TIFF 2021 — Movie Reviews

'The Starling' Review: Chris O'Dowd's Performance Soars but the Film Should Have Remained Grounded

Melissa McCarthy re-teams with director Theodore Melfi and actor Chris O’Dowd to once again show her dramatic chops, but while “The Starling” attempts to soar and be poignant, the script grounds the film very quickly.

'Snakehead' Review: A Stylish, Lurid Crime Story About Illegal Immigration to America [TIFF 21]

Snakehead, the feature film debut of Evan Jackson Leung is a worthwhile watch. The film’s highly stylized cinematography, its thoughtful examination of an under-explored subject, and the two female lead characters are all dynamic enough to carry the film through any shortcomings it might have.

‘The Survivor’ Review: Barry Levinson Directs Ben Foster to a Career-Best Performance [TIFF 2021]

Ben Foster gives a transformative performance that should garner the actor his first Oscar nomination in Barry Levinson’s ‘The Survivor’, a career highlight for the veteran director that shows the Holocaust from a different perspective while looking to the future.

'Dashcam' Review: A Found Footage Film Aiming To Troll It's Audience [TIFF 2021]

An all too familiar addition to an already oversaturated subgenre, director Rob Savage follows up his debut feature ‘Host’ with ‘Dashcam’, another pandemic horror film that seems to aim at audience’s patience, rather than their ability to be frightened.

‘Oscar Peterson: Black + White’ Review: An Ode to Canada’s Most Beloved Musician [TIFF 2021]

‘Oscar Peterson: Black + White’ is one of the great music documentaries, and an essential release out of TIFF 2021. Guided lovingly by Barry Avrich, this tribute to the extraordinary life and career of Oscar Peterson must be seen by anyone who loves music, and especially if they love Oscar Peterson.

'All My Puny Sorrows' Review: Alison Pill Excels in this Sad and Sweet Canadian Drama [TIFF 2021]

The appeal of ‘All My Puny Sorrows’ comes not necessarily from the heavy subject matter, but the novel and stimulating manner in which it presents the story. The film is packed with stellar performances, lead by Alison Pill, and captained by a director who always seems to get ‘stellar’ out of his actors.

'Belfast' Review: Kenneth Branagh Tells His Most Personal Story in His Most Poignant Film [TIFF 21]

While Kenneth Branagh may only make a handful of artistic choices as director, every ounce of thoughtfulness went into the script of ‘Belfast’, and that remains enough. The film is shot in an intimate and small manner, the conflict is shrunk down, and eventually it’s all slow cooked into more delicious morsels about morality and love.

'Wildhood' Review: A Canadian-Made Triumph A Decade In The Making [TIFF 2021]

Canadian cinema has always had an uphill road to climb, but this is especially true of films like ‘Wildhood’. Now being screened for the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, Wildhood draws heavily from Hannam’s own identity and experiences, telling the story of re-defining one’s family, rediscovering love, and recovering one’s sense of self.

‘Titane’ Review: A Mesmerizing Body Horror That Shows True Heart [TIFF 2021]

‘Titane’ is Julia Ducournau’s second feature length film and just like her last film, this on e isn’t for the faint of heart. A movie that will truly divide audiences with its disturbing imagery but one that will stand the test of time because of the method to it’s madness

'Becoming Cousteau' Review: An Informative and Exciting Look Into the Legendary Oceanographer [TIFF 21]

Director Liz Garbus delves into the life of the legendary oceanographer through unique uses of voiceover, stock footage and visuals to bring an urgency to our current climate crisis.

Festival Review, DocumentaryJohn ShuttSeptember 12, 2021Becoming Cousteau, Liz Garbus, Documentary, TIFF 2021Comment

‘The Power of the Dog’ Review: Cumberbatch Shines in Unevenly Paced Melodrama [TIFF 2021]

‘The Power of the Dog’ is Jane Campion’s first film in 12 years, since the release of 2009’s ‘Bright Star’, and tells the story of Phil Burbank (Cumberbatch), who runs a cattle ranch with his brother George (Jesse Plemons). Cumberbatch and Plemons are a phenomenon on screen, but its uneven script quickly degrades the film into a sappy melodrama.