Notable Finnish Director Jalmari Helander (RARE EXPORTS, BIG GAME) returns with his action adventure, war-time new movie SISU, a film clearly inspired by RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD as Helander is one of a handful of modern directors that has the gift of capturing the vibe of the cinema of an era of cinema that is almost […]
Movies
All the latest movie reviews for films released in Canada.
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET Review – Let This Movie Embrace You
I will never forget the late, great Roger Ebert’s review of the 2000 gem ALMOST FAMOUS where he said that he wanted to give the Cameron Crowe-directed, 1970s era gem a hug. I always loved that expression, and I also love a movie that casts its spell on you as if someone that you have […]
A Dungeon Master’s Guide to the many Dungeons & Dragons Films
Contributor Ed Sum takes a look at D&D Film History, from the 2000 Movie to the recently released 2023’s Honor Among Thieves, now in cinemas. Although some fans of role playing games say DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES is a critical hit, there are nuances which make me think otherwise. Hot air balloons didn’t […]
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Review – The Big Mac Movie of 2023
As a child of the 1980s, I still remember that moment when my Nintendo console powered on. Our family bought the combo version which included a copy of both SUPER MARIO BROS and DUCK HUNT, the latter of which had the zapper. But we revved up SUPER MARIO BROS right away as it was the […]
CFF 2023 Interview – HOW TO GET MY PARENTS TO DIVORCE director Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
“This film was very special and distinct from my other work. I had worked a lot with kids in my previous films, but these films were not necessarily for children. Although, the previous films had great lives in festivals (the short JUST ME AND YOU won the crystal bear at the Berlinale – awarded by […]
SxSW Reaction – DEADLAND
ABOUT: U.S. Border agent Angel Waters comes across what would normally be a routine illegal crossing, but It quickly devolves into his worst nightmare. Barely clinging to life, the immigrant utters, “El Paso, por favor”. In a tragic twist of fate the immigrant is killed while being held at a remote border outpost. Under the cover of darkness, Angel and […]
SxSW Reaction – 299 QUEEN STREET WEST
Canada represent, and this time in a BIG way! One of the festival highlights in covering the Canadian beat, the epic doc 299 QUEEN STREET WEST is a flat out love letter to MuchMusic, the music channel that started it all. I was so happy to attend the final screening at the Zach Theatre with […]
SxSW 2023 Interview – PLAN C director Tracy Droz Tragos
“PLAN C is about abortion – specifically the abortion pill. It tells the story of a movement of activists and medical professionals who have been at work in the United States for almost a decade, working to spread the word about, and access to, medication abortion. It tells the stories of women who have used […]
SxSW Reaction: CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN
Here we take a look at the SxSW doc CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMIRITAN and our reaction. WHAT IT IS ABOUT: Director Penny Lane’s decision to become a “Good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism. “Confessions of […]
Contest: Win a Digital Copy of 80 FOR BRADY from Paramount Pictures
It’s another Get Reel Giveaway as we gear up to cover SxSW! Our partners at Paramount have sent over a few Apple TV Digital Copy codes for the recent theatrical hit 80 FOR BRADY starring Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno, playing four best friends all off to see Tom Brady in […]
COCAINE BEAR Review – You Get What You Pay For
With a title like COCAINE BEAR, you already know what you are getting yourself into. I could just give you an easy elevator pitch; there’s drug use involving a big mean bear who will stop at nothing for a fix and even when pesky humans get in the way. That’s pretty much it. The title […]
THE WANDERING EARTH II Review – We Give You The Moon
The 2019 epic picture THE WANDERING EARTH was a flat out blockbuster from China that was a smash success internationally (it even had a terrific release here in Canada, even taking over some of the IMAX and premium format screens) with many parallels to all of the issues we face on our planet taken to […]
BABYLON Review – Indulgence, Talent, and Subtext
Damien Chazelle’s latest film has been called many things: grotesque, overlong, indulgent. But there’s a difference between an indulgent film and a film about indulgence. BABYLON, set in 1920s Hollywood, opens hard with graphic bodily functions, and though those burners never fully extinguish, it’s the hardest the film goes for some time. A deliberate message: […]
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Review – From Here We Go Sublime
The 2009 release of AVATAR did come with a lot of trepidation, as is the case with a lot of James Cameron’s movies since the 1990s and onward. You would always hear about the production problems He did make one of the best decisions in industry history by delaying TITANIC from a Summer to a […]
THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER Featuring Brandi Carlile Review – From 70s to Now
Country singer Tanya Tucker has been part of the sonic landscape of America since the release of the iconic song, “Delta Dawn” in 1972, when she was just 13 years old. Since then, she’s been a fixture of radio, television and the tabloids (thanks to her very public relationship with a much older musician Glen […]