Let’s face it, 2017 has been and still is a pretty bad year for comedies so far. Chips, Snatched, and Fist Fight all underwhelmed and under-performed. The House might be a tad better because of a few laugh-out moments and the charms of the likes of Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, but it doesn’t do […]
Reviews
‘Despicable Me 3’ Review: Double, Double Toil and Bubbles
The latest in the Despicable Me franchise seems more like a film created out of necessity rather than to enhance. Despicable Me 3 was no doubt produced because it’s going to be a huge box office hit, but it doesn’t have enough substance to stand on its own, acting more as a film that sets up any eventual […]
‘The Beguiled’ Review: Kidman is Queen of Coppola’s Clan
Hot off her historic and triumphant Best Director win at Cannes, Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled continues to prove how talented she is behind the camera. Basically reviewing itself in the title and describing its audience after seeing the film, The Beguiled is a slow burn, but when it gets good, it gets good. Taking place in Virginia in […]
‘The Big Sick’ Review: Equal Parts Hilarious and Heartbreaking
The Big Sick is based on the real-life story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani and the time his wife, Emily V. Gordon, was in a coma. It sounds sad because it is. But make no mistake, The Big Sick is very, very funny. (It’s still sad though.) When Emily (Zoe Kazan) heckles Kumail (playing himself) at one […]
‘Black Butterfly’ Review: Be Prepared for Disappointment
A “thriller” based on the 2008 French TV Movie originally titled Papillon noir, Brian Goodman’s version of Black Butterfly, tries hard to be clever by having a plot layered with different levels of crazy, but manages only to annoy. Another woman in Jefferson County has been murdered, the fourth in three years, and Paul (Antonio Banderas), an […]
‘Okja’ Review: Zany and Important
As far as visual conceptual is concerned, Bong Joon Ho’s Okja not only flourishes, but leaps into some of the most engaging spectacles of the year so far. From the costumes to the sets, there’s always something interesting to look at. While that is happening, there is simultaneously a struggle to maintain balance in what […]
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ is a Knight to Forget (Yeah, that’ll do.)
And so, yet another entry in Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise is released, and with it comes the now almost a decade old film press tradition of autopsying it like a bloated corpse dragged out of a sewer. Yes, surprising absolutely nobody Transformers: The Last Knight, is a load of old toilet. To be fair, it’s […]
‘The Hero’ Review: A Character Study that Resonates
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about The Hero is that it is this year’s Birdman. This is one of the biggest compliments I could give a film. The story centers around an aging Western icon, Lee Hayden who, thanks to a viral video has a chance at reviving his career in the movies. Along […]
‘The Bad Batch’ is Audacious Arthouse
The Bad Batch follows Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) after she’s left in a Texas wasteland fenced off from civilization. While trying to navigate the unforgiving landscape, Arlen is captured by a savage band of cannibals led by the mysterious Miami Man (Jason Momoa). With her life on the line, she makes her way to The Dream […]
‘The Book of Henry’ is the worst film of 2017, so far
2015’s Jurassic World destroyed box office records – something no one quite saw coming. It’s not even insulting to the fact to it’s big-budgeted, post-production, tattered, derivative nature though. It’s insulting because the man who made it is Colin Trevorrow, and that after that mess he makes an equally worse mess of a movie that’s […]
‘All Eyez on Me’ Review: The Antithesis of Flow
In honour of Tupac, I’m writing this piece ‘Bout a lil’ bit of his history and All Eyez on Me. We start at the beginning, when he’s in the womb And eventually end up in the courtroom, the tomb Then we see how his career blooms And all the stories that are picked up by the […]
CSFF 2017: ‘Keepers of the Game’ Review
For years lacrosse has been the main sport for the men of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. But that changes when the local High School forms an all girls lacrosse team. They must face an uphill battle to be respected by their classmates but also their community. When they reach the Championship, it’s much more than […]
CSFF 2017: ‘Salluit Run Club’ Review
Salluit Run Club is a short documentary about seven Inuit youth who travel to Hawaii to run a half-marathon. It’s not really about the half-marathon; it’s about their personal journeys and why they decided to take up running. Each one of these kids has their own struggles and it’s touching to see them open up to […]
‘The Mummy’ is Yet Another Pointless Remake
It’s becoming a rarity these days to see an original big budget movie coming out of Hollywood. Everything seems to be a remake, a prequel, or a sequel. With The Mummy, Hollywood reaches a new level of unnecessary remakes. Unfortunately, for all the film-goers who are excited for a new Tom Cruise movie, this one is […]
‘Megan Leavey’ Review: Kate Mara Anchors a Simple, but Intensely Emotional Film
Don’t be fooled by the artwork and trailers for Megan Leavey. This is not just a war movie and it’s not just a movie about a Marine and her dog. It’s a story about relationships and love. Bear with me here. Whenever I hear a film is based on a true story, I’m already somewhat invested. There’s […]