‘The Woman King’ Review: A Knockout of Epic Proportions [TIFF 2022]

Anchored by its fantastic performances, razor-sharp direction, and exhilarating spectacle, The Woman King is a thoroughly exciting epic which packs several punches, and lands its blows, and is worthy of the biggest screen, and crowd, possible.

'Triangle of Sadness' Review: A Reminder to Eat the Rich and Laugh While You Do It [TIFF 2022]

Sometimes Triangle of Sadness can be messy, but that seems to almost be the point. It’s a film that shows we’re all human beings - competitive, selfish, and gross, but more entertainingly, it is director Ruben Östlund at his craziest, his most explicit, his most in-your-face, and audiences are going to love it.

'Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song' Review: It Will Mean Exactly as Much as it Means to You

The impact which the late Leonard Cohen left upon the arts is impossible to doubt. Yet even in Cohen’s impressive catalog, there is no song which left such an impression as the song “Hallelujah.” Its journey is explored and covered in the documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.

'The Lost City' Review: A Goofy Adventure-Comedy That Falls Just Above Mediocrity [SXSW 2022]

The Lost City has blockbuster comedy written all over it; a simple to follow adventure story, the stars are all names that will draw a crowd, and the setting is scenic and pleasing to the eye. On paper, it should work. In practice, it feels soulless and robotic.

'Spin Me Round' Review: A Great Cast In A Lukewarm Quirk-Fest [SXSW 2022]

One of the bigger draws at this years’ SXSW, Spin Me Round features Alison Brie leading an all-star comedic cast in a part mystery, part rom-com,, part Italian misadventure. However, by the time the aptly titled Spin me Round stops spinning, audiences aren’t quite sure what movie they just watched.

'The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent' Review: Nicolas Cage Unlocks The ‘Cage’ In This Self-Aware Comedy [SXSW 2022]

In The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, a film that could only star the mythical-acting-unicorn that is Nicolas Cage, we are treated to a buddy comedy that serves as an incredible homage to the forty years of excellence that is the career of Nic Cage. Continue for our full, Non-Spoiler review.

'I Love My Dad' Review: A Twisted But Strangely Endearing Indie Comedy [SXSW 2022]

You could not ask for a better fit than writer/director James Morosini’s perverse comedy I Love My Dad and the SXSW festival. It takes bravery to tell this abnormal tale of catfish courtship, but director James Morosini shows no fear in sharing his true story, and the comedy is one of the highlights of the festival this year.

'Sissy' Review: Nothing Timid About This Topical Aussie Indie [SXSW 2022]

One of the most enjoyable aspects of attending a festival like SXSW, is you often find diamonds in the rough; opportunities given to talented filmmakers waiting to be discovered., especially within the genres of horror or science fiction.. Sissy, is just such a gem.

'The Harder They Fall' Review: An Unrelentingly Stylish Reimagining of the Western

A film that prides itself on being the first Black-Western, ‘The Harder They Fall’ is a viciously brutal and wildly captivating adventure from start to finish, boasting incredible performances from the whole ensemble that bring their characters to life in the most entertaining of ways.

'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

'Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil' Review: Addiction, Editorialized [SXSW 2021]

Though Demi Lovato appears to be a willing subject, “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil” falters in telling her story due to its narrative-chasing and sterilized delivery from Michael D. Ratner.

‘Violet’ Review: An Experiment in Cinematic Exploration and Repetition [SXSW 2021]

A seasoned performer like Justine Bateman, who has done almost everything in terms of acting, seemingly has to invent a new ‘thing’ while directing her feature film debut. Her Violet can easily be defined as ‘experimental cinema’ as it isn’t your typical type of film in terms of format or the tools used. It can also, unfortunately, be easily defined as ‘obvious’