movie

Film Review: POKER NIGHT, 11min, Canada, Comedy/Romance

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Played at the March 2017 COMEDY Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERPOKER NIGHT, 11min, Canada, Comedy
Directed by David Metcalfe

A fun, comedic short film about a group of twenty-somethings living in Toronto; poking fun at stereotypes, and breaking expectations.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This subtle, sweet romance-comedy film will test your knowledge of relationship boundaries. Poker Night is a great Date-Night discussion piece directed by David Metcalfe. When the girls’ poker night is crashed by the hosts boyfriend, the tension is palpable. But it gets worse when the boyfriend invites over his own friends to alleviate his boredom.

His heart’s in the right place it would seem, as he brings his friend to set him up with the one single-lady of the group- but is this ill thought plan going to work?

Falling more on the romance spectrum of comedy, this bright, Canadian piece will remind you of (or make you think of) the youth en metropolitan. The cheap beer, late nights, romance-in-the-eyes-of-every-stranger intoxication that is so often associated with the youth that almost has life figured out. Too old to be kids and too young to be adults, Poker Night will make you chuckle at the good-will but sloppy execution of our leading man and will definitely lead a viewing couple to discuss who “crossed the line” in crashing poker night.

Poker Night does one more amazing thing- it gets tops marks with this reviewer for a kissing scene nothing short of magical. It captures the nervousness, delight and excitement that all the best movie moments have- maybe even more, as it feels so authentic. For that, bravo to Metcalfe, and the ensemble of Poker Night.

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Film Review: A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE, Australia, Comedy/Crime

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Played at the March 2017 COMEDY Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERA BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE, 7min, Australia, Comedy
Directed by Sam Reiher

This job doesn’t turn out quite as well as hoped for these two loveable, yet useless, thieves.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This Australian comedy from director Sam Reiher will remind you that there are bad days in every profession. Two professional criminals case a local house. Unfortunately, they are so practiced at their work and relaxed with their comical discussions that they forget the most important part of their job- like making sure the house is empty before they walk in to rob it.

 

This is one of those short, laugh-a-minute films that ties together slap-stick and witty banter. The characters are loveable flawed anti-heroes that you can’t stop watching. Like any good comedy, the stakes slowly mount higher and higher until our heros are undone by their own faulty desires. The best part of this film is waiting to the final joke. The entire film will keep you laughing, but that end punch line is totally worth it!

 

A classic structure, with a fresh take on a bad day at work, this is a delight little comedy to unwind to at the end of your own long working day.

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Film Review: MAUDIE (Canada/Ireland 2016) ***1/2

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

maudieDirector: Aisling Walsh
Writer: Sherry White
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Sally Hawkins, Kari Matchett

Review by Gilbert Seah

MAUDIE is the film about Maud Lewis. Maud Lewis is among the most inspiring figures in Canadian art. Afflicted with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, she spent her early life dismissed for what was presumed to be her limited ability. But Lewis’ colourful paintings, made on surfaces ranging from beaverboard to cookie sheets, established her as one of our country’s premier folk artists.

There is one reason to see the new Canadian/Irish drama about painter Maud Lewis and it is the actress who portrays her, Brit Sally Hawkins. Besides being this reviewer’s favourite number 1 actress who broke into prominence with Mike Leigh’s HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, Hawkins has also garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress playing Cate Blanchette’s sister in Woody Allen’s BLUE JASMINE. MAUIDE puts Hawkins again in Best Actress category, which should win her at least a Best Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actress.

MAUDIE, based on a true story (the real images of Maudie and Everett seen in the final credits), is an unlikely romance in which the reclusive Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) hires a fragile yet determined woman named Maudie (Sally Hawkins) to be his housekeeper. Maudie, bright-eyed but hunched with crippled hands, yearns to be independent, to live away from her protective family and she also yearns, passionately, to create art. Unexpectedly, Everett finds himself falling in love. MAUDIE charts Everett’s efforts to protect himself from being hurt, Maudie’s deep and abiding love for this difficult man and her surprising rise to fame as a folk painter. Things change when one day a summer resident comes calling. She’s a New Yorker, wears alluring clothing and talks like Katharine Hepburn. She sees something in Maudie’s paintings and commissions one. Suddenly Maudie’s pastime is recognized as having real value. People come from far and wide. Eventually her work will hang in the White House.

Irish director Walsh concentrates on the drama of the couple’s difficult relationship. It is only after the half way mark that Maudie begins to paint. The secret of Maudie’s daughter still being alive and still existing is only given a fleeting nod, again the film revetting back to the couple’s relationship.

The film is a period piece set in the small village of Marshalltown, 1937. As this is a small village, only small carts and horses are sufficient to convince the audience of the early 30’s setting. Though set in Nova Scotia, MAUDIE was shot in Newfoundland, likely because the Province of Newfoundland poured in money for the production. Still these two are Atlantic provinces and the film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Guy Godfree displaying images of the maritime light and landscape. The music is haunting and provided by COWBOYS JUNKIES member, Michael Timmins, even though the music often comes on into the film abruptly at several points.

Besides Hawkins’ outstanding performance, talkative Ethan Hawke delivers one against (his) type as the quiet and moody husband, Everett Lewis. Vancouver actress Gabrielle Rose, recently seen in THE DEVOUT is also a pleasure to watch, playing Maudie’ ailing Aunt Ida.

No reason is given for Maudie’s crippled hands except that the problem is linked to arthritis, which is assumed afflicted Maudie from a much younger age than most. Nothing much is also mentioned of Everett’s background, though one would be curious the reason he became quite the recluse.
Though MAUDIE might be a slow watch for some, it is a well crafted and effective biopic of MAUDIE and her troubled relationship.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0GoO-hxDI 

 

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Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

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Film Review: COLOSSAL (Canada 2016). Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

colossalDirector: Nacho Vigalondo
Writer: Nacho Vigalondo
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell

Review by Gilbert Seah

 
An eccentric movie is occasionally praised by critics for just being different. But there are films like COLOSSAL (that premiered at last year’s TIFF) and the recent SWISS ARMY MAN that are so weird that they make no sense at all.

SWISS ARMY MAN had a farting corpse dragged around from start to end of the movie. Plain awful, unfunny and senseless. Director Nacho Vigalondo (TIMECRIMES) is given big money with this high flyer starring Anne Hathaway and Dan Stevens, among others. But his eccentric film would be a very hard watch for the commercial moviegoer, less any critic.

The film opens with a little girl witnessing a monster in the playground. The film quickly forwards 25 year years after. This is really funny, similar to the opening sequence of THE LOBSTER, but that is the only scene that gave me a giggle.

The film’s protagonist is a going-nowhere party girl, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) who discovers a mysterious connection between herself and a giant monster wreaking havoc on the other side of the globe, in Seoul, South Korea. Gloria (Anne Hathaway) parties too hard, drinks too much, and does not think about the consequences — that is, until her boyfriend (Dan Stevens) gets sick of her behaviour and throws her out. Unemployed and with nowhere to live, Gloria heads back to her hometown and rekindles a friendship with childhood chum Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who now runs his dad’s old bar. Dreams of a fresh start are dashed when Gloria slides back into old habits: she drinks till last call every night with Oscar and his cronies (the hilarious Tim Blake Nelson and Austin Stowell), she stumbles home each night via a playground-sandbox shortcut, and she sleeps through each day till it’s time to drink again.

One day (lo and behold!) she emerges from her haze to the news that a giant monster is stomping its way through the panicked metropolis of Seoul.
Why is the film that weird? Gloria has awakened to a different world to discover how the real-life monster movie taking place halfway across the world might be somehow connected to her. The monster mirrors her moves. For example if she falls, so does the monster, killing Koreans on the ground. The segment in which Gloria and Oscar have an all out fight is also total ridiculous.

Vigalodo attempts to blur the lines between fantasy, drama and sci-fi. He only succeeds in dumping all three genres into a cauldron of messy brew.
The special effects of the robot menacing Seoul look like a cheap version of GODZILLA.

Hathaway looks half lost throughout the film. Actors Dan Stevens and Jason Sudeilis are largely wasted.

If things cannot get more ridiculous, Gloria travels to Seoul at the end of the film.

Director Vigalondo makes no effort to get the audience to like any of her characters. His sense of humour is lacking and the film is neither funny nor amusing. The film ends open ended, (not revealed in this review) with an inside joke on the protagonist. Best to give this film a complete miss.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqcZtz8VXXE

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Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com

Film Review: THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (USA 2017)

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

fast_and_furious_8.jpgDirector: F. Gary Gray
Writers: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson (based on characters created by)
Stars: Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlize Theron, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Luke Evans

Review by Gilbert Seah

 
With so many in the FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise with the false promise that the last FAST AND FURIOUS would be the last one, this 8th edition, nicknamed F8 provides much, much more of the same, louder and noisier as most sequels promise. (I had lost count and thought this was the 9th.)
This latest edition assumes that the audience is familiar with most of the characters and does not bother with any flashbacks or explanations.

With so many characters, it is probably a good idea not to do so. The film allows the audience to guess what has occurred in the past and for a film like this, it is only the action and fast cars that count – not the characters.

The plot of THE FATE AND THE FURIOUS, not that it really matters, follows the events of Furious 7. Dominic Toretto aka Dom (Vin Diesel) and his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) have gone on their honeymoon, and the rest of the crew have begun to settle down to a more normal life. But when a mysterious woman, later to be revealed as Cipher, a super villain (Charlize Theron) convinces Dom to work against the people that he is closest to, the rest of the crew must face trials they have never seen before – including some former enemies – in order to bring back the man who brought them together in the first place.

In case one has forgotten. the other crew members include Like DSS agent, Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), Deckard Shaw, a rogue specialist (Jason Statham), mechanic Tej Parker (Chris Bridges), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), former criminal Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) among others.

As far as the film goes, this is male chauvinist pig material all the way – all the more for decent women and men to hate this kind of film. The beginning race for example is started by a scantily dressed female in extreme shorts waving down a flag. Vin Diesel exploits his male macho body to no end. Apparently Diesel is an a**hole in real life as mentioned to be by a fellow critic who had interviewed him. His co-star Johnson also called him horse s***. Johnson is a pleasure to watch on screen but I can hardly say the same for Diesel.

It is odd to see that the script by Chris Morgan which clearly lacks any hint of character development whatsoever take on the issue of the importance of family. Helen Mirren has a cameo as he mother of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) stressing the importance of family values and the inclusion of his brother (Luke Evans) into his activities. Deckard spends a chunk of screen time saving Dom’s baby. Dom says his baby is the most important person in his life.

Oscar Winner Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN) shows that even a dame of the British Empire is willing to take an easy pay check for a cameo role in big budget Hollywood rubbish like this one. The term is called slumming and many famous stars have slummed before.

THE FATE AND THE FURIOUS (budget of $250 million) is slotted to make more than $100 million this weekend. The film is nothing more than silly special effects that though looks stunning in iMAX (the film contains a record number of cars trashed) does nothing for the movie industry or the human race.

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

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Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com

 

 

 

Film Review: BEING SEEN, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

BEING SEEN, 15min, USA
Directed by Paul Zehrer

A combination of funny, acerbic, and heart-wrenching, these people’s candid and articulate self-awareness quickly shatter preconceptions of the disabled.

Review by Kierston Drier:

An American film from director Paul Zehrer, BEING SEEN follows the spirited occupants of an adult group home for the developmentally challenged.

At times gut wrenching painful, and other times embarrassingly honest and frequently disarmingly funny, this film does something magical: it opens your eyes.

Candid and articulate, our subjects recount their understanding and acceptance of who they are, while others describe the loneliness that plagues them since losing loved ones.

There are couples, like Jared and his girlfriend, who decide to get married although they know the difficulties that come with that decision, since they both wheelchair bound. And there are Randall and Katie, a steady couple whose banter will strike many as hilariously familiar.

Self aware, self accepting, beautifully shot and well composed, this is a film that is worth seeing. Above all else, Being Seen will show you that all people are more alike than they are different.

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Film Review: RIVER & OAK, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERRIVER & OAK, 13min, Canada
Directed by James Malekzadeh

As Toronto’s Regent Park Housing project is demolished and rebuilt for the second time in its history, two women reflect on the complicated past of their neighbourhood. Through archival footage, the past is brought to the present and the audience is left to decide whether the current revitalization is the best solution for the residents of this often overlooked community.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This Canadian gem, directed by James Malekzadeh, speaks closely to anyone who has ever been affected by urban sprawl. River and Oak follows the lives of a handful of honest, hard working humans who lived and loved Regent Park before the area’s housing project was demolished to make way for upscale (and highly priced) replacement housing.

The interwoven stories of two women show their connection to the place and the people, now pushed out of their historical homes.

Gentrification is a hot topic anywhere that housing is at a premium. While it may boost economy and local real estate, the human displacement is another issue. A population linked to the city by employment, family or any other necessity must remain in the area but where do they go?

River and Oak can not give us an answer to that question. All it can give us is a human look at real people who remind us that your postal code does not reflect the content of your character.

Passionate, strong and hitting-close-to-home, River and Oak reminds us what it means to be neighbours and what forgetting that can cost.

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Film Review: THE GENTLEMAN NEXT DOOR, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERTHE GENTLEMAN NEXT DOOR, 16min, USA
Directed by John Mollison

Sometimes the old man next door turns out to also be a young man of a different, violent age.

Review by Kierston Drier:

 “When a man dies a library is burned”. That may very well be the theme of John Mollison’s documentary The Gentleman Next Door, a heart wrenching and touching look at one man’s journey through World War Two. To many he is simply the sweet, always giggling elderly neighbour, slight of build and frequently smiling.

But behind his gentle British accent and kind eyes is a tale of service in the name of his country during one of the most horrific wars of the 20th century. John Wilkinson was just a boy when he entered the war to be a pilot, and was exceptionally good at his job. He kept meticulous records, and took great care his equipment, items that are now considered priceless antiques.

John Wilkinson is impossible to not love. You hear him speak and you feel as if you have always known him. His disposition is bright, cheerful, and he talks almost fondly of his time in the service. A keen eye though, will see him change topics when asked to discuss the darker bits of his work. The keen eye will see his smile flicker, and a shadow dim his eyes when he talks of watching concentration camp liberations at the end of the war.

John Wilkinson, no doubt, was part of a generation taught that war was noble, honest, just and filled with glory. That generation lived those words, and many paid a dear price to uphold them. Today, many of us see war in a less than glorified light. But the shifting public opinion does not change the sacrifices made by so many. Untold numbers lost their lives, and some, like John, lost their youth and innocence.

What makes John’s story beautiful, touching, and unforgettable is his bright and sunny disposition. It is hard to believe a person so gentle has seen and been part of so many horrors and when asked, he brushes those horrors aside. John Wilkinson’s story, is a story of courage and bravery. It is never more noticed, than how effectively he can mask those tragedies behind a genuine smile. No one will tell you war is a good thing, but good people fight in them. John Wilkinson is one.

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Film Review: GULMARG- PARADISE ON EARTH, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERGULMARG – PARADISE ON EARTH, 14min, Australia
Directed by Cassie De Colling

A portrait of a small once wartorn mountain village that has been discovered as a new frontier for western ski tourism. The film explores the past and the future that Gulmarg is undergoing.

Review by Kierston Drier:

 A once war torn area in the now ungoverned mountain range between India and Pakistan, Gulmarg sits, nestled in snow. This film, coming to use from Australia via director Cassie De Colling, follows the inhabitants of the simple town and their largest tourist attraction- Winter Sports.

Gulmarg- Paradise On Earth boasts stunning footage, gorgeous cinematography and beautiful landscapes. But it also tells a story of cultural clash. The primary tourists- Globetrotters from all over flooding into the small village- bring stability and steady income into the area. Yet the also bring ways of life that are not shared by the locals.

Drinking, intoxicated partying and imbibing in certain foods do not mesh well with the religious inhabitants. While the tourists are welcomed, and even encouraged to do the things that make them happy, (and promote the local economy) of Gulmarg, it is not without tensions.

A film about cultural change in the wake of holiday fun, Gulmarg- Paradise On Earth reminds us to take a deeper look at the land we tread on and the neighbours we share. All while showing us the gorgeous topography of the staggeringly beautiful world we live in.

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Film Review: THE BODY I LIVE IN, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERTHE BODY I LIVE IN, 7min, USA
Directed by Sam Davis-Boyd

A personal-narrative documentary that follows Sam Boyd on her journey of self-love and acceptance, in a world that tells fat women they don’t deserve it. There is a large cultural narrative about female attractiveness, especially fat woman’s attractiveness (or lack thereof) that pervades fat women from feeling like they deserve to be loved, respected and wanted by another human being in a romantic way.

Review by Kierston Drier:

 Exceptionally strong and unwaveringly brave The Body I Live In directed by Sam Davis-Boyd, follows the narrative story of an American woman on the journey of love. Not romantic love, she’s found that, by means of a caring and supportive fiance.

But the love for herself is another story entirely. Despite being a beautiful, funny, inspiring woman, Sam is plus size. She grapples with the emotional and social repercussions of this everyday.

In Sam’s journey, we see her family, her partner and herself talking openly and honestly about what it means to live in their bodies and how it is to see Sam in hers.

This director should be commended for the honesty she puts into her work, and the very real world she puts the audience in. More importantly, this film leaves no easy answers, but still manages to show us unbreakable positivity. Sam has a rich full life, lacking in nothing sweet, loving or wonderful, and she knows it. For those watching The Body I Live In, there is much to love.

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