Movie Review

Movie Review: DISNEY CARTOON CAMERA (USA, Documentary)

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Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival

by Kierston Drier

A fascinating look at the history of cartoon cinema, from the early 20th century to present, Disney Cartoon Camera breaks down the cartoons through the technical lenses- literally and metaphorically.

 

Following respected and often renown Disney animators, archivists and technicians, this 30 minute short doc takes us step by step through the detailed and highly nuanced breakdown of creating lush and realistic art. From Snow White to Chicken Little we see the elaborate and innovative technology that makes it all possible. Bright, colorful, nostalgic and beyond fascinating, there is something for everyone in this cartoon-classic doc.

 

Disney Cartoon Camera takes on a far more educational tone that a more story-driven or character-driven doc, but it is nevertheless engaging and captivating. For the movie buff, the young-at-heart or even the cartoon geek, this is a film to watch, savor, learn and enjoy.

DISNEY CARTOON CAMERA, 23min, USA, Documentary
Directed by David BosserDisney Cartoon Camera, hosted by acclaimed historian Leonard Maltin, tracks the history of animation cinematography – from the origins of crude “down shooters” to the first multi-plane camera fashioned out of old car parts, to the latest digital camera capture systems – through the eyes of the camera operators and technicians.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Movie Review: MY NAME IS JOAN (USA, Documentary)

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Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival

by Kierston Drier

My Name is Joan, packs an exceptional emotional punch. Poignant, compassionate and full of intrigue, it follows a story that is nothing short of scandalous, involving the mother-and-baby homes of the 1920-1980’s in Ireland. We follow Susan Drew, born Joan Fagan to an unwed mother in Dublin and adopted under mysterious circumstance, as she recounts her story of discovering her past. As Susan revels her own history- and that of her mother who lost her daughter in a mother-and-baby home to an overseas adoption, we also uncover the history of illicit adoptions performed through the Catholic church in a time when unwed mothers faced extreme persecution.

 

Untold numbers of women gave birth out of wedlock after the second world war. While the Irish government looked away, those women were sent to Church-run mother-and-baby homes, where they were promised totally anonymity and safety to deliver their babies. What they were not told was that they would be subjected to difficult conditions, poor treatment, neglect and that their children could be taken from them and adopted out- with very little they could do about it.

 

Susan would have been one more unnamed child lost in a sea of murky documentation. That is, if it hadn’t been for one nun who saved and scanned the paperwork of every child she saw under her care- Susan being one of them.

 

My Name Is Joan is an incredible documentary. Susan’s journey being the primary tale, the story still branches out, spider-web like, into the larger scandal. With jaw-dropping statistics and frightening conclusions to be drawn from them, it is incredible that such an event can take place, seemingly under the nose of a country. My Name Is Joan is one woman’s story of finding her past, and changing her future. It is also a story of a nation whose women and children were under siege. A gripping, emotionally ambitious and incredibly moving film.

 

MY NAME IS JOAN, 30min, USA, Documentary
Directed by Margaret Costa

Tells the story of Susan Drew, a woman who was born Joan Fagan to an unwed mother in the St. Patrick Mother and Baby Home in Dublin, Ireland in 1949. While the documentary chronicles Susan’s journey to find her true identity, it also highlights the illegal exporting of children by the Catholic Church to families in other countries for profit while the Irish Government looked the other way.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Movie Review: THE MARCH SWEATER – PART 1: THE CARETAKERS (Canada, LGBT, Documentary)

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Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival

by Kierston Drier

This special part 1 of March Sweater, follows two seniors, Peter and Vincent, who shared their lives together as a married couple, and become caregivers to Peter’s 95-year-old mother. A fascinating peer into at a community from an often-overlooked angle, Peter and Vincent talk about their lives together and the various lessons they learn through loving each other.

 

From their meeting, to their courtship and through to their marriage of cohabitation, they address the major areas of their world- compromise and sacrifice, but also the love that makes it so very worth it. “I don’t want to think about life without Vincent,” a notable line from Peter that seems to distill the depth of their feelings. For anyone who has ever loved another person, they are, as a couple,  instantly relatable.
This film sparkles. Peter and Vincent are easy to love. Peter’s laugh is infectious and warm and Vincent’s’ kindness and compassion are clear in every word. The March Sweater, PART 1 is a testament to true love ability to transcend any obstacle, culture, society, age. They are proof for any skeptic- love always wins.

THE MARCH SWEATER – PART 1: THE CARETAKERS, 8min, Canada, LGBT, Documentary
Directed by Cory AshworthLGBTQ2+ seniors speaking of life, love and the wisdom that comes with growing older.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Movie Review: WALLY (USA, LGBT, Documentary)

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Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival

by Kierston Drier

This bright, fresh and endearing short directed by Andy Galloway, follows the life and memories of Wally Linebarger- a renowned and beloved art teacher at a religious school who was let go because of his sexuality in the early 1990s. The story follows, not only Wally (as he discusses who he is and what lead him to his decision to come out) but also his three daughters and the effect the issue had on them.

 

Wally will captivate you from the first frame with his emotional openness, his humor, his charm and his endearing view of the world. One of the most effective parts of this documentary, however, is the accompaniment of his children. The documentary would stand on its own without them, but with them it truly raises above and beyond. Wally’s three daughters add a complex and resonant angle to a controversial and heartbreaking matter- that their loving and devoted father was let go from his job, and isolated from a community simply because of who he was. The lasting repercussions of that, in turn, affected them. Their points of view, and their varying experiences, added a critical layer of depth. The film is richer and more poignant for their appearances, confessions, anecdotes and honesty.

 

It is a hard thing to dig through layers of memory, especially when little paperwork or documentation exists. But in the case of Wally, it is done, and with spectacular effectiveness. An engaging story and one worth sharing, Wally is a excellent film.

 

WALLY, 24min, USA, LGBT, Documentary
Directed by Andy Galloway

Wally Linebarger: a man cught in the turbulence of truth. Plagued by a past that longs to define him and a future that remains unsure, Wally presses forward. Despite a life of gain and loss, three lights continue to guide him.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Movie Review: UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, (USA, LGBT, Documentary)

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Played at the August 2017 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival

by Kierston Drier

Directed by Kristine Kirchmeier, Until Death Do Us Part, is a remarkable short documentary hailing from the USA chronicling the harrowing story of newlyweds Megan and Danielle and their battle with cancer. Only two days before their wedding, Megan is diagnosed with stage four cancer.

What follows in story about two incredibly brave people- made brave by the power of love. Faced with a world of uncertainty, turmoil and potential tragedy, Megan and Danielle show startlingly level-headed composure. Perhaps nothing captures their spirits better than Danielle’s confession to Megan,  “I love you, you idiot. You’re my person.”

What makes Until Death Do Us Part a special piece, is that as a documentary film, it  acknowledges the struggle, concern and desperation of dealing with illness while still showcasing the remarkable resilience of both these women. We see examples of their humanism, their moments of weakness, their fear of the future- while also never once doubting their devotion to one another.

A remarkable film about the lengths we go for love, Until Death Do Us Part is worth the journey. It reminds us all of the things that are worth fighting for.

UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, 8min, USA, LGBT, Documentary
Directed by Kristine Kirchmeier

Young newlyweds Megan and Danielle Love immediately have their wedding vows put to the test after Megan is diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer a few weeks after they’re married.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

TIFF 2017 Movie Review: MEDITATION PARK (Canada 2017) ***1/2

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Meditation Park Poster

Director:

Mina Shum

Writer:

Mina Shum

Stars:

Sandra Oh, Liane Balaban, Tzi Ma

Mina Shum directs an all-star cast — including Cheng Pei Pei, Sandra Oh, Tzi Ma, and Don McKellar — in her latest feature, about a devoted wife and mother (Pei Pei) who is forced to reassess her reverence for her husband after she finds another woman’s thong in his laundry.

by Gilbert Seah

Hong Kong martial-arts superstar Cheng Pei Pei, now in her ageing years stars as Maria, a devoted wife and mother who is forced to reassess her reverence for her husband after she finds another woman’s thong in his laundry.

She discovers that her supposedly devout husband, Bing (Tzi Ma) is not the perfect husband she thought him to be. They are visited by their daughter (Sandra Oh) who wishes her mother attend the brother’s wedding.

The brother has been disowned by Bing. Maria starts tailing her husband to find out more of his affair. At the same time, Maria opens up her life and finds companionship through her assortment of friends as well as though a neighbour (Don McKellar).

She finds that life has more to offer than just tending to her husband, and to one who has been unfaithful at that. There are some magnificent performances on display here, Cheng Pei Pei’s being the most obvious.

Sandra Oh, who has been in Shun’s films in the past is always good and a pleasure to watch. Shun does not compromise her film for the typical Hollywood ending.

EDITATION PARK should be seen for it being Shun’s best work and for Cheng Pei Pei’s controlled yet powerful performance.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=tMo7DdGdaq8

MEDITATION PARK 1

 

TIFF 2017 Movie Review: SHEIKH JACKSON (Egypt 2017)

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Sheikh Jackson Poster
An Islamic cleric has a crisis of faith when he hears the news that his childhood idol, Michael Jackson, has died.

Director:

Amr Salama

Writers:

Amr Salama, Omar Khaled

Stars:

Basma, Amina Khalil, Ahmad El-Fishawi

Sheikh Jackson is the nickname given to Sheikh as a kid for loving the pop idol Michael Jackson.

The film concentrates on Sheikh as a grown man, now a devout imam (Ahmad Alfishawy) who tends to be praying all the time and demanding devout behaviour of his children, just as his father (Maged El Kedwany), shown in flashback demanded of him.

Didn’t Sheikh learn from his father’s mistakes? Sheikh is also upset that he cannot cry while praying and sees a female psychologist, the sex of which he objects to.

Salama’s film is all over the place, with no observable goal. He has put on centre a subject which western audiences are unfamiliar with and makes no attempt to make him likeable or connected to the audience. The influence of Jackson over Sheikh is also vague at best.

A few comical moments like watching the father pump weights in the gym like a world class bodybuilder helps elevate this otherwise sordid affair.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsijix35ORE

sheikh jackson.jpg

TIFF 2017 Movie Review: A WORTHY COMPANION (Canada 2017) ***

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

A Worthy Companion Poster
Plagued by the abuse of her past and the turmoil of failed intimate encounters, Laura struggles to find a lover and a sense of normalcy. Her beacon of hope comes in sixteen year-old Eva, a …See full summary »

Directors:

Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez

Writers:

Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez

Stars:

Evan Rachel Wood, Julia Sarah Stone, Denis O’Hare

Montreal-based fine arts photographers Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s debut feature is a hard psychological thriller which centres on a 30-year-old woman (Evan Rachel Wood) embarking on an intimate yet ultimately manipulative relationship with a 16-year-old runaway (Julia Sarah Stone).

But the woman, Laura begins getting really obsessive and prevents Eva from leaving the house. The relationship turns out to be something like the Stockholm Syndrome. Apparently, though no details are given, Laura has had the same type of ‘stalking’ problems before, as her dad, who employs her mentions in the film.

The film is both disturbing and engaging though one can hardly look forward to a satisfactory or happy ending. Both actresses Wood and Stone bring compassion to their roles and show their need for normalcy.

Unfortunately, as can be seen in the film, this normalcy is not easily to come about and the state of affairs come about from their own personal behavioural flaws.

The film suffers from an open ended ending, which for a film like this, one expects some satisfactory closure.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI1bAF6tOdE

TIFF 2017 Movie Review: EUTHANIZER (Finland 2017) ***1/2

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

tiff.jpgThe carefully balanced (albeit deranged) life of a freelance, black-market pet euthanizer begins to come apart at the seams in this loopy exploitation-movie throwback from Finland, which evokes the brazen psychological insights and aesthetic brio of such grungy genre classics as Monte Hellman’s Cockfighter and Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To.

Director: Teemu Nikki
Writer: Teemu Nikki
Stars: Alina Tomnikov, Santtu Karvonen, Jari Virman

Review by Gilbert Seah

The EUTHANIZER is Veijo, (Matti Onnismaa), an older man with glasses always smoking a pipe who runs a black-market operation euthanizing people’s ailing pets.

The people who go to Veijo either cannot afford having their pet put down by the local vet or have no guts to perform the killing themselves. Each commission also comes with a brutal lecture, as Veijo spills over with Old Testament–style indignation about what shoddy and appalling people his patrons are and how their pets have been mistreated.

Veijo is in reality an animal lover. When his father is hospitalized, he meets the young nurse caring for him. They begin a strange affair, a bit too uncomfortable, I bet to many an audience’s liking.

He also encounters a seedy garage mechanic, Petri (who’s mixed up with a vicious gang of neo-Nazis) who call themselves ‘Soldiers of Finland’ which provide most of the film’s suspense and thrills.

Veijp’s insight and theory of life is intriguing and serves to propel the difficult to fathom plot. But the film works, as director Nikki has the audience constantly rooting for Veijo in this black comedy of manners.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUr9XQxc2gU

TIFF 2017 Movie Review: MIRACLE (Lithuania/Bulgaria/Poland 2017) ****

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2017. Go to TIFF 2017 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Miracle Poster
Close to bankruptcy, Irena, the owner of a struggling pig farm in tiny post-Communist town finds a surprising benefactor in a handsome American man who appears to be the answer to all her prayers.

Director:

Egle Vertelyte

Writer:

Egle Vertelyte

Edgy, strange and completely engaging, MIRACLE is the kind of small film from a small place like Lithuania (the country’s first film at TIFF in 15 years) that never gets distribution and should be a pick at TIFF.

The story centres on the owner of a struggling post-Soviet pig farm, Irena whose husband is always drunk and is sort of a pig himself. The farm is failing and Irena’s workers make fun of her behind her back. It is all dark and gloomy till an American suddenly appears and brings the so-called MIRACLE into place.

There is another MIRACLE (a plot twist) at the end of the film as well. But not without a price. The American, Bernardas buys and takes over the farm and gives the workers and Irena money for their shares. Irena ends up sleeping with him too.

Vertelyte’s film, especially its dead-pan humour immediately reminds one of the films of Aki Kaurismaki just like the actress who plays Irena looks remarkably alike Kati Outinen, Kaurismaki’s regular actress.

The only problem of the film is a satisfactory ending. But the weird one is good enough for me.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/231418027

Stars:

Egle Mikulionyte, Vyto Ruginis, Andrius Bialobzeskis

miracle