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Canada's Oscar nominee Rebelle could dominate Sunday's Canadian Screen Awards |
2/28/2013
Canadian Screen Awards: Picks and Predictions
Jeff Chang Turns 21
21 and Over
(USA, 93 min.)
Written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah
Wright, Jonathan Keltz, François Chau.
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear
Jeff Chang,
Happy Birthday to you!
Labels:
2013 reviews
DiverCiné Brings Francophone Cinema to Ottawa
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La Pirogue opens and closes DiverCiné 2013 |
Francophones in the Ottawa area can see films in their
native tongue when the annual DiverCiné festival returns March 8th
to March 17th. DiverCiné brings films from other French-speaking nations
to Ottawa in a week-long celebration of film and culture. The event is
organized by the Embassy of France to Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage,
in partnership with the Canadian Film Institute and the ByTowne Cinema. “The
DiverCiné festival offers us once more an opportunity to pay homage to the
talent and the creativity of filmmakers in Canada and in the other countries of
the Francophonie,” says French Ambassador Philippe Zeller. “For the 11th year
in a row, Canadian Heritage and the Embassy of France have come together around
DiverCiné to celebrate the cultural diversity of all the French-speaking
countries of the world through cinema.” Films at DiverCiné represent
Francophone cinema from all corners of the globe with films from Canada and
Europe on the programme alongside offerings from Africa and Asia.
Labels:
Best Foreign Lang Film,
Camion,
Canadian Film,
CFI,
Ottawa Arts,
Rebelle
2/27/2013
Move on Out!
Moving Day
(Canada, 94 min.)
Dir. Mike Clattenburg, Writ. Mike Clattenburg, Mike O’Neill
Starring: Will Sasso, Charlie Murphy, Gabriel Hogan,
Gabrielle Miller, Victor Garber.
An embarrassingly unfunny film, Moving Day lifts comedy in its broadest form and drops the package
on its big toe. Director/co-writer Mike Clattenburg (The Trailer Park Boys) usually provides a good chuckle with coarse
humour aimed for a general audience, but this workplace comedy is as dry and
flat as the cardboard boxes the movers stack and ship. Moving Day is the kind of Canadian movie that gives tax credits for
the film industry a bad rep.
Labels:
2012 Reviews,
Canadian Film
2/26/2013
Doc-ing in Memphis
West of Memphis
(USA/New Zealand, 147 min.)
Dir. Amy Berg, Writ. Amy Berg, Billy McMillin
“We the filmmakers find the defendant guilty on all counts.”
Director Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil)
puts American’s legal system on trial in West
of Memphis, and the documentary delivers a verdict that satisfies everyone
and no one. West of Memphis arrives
at this thesis by deliberating the sensational trial of the three men known as
the West Memphis Three. Deliberate or not, Berg’s examination of the case is a
provocative and compelling condemnation of a system run amok.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Documentary
2/25/2013
Oscars 2013: That's a Wrap!
Headline: “Seth MacFarlane: Ok-ish as Oscar Host.”
2/24/2013
'We are Serving White Cake!'
Made a white cake for tonight's show in honor of Django Unchained. Are you making anything special for the Oscars?
Don't forget to follow along with predictions!
Don't forget to follow along with predictions!
'Twilight' gets Razzed
The Twilight
franchise has finally got its due! Breaking
Dawn: Part 2 won top “honours” at the Golden Raspberry Awards (aka the
Razzies), Hollywood’s annual gong show to fête the “berry worst” in cinema on
the night before the industry gives a bunch of awards to itself. It’s the first
time that the Twilight Saga has taken
home any major hardware despite being a strong presence at the award show for
the past four years. Oddly enough, this win looks like a case of what we call “deferred
Oscar syndrome” since the seven wins seem like a last chance effort to razz the
franchise. Breaking Dawn Part 2 was
by critical consensus the least bad entry in the franchise since the original
scarred our brains in 2008. For example, Part
2 holds a freshness rating of 48% critical endorsement of Rotten Tomatoes,
compared to the 24% critical approval for Breaking
Dawn Part 1. As they must have said with Peter Jackson’s win at the Oscars,
“Better late than never.”
There was, however, on top prize that eluded Twilight. Worst Actor dishonours went
not to Robert Pattinson but to Adam Sandler for That’s My Boy. This makes Sandler a back-to-back winner, as he won
last year for Jack and Jill, which
had the notorious honour of winning every prize at the show. It’s probably time
that Sandler returned his voting privileges to The Academy.
The “Winners” :
Labels:
Adam Sandler,
Razzies,
terrible vampire movies,
Twilight
2/23/2013
Black and Blanca
Blancanieves
(Spain/France, 104 min.)
Written and directed by Pablo Berger
Starring: Maribel Verdú, Macarena García, Daniel Giménez
Cacho, Ángela Molina.
The past year has seen a flood of Snow White movies. The
tale by The Brothers Grimm first received two decidedly contemporary
renditions: the god-awful nightmare Mirror
Mirror and the nightmarish action-pic Snow White and the Huntsman. The latter is fairly good thanks to an inspired
performance by Charlize Theron as the evil queen and to its video-gamey style, which
works surprisingly well. Both these revamped Snow White tales, however, are
vastly eclipsed by the Spanish take, Blancanieves.
Blancanieves (which literally translates
to Snow White) appropriates the “white
as snow, black as wood” features of its heroine and reimagines the classic tale
in the silent black-and-white of classic cinema. As the characters in Skyfall would say, “Sometimes the older
ways are best.”
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film,
Blancanieves
2/22/2013
Oscar Predictions: Final Round - Will Win/Should Win
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Ben Affleck's Argo: our next Best Picture winner? |
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The trophies were put on the mantle with care,
In hopes that Sir Oscar soon would be there;
Ben Affleck was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of D’rector noms danc'd in his head…
Pity the Drug Dealer
Snitch
(USA, 112 min.)
(USA, 112 min.)
Dir. Ric Roman Waugh, Writ. Justin Haythe, Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jon Bernthal, Barry Pepper, Susan
Sarandon, Melina Kanakaredes, Michael Kenneth Williams, Rafi Gavron, Benjamin
Bratt.
How much time should a drug dealer serve in prison? A year?
Ten? Or should someone only do probation for slinging smack on the street? If
it’s a non-violent crime, they shouldn’t do much time. That’s at least the
morale that Snitch offers when
everyman John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) goes undercover to catch top-level drug
players so that he can free his son, Jason (Rafi Gavron), from a ten-year
mandatory minimum sentence for distribution.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Snitch
2/20/2013
Man and Beast
Bestiaire
(Canada/France, 72 min.)
Written and directed by Denis Côté
People are animals. We live in different environments and
have different habits than our four legged friends, but we also have a lot in
common. People are often as restless as a wild zebra, for example, when they
flutter about town in a series of scheduled activities to occupy their days.
Others are like a fat little tabby cat, since they like lounging around after
filling their bellies. To each his own, but at least humans can often choose
between running and slothfulness.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Canadian Film,
Denis Cote,
Documentary
2/19/2013
Oscar Bridesmaids: Who is Due?
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Oscar Bridesmaid Thelma Ritter made losing something to celebrate |
Labels:
Amour,
Anna Karenina,
Argo,
Atonement,
django,
Emmanuelle Riva,
Lincoln,
Martin Scorsese,
Meryl Streep,
Oscars,
Skyfall
'Anna Karenina' on Home Video

Labels:
Anna Karenina
2/18/2013
Win Tickets to see '21 and Over' in Ottawa (Contest Closed)
Oh, to be 21 again. From the writers of The Hangover comes 21 and Over.
Like the misadventures of The Wolfpack, the cubs of 21 and Over are in for a night of poor life choices they’ll never forget. You can be too
if you make the good life choice of attending the Ottawa sneak peek of Alliance Films’ upcoming release 21 and Over.
Labels:
contests
2/15/2013
Win Tickets to 'Dark Skies' in Ottawa! (Closed)
Do you like scary movies? Do you like free scary movies even
more? Then you are in luck, for we have tickets to the Ottawa sneak peek of Dark Skies! From the producer of Paranormal
Activity, Insidious, and Sinister comes Dark Skies, a supernatural thriller that follows a young family
living in the suburbs. As husband and wife Daniel (Josh Hamilton) and Lacey
Barret (Keri Russell) witness an escalating series of disturbing events
involving their family, their safe and peaceful home quickly unravels. When it
becomes clear that the Barret family is being targeted by an unimaginably
terrifying and deadly force, Daniel and Lacey take matters in their own hands
to solve the mystery of what is after their family. Dark Skies is written and directed by Scott Stewart (Priest, Legion) and co-stars Dakota Goyo, Kadan Rockett and J.K. Simmons.
Labels:
contest,
Dark Skies
Win Tickets to the Ottawa Sneak Peek of 'Snitch' (closed)

There’s a giveaway underfoot, but don’t be a *snitch* and give away the answer. Thanks to our friends at Alliance Films, we have ten (10) double passes to the Ottawa sneak peek of their upcoming film Snitch. Action superstar Dwayne Johnson headlines this fast-paced thriller as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a crime and is sentenced to 10 years in jail. In order to clear his son’s name, he dangerously goes undercover and risks everything, including his own life, to reduce his son’s sentence.
2/14/2013
Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all!
Beautiful Creatures
(USA, 124 min.)
Written and directed by Richard LaGravenese
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Emma Thompson.
(USA, 124 min.)
Written and directed by Richard LaGravenese
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Emma Thompson.

Happy Valentine’s Day y’all! Beautiful Creatures is your best bet for a decent date movie today. It’s probably not nearly as fluffy as Safe Haven or as gung-ho as Live Free or Die Hard
(nothing quite says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like "yippee ki-yay,
motherfucker!"). Whether you’re seeing it on a date or going stag, Beautiful Creatures is a fun night at the movies.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Beautiful Creatures,
Emma Thompson,
Viola Davis
2/13/2013
Best Actress - Jessica Chastain, 'Zero Dark Thirty'
Maya sits down, buckles in. The PILOT heads back to the cabin.
Beat.
She's speechless.
Overwhelmed.
Finally, she lets go.
Those luminous eyes become pools of relief and pain.
CUT TO: BLACK
PILOT (CONT'D)
You must be pretty important, you got the whole plane to yourself.
Beat.
PILOT (CONT'D)
Where do you want to go?
She's speechless.
Overwhelmed.
Finally, she lets go.
Those luminous eyes become pools of relief and pain.
CUT TO: BLACK
Labels:
Jessica Chastain,
Oscars,
Zero Dark Thirty
2/12/2013
Poetic Justice
L’affaire Dumont
(Canada, 121 min.)
Dir. Podz, Writ. Danielle Dansereau
Starring: Marc-André Grondin, Marilyn Castonguay, Sarianne Cormier, Kathleen Fortin, Martin Dubreuil, Geneviève Brouillette.
(Canada, 121 min.)
Dir. Podz, Writ. Danielle Dansereau
Starring: Marc-André Grondin, Marilyn Castonguay, Sarianne Cormier, Kathleen Fortin, Martin Dubreuil, Geneviève Brouillette.
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Marc-André Grondin stars in L'affaire Dumont. Photo: Yan Turcotte, courtesy of Alliance Films. |
L’affaire Dumont
presents the true story of Michel Dumont, who was charged in 1990 for a crime
he did not commit. Accused, tried, and convicted for a violent rape, Dumont was
presumed guilty throughout the entirety of the procedure in spite of scant
evidence aside from testimony from the alleged victim. Then, in 1992, the woman
who pointed to Dumont as her aggressor admitted she had serious doubts about
her testimony. In spite of this reversal, Dumont was not released from prison until
1997. L’affaire Dumont, a Best
Picture nominee at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, dramatizes Dumont’s
tumultuous legal battle as a contemporary David and Goliath saga.
2/11/2013
Georges and Anne Grow Old and Die
Amour
(France/Germany/Austria, 127 min.)
Written and directed by Michael Haneke
Starring: Jean-Louis
Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert.
Georges and Anne have been through a lot together. They’ve
deported a homeless immigrant (Code
Unknown), been harassed by a hidden voyeur (Caché), and they have twice been tortured by wayward teens (Funny Games and Funny Games US). Now, Michael Haneke’s favourite everycouple is at
their greatest trial. The time has come for Georges and Anne to test their marriage
vows. “For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health,” Georges and Anne
have said as they’ve grown old together. It’s finally death’s turn for the
eighty-year-old couple, but even death won’t do them part.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Amour,
Best Foreign Lang Film,
Michael Haneke
2/09/2013
Oscar Update: Memo to The Academy
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Joel Edgerton and Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty |
Final balloting is underway! Oscar voters have eleven days
to cast their votes and determine the winners. As explained over on Gold
Derby, the process is again by mail and online ballot. Most of the
guilds have spoken and they’ve done so in unison for Argo, which took the top prize from the actors, the producers, and
the actors. The Writers’ Guild will be the biggest tip-off whether Argo has the race all wrapped-up: if Argo topples Lincoln’s Tony Kushner, who still seems like a heavy favourite,
then all the top branches will have endorsed it. It’s a close race in most
categories and with very few awards to be handed out in this period (the BAFTAs
are the main prize left), there’s bound to be some final Hail Marys thrown into
the mix. Voters have seen the films (hopefully) and they’ve heard many pleas,
but let’s send one final memo to the Academy to consider some of the year’s
best work.
2/08/2013
2/07/2013
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