2016 movie reviews

TIFF 2016 Movie Review: JEAN OF THE JONESES (Canada 2016)

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

jean_of_the_jonesesJEAN OF THE JONESES (Canada 2016) **
Directed by Stella Meghie

Starring: Mamoudou Athie, Gloria Reuben, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon

Review by Gilbert Seah

Writer/director Stella Meghie’s comedy concerning three generations of vibrant, vociferous, unforgettable women in the Brooklyn-based Jones family is the kind of film that is too smart for its own good.

Likely set in Brooklyn in order to be more commercial, the film would do better to be more originally set as an African Canadian film in a black Canadian neighbourhood. The film is slanted black all the way. When a man who shows up at the family home dies, the paramedic, Ray (Mamoudou Athie) who shows up in the ambulance is black. Whites are clearly a minority here and other minorities are absent.

The lead character is Jean (Taylour Paige) who falls for this annoying paramedic. The question is what she sees in him, or vice versa. Jean cannot get along with her sister or anyone she is trying to get a free place to stay with.

There is hardly anything to be learnt nor anything really humorous in this so-called comedy about an annoying family no one wants to meet. The only funny part is the segment where the sisters are caught smoking up in the car by their grandmother (Michelle Hurst) outside her house.

 

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TIFF 2016 Movie Review: CHRISTINE (USA 2016) *** Directed by Antonio Campos

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

christineCHRISTINE (USA 2016) ***
Directed by Antonio Campos

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts

Review by Gilbert Seah

Based on real life on the suicide of Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall) a Sarasota (Florida) news reporter, this realistic but grim account of events leading to her death is a hard watch. “If it bleeds, it leads.” – is is the newsroom’s unofficial motto for successful news ratings.

What begins as an ordinary person’s struggle for recognition leads to her downfall after many failures. Director Campos also shows failures in Christine’s personal life with her inability to get a date, her lost love with anchorman, George (Michael C. Hall), her virginity and her relationship with her mother, Peggy.

It turns out that she lets out all her troubles to work, finally coming head to head with her boss, Michael (Tracy Letts, delivering another winning performance after playing the Dean in INDIGNATION). Hall delivers a knock-out performance especially in the confrontation segment with Letts. Credit also should be given to the creation of the outstanding period atmosphere of the 70’s.

But one does go away with the feeling that the film has been over-dramatized in an otherwise humourless film. It would be interesting also to watch the documentary on Christine Chubbuck called KATE DOES CHRISTINE, also released this year.

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

TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews: TONI ERDMANN (Germany 2016) ***1/2 Directed by Maren Ade

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

Toni Erdmann.jpgTONI ERDMANN (Germany 2016) ***1/2
Directed by Maren Ade

Stars: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Michael Wittenborn

Review by Gilbert Seah

German director Maren Ade’s third movie that was the toast of Cannes is that rare German comedy that has much to enjoy. Germans are more known for their rigidity than for their sense of humour, so TONI ERDMANN the film makes a welcome departure from there Germans we know.

The name in the title belongs to the father, a practical joker who means well. But no one really likes a practical joker least of all the one that the joke is on. That one happens to be his daughter, an important oil consultant in the international business world. So, her patience is tested up to the cry last reel. The humour in the film is sly and sometimes laugh out loud funny, many of them being the practical jokes that Toni puts on her daughter.

Despite the rather predictable ending, TONI ERDMANN ends up a charming film about a father and daughter relationship. Based on the director’s real practical joker father who also wore fake teeth, the ones she gave to him to play practical jokes with.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=tHiBr8OrpKI

 

TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews: ELLE, Director Paul Verhoeven

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Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

elle.jpgELLE (France/Germany 2016) ***1/2
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny

Review by Gilbert Seah

Paul Verhoeven is known for both his Dutch foreign films (SPETTERS, THE FOURTH MAN, SOLDIER OF ORANGE) and Hollywood blockbusters (TOTAL RECALL, ROBOCOP, SHOWGIRLS).

His first feature film in 10 years proves to be a critical success as already celebrated at Cannes. Based on the novel Oh… by Philippe Djian, and written by David Birke, the film trails the life of a businesswoman, Michèle (brilliantly portrayed by Isabelle Huppert), who is raped in her home by an unknown assailant and stalks him back.

Michèle rules her company like a tyrant but faces personal problems like her failed marriage to Richard (Charles Berling), her slacker son (Jonas Bloquet) and a lacklustre affair with Robert (Christian Berkel). But she has not come to terms with her father’s crime.

Her father is a serial killer who is still in prison without parole. Her mother is getting re-married to a young buck makes matters worse. Verhoeven plays his film slick and efficient, but the films slags a bit before picking up again. All of Michèle’s problems eventually come together in the solid narrative with a bang-on message. The rape scene is played several times, each time just as (but necessarily) gruesome. The film is Verhoeven at his twisted and perverted best.

Trailer: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=OVBEV1w7too

WAR DOGS (USA 2016) ****

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

wardogs.jpgWAR DOGS (USA 2016) ****
Directed by Todd Phillips

Starring: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Steve Lantz

Review by Gilbert Seah

If you enjoyed the hectic style championed by Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET and David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE and JOY, then you can expect more of the same in Todd Phillips’ (ROAD TRIP, THE HANGOVER films) WAR DOGS. WAR DOGS is a black hilarious no holds-barred type comedy, farcical, loud and into-ones-face. Not every topic is suited to this kind of treatment. The hectic pace of Wall Street traders, the madness of the falling real estate market and the rise in fame of an inventive mop heiress made perfect subjects. WAR DOGS deals with two 20-somethings striking it rich with arms dealing through the internet with dangerous wheeling and dealing – again a perfect subject. Director Phillips graduates to his first serious comedy after apprenticeship in madcap nonsense comedies like THE HANGOVER. And WAR DOGS, surprisingly is both a fantastic entertaining comedy and a farce on the American military arms sourcing.

The film is aided by the performances of two terrific young actors – Jonah Hill, twice Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor (MONEYBALL and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) and Miles Teller, best known for THE DIVERGENT series and who has proven his acting mettle in WHIPLASH. Hill is expert as portraying smart and crazy while making his dislikable character likeable and one to be somewhat admired. Not many actors can achieve this feat. Teller carries the other lead role confidently, proving himself to be one of the the hottest actors with talent. The film is told from David’s point of view, with him narrating the entire film.

The film follows two arms dealers, Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller), who get a government contract to supply weapons for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The film is heavily fictionalized and dramatized.
The story is based on true events, but events so crazy, they have to be seen to be believed. But a key segment, the drive through Iraq (the triangle of death) depicted in the film never actually happened. Their first major job runs into trouble when the guns are stuck in Jordan. They solve their problem while Teller keeps the arms dealing a secret from his wife Iz (Ana de Armas). When this problem is solved, they hit another huge project. They enlist the aid of a mysterious American, Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper, who co-produced the film). The family scenes with David and Iz tone down the madness and put all the mayhem into perspective.
It is difficult to imagine how the film would have gone if the original actors Jesse Eisenberg and Shia LaBeouf were hired. But I would rather see Teller than Eisenberg who is now over-exposed with too many films already (CAFE SOCIETY, NOW YOU SEE ME). LaBeouf is too crazy and Hill brings a needed maturity to the role.

The company formed is called AEY, the letters not meaning anything. When told that IBM stands for International Business Machine by an employee, Effraim fires the guy in disgust claiming that only geeks know this fact. Phillips sets up this entire scene (running 5 – 10 minutes) for this one joke. But he funniest scene is the one where the two attend a military meeting totally stoned out of their minds, Phillips intersperses the film with titles/sayings and there are about 5 of them. (Examples: When does telling the truth ever helped anybody? God bless Dick Cheney’s America.) The neat thing is that a character would ultimately utter the exact saying out in the segment.

A puzzling point in the film is Henry Girard thanking David for not exposing him in the Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson. If that is true, how come his character exists in the movie?

WAR DOGS is smart, funny and edgy entertainment. It marks a brilliant debut from Todd Phillips who now proves himself a talented director to watch.

 

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

LA TETE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) (France 2016) ****

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standingtall.jpgLA TETE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) (France 2016) ****
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Rod Paradot, Benoît Magimel

Review by Gilbert Seah

LA TETE HAUTE follows, for a large portion, the same filming style as the Cannes winner Laurent Cantet’s ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASSROOM) and the more recent Stephanie Brize’s LA LOI Du MARCHE (MEASURE OF A MAN). All three turn out to be fascinating films, real life dramas suited to this kind of filming technique. The filming often has the camera stationed in a set-up in which a confrontation occurs. The actors have their role plays and they go at it, ensemble-style. The result is a compelling watch, with a more realistic feel as the scene looks totally unscripted, though it may not be. The camera focuses primarily on the actors, often with closeups on the reactions of dialogue that take place. The Dardenne Brothers attain an identical realism with a different technique, often placing the camera at neck level of the actors and following them closely around. LA TETE HAUTE occasionally feels like a Dardennes film since the protagonist is a kid, as kids are frequently the subjects in a Dardennes film. It would to be surprising if Bercot herself got some inspiration from Dardennes’ LE FILS another film about a delinquent boy.

Bercot allows the audience to root for the hot-tempered delinquent called Malony(Rod Paradot). Who would not like to see someone progress through the system and improve to be a functional citizen? But Bercot shows that the process is long and difficult but not impossible. Bercot (who co-wrote the script) attributes more effort by those helping the boy than put in by the boy himself. As the adage goes: “It takes a village to rear a child.”

Besides the boy, the supporting characters are all equally interesting. The mother, who is herself a delinquent, loses her two younger boys to social services. The boy’s councillor was himself a delinquent, younger on and got this job believing in the system. And there is the judge, magnificently played by Deneuve with all her regality. The scene in which she stretches out her hand to the boy in both desperation and sympathy is the film’s most touching moment.

But director Bercot takes her film one step further. She inserts more incidents than are normally found in a family drama. Included is a car crash, expertly shot and a home abduction.

There is much change the boy goes through, but these changes must be observed by the viewer. Malony is shown for once in a very vulnerable state crying for his mother when placed in prison for the first time. The way he holds the pencil to sign his name at the judge’s office shows progress from the way he held a pen with his fist at the start of the film. It can also be observed that most of the characters, the councillor and judge are also victims of the system. They have to work the system, just like the boy to each’s own advantage. There is much to be observed and learnt from Bercot’s film. That is what makes it so outstanding. It is a film about life and hardship – and how everyone faces his or her own at one time or another.

It is seldom that we get good French films these days. Cinefranco is gone. The number of French films that are commercially released has been reduced. This winner, that was chosen to open Cannes this year (the last time a French film opened Cannes was in 2005, Dominik Moll’s LEMMING that never got released here). It is a surprise and indeed good news that LA TETE HAUTE is released and before TIFF. The film comes highly recommended.

Movie Review: THE DRUNK: GETTING HOME, 6min, UK, Comedy (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE DRUNK: GETTING HOME, 6min, UK, Comedy
Directed by Gabriel Foster Prior

Embark on a hilarious journey of a drunk trying to break into his own house. A slapstick comedy written by and starring Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Seann Walsh

Seen at the July 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Take your best friends’ worst drunk story, then double it. We are on the path to The Drunk, written by Seann Walsh directed by Gabriel Foster Prior, a story about getting a little too intoxicated for your own good.

At first you think the story might be an animation as it opens with a charming animated title sequence, but not to be fooled- it is a full live action comedy. Like many under 5 minute short comedy films, it is one long set up. But it certainly doesn’t lack comedy along the way to the punchline. From losing your money in the cab to not finding any food in your fridge, The Drunk takes you step by step through the antics one might get into and the thoughts that flicker through one’s’ mind when they’ve had a few too many.

They say the the true things are the funniest, and The Drunk certainly follows that philosophy as our leading man trips, staggers and crawls his way home, only to be met with the unpleasant realization that he is in the wrong house.

Full of physical comedy, well suited sound and music design and comically developed characters, The Drunk is a great comedy-centric short with lots of offer, if you want to sit back and enjoy someone else’s crazy night- with none of the sober sitting.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: CLEAN BREAK, 5min, UK, Comedy (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERCLEAN BREAK, 5min, UK, Comedy
Directed by Tim Butcher

It’s about time Ben and Elle split. If only they could agree who’s breaking up with who.

Seen at the July 2016 COMEDY. FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

A comedy about people who break up for all the right reasons. The aptly named Clean Break,  written and directed by Tim Butcher,  is about the couple from hell finally ending it- and coming clean with all the things they hate about each other.

Simply shot, effectively stitched together, perhaps the most charming this about this piece is simply the realness of the characters. They are the people we all want to be when we are fighting and know we are right (even if we aren’t), they are the people that say the things we’d like to say when we know we should hold our tongue. They are coarse, rude, jerks. And every minute is wonderfully laughable. It is like watching your Ex from hell, date your friends’ Ex from hell, and those Ex’s are trying to break up with each other.

If you have ever dated a narcissist, an egotist, a pathological liar, a manic, a crazy-person, or a cold hearted monster from the black lagoon, you’ll find something to enjoy in this anti-romantic romp down break-up alley. Clean Break is a mini romantic comedy, where the guy doesn’t get the girl  (and that’s probably for the best.)

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: DRAGON DREAMING, 5min, Australia, Documentary (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERDRAGON DREAMING, 5min, Australia, Documentary
Directed by Daniel Clarke & Amy Pysden

Meet Kushia Young. She can’t hear you. But she can draw you a mystical character in under 10 minutes. This profoundly deaf 20-year-old artist from the remote APY Lands is being recognised for her unique contemporary indigenous drawings.

Seen at the July 2016 Under 5min. FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Dragon Dreaming is a biographical piece following 20 year old Kushia, an indigenous visual artist from Australia born profoundly deaf. While beautifully shot and with a wonderfully good intentions, Dragon Dreaming has some controversy in it that may be missed at first glance.

The film is undoubtedly meant to raise awareness about this talented young artist and her incredibly skills with the visual medium. And to its credit, Dragon Dreaming does an excellent job at showcasing Kushia’s clear ability. Much of her art is shown throughout the movie, which follows her present story and culminates the Art Exhibition the community organizes for her.

It is certainly a gesture of love that sparks the community to open an exhibition for Kushia, however, many areas of Kushia’s life and her art are glossed over. Very little attention is given to the fact that she is deaf (it is mentioned only once or twice in the movie) and there are less than a handful of shots without sound- which show the world as Kushia would experience it. There is no interpreter for Kushia, meaning she is virtually voiceless for the entire film. She has no way to express herself, except through her art and her own indigenous sign language, but even that is never translated for the audience. It is apparent that Kushia and her family come from a community and background that is marginalized, and her standard of living is well below those around her.

The underlying issue here- the elephant in the room, so to speak- is relationship Australia has with its indigenous people. Too big an issue for this small short film with a big heart.
What Dragon Dreaming reminds all audiences is that talent comes from all walks of life, and it can be nurtured if discovered and given a chance. In this way, all audiences of Dragon Dreaming must hope that the film makes it into the hands of Animators in our most illustrious studios, so that maybe Kushia’s future can be as bright and colorful as her personality.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: CRE-AZIONI, 5min, USA, Drama/Experimental (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERCRE-AZIONI, 5min, USA, Drama/Experimental
Directed by Elena Vannoni

A film about women and time.

Seen at the July 2016 Under 5min. FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

In many ways, theatre gave birth to Cinema. The two share many elements of spectacle and form, although their medium is substantially different. What happens then, when the two mediums converge? Cre-Azioni written and directed by Elena Vannoni is one such product. Avant Garde, theatrical and wholly unconventional for a short film (if there is such a thing) is an artistic interpretation of women in the confines of society.

The film is simply shot, with one shot and set up panning into a woman looking out of a window. The background is stark- black and white. All that seems to exist in this world is the woman, the window and the world beyond it we can hear, but not see. As she stares out, presumably at children laughing and playing, the woman closes the window and begins to touch her face. The music of the piece becomes frantic and panicky, and our heroine is swept up into a corset, a wig put on her and large fake lips placed in her mouth. Hands appear out of nowhere with syringes and appear to inject her body. The woman grapples with her corset, frees herself from her confines, her wig and her accessories. She begins to dance in the apparent void of space behind her window, until she goes to the now open window- this time with ample light hitting her face.

The piece is unapologetically clear about its intent- the constraints of women in society to look a certain way, and they suppression and oppression that occurs within those confines. The way the message is framed, however, is what makes this film really interesting. It is a very theatrical piece, in the sense that the exact same actions could be played out on a stage to a live audience with as equally strong effect. Perhaps the medium of film allows a wider reach to audience, perhaps it translates a different type of solitude for our heroine, as she is not behind simply one pane of glass (the window) we see but also the camera lenses, which we don’t.
The audience can interpret the works’ medium from many angles, but the message, no matter how avant garde, is a good one- happiness is dancing unencumbered. Whether is it on stage or screen, the spectacle of Cre-Azioni is emotional, strong and mindful with clear intent.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film: