one at the climax of Twomey’s film.  One wonders though as this is a strong female movie, the reason the hero in the story of the Elephant King was not a female in the first place.  The score by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna features traditional musicians and young voices partly recorded in Kabul.

THE BREADWINNER is a story of oppression that stresses the message that one can accomplish wonders from pure determination.  It is also one that best be told animated as the story might have turned out too harsh as a full live action film.  The animation is beautifully done as the film’s story is one that matters that needs be told.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQBQw-Bh1pg

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THE DISASTER ARTIST (USA 2017)

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The Disaster Artist Poster
Trailer

When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.

Director:

James Franco

Writers:

Scott Neustadter (screenplay by), Michael H. Weber (screenplay by) |2 more credits »

Stars:

Eliza Coupe, Alison Brie, Zoey Deutch

 

James Franco has had dozens of credits as both director and actor.  His directorial debuts have never been too stellar unlike his acting (debuts).  He has proven his acting mettle in both comedy (THIS IS THE END, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) and drama (SPRING BREAKERS).  In his latest outing, he does both directing and acting in a comedic/dramatic portrayal of Hollywood filmmaker Tommy Wiseau.  The odd film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness section to a full house, the reason being that Franco and his gang showed up during the screening.

James Franco and friends appear in this uneven tribute to eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau (played by James) and his friend, actor Greg Sestero (played by brother Dave), whose notoriously awful film The Room has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time.  (I have never heard of it though.)  Since its release in 2003, The Room has captivated cult audiences on the midnight movie circuit with its discombobulated plot, discordant performances, and inexplicable dialogue.  Drawing on the memoir of the same name, Franco chronicles the making of The Room as recalled by Greg.  The incredulous script supervisor is played by friend Seth Roger.  Other celebrity friends of the Franco’s like Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Zac Ephron also appear.  Franco’s portrayal of Wiseau is over-the-top, which is likely the character of the man himself.  Franco as Wiseau goes about the majority of the film speaking with an accent, shouting and speaking in broken English sentences. 

Films about directors of Hollywood bombs have been done before, most notable being Tim Burton’s ED WOOD.  But Franco’s DISASTER ARTIST bears more similarity to the 1970’s British/Italian comedy starring Peter Sellers as a mastermind Italian crook in Vittorio De Sica’s AFTER THE FOX.  In both movies, there are separate scenes of the film shot, that bear no sense, but when put together during a screening at the end of the film, bring on major laughs.  This is how best to describe Franco’s THE DISASTER ARTIST.  It is a shallow biography of Tommy Wiseau providing no new insight of the man, but it does provide some solid laughs.  The best scene is clearly the one where Wiseau does multiple takes on a segment, never getting it right until finally after uttering the line, “Oh, hi  Mike” generate spontaneous applause from the director and those watching on set (and loud laughs from the audience).

The Franco/ Rogen/Goldberg troupe has an uncanny sense of humour, and the humour and timing works magnificently at times.  The film ends with a split screen of the shots of the actual ROOM side-by-side of this movie.  

A so-so movie but one can always forgive a mediocre movie if it delivers a few good laugh-out loud laughs!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qab3TMg42k

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COCO (USA 2017) ***** TOP 10

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Coco Poster
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to work out the mystery.

Directors:

Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina (co-director)

Writers:

Lee Unkrich (original story by), Jason Katz (original story by) | 4 more credits »

Stars:

Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt

 

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Film Review: THE DARKNESS KEEPER, (Spain, Thriller/Suspense)

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Played at the HORROR FEEDBACK Film Festival in October 2017 to rave reviews.

Review by Kierston Drier

 

A suspense thriller with a more family-friendly theme, THE DARKNESS KEEPER is a brilliant tale of a young girl who manages to trap the spirit of Darkness that haunts and frightens her. After the disappearance of her father, our young heroine is determined to keep the Darkness she traps from coming for anyone else she loves, like her mother. But her capture of the Darkness brings even more darkness to find her.

 

Wonderfully cast and performed and hosting wonderful special effects, what makes THE DARKNESS KEEPER really stand out is the depth of its many layers. It is at once, a family piece, a suspense thriller and the charming story of a child’s’ coming of age and coming to terms with the complex world around her. Shockingly bright and beautifully composed, THE DARKNESS KEEPER is a complex, delicate portrayal of childhood, fear, and acceptance that the world is never divided so clearly into black and white. A suspense thriller story with the twist of a surprisingly happy ending. A piece to please the heart.

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Film Review: STUDDED NIGHTMARE, (Canada, Horror)

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Played at the HORROR FEEDBACK Film Festival in October 2017 to rave reviews.

Review by Kierston Drier

 

A true horror film which delivers in every classic sense, STUDDED NIGHTMARE recounts the tale of a couple who rehome a chair that belonged to a man who used it to hang himself. The chair seems innocent enough, but when used by the new owners it plagues them with horrific images and terrifying thoughts. Despite their attempts to get rid of their new item, it mysterious draws them back to it. But with each use of the chair, their visions get more extreme and their behaviors more deadly.

 

Terrifying and dramatic, this is a true horror- it delivers on shock, suspense and gore. Sharp, intense and undeniably creepy, it’s a stomach-churning story to thrill any horror-loving fan.

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