Review: Trigger
It’s difficult to watch or review or discuss Trigger without any conversation about it turning into a sort of loving eulogy of Tracy Wright. Though she starred in two films at this year’s TIFF, Trigger was the final role she played before her sad passing from cancer, and for better or worse it will always be thought of as such. Read more
Review: Route Irish
In spite of occasionally veering off the path (as with 2009′s comedy, Looking for Eric), Ken Loach pretty much remains the reigning emperor of films that feel like the emotional equivalent of a punch in the gut. It seems unsurprising that he’d eventually find his way around to creating a uniquely Loachian take on the Iraq war, too.
Review: Casino Jack
Kevin Spacey is fantastic as Jack Abramoff, a real-life American lobbyist who was sentenced to prison a few years ago for the role he played in a massive fraud case involving several Indian tribes who hired him to represent their gambling interests. The casino scandals weren’t the only shady business Abramoff was involved in, and as the film unravels, more and more questionable dealings are uncovered between him and business partner Mike Scanlon (Barry Pepper, who’s come a long, long way since his humble beginnings on the Canadian TV show Madison, let me tell you). Read more
Review: Our Day Will Come
I’ll admit a personal bias. I love Vincent Cassel, and I could easily watch him acting like a creepy libertine all day. But I really believe that Our Day Will Come would have been one of my favourite films at TIFF this year even if that were not the case. It’s definitely one of the “WTF” films of the year, and undeniably marks Romain Gavras (the son of Costas Gavras) as a young man who’s got the potential to become a cinematic force to be reckoned with. Read more
Review: The Big Chill (1983)
The TIFF for Free special screenings concluded its final night at TIFF 2010 with a special screening of the 1980s seminal film The Bill Chill. The film debuted at the Festival in 1983 and became a huge hit around the world shortly afterwards.
Review: Crash (2004)
Not to be confused with the David Cronenberg film of the same name, the 2004 Paul Haggis film Crash had a special retrospective screening last week at the 2010 TIFF. The screening was part of its 35th anniversary of landmark films that have had a significant impact due to its screening at TIFF in past years. Read more
Review: Oki’s Movie
I’d love to say I know extensive amounts about Hong Sangsoo’s life and work, but Oki’s Movie was my first exposure to the Korean filmmaker. By all accounts, he’s one of the people leading the charge in the new Korean cinema, that has been bending the conventions of cinema, making political and cinematic statements through monster movies, violence and a lot of offbeat comedy over the past decade. Read more
Review: Submarine
TIFF set some lofty expectations for Richard Ayoade’s latest film Submarine by dubbing it “The Welsh Rushmore.” Not only are there legions of Wes Anderson fans peppered throughout the city, but Rushmore happens to be one of my very favourite movies of all-time. While I won’t go into depth as to the similarities between the two films, since I find that to just be lazy criticism, I will say that Submarine embodies the freshness and originality that gives it the potential to be one of the great adolescent chronicles in recent memory. Read more
Review: The High Cost of Living
There are certain hardships people are compelled to deal with in life that are so devastating you would not even wish them on your worst enemy. To be the cause of such excruciating pain would be similarly unbearable, but without a time machine there’s little that can be done about it. In The High Cost of Living, a woman is forced into a horrible position, while the man that put her there is so guilt-ridden he rapidly and anonymously shifts from repulsive stranger to miraculous saviour.
Review: Fire of Conscience
Hong Kong action cinema is certainly past its heyday, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead. Talented young filmmakers are breathing new life into the genre via hard-hitting, fast-paced dramas. Alongside Johnnie To and Wilson Yip, director Dante Lam is carrying the torch with his latest picture, Fire of Conscience. It’s loud, the fight sequences are mesmerizing and the narrative is strong enough to keep your attention between punches.
