10/30/2015
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'Love the Coopers' Across Canada! (CONTEST CLOSED)
Ah, the holidays! Christmas decorations have been in the
stores for weeks and Christmas cookies are on their way, which means the
Christmas movies are coming too! Love the
Coopers brings the holiday spirit when it opens November 13 from eOne Films.
If you want to see Love the Coopers
before it hits theatres, you are in luck!
Answer the trivia below for a chance to win tickets to a sneak peek!
Labels:
contest
10/29/2015
Oscar Predictions: Round 1 - Where's the Story, Oscar Glory?
![]() |
Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Brian d’Arcy, Michael Keaton and John Slattery in Spotlight, an Entertainment One release. Photo by: Kerry Hayes |
10/28/2015
“Computers aren’t supposed to have human flaws. Why would we want to incept this one with yours?”
Steve Jobs
(USA, 122 min.)
Dir. Danny Boyle, Writ. Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff
Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston
“Computers aren’t supposed to have human flaws. Why would we want to
incept this one with yours?” asks Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) to Steve Jobs
(Michael Fassbender) in a flashback scene of Steve Jobs. This hard-wired drama takes a bite out of the Apple
icon as Aaron Sorkin thoroughly and brilliantly deconstructs the way we
perceive our heroes with his outstanding script based on Jobs’ rocketing career
and monstrous personality. Call it a clash of titans or a battle of gods and
men, but Steve Jobs invites an
audience to see a man for all his faults and shortcomings, yet asks if the
man’s contribution to society is enough to redeem him in the end. At the heart
of Steve Jobs, however, is a central philosophical
meditation on the circuitry of humans and computers alike: both man and machine
have failings, but only one has the capacity for kindness.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Kate Winslet,
Michael Fassbender,
Steve Jobs
Win Tickets to See 'Liza, the Fox-Fairy' at Cellar Door Film Fest!
The spirit of the strange and unusual is in the air! Ottawa’s
Cellar Door Film Festival returns for its
second season and brings the best in horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films to
Ottawa. (See the full line-up here.) This
year’s festival opens with the enchanting dark fantasy/comedy Liza, the Fox-Fairy at The Mayfair on
November 5, and it’s truly going to be a fun celebration of the strange and
unusual. Thanks to CDFF, we have a pair of tickets to give away to the opening
night screening of Liza, the Fox-Fairy. Answer
the trivia below for a chance to win!
Labels:
Cellar Door,
contest,
Ottawa Arts
10/27/2015
Bare Bones Drama
NN
(Peru/Colombia/Germany/France, 94 min.)
Written and directed by Héctor Gálvez
Starring: Paul Vega, Isabel Gaona, Antonieta Pari
There ain’t no bones about it: Peru isn’t winning the Oscar
this year. The Latin American nation’s official submission in the Best Foreign
Language Film race is Héctor Gálvez’s elegiac drama NN and it’s certainly a film of which Peru should be proud. NN dramatizes a real case in which the
ghosts of Peruvian political violence haunt the present as bodies as exhumed
and citizens try to heal and move forward. It’s a well-intentioned film that
should strike a strong emotional note with the local audience, but success on
the international front seems trickier. Oscars aren’t the endgame of a film
like NN, so its major award is Gálvez’s
effort to put national trauma into the spotlight.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film
Contest! Win 'Z for Zachariah' on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack!
Labels:
Adaptation,
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Chris Pine,
contests,
margot robbie,
z for zachariah
10/26/2015
Win Prize Packs for 'A Christmas Horror Story'!
You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Clause is coming
to town!
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Christmas horror story,
contests
10/25/2015
Inside/Out Review: 'The Girl King'
The Girl King
(Canada/Finland/Germany/Sweden, 106 min.)
Dir. Mika Kaurismäki, Writ. Michel Marc Bouchard
Starring: Malin Buska, Sarah Gadon, Michael Nyqvist, Patrick
Bauchau, Lucas Bryant, Francois Arnaud, Martina Gedeck
2015 is an epic year for Canadian co-productions with films
like The Witch, Room and Brooklyn among the most impressive and high profile efforts. Add
the sweeping historical drama The Girl
King to the list, for this gorgeously realized production is truly an
international affair. This joint effort with Finland, Sweden, and Germany tells
the story of Sweden's Queen Kristina, played by Malin Buska, the nation's virgin
sovereign circa 1650. Kristina is an unconventional monarch with her
forward-thinking philosophy and interest in girls. The Girl King is a timely parable of power and love that feels
relevant to today, for instead of playing the Royal Uterus, a queen’s then-conventional
role, Kristina is Sweden's Elizabeth with a queer crown.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Canadian Film,
Girl King,
Sarah Gadon
'Mommy', 'Elephant Song' Top DGC Film Winners
![]() |
Elephant Song |
A double dose of Xavier Dolan films earn the top prizes in
the feature film categories of the Directors Guild of Canada awards. Dolan’s
2014 Oscar submission won the prize for Best Feature Film, while Charles Binamé
won Best Director for Elephant Song,
which co-stars Xavier Dolan as a sociopathic killer. (Dolan wasn’t even
nominated for Best Director.) The film awards mostly shared the wealth among the bigger titles of 2014. The big winners of the night were in the
television categories, though, with The
Book of Negroes sweeping the TV Movie/Mini-Series awards and Schitt’s Creek dominating the awards for
comedy. The awards were handed out in Toronto last night at the Carlu. Full
list of winners below:
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Elephant Song,
Maps to the Stars,
Mommy,
Pompeii
10/22/2015
Spielberg's Back!
Bridge of Spies
(USA, 141 min.)
Dir. Steven Spielberg, Writ. Mark Charman, Joel Coen &
Ethan Coen
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell,
Will Rogers
Spielberg is back! The master of escapism returns with the
rousing and impeccably crafted Cold War drama Bridge of Spies. It might seem strange to say that Spielberg
emerges from a slump even after his two previous films, Lincoln and War Horse,
are both Best Picture Oscar nominees and Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a box office hit even if it
stained a franchise, but Bridge of Spies
sees Spielberg in his element. The film is grandly entertaining and polished
with the signature Spielberg flare. It’s patriotically and wholesomely
appealing, yet—and this aspect most crucially elevates the film above Spielberg’s
most recent works—it doesn’t feel lame, trite, or cheesy. Bridge of Spies is instead dark and thoughtful on America’s place
in the world and its position on foreign policy. In short, Bridge of Spies showcases of Spielberg’s skills as both an
entertainer and an artist.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Bridge of Spies,
Steven Spielberg,
Tom Hanks
Ottawa's Cellar Door Film Festival Returns Nov. 5-7!
![]() |
Cellar Door Film Festival opens with Liza, the Fox-Fairy |
Labels:
Cellar Door,
Ottawa Arts
10/21/2015
'Lies' Puts the Banality of Evil on Trial
Labyrinth of Lies (Im
Labyrinth des Schweigens)
(Germany, 122 min.)
Dir. Giulio Ricciarelli, Writ. Elisabeth Bartel
Starring: Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Friederike
Becht, Gert Voss
![]() |
Alexander Fehling as Johann Radmann. Photo by Heike Ullrich, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics / Mongrel Media. |
The horrors of the Holocaust are so many that they’ll never
cease to tell compelling stories. One has to hand it to the Germans for
consistently acknowledging this dark chapter of their nation’s past. It’s no
wonder, then, that Labyrinth of Lies,
a film tackles the choice to make the Holocaust a collective responsibility
among Germans, this the country’s official submission for Best Foreign Language
Film in this year’s Academy Awards race. (The superior Phoenix is ineligible due to release dates.) This well-mounted
drama from director Giulio Ricciarelli is an impressive feature debut that puts
history on trial as one man seeks the truth.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film
10/20/2015
AFFO Review: 'Price of Love'
Price of Love
(Ethiopia, 99 min.)
Dir. Hermon Hailey, Writ. Hermon Hailey, Max Conil
Starring: Eskinder Tameru, Fereweni Gebregergs
It isn’t every day that Cinemablographer
gets to review an Ethiopian film, so the fact that Price of Love is actually the second production from Ethiopia to
grace the pages of this blog within a few months is exciting. (The other is the
admirably ambitious misfire Crumbs.) Price of Love continues its run on the
festival circuit with a recent stop at the inaugural African Film Festival of
Ottawa where it screened to a respectable crowd and showcased a promising
talent at a promising new film festival. This drama from director/co-writer
Hermon Hailey evokes Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 neorealist landmark The Bicycle Thief with the compelling
search at its heart. Call this realist fable Taxi Thieves.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
AFFO,
CFI
10/18/2015
Contest! Win Tickets to See 'Truth' Across Canada! (Contest closed)
Cate Blanchett delivers another award-calibre performance in
Truth! (TIFF review here.) Blanchett
stars as award-winning journalist/producer Mary Mapes and plays alongside
Robert Redford as Dan Rather in this timely dramatization of the story behind
Mapes/Rather’s fall after following a lead to expose President Bush’s war
record. Truth opens in theatres
October 30th from eOne Films,
but readers across Canada can attend a sneak peek! Answer the trivia below for
a chance to win!
Labels:
Cate Blanchett,
contests,
Truth
10/17/2015
OIFF Review: 'Observance'
Observance
(Australia, 82 min.)
Dir. Joseph Sims-Dennett, Writ. Joseph Sims-Dennett, Josh
Zammit
Starring: Lindsay Farris, Stephanie King
Rear Window goes
down under in the incoherent Aussie psychological drama Observance. Parker (Lindsay Farris) takes a gig creeping on a blond
woman through the back peephole of a vacant apartment, but instead of seeing a
murder, he witnesses one through the fleeting fever dream of his mind. There's a
bug in the air at this little Aussie complex, yet its source, antidote, and
purpose are never clear. Observance is an admirable attempt at lo-fi horror that disappoints by never asserting itself.
Labels:
Capsule reviews,
OIFF
OIFF Review: 'Jackie Boy'
Jackie Boy
(Canada, 87 min.)
Written and directed by Cody Campanale
Starring: Alino Giraldi, Shannon Coulter, Edward Charette,
Andrew Di Rosa, Chloe Van Landschoot
“Bullshit.”“It fuckin’ happened!”“Oh, bullshit! Show me then.”“She took them down.”[Passes the phone.]“Holy shit. Jesus Christ, this poor fucking girl.”“She’s a fucking slut…”
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Canadian Film,
OIFF,
Ottawa Arts
10/16/2015
Love on the Road to '='
Freeheld
(USA, 103 min.)
Dir. Peter Sollett, Writ. Ron Nyswaner
Starring: Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Steve
Carell
It’s crazy to think that the drama of Freeheld takes place only a decade ago. The blond, flowing hair
that Julianne Moore sports as New Jersey detective Laurel Hester looks like a
wig out of a 1980s music video, and the film really hits an emotional punch
when one realizes the immediacy of the film. What begins as a fight in 2005
only really sees the full effect of its results today as Laurel and her partner
Stacie (Ellen Page) fight for equality when Laurel undergoes treatment for
cancer. Their case, which revolves around Laurel’s pension and her struggle to
have it transferred to Stacie upon her death, is a poignant corner of the
victory for marriage equality today. This moving love story of is one many
on the road to the iconic pink ‘=’ displayed around the
world.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Ellen Page,
Freeheld,
Julianne Moore,
michael shannon,
Steve Carell
Puts the 'Meh' in Mehta
Beeba Boys
(Canada, 103 min.)
Written and directed by Deepa Mehta
Starring: Randeep Hooda, Ali Momen, Sarah Allen,
Waris Ahluwalia, Balinder Johal, Paul Gross
![]() |
L to R: Waris Ahluwalia, Ali Momen, Randeep Hooda, Ali Kazmi, Steve Dhillon, Jag Bal, and Gabe Grey in Beeba Boys. Photo by Doane Gregory. Courtesy of Mongrel Media. |
Deepa Mehta pulls a Ruba Nadda with Beeba Boys. The great Canadian arthouse director, like Nadda did
with 2012’s Inescapable and again
with 2014’s October Gale, tries her
hand at genre and finds herself out of her element. Beeba Boys is Mehta’s first real misfire, as it struggles to
balance comedy and the gangster genre within a well-meaning and urgent
dramatization of gang violence among Indo-Canadians in Vancouver. The themes
are and concerns are perfectly in line with her body of work, but the delivery
is way off. Simply put, Beeba Boys puts
the ‘meh’ in Mehta.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Beeba Boys,
Canadian Film,
Deepa Mehta
10/15/2015
Two Worthy Causes: Jennifer Mulligan and Emily Ramsay Talk Lights! Camera! Cure!
Ottawa boasts an overwhelming number of film festivals in
the back half of October and it’s literally impossible for even the most avid
of film buffs to take them all in. One festival aims to enter the spotlight by
offering more than just an evening of great films. Lights! Camera! Cure!
by Vixens Victorious launches next week and shines a spotlight on two worthy
causes. For one, this film festival is also a charitable event for which all
proceeds go towards the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Even better, Lights! Camera! Cure! champions filmmakers
who are traditionally underrepresented in the film festival circuit: female
filmmakers; or, Canadian female filmmakers more specifically.
Labels:
Canadian Film,
interviews,
Ottawa Arts
Lots Wrong, Little Wright
Pan
(USA/UK/Australia, 111 min.)
Dir. Joe Wright, Writ. Jason Fuchs
Starring: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney
Mara
Where’s the showy long take, Joe Wright? This blogger feels
cheated!
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Anna Karenina,
Hugh Jackman,
Joe Wright,
Pan,
Rooney Mara
10/13/2015
Albanian Oscar Bid 'Bota' a Hidden Gem
Bota
(Albania/Italy/Kosovo, 100 min.)
Written and directed by Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci
Starring: Flonja Kodheli, Fioralba Kyremadhi, Artur
Gorishti, Tinka Kurti, Alban Ukaj, Luca Lionello
Albanian films are few and far between, and that’s a darn
shame if they’re anywhere near as good as Bota
is. Bota is Albania’s official
submission in the Best Foreign Language Film race for this year’s Oscars and
while it might be a dark horse at best, it’s a great example of the Oscar derby
giving marginal films a platform for exposure. Bota is a hidden gem worth discovering.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film
10/09/2015
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'Burnt' Across Canada! (Contest closed)
Bradley Cooper has the recipe for good times in Burnt! Cooper stars as chef Adam Jones
in Burnt, which hits theatre Oct. 30
from eOne Films, but readers across
Canada can attend a sneak peek! Answer the trivia below for a chance to win!
Labels:
Bradley Cooper,
Burnt,
contests
10/08/2015
Interview - 'Not a Movie, but a Movement': Davis Guggenheim Talks 'He Named Me Malala'
![]() |
Director Davis Guggenheim, Malala Yousafzai, and Ziauddinuddin Yousafzai in Birmingham, England. Caroline Furneaux / Twentieth Century Fox Film |
Labels:
Davis Guggenheim,
Documentary,
interviews,
Malala
Contest: Win Tickets to 'The Last Witch Hunter' Across Canada! (Contest Closed)
Get excited, witches: Halloween is just around the corner! Vin
Diesel goes a-huntin’ witches in The Last
Witch Hunter and offers a fun horror show just in time for Halloweeb. The Last
Witch Hunter opens in theatres October 23 from eOne Films, but readers across
Canada can attend a sneak peek! Answer the trivia below for a chance to win!
Labels:
contests
10/07/2015
Not a Contender
Koza
(Slovakia/Czech Republic, 75 min.)
Dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky, Writ. Marek Lescak, Ivan
Ostrochovsky
Starring: Peter Balaz, Zvonko Lakcevic, Jan Franek,
Stanislava Bongilajova
Slovakia’s Oscar submission Koza is not a contender. The Slovaks admirably put up their dukes
with an unconventional candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film race, but Koza, even at an anemic seventy-five
minutes, is a tiresome slog. The film follows a down-and-out boxer named Koza (Slovak
for “goat”), played by Peter Balaz, as he goes back into the ring to earn
enough money to pay for his girlfriend’s abortion (why not double team with Lily Tomlin?) and this story of a well-intentioned loser is no knock-out punch.
It’s a harmless welterweight.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film
10/06/2015
Degrassi: The Lost Generation?
People Hold On
(Canada, 98 min.)
Dir. Michael Seater, Writ. Paula Brancati, Michael Seater
Starring: Katie Boland, Paula Brancati, Mazin Elsadig,
Ashley Leggat, Jonathan Malen, Al Mukadam, Noah Reid, Chloe Rose
Is our generation a lost one? People Hold On finds a group of high school friends at a crossroads
when they reunite for a traditional cottage getaway that puts them all at a
junction. Without the direction or confidence to choose between the carefree
recklessness of youth and the sobering responsibilities of adulthood, these
eight friends create considerable tension as they confront the personal
struggles that keep them from growing up. Aided by a confident cast and a
strong indie soundtrack, this lo-fi film is The Big Chill for a generation of Canadians, minus the corpse of Kevin Costner
that sets the 1980s classic in motion.
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'Meet the Patels' in Toronto! (CONTEST CLOSED)
Indian weddings are so much fun, but Meet the Patels shows that the business of matchmaking is an even bigger, crazier, and funnier affair.. This laugh-a-minute crowd-pleaser is a festival
circuit hit (review here) and it’s bound to warm the hearts of audiences when
it hits theatres next week. Meet the
Patels opens in theatres October 16 from D Films, but Toronto readers can
win tickets to a sneak peek! Answer the trivia below for your chance to win
tickets!
Labels:
contests,
Documentary
An Outstanding Vehicle for Tomlin
Grandma
(USA, 78 min.)
Written and directed by Paul Weitz
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy
Greer, Laverne Cox, Sam Elliot
Grandma is an
outstanding star vehicle for Lily Tomlin. The 76-year-old comedienne gives one
of the best performances of her career in Grandma
playing a sassy granny. As 78-year-old Elle, a widowed lesbian who helps her
granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) collect funds for an abortion for an
unexpected pregnancy, Tomlin channels the tricky road of motherhood as Elle
revisits ghosts of the past and confronts the many women in her life. She is
vibrant, out, and funny in Grandma,
and she’s confidently in driver’s seat of this indie road movie. Tomlin’s
performance in Grandma gives
audiences everything they could hope to find in character study.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Grandma,
Lily Tomlin
10/05/2015
Contest: Win Tickets to 'Rock the Kasbah' in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver!
Calling all Bill Murray fans! The funny man teams up with
Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain
Man, Wag the Dog) to play
has-been rock manager Richie Lanz. Rock the Kasbah opens in theatres
October 23 from VVS Films, but readers in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton,
and Vancouver can attend a sneak peek! Answer the trivia below for a chance to
win!
Labels:
Bill Murray,
contests,
Rock the Kasbah
10/02/2015
Life on Mars
The Martian
(USA, 130 min.)
Dir. Ridley Scott, Writ. Drew Goddard
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen
Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan,
Benedict Wong
Is there life on Mars? Well, yes and no. The Red Planet is a
desolate and barren place in science fiction (and, admittedly, reality) and The Martian is no exception. However,
there is life on Mars in this thrilling survival drama from director Ridley
Scott (Gladiator) as stranded
astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) shows that life endures in even the most
unforgiving places. This smart sci-fi film brings the genre back to its roots
and takes audiences to space without any of the gimmicks on which recent space
outings rely. With or without the 3D glasses, The Martian is a thrilling trip. (This review considers the 2D
version.)
Contest: Win 'Mountain Men' on DVD!
Labels:
Canadian Film,
contests
10/01/2015
TIFF Review: 'This Changes Everything'
This Changes Everything
(Canada/USA, 89 min.)
Dir. Avi Lewis
Programme: TIFF Docs (World Premiere)
“I’ve always kind of hated films about climate change,” says
Naomi Klein as she introduces the eco-doc This
Changes Everything. Klein drolly gives her condolences to the polar bears
that often inspire sympathy in fire-and-brimstone climate chance documentaries
that primarily deliver their messages through fear. As someone who watched over
one hundred environmental documentaries this summer for a film festival, I
appreciate Klein’s sentiment. Her rebuttal is even better.
Labels:
2015 Reviews,
Canadian Film,
Documentary
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