film reviews

Full Review: JT LEROY (USA/UK/Canada 2018)

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
JT LeRoy Poster
Trailer

A young woman named Savannah Knoop spends six years pretending to be the celebrated author JT LeRoy, the made-up literary persona of her sister-in-law.

Director:

Justin Kelly

Writers:

Justin Kelly, Savannah Knoop (memoir) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Jim Sturgess

The film opens with Savannah (Kristen Stewart) being fetched from the airport by her brother-in-law.  Slowly but surely the film introduces its characters including Laura Albert.

Laura Albert (Laura Dern) writes tough, insightful fiction under a pseudonym, JT LeRoy.  The full name of the pseudonym is Jeremy Terminator Leroy, which incidentally is also the original title of the film that served as the Closing Night Gala last last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

JT is not just a pen name but a whole persona, a teenage boy from West Virginia living a dangerous life as a truck stop sex worker.  Laura was born in Brooklyn a generation earlier, and grew up in New York’s punk scene.  Writing books such as The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things as JT gives her complete freedom to explore the darker regions of human experience. Readers and the media apparently love it so much that they begin to demand JT in person.  

As journalists press for interviews with JT, turmoil mounts with Laura’s husband Geoffrey (Jim Sturgess) and sister-in-law Savannah (Kristen Stewart).  Partly from desperation, partly for kicks, they conspire to have Savannah don a wig and sunglasses, adjust her voice, and become the teenage boy author.   

This is supposed to be inspired by a true story that is satin San Francisco in 2001.  Despite everything being based on a true story, Kelly’s film is extremely dull.  He makes no attempt to make the events authentic or to make Savannah believable as JT.   Whenever she appears as JT, she mumbles all along and the media and everyone takes it in from Cannes to Paris to the U.S.  

Laura Dern (daughter of Bruce Dern) has proved herself an excellent actress in films like BLUE VELVET and CITIZEN RUTH.   She appears in this film as a free spirited bohemian author filling everyone and forcing her sister and husband to do what she wants.  Her character (and therefore her) is extremely annoying.  The last straw is when Laura pretends to be an obnoxious Brit, complete with outrageous British accent.  As expected, all these things lead nowhere.  Stewart, spotting short hair looking like a lesbian that she really is in life goes through the film mumbling and trying to look cool.  Jim Sturges is wasted as Laura’s husband.

Worst of all is the pretentious bit at the film’s end where Laura preaches to the audience that everyone has to be the person he or she is.

There is nothing really wrong with the film JT LEROY.  But if you would not mind spending 2 hours in a theatre watching annoying characters doing annoying things trying to be cool when in fact they are not, then this film might be for you.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC-6gwt822M&feature=youtu.be

Film Review: UGLYDOLLS (China/Canada/USA 2019) ***

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
UglyDolls Poster
Trailer

An animated adventure in which the free-spirited UglyDolls confront what it means to be different, struggle with a desire to be loved, and ultimately discover who you truly are is what matters most.

Director:

Kelly Asbury

Writers:

Alison Peck (screenplay by), Sun-min Kim (based on characters by) |1 more credit »

Stars:

Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe

UGLYDOLLS (one word) is an animated adventure in which the free-spirited UglyDolls confront what it means to be different, struggling with a desire to be loved, and ultimately discovering who they truly are and what matters most.  It is not a new concept.  Beauty is from the within and not in eternal appearances.  Films like I FEEL PRETTY, TROLLS and  now UGLY DOLLS stress the importance of internal beauty and to celebrate the idea of being different.

The film begins with a scene from the insides of a doll manufacturing facility.  The rejected dolls, damaged, for example with one eye, are picked out.  These UglyDolls live in a city called Uglyville while the perfect dolls live in their perfect world.  The protagonist is Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) an ugly female doll.  Her dream is to be adopted by a human child in the big world.

In animated features, the aim of the story is often to save the world or the world the characters are living in.  In UGLYDOLLS, the aim is Moxy’s dream come true.  And it does not take an intelligent child to guess the outcome of the film.

Though the film starts off rather oddly with all the Chinese banners as the film is a Chinese co-production, ULGYDOLLS is the love child of both Kelly Clarkson and Pitbull who have reported put in quiet a lot into the film.  Both have contributed their music and with Clarkson a few of the original songs.  The film clearly contains one too many songs, which often sound identical.  The best musical number is performed by Lou (voiced and sung by Nick Jonas), the super good looking perfect doll in Perfectland) with super cool animated dance moves that demand to be imitated by the youngsters.  Unfortunately Lou is a nasty dictator hiding behind the blond hair and good looks.

The Moxy character is surrounded by her assortment of friends, the most notable voiced by comedienne Wanda Sykes and singer Pitbull.  Like Moxy, these are all cardboard characters that are not given much to do but crack the occasional side joke.  The only interesting and different character in the movie is Mamdy, one of the perfect dolls who is not really that perfect as she has imperfect eyes that are hidden behind huge classes.  She shows that pretty dolls need not be mean dolls.  She becomes Moxy’s friend.  They end up helping each other out.  The characters in ULGLYDOLLS are silly rather than goofy.  Silly means toned down and less funny than goofy.

UGYDOLLS is not truly original.  The film follows other animated successes like TROLLS (also featuring ugly characters), TOY STORY and even the LEGO MOVIE (with a song paralleling ‘Everything is Awesome’ sung by Moxy when she gets up in the morning that runs a positive fresh outlook for the day.

UGLYDOLLS is not that bad a film, though obviously catered to younger children who will laugh at anything, even unfunny stuff on screen.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqlEGYo0xCA

Film Review: THE INTRUDER (USA 2019)

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
The Intruder Poster
Trailer

A young married couple buy a beautiful house on several acres of land only to find out that the man they bought it from refuses to let go of the property.

Director:

Deon Taylor

Writer:

David Loughery

Stars:

Meagan Good, Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy

THE INTRUDER is a slasher flick advertised as a psychological thriller featuring no real surprises, about a couple having to survive an intruder to their new home.  As far as intruder movies go, it is a well-worn genre done in one form or other.  The best ones are the two FUNNY GAMES, both directed by Michale Haneke, the Austrian and Hollywood versions.

THE INTRUDER sees a handsome looking black couple, Scott Howard (Michael Ealy) and the missus, Annie (Meagan Good) purchasing their dream home in the wine Napa Valley.  They leave city life for the wine region.  But they do not get what they dream of.   Instead of a funny and entertaining GREEN ACRES, the scenario turns out to be a campy horror INTRUDER in which director Taylor accomplishes a few good turns but ends up churning out a run-of-the-mill boring slasher film.

There are two kind of black films.  One shows the hardship of the African Americans like IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, MOONLIGHT or 7 YEARS A SLAVE.  The others are these unrealistic fairy tales, especially the romantic comedies and this one that show the blacks as rich, wealthy and beautiful people.  They often work in advertising agencies or some executive position with white people as their lackeys.

The married couple move into a gorgeous mansion that has been carefully kept for generations by its owner Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid).  After selling the house Peck keeps showing up unannounced, much to the chagrin of Scott, though the wife does not mind the extra help Peck offers.  Peck is supposed to leave to live with his daughter but that date never realizes.       

It soon becomes apparent that Peck has the hots for Annie.  When Scott gets aggressive with Peck, Peck runs him off the road while jogging.

The careless script is glaringly full of loopholes.  When Scott is in hospital, he asks his world buddy and colleague, Mike (Joseph Sikora) to run a background on Peck.  That very night, Mike has got all the back information on Peck, way too soon and way to convenient before Peck starts terrorizing Annie.

The only interesting character in the film is Mike, the white friend of the couple, who the audience is sure of will come to a grisly and violent death.  Mike is conveniently freaked out by a domineering Peck, making up the film’s queaziest scene.

The otherwise unimpressive film film benefits from Wilson’s occasional inspired direction and Quaid’s campiness.  One such example is the scene that suddenly lights up that reveals Quaid crouched up and ready to pounce on the unsuspecting victim.  A few other good camera angles achieve a few surprise jolts as well.  Dennis Quaid, a handsome bulked up actor now shows signs of his age though still possessing a body to be envious for.  Quaid hams it up, giving the film some camp and wicked humour needed to lift the film out of the doldrums.  One scene has her licking his victim’s body using his tongue to file her while she is passed out.

The audience at the promo screening appear to be enjoying the movie, though laughing too much for a horror film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K7y0zsuPic

Film Review: ORDINARY DAYS (Canada 2017) ***

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,
Ordinary Days Poster
Cara Cook is a bright, athletic, college student who disappears without a trace. Five days play out three times from a trio of perspectives; her spiraling parents, the troubled detective assigned to her case and finally, Cara herself.

Directors:

Kris Booth, Jordan Canning | 

Writer:

Ramona Barckert

Stars:

Jacqueline Byers, Michael Xavier, Joris Jarsky

A 3-act film based on a script written by one person with the three acts directed by 3 different directors, ORDINARY DAYS looks at an event from three different points of view.  The fact that each act is directed by a different person offers the film different perspectives, though a disadvantage means a kind of disjointed storytelling.  Whether the tactic works is arguable but credit should be given to the filmmakers for the idea where different timelines also intersect, a tactic used before though not that often in films.

A spill on ORDINARY DAYS is given by the lone character in the second act which explains one reason the phrase was chosen as the film title.  The event the three acts examines is the mysterious disappearance of a bright somewhat rebellious teenage college student over the course of 5 days.

The film is bookended with the student (Jacqueline Byers) jogging along the road.  Each act is entitled by the main character in the act.  The first act is titled Marie (Torri Higginsson), the worried mother of the disappeared daughter.  The second is called BrightBill (Michael Xavier), the bright detective who uncovers relevant clues of the case and the third Cara, the missing teen.

The first act deals with the parents, who is clear still love each other tremendously though a few problems exist in their relationship.  (Which couple never has problems?).  When the  mother Marie fails to hear from the daughter, she suspects something odd.  The father (Richard Clarkin) brushers the worry away but is blamed later for not doing anything when they had a chance.  Marie calls a detective, Bill who slowly but effectively covers relevant clues.  The last act follows Cara as she drives her car into a ditch which explains what has happened.

The first two acts are quite good and both absorbing watches.  The first proves that the drama in the parents relationship is more interesting than the mystery of the missing daughter, credit to director Canning.  The second act takes off at a tangent with a new look at the detective and his life.  The last act that resolves the mystery is the least absorbing one and is a let down to the tension built in the first two acts.  The third act shows Cara stuck in the crashed vehicle for 5 days.  One can hardly blame director Jeyapalan as this is limited material.  How interesting can you make a 30 minute segment with a person trapped in a car?

What is impressive about the film is the script that is often filled with layered dialogue.  A the lines are spoken, emotions between the speakers are revealed when one reads between the lines.  For example, when the husband apologizes, the words “I am sorry,” show both his sincerity and regret as well as the ups and downs the marriage goes through.  This must be just one of many incidents as the husband appear to have gone through the situation may times.

The film’s ending requires once agin the viewer to read between the lines.  ORDINARY DAYS is a more than an interesting film, well put together and ultimately satisfying and entertaining.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bskQ8nUCPX8

Film Review: HAIL SATAN? (USA 2019) ***

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
Hail Satan? Poster
Trailer

A look at the quick rise and influence of the controversial religious group known as The Satanic Temple.

Director:

Penny Lane

Stars:

Jex Blackmore, Nicholas Crowe, Lucien Greaves

In the middle of the new doc HAIL SATAN?, a member of the Satanic Temple tells the audiences that a lot of people appear disappointed when told what the Satanic Temple is all about.  Despite its name, it does not worship the devil or burn human flesh or indulge in sex but is an alternate religion that challenges Christianity as an American religion.  Similarly, those who go to see HAIL SATAN? might be disappointed that this doc is a mild doc that dos not expose any controversial devil worship.

Penny Lane’s (OUR NIXON, NUTS!) HAIL SATAN? is an entertaining eye-opening (and yes, noncontroversial and mild) documentary that traces  the rise of The Satanic Temple (TST), one of most colourful religious movements in American history.  Under enigmatic leader Lucien Greaves and headquartered in Salem, MA, TST is calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation’s soul.

  As the doc reveals, these Satanists are not what one might expect.  They fight for individual rights.  They fit against tyranny.  They do favour hoods, the colour black, horns and shock tactics.  But they also aim to take the “evil” out of devil, challenging authority to ensure that America remains secular.  Their target – Christianity.

Director lane uses the first half of the doc to extol TST’s virtues.  Their beginnings go back to 2013 when they rallied to fight Florida Governor Rick Scott’s push to allow prayer in public schools. Why?  Because the United States is not a Christian nation, so inviting God into the classroom would require schools to do the same for Satan.  But it was their 2015 win that put them on the map.  They forced the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from Oklahoma government property by petitioning to erect a statue of goat-headed Baphomet beside it.  Garnering international attention, TST membership grew from three to 100,000 in just three years with chapters worldwide.  Hey, I myself would join the membership.   Also on their agenda are a Pink Mass, a Black Mass, an after-school Satan club and a “Menstruatin’ With Satan” drive for sanitary products for shelters.  And when they help pick up litter, it’s with a pitch fork.

Lane includes excerpts from classic films involving dvil worship including ROSEMARY’S BABY.

  Lane’s film fails to expose the ‘bad’s of the TST.  The only incident where the legitimacy of the TST is challenged is when the film records Gov Scott’s anger at Lucien Greaves.  Scott says even Lucien’s name is false.  But the TST’s expansion also brings internal woes.  Greaves cuts ties with the Detroit chapter leader after she calls for a presidential assassination in one of her speeches.  Greaves maintains that such acts are not in line with the temple’s beliefs.

The film contains extensive interviews wth Greaves, who in real life has one eye, looking rather demonic.  But the doc reveals him as a decent film, rather smart and entrepreneurial and able to tackle and challenge bullying institutions.

The film uses the TST’s fight to be able to put up its own monument the Baphomet Statue, as its climax, so that the film would end with a rousing happy ending.

Lane’s film ends ups a satisfying noncontroversial eye-opening doc about the Satanic Temple proving that there are always good people around despite what they call themselves.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27RtJp-rhHk

Hot Docs 2019 Review: BUDDY (Netherlands 2018) **

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , ,
Buddy Poster
Fascinating, multi-talented, indispensable dogs and their loving masters.

Director:

Heddy Honigmann

BUDDY follows the stories of six guide dogs and their owners exploring  the close bond between animal and human.  Among them are a now 86-year-old blind woman who reflects back upon all the dogs that have been at her side since she was 21,  an autistic boy who explains how his loyal friend Utah can tell when he’s upset and a war veteran suffering from PTSD.  

 These owners are not very interesting to listen too and director Honihmann spends more time on the humans than the dogs.  Nothing is revealed on how these dogs are trained on how they are bred or why a certain  breed is suitable for different disabilites. 

 The dogs look really sad in the way they are forced to care for their masters.  I love dogs and dog movies, but BUDDY does not do anything for me nor shed any insight of these poor lovable caretakers.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xQjL-hmPiA

Film Review: DIANE (USA 2018) ***

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
Diane Poster
Trailer

Diane fills her days helping others and desperately attempting to bond with her drug-addicted son. As these pieces of her existence begin to fade, she finds herself confronting memories she’d sooner forget than face.

Director:

Kent Jones

Writer:

Kent Jones

Stars:

Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Estelle Parsons

DIANE is an aptly made film about a caring individual who works herself to sleep many a day for trying too hard.  Diane not only helps out in the soup kitchen but aids others in bringing food and comfort.  Her one burden is her son, who is an addict, and often dirty and not eating. The film is Diane’s story – as Diane is performed by Mary Kay Place, she giving on of the best performances of her career.

For a film about about sick and depressing people, the film has a sly look at things thus giving the film some humour and a cutting edge.  Comedienne Andrea Martin from SCTV provides some laugh-out humour offering her two-cents worth on things while yapping all the way on-stop.  She plays a good friend of Diane who always sorts her out when she is down.  Diane’s son, Bryan (Jake Lacy) a man-baby still unable to function on his own, is quaint to look at.  He is rather good looking but acts like a complete baby.

One of the film’s oddest scenes has Diane counselling Bryan while an odd whirling noise is heard on the soundtrack.  “I think I want to give birth to something,” Bryan says.  “I think you need help.  We have to go through this one more time,” replies Diane.

The trouble with DIANE is that the film appears aimless as Diane moves along in her life.  The ending is just sufficiently satisfactory.

Besides Place’s performance, the impressive cast includes Oscar Winner Estelle Parsons (remember her as Gene Hackman’s screaming wife in BONNEY AND CLYDE?), Glynnis O’Connor and Joyce Van Patton from the 70’s.

DIANE is helmed by Kent Jones who has made the documentaries A LETTER TO ELIA and HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT.  This new feature has already won three Awards in Tribeca, including Best Narrative Feature and the oecuminal Prize at Locarno 2018.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl1WJA0T5II

Film Review: AVENGERS: ENDGAME (USA 2019) ***1/2

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,
Avengers: Endgame Poster
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe.

Directors:

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Writers:

Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

Prior to the press screening of the new blockbuster most anticipated film so far for 2019, AVENGERS: ENDGAME the Disney official introducing the film made a request that the critics do not spoil the key scenes of the film and to respect the Marvel Universe fans.  As it turns out, there are many, may things that could be kept from the fans, even from the very start, on the slightest of details  So this critic will try to be as discreet as possible.

The film opens with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) having a picnic with his family.  He is teaching his daughter the bow and arrow while the wife the boys baseball.  It is a beautiful idyllic setting.  Suddenly, the daughter disappears followed by the rest of the family.  It is an excellent beginning that connects the audience to humanity despite the film  being based on super heroes.  It is soon revealed that half the Universe has been destroyed by the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), an intergalactic despot from Titan who collected the 6 infinity stones to do the job.  This explains the disappearance of Barton’s family.  In order to say the destroyed half of the universe, the Angers band together and come up with an elaborate or impossible (but always possible in movies) scheme to reverse the damage done. 

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)  suggests travelling through time in a quantum time machine to undo the deed.  The concept involves immense risk, which means it can be done in a movie.  Directors Joe an Anthony Russo slowly but surely introduces the other Marvel super action hero Avengers.  Iron man (Robert Downy Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans looking super dashing) are the two action heroes given the most attention and they are shown at loggerheads in terms of ideas.  Iron Man, the leader and benefactor of the Avengers is a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist while Captain America is fugitive superhero and leader of a faction of Avengers.  Almost every other marvel hero seen in films in the past decade make their appearances including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), the Hulk (ark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth who is simply hilarious as the overweight drunk), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a host of others in minor parts like Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Vision (Paul Bethany), Falcom (Anthony Mackie) and others way too many to mention.

The action sequences are more than aptly executed with the directors playing it smart to play up the human parts of the story.  There are moments that will bring audiences to shed a tear or two.  The logic of the story does to always make sense.  For example the logic of time travel is difficult to follow and the Infinity Stones also do not make much sense in the flow of things.  But these are fantasy elements that should be present in futuristic action films.  

Marvel and Disney make good again in their latest action superhero outing compared to Warner Brothers who seem to make one blunder after another.  Everyone at the press screening stayed to the end of the closing credits (lasting a full 15 minutes or so) hoping to see some surprise.   Is there one?  Sorry, no spoilers even for this point.  Stay to the very end to find out.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c

Hot Docs 2019 Review: FOR SAMA (UK/USA/Syria 2019)

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,
For Sama Poster
A young woman’s struggles with love, war and motherhood over the span of five years in Syria.

Directors:

Waad Al-Khateab, Edward Watts

The doc begins with the image of a baby and a picture of a an 18-year old girl, that is supposed to be taken 10 years prior to the making of the doc.  It turns out that the girl is Waad Al Kateab, the doc’s co-director and mother of the baby named Sama.  She is making the doc for her daughter Sama, detailing the experiences she and her husband went through in evacuating the city of Aleppo, Syria, where she grew up. 
 Over the course of several years, Waad al-Kateab has been filming the uprising in her home city of Aleppo, Syria.  Capturing the brutal conflict all around her comes with added personal stakes as she falls in love and becomes pregnant with her first child.  The film also attests the strength of women in war.  
At one point in the film, the women chant: “We are resilient!  We are strong.”  The film contains disturbing images of war.  After six months of the city under siege, the camera pans the destruction of rubble and dust ads the citizens of Aleppo prepare their evacuation. 
 FOR SAMA captures the danger and turmoil the citizens of Aleppo have gone through.   

Hot Docs 2019 Review: PUSH (Sweden 2019) ***

festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , ,
Push Poster

Director:

Fredrik Gertten

Housing prices are skyrocketing in cities around the world.  Incomes are not. PUSH sheds light on a new kind of faceless landlord, our increasingly unlivable cities and an escalating crisis that has an effect on us all.  Cities that director Gertten examines and takes his audience to include Toronto and London. 

 The film follows Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, as she is travelling the globe, trying to understand who’s being pushed out of the city and why. “I believe there’s a huge difference between housing as a commodity and gold as a commodity.   Gold is not a human right, housing is,” says Leilani.  

The film shows that lean can make a difference as she organizes meeting around the world to combat the villains like Blackrock Funds.  Gertten and Leinai will both be present during the film screening at Hot Docs.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/324962587