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August: Osage County ticket secured! |
8/29/2013
My Line-up for TIFF '13! (Updated)
Labels:
August Osage County,
Canadian Film,
Meryl Streep,
TIFF,
TIFF 2013
8/28/2013
“With or Without a Soul?: Thai Film Series”
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Tang Wong opens the CFI's Thai Film Series |
Labels:
CFI,
Ottawa Arts
World Exchange Empire 7 Closing?
The Ottawa Sun reports that the World Exchange Empire 7 cinema is indeed closing. This notice adds some finality to what was largely assumed in the past few months as the theatre hung in limbo following Empire's announcement in June that it was pulling out of the movie theatre business.The closure of the World Exchange isn't much of a surprise since the cinema's lease was up at the end of the year regardless and it was assumed that the theatre would shut down once the new multiplex went in at Lansdowne. The Lansdowne theatre is still a question mark itself, as previous reports have omitted mention of which company will take over the site since Empire is no longer in on the deal. (Cineplex is set to take over other Empire theatres, including the Kanata 24, which was sold to Empire from AMC only last summer. The Empire Orleans will be assumed by Landmark Cinemas.) The Sun article notes that a tenant is still expected to assume the Lansdowne site, but who it is remains a question mark.
Labels:
Ottawa Arts
Inner Troubles
Shadow Dancer
(UK/Ireland, 101 min.)
Dir. James Marsh, Writ. Tom Bradby
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson,
Brid Brennan, Aidan Gillen, Domnhall Gleeson.
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Andrea Riseborough in Shadow Dancer, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. |
Andrea Riseborough deserves to be a star. The English
actress is making some headway on this side of the pond after appearing in this
summer’s Tom Cruise pic Oblivion. Likewise, her performance as Wallis
Simpson in last year’s W.E. might
have gone places had the film itself not been such a train wreck; however, Riseborough’s
engrossing performance in W.E. is all
the more impressive if one considers that it was created under the direction of
Madonna. Silly quips aside, Riseborough has serious acting chops. They’re on
full display in James Marsh’s Shadow
Dancer. Riseborough gives a knockout performance that’s worth seeking out.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Andrea Riseborough,
Clive Owen
8/24/2013
Blanchett DuBois
Blue Jasmine
(USA, 98 min.)
Written and directed by Woody Allen
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Louis
C.K., Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stulhbarg.
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Cate Blanchett as Jasmine Photo by Merrick Morton © 2013 Gravier Productions, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics |
Annie Hall. Martha.
Norma Desmond. Margo Channing. Sophie Zawistowski. Blanche DuBois. The
aforementioned women are some of the best female characters of stage and
screen. Idiosyncratic or eccentric, scatterbrained or strong, these characters
are some of the most consistently fascinating women for actors and audiences
alike. They demand repeat performances and viewings since they’re such
multilayered characters. Substantial yet flawed, the backstories of these
characters make them profoundly human: audiences can relate to them since the
actresses inhabiting these characters have so much material to work with in
order to flesh out a dynamic, full-bodied character.
8/22/2013
'Goodnight, You Princes of Maine, You Kings of the Jungle'
Prince Avalanche
(USA, 94 min.)
Written and directed by David Gordon Green
Starring: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch.
It is said that opposites attract. Co-workers Alvin (Paul
Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch) couldn’t be any more different from one another.
Alvin is a quirky, straight-laced introvert while Lance is rowdy, restless, and
youthful. One could arguably say the same about the films of director David
Gordon Green, who has made a name for himself with quietly moving independent films such as All the Real Girls and with the R-rated
reefer madness of films Pineapple Express.
Prince Avalanche, which scooped the
Best Director Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival after premiering
at Sundance, finds a good marriage in the bipolar personalities of both its two
leads and its director. This new film by David Gordon Green is a smart, subtle,
yet uproarious comedy.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Emile Hirsch,
Paul Rudd
8/21/2013
Hollywood History
Lee Daniels’ The
Butler
(USA, 132 min.)
Dir. Lee Daniels, Writ. Danny Strong
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo,
Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz.
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Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker star in Lee Daniels' The Butler. Photo by Anne Marie Fox, courtesy eOne Films. |
Lee Daniels’ The
Butler was retitled from The Butler
after Warner Bros. launched a ridiculous lawsuit against the film. The Butler, directed by Oscar nominee
Lee Daniels (Precious, The Paperboy) shared the title of an
obscure short film from 1916. One could find the ridiculous mudslinging from
Warner Bros. ironically fortuitous for Lee
Daniels’ The Butler, since the film is drenched in history, yet told with a
distinctly cinematic Lee Daniels’ spin. There’s history that is told in textbooks
and then there’s history that is told in movies.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Forest Whitaker,
Lee Daniels,
Oprah,
The Butler
8/20/2013
Meryl Streep at TIFF, Masters, and More!
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Red Carpet Ready: Meryl Streep is officially expected at TIFF! |
Continuing the theme of Masters, TIFF also announced the films
by the Meryl Streeps of the festival circuit as it unveiled the titles for the
Masters programme of the festival circuit. The Masters programme houses the
latest works by some of the most renowned auteurs
in world cinema. Among the films are new works by Claire Denis, Jafar Panahi,
and Kim Ki-duk.
Also among the final films announced for the festival is the
last—and highly speculated—Midnight Madness film, Witching and Bitching. TIFF-goers can also see a different
perspective on one of last year’s festival hits, Argo, as the story of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor is told in a
different—and, one suspects, less abbreviated—light in Our Man in Tehran, a new documentary by Drew Taylor and Larry
Weinstein. Taylor will appear in conversation in the festival’s Mavericks
programme in conjunction with the World Premiere of the film. Also appearing in
the Mavericks programme are filmmaker Spike Jonze and Ron Howard, and actor
Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi).
The full list of films and the final schedule are now live
at www.tiff.net. Let the Sophie’s Choice
decisions of Weekend One begin!
Labels:
Meryl Streep,
TIFF,
TIFF 2013
8/19/2013
SPARTA DCCXX: 30 Day Film Challenge
Just a friendly reminder that the summer edition of the SPARTA
Film Challenge takes place this Sunday, August 25, at the Mayfair Theatre. This
edition of the challenge, dubbed SPARTA DCCXX, allows Ottawa filmmakers to
compete with films they conceived and shot within one month of receiving the
catch criteria. (Catch criteria being unique elements that filmmakers must
incorporate into the movies to ensure that they are made within the given
time frame.) The previous SPARTA gave teams a crash course in guerrilla
filmmaking as they had a window of only 72 hours to make their movies. They get
720 hours this time (hence DCCXX), so it should be exciting to see what they
come up with in the extra time. Some of the films were quite impressive last
time, so the longer working period could make Sunday’s screening even better
than the last. By coming out to support Ottawa’s next Steven Spielberg, Martin
Scorsese, or David Cronenberg, film buffs can contribute to the growth of the
film community because funds from ticket sales go directly to the cash prizes
awarded to winners. Yours truly will be one of the judges ranking and rating
these films by Ottawa’s finest, so I cordially invite you all to attend and sweeten
the pot!
Labels:
Ottawa Arts
8/16/2013
“There’s Nothing Original These Days."
Paranoia
(USA/France, 106 min.)
Dir. Robert Luketic, Writ. Jason Hall, Barry L. Levy
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber
Heard, Lucas Till, Embeth Davidtz, and Richard Dreyfuss.
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Gary Oldman, Chris Hemsworth, and Harrison Ford star in Paranoia. Photo by Peter Iovino, courtesy of eOne Films |
“There’s nothing original these days,” says Wyatt (Gary
Oldman) to his young protégé Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) in the slick flick Paranoia. As Adam gives a
career-driven yessir nod to his boss,
Wyatt goes on how the only thing to do in the age of unoriginality is to steal ideas
from the competition or to make a better copy. Paranoia, an utterly derivative techno-thriller, doesn’t really do
either of Wyatt’s advised tactics, but it reveals a dearth of originality.
Labels:
2013 reviews
8/15/2013
Pirates of the Dogme 35
A Hijacking
(Kapringen)
(Denmark, 103 min.)
Written and directed by Tobias Lindholm
Starring: Pilou
Asbæk, Søren Malling, Gary Skjoldmose Porter, Abdihakin Asgar.
A captain goes
down with his ship. Tobias Lindholm crafts a compelling character study about a
highjacking on the high seas, but the captain to sink in this psychological
drama isn’t even aboard the ship. He’s a CEO named Peter, played by Søren Malling, all trimmed and dry
in his Copenhagen office while the men of one of his boats, the MV Rozen, sweat
it out on the ocean.
Labels:
2013 reviews
'My Prairie Home' Trailer
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Rae Spoon. Photo by Colin Smith, courtesy of the NFB. |
2013 has been a great year for music docs and it looks like
there’s another strong one coming out soon. The recently released trailer for
the Canadian doc My Prairie Home follows
indie singer Rae Spoon in a story about finding one's voice in a playful-looking coming-of-age tale. Rae’s journey
across the Canadian prairies is also a personal journey, as the film reveals
the singer coming into their own as both a transgendered person and a quirky folk
singer. This NFB road movie, directed by Chelsea McMullan (Genie nominee for the short doc Deragliamenti),
opens in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and other Canadian
cities this fall. Doc fans can get an early taste for the film, as Spoon’s single
“I Will be a Wall” from the album My Prairie Home is now available
on the NFB’s website.
Synopsis and trailer after the jump:
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Documentary
8/14/2013
Paranoia Feels Real
The Conspiracy
(Canada, 86 min.)
Written and directed by Christopher McBride
Starring: Aaron Poole, Jim Gilbert, Alan Peterson, Bruce
Clayton, Julian Richings.
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Aaron Poole and Jim Gilbert in The Conspiracy. Photo courtesy eOne Films. |
Chris: You know, there's a word for people who think everyone is conspiring against them.C.W.: I know, perceptive.-The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (Woody Allen, 2001)
Take a walk downtown and one is bound to see some nutjob
with a sign and a megaphone. “Blame the government!” “You’re being
brainwashed!” “The revolution won’t be on Facebook!” scream the seemingly loony
soothsayers. The mad prophets of the sidewalks are fascinating folks. Where
they get their ideas, or the time and the means to pursue them, is a
mind-boggler itself. Listening to what they say and then choosing whether to
believe them or shrug and walk to Starbucks, is a whole other conundrum in
itself. Two filmmakers chose to listen, though, and their raving conspiracy
theorist proved to be startlingly perceptive.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Canadian Film
OIAF 2013 Schedule Now Online
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A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Graham Chapman. Photo courtesy eOne Films. |
Labels:
Animation,
OIAF,
Ottawa Arts
8/13/2013
TIFF Adds More Films to Galas and Special Presentations
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Sean Durkin's Southcliffe |
8/11/2013
Eye on Canada: The Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Race at TIFF 2013
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The race is on! Sophie Desmarais plays Sarah in Sarah Prefers to Run, an eOne Films release |
This week’s announcement of the Canadian films at TIFF
leaves much to anticipate. New films by Bruce McDonald (The Husband), Ingrid Veninger (The
Animal Project), Terry Miles (Cinemanovels),
Jennifer Baichwal (Watermark), and
Peter Stebbins (Empire of Dirt) all
sound like good reasons to head over to the festival’s website and add a ticket package of “The
Canadian” to one’s TIFF shopping cart. There’s also a double-dose of Denis
Villeneuve, which probably has many people excited. His double-header of Prisoners and Enemy might also have many Canadian filmmakers excited because
Villeneuve’s pair of Anglophone films means that the recent Oscar nominee for Incendies won’t be competing with his
fellow Quebecers for the coveted spot as Canada’s Oscar contender.
'Plan' Lacks Execution
Everybody has a Plan
(Todos tenemos un plan)
(Argentina/Spain/Germany, 118 min.)
Dir. Ana Piterbarg; Writ. Ana Piterbarg, Ana Cohan.
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Soledad Villamil, Sofía Gala.
Viggo Mortensen gives a powerful performance in the
otherwise muted thriller Everybody has a
Plan (Todos tenemos un plan).
Mortensen, who lived in Argentina for a decade during his childhood, will
surprise many viewers with his grasp of the Spanish language while navigating a
tricky dual role. The actor stars as twin brothers Augustín and Pedro, a
pediatrician and beekeeper/kidnapper, respectively, who couldn’t seem to be any
more different aside from their genetics. A strange business offer from Pedro,
though, takes Augustín’s life down a startlingly dark path.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Viggo Mortensen
8/10/2013
How Fun it is to Spy on the Neighbours!
In the House (Dans la maison)
(France,
105 min.)
Written and directed by François Ozon
Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, Kristin Scott
Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Bastien Ughetto, Denis Ménochet.
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Fabrice Luchini and Kristin Scott Thomas star in In the House. Photo courtesy Les Films Séville. |
Spying on the neighbours might be the most fun a person can
have without spending a dime. Take, for example, the harmless thrill of seeing
a slightly deranged neighbour unpack a new load of flowers from his truck and
then watch him get back in and accidently back up over the tubs of carnations.
It’s wrong to watch and giggle as he kicks at the tires and swears at the dog,
but it’s funny for all the wrong reasons. The same goes for deducing with a
fellow barista that two coffee shop regulars are having an affair. It’s not
hard to put two and two together when there’s a motel that charges by the
quarter-hour within the sight line of the espresso machine. Prying eyes and
gossip are what passes for fun in dull suburbia.
8/09/2013
District 99%
Elysium
(USA, 109 min.)
Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga,
Diego Luna.
The studios have been cranking out moronic SFX extravaganzas
all summer. Now that it’s finally August and the kids need to resuscitate their
minds in time for school, Hollywood has decided to mix some brains in with the
brawn to keep them coming back. Appropriately enough, Elysium stars Matt Damon, the actor with the smarts of Will Hunting
and the action-star skills of Jason Bourne. Damon teams up with burgeoning
sci-fi director Neill Blomkamp, which marks the filmmaker’s sophomore feature
after the sleeper hit District 9. The
result is something smarter and more entertaining than the junk that Hollywood
has been cranking out all summer.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Elysium,
Jodie Foster,
Matt Damon
8/08/2013
Hollywood: The Wasteland
The Canyons
(USA, 99 min.)
Dir. Paul Schrader, Writ. Bret Easton Ellis
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Funk, Amanda
Brooks.
“You can work around bad behaviour,” noted director Paul
Schrader during an extended chat in Toronto earlier this year, “but bad casting
leaves an irreparable, permanent imprint on a production.” Schrader made the
comment while discussing his then-upcoming film The Canyons after presenting a clip at a screening of Taxi Driver hosted by The Seventh Art.
Schrader’s comment, which was made in reference to the notorious on-set
behaviour of star Lindsay Lohan, seems appropriate when the clip of The Canyons is put in the context of the
film as a whole. The Canyons doesn’t
suffer due to Lohan’s bad behaviour. In fact, she’s probably the best thing
about the film. Bad casting, however, might still be the downfall of Schrader’s
admirable misfire.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Lindsay Lohan,
The Canyons
8/07/2013
Short Film 'Wakening' to Precede 'The Fifth Estate' at TIFF 2013
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TIFF opener The Fifth Estate will be joined by the short Wakening |
Hot on the heels of this afternoon’s Short Cuts Canada
programming announcement comes a major addition to the presence of short films
at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. It was announced today that
TIFF would kick-off with the unprecedented inclusion of the first independently
produced short film to launch TIFF’s public opening night gala screening. That film
is the bravoFACT funded short Wakening, directed
by Danis Goulet and written by Orphan Black’s Tony
Elliott. Wakening will screen before
the WikiLeaks drama The Fifth Estate,
directed by Bill Condon and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Brühl,
which nabbed the prestigious opening night slot.
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Fifth Estate,
Shorts,
T,
TIFF,
TIFF 2013
TIFF Announces Canadian Films for Festival 2013
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Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Film Centre. |
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Shorts,
TIFF,
TIFF 2013
8/01/2013
A Credit Long Overdue
Casting By
(USA, 89 min.)
Dir. Tom Donahue
Feat. Marion Dougherty, Ellen Lewis, Juliet Taylor, Danny
Glover, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, Glenn Close, Robert
Duvall, Jeff Bridges, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Lane, Jon Voight, Bette Midler
and John Travolta.
The Ottawa premiere of Tom Donahue’s documentary Casting By couldn’t arrive at a better
time. It was just yesterday that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences announced
that it is finally adding a unique branch for casting directors. Casting directors
have been invited to be a part of The Academy for years, although they were
lumped into the broad group of Members at Large. The move is a step in the
right direction towards acknowledging some of the unsung talents in the film
industry. (Casting, as the film notes, is the only main title credit without a category
in the Oscars.) After seeing Casting By,
though, viewers will agree that casting directors deserve as much credit for
their contribution to film as any actor or director with whom they collaborate.
Labels:
2013 reviews,
Documentary
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