![]() |
Ryan, the NFB's 2004 Oscar winner, is one of a dozen films to win Academy Awards for the organisation. Photo from the production, courtesy of Copper Heart Cut, Inc. and the NFB. |
3/30/2016
A Short History of the NFB at the Oscars
Labels:
Canadian Film,
NFB,
Oscars,
Shorts
3/26/2016
'The Lobster' a Uniquely Pessimistic Love Story
The Lobster
(Ireland/UK/Greece/France/The Netherlands/USA, 118 min.)
Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, Writ. Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis
Filippou
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, John C.
Reilly, Olivia Colman, Léa Seydoux
![]() |
Short Sighted Women (Rachel Weisz) and David (Colin Farrell) in a scene from the film The Lobster by Director Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Mongrel Media |
“Have you decided what kind of animal you would like to be
if you don’t make it?” asks The Hotel Manager (Olivia Colman).
“A lobster,” replies David (Colin Farrell).
“A lobster is an excellent choice,” she responds.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Colin Farrell,
olivia colman,
Rachel Weisz,
The Lobster
3/25/2016
'The Clan' Evokes the Spirit of Scorsese
The Clan (El clan)
(Argentina/Spain, 108 min.)
Dir. Pablo Trapero, Writ. Pablo Trapero, Julian Loyola,
Esteban Student
Starring: Guillermo Francella, Peter
Lanzani, Lili Popovich, Gastón Cocchiarale, Stefanía Koessl
![]() |
Photo courtesy of Fox International |
Argentina’s The Clan,
not to be confused with Chile’s The Club,
is bold, intense filmmaking. This powerful drama, Argentina’s Oscar submission
in the most recent race, invites the audience into the home of a family of
entrepreneurs. Like the clan behind Tony Soprano, the Puccio household draws
loyalty along bloodlines and raises the bar for small family businesses. We’ve
seen stories of kidnappings and revolution in Latin America before, ranging in
films from Missing to No, but writer/director Pablo Trapero
breathlessly and rivetingly presents an underworld in which the business of
taking lives is a deliciously evil endeavour.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Best Foreign Lang Film,
The Clan
3/24/2016
Batman and Superman Make Nothing But BS
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
(USA, 151 min.)
Dir. Zack Snyder, Writ. Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg,
Gal Godot, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons
The title Batman v.
Superman implies a winner, but the reality is that everybody loses with
this film. The much anticipated showdown between the Caped Crusader and the Man
of Steel comes three Batman movies and two Superman reboots later in the new
era of comic book movies, and this $250 million dollar opener for yet another
goddam superhero franchise leaves Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill holding the hot
potato long after everyone else has passed it on. Put Batman and Superman together
and all this film yields is a huge steaming pile of BS.
Win a Digital Download of 'Coconut Hero'!
Now playing in theatres, Coconut
Hero is a quirky and endearing Canadian co-pro. (Read the Cinemablographer review here.) The film
comes to home video on April 1 from Search Engine Films and lucking readers
have a chance to win a free download. Answer the trivia below for your chance
to win!
Labels:
contest
3/21/2016
Childhood Classic Endures in 'The Little Prince'
The Little Prince
(France/Canada, 108 min.)
Dir. Mark Osborne Writ. Irena Brignull, Bob Persichetti
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Mackenzie Foy, Riley
Osborne, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Albert Brooks, Paul Giamatti, Benicio
Del Toro
Canadian animated features are few and far between. There’s
an impressive catalogue of shorts and stuff coming out of the NFB and pockets
of independent innovators, but the costly venture of feature-length animation
leaves a sparse field in the Canuck canon with notable exceptions like Asphalt Watches and The Legend of Sarila. Sometimes, Can-Con collaborations yield
remarkable gems like the 2003 Oscar-nominated co-pro and Canadian Genie winner The Triplets of Belleville. Going big requires a pooling of resources,
especially for a project that requires so much detail and dedication, and the
flight of fancy The Little Prince is
another step forward.
3/20/2016
'The Passion of Augustine' Leads Winners at Gala du Cinéma Québécois
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Céline Bonnier in The Passion of Augustine. Photo courtesy of Les Films Séville |
Labels:
Brooklyn,
Canadian Film,
Felix and Meria,
Guibord,
Passion d'Augustine,
Turbo Kid
Capsule Reviews: 'Chi-Raq', 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot', 'Deadpool'
A bit more capsule catch-up with the diverse trio of Chi-raq, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and Deadpool. Don’t miss Chi-raq!
Chi-raq
(USA, 127 min.)
Dir. Spike Lee, Writ. Spike Lee, Kevin Willmott
Starring: Teyonah Parris, Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Angela
Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, John Cusack
Spike Lee delivers his best film since 2002’s 25th Hour with the
ferociously poetic Chi-raq. This film
is an ingenious exercise in rhythm and poetry as Lee and co-writer Kevin
Willmott adapt the Greek play Lysistrata
to the contemporary warzone of urban Chicago. The actors speak in rhyming verse
as they confront the escalating gang violence in the city, which has reportedly
taken more American lives than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined during
the same period. It’s more accessible than, say, a Shakespeare film that
borrows the Bard’s verse and it’s all thanks to Lee’s bold in-your-face
approach.
Drinking the Malick Kool-Aid
Knight of Cups
(USA, 118 min.)
Written and directed by Terrence Malick
Starring: Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett,
Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Freida Pinto, Wes Bentley
The press notes for Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups indicate that the director shot the film without a
conventional screenplay and I hate to say it, but it shows. While Knight of Cups doesn’t offer the same
rambling shots of people twirling in the wheat fields à la To the Wonder, the film essentially plays like a feature-length
collage of B-roll footage. Actors improvise in eye-catching locations and
Malick’s team draws out something miraculous in the editing room. There is
still a lot of twirling, though, and ample shots of actors frolicking, running,
and wandering as the impressive cast puts ample trust in Malick’s vision and
explores the creative process. There’s an aimlessness to this act of Malickian
meandering though, since Knight of Cups
doesn’t have a fully formed idea behind it, like an essay that ‘explores’
rather than ‘argues,’ so the filmmaker’s cinematic philosophy and visual poetry
don’t inspire the same sense of wonder one sees in his stronger efforts The Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line. One can call Knight of Cups total BS, an odyssey into the soul, or an exercise in vulgar auteurism, and the film is open enough to allow all three flavours. Take your pick.
3/18/2016
What's the Recipe for a Coconut Hero?
Coconut Hero
(Canada/Germany, 96 min.)
Dir. Florian Cossen, Writ. Elena von Saucken, Daniel
Schacter
Starring: Alex Ozerov, Bea Santos,
Krista Bridges, Sebastian Schipper
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Alex Ozerov stars in Coconut Hero. Search Engine Films |
What’s the recipe for a coconut hero? Rum? Whipped cream?
Donuts? Sugar?
Nope, nope, and nope, but there’s a little of the latter.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Canadian Film
3/16/2016
No Reason to Sing the Blues Over Baker Bio
Born to Be Blue
(Canada/UK, 95 min.)
Written and directed by Robert Budreau
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Carmen Ejogo, Callum Keith Rennie,
Stephen McHattie, Janet-Laine Green
There’s something very Tax Shelter Era-y about the
co-Canadian biopic Born to Be Blue.
This dramatization of American jazz sensation Chet Baker casts Hollywood star
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) as the music
icon alongside American up-and-comer Carmen Ejogo (Selma) in a Sudbury-shot film that draws upon Canuck
resources—natural, cultural, and financial—to make a film that bares a strong
resemblance to Hollywood products. The difference between Born to Be Blue and Canuck commercial aspirations of the 1970s and
80s, however, is that it’s actually good.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Born to Be Blue,
Canadian Film,
Carmen Ejogo,
Ethan Hawke
3/14/2016
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'Demolition'! (CONTEST CLOSED)
Labels:
contests,
Demolition,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Jean Marc Vallee
'And the Candy Goes To...': Canadian Screen Awards Recap
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Norm MacDonald |
3/13/2016
Canadian Screen Award Winners
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Room leads the Canadian Screen Award nominations. Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg / Elevation Pictures |
Best Picture
★RoomBest Director:
-Becomes the first non-Canadian to win since Bruce Beresford for Black Robe (1991)
Actor in a Leading Role:
-Calls Christopher Plummer a legend, has the cutest speech of the night
Actress in a Leading Role:
★Brie Larson, Room
-A no-show, but adds a Candy to her Oscar
-A no-show, but adds a Candy to her Oscar
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Actress in a Supporting Role:
★Joan Allen, Room
Best Original Screenplay:
★Remember, Benjamin AugustAdapted Screenplay:
★Room, Emma DonoghueAchievement in Costumes:
Achievement in Cinematography:
Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design:
★Room - Ethan Tobman, Mary KirklandAchievement in Film Editing:
Achievement in Make-up:
★Room, Sid Armour, Jennifer GouldAchievement in Music – Original Score
Achievement in Music – Original Song
Achievement in Overall Sound
Achievement in Sound Editing
Achievement in Visual Effects:
Ted Rogers Award for Best Documentary Feature:
Achievement in Cinematography – Documentary
Achievement in Editing – Documentary
Best Documentary Short
★Bacon and God's Wrath- Sol FriedmanBest Live Action Short
★She Stoops to Conquer - Zack Russell, Marianna KhouriBest Animated Short
★The Ballad of Immortal Joe - Hector Herrera, Pazlitt CahlonDiscovery Award
(Festival film with budget under $250 000)★Winner: Mina Walking
Best First Feature Award
★Winner: River - Jamie M. Dagg3/12/2016
All Hustle, No Flow
River
(Canada/Laos, 95 min.)
Written and directed by Jamie M. Dagg
Starring: Rossif Sutherland, Sarah Botsford, Douangmany
Soliphanh, Aiden Gillett
Rossif Sutherland keeps on running in River, but the film doesn’t move towards any heavenly body. This
brisk yet sluggish chase move just keeps going as newcomer Jamie M. Dagg,
winner of this year’s Canadian Screen Award for best first feature, recycles clichés
in a thriller that shows much promise despite its overall unevenness. The film
literally runs out of gas—twice—as Sutherland runs and runs without really
getting anywhere. River is also hustle, no flow.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Canadian Film,
River,
Rossif Sutherland
3/11/2016
Canadian Screen Awards Preview: Will Win/Should Win
![]() |
Jacob Tremblay as Jack and Brie Larson as Ma in Room. Photo by Caitlin Cronenberg, courtesy of Elevation Pictures |
3/08/2016
Capsule Reviews: 'Le Mirage', 'The Mermaid', 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny'
More capsule catch-up! Full reviews will return soon.
Le mirage
(Canada, 103 min.)
Dir. Ricardo Trogi, Writ. Louis Morissette
Starring:
Louis Morissette, Julie Perrault, Christine Beaulieu, Patrice
Robitaille
Quebecois filmmaker Ricardo Trogi (1987) usually delivers when it comes to commercial comedies, but
his latest film Le mirage is a bit of
an odd duck. The film is as slick assembled as Trogi’s films tend to be, but
something’s a bit off in this well-intentioned portrait of male alienation in
contemporary suburbia.
Labels:
Canadian Film,
Capsule reviews,
Crouching Tiger,
Mermaid,
Mirage
3/07/2016
Capsule Reviews: 'The Passion of Augustine', 'Triple 9', 'Eddie the Eagle'
Playing catch-up with some capsules!
The Passion of Augustine (Le passion d’Augustine)
(Canada, 103 min.)
Written and directed by Léa Pool
Starring:
Céline Bonnier, Diane Lavallée, Lysandre Ménard, Pierrette Robitaille
3/04/2016
Pip Pip, Motherf***ers!
London Has Fallen
(UK/USA/Bulgaria, 99 min.)
Dir. Babak Najafi, Writ. Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin
Benedikt, Christian Gudegast, Chad St. John
Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman,
Angela Bassett, Radha Mitchell, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo
Pip pip, motherfuckers! The London Bridge might be falling
down, but Gerard Butler can save the world by teatime. Butler returns as
butt-kicking Secret Service agent Mike Banning, the dedicated officer sworn to
protect American President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from disaster. London Has Fallen follows the enormously
successful Olympus Has Fallen in
which Banning risked his skin to save the POTUS, but one doesn’t need to have
seen the first film to enjoy the second. London
Has Fallen brings nonstop action as it unleashes a cartoonishly extravagant
web of chaos and calamity on the regal English city. It’s wonderfully
ridiculous no-holds-barred entertainment.
3/03/2016
Writers Guild of Canada Awards Nominations
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William Shatner in A Christmas Horror Story, an Entertainment One release. |
The nominees in the feature film categories are:
Labels:
Canadian Film
3/02/2016
Cold Canadian Greed
Numb
(Canada, 90 min.)
Dir. Jason R. Goode, Writ. Andre Harden
Starring:
Jamie Bamber, Marie Avgeropoulos, Aleks Paunovic, Stefanie von Pfetten
![]() |
Jamie Bamber, Stefanie von Pfetten, Marie Avgeropoulos, and Aleks Paunovic star in Numb. Photo by Jan Kiesser, courtesy of A71. |
Hey, Leo: you think it’s cold up here in Canada? You say you
froze your buns off while shooting The Revenant? Well, you haven’t experienced true Canadian winter like these
four kids have.
Labels:
2016 reviews,
Canadian Film,
Canadian Indie Film Series,
Numb
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