Movie Reviews — FilmSpeak

'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.

‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Review: A Tone-Deaf and Exploitative Misfire

While the immense Broadway success of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, may deceive viewers, look past the emotional ballads and the ‘relatable’ high school blues and you’ll find that the show is actually incredibly tone deaf and wildly misguided. Dear Evan Hansen may be the worst stage-to-screen musical adaptations to date.

'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' Review: A Compelling Look at America's First Televangelists

This latest film about the life of Tammy Faye Bakker, stars Jessica Chastain in the titular role with Andrew Garfield playing her famous husband, Jim. The Eyes of Tammy Faye tells the story of America’s first televangelists through love, faith, and scandal.

‘Cry Macho’ Review: An Exhausted Clint Eastwood Says Goodbye to Filmmaking

Watching “Cry Macho”, there’s the painful, almost agonizing, realization that this could very well be Clint Eastwood’s last movie. The 91-year old actor/filmmaker, who shot the film in one month during the COVID-19 pandemic, can still don a Cowboy hat and deliver yet another legendary performance as a leading role.

Movie ReviewMaxance VincentSeptember 17, 2021Cry Macho, Warner Bros., Movie Review, Clint Eastwood, WesternComment

'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.

‘Earwig’ Review: A Fantastical Horror Story With Nothing To Say [TIFF 2021]

The basis of an interesting short film is there, but not a nearly two-hour film in which characters constantly mope around and do practically nothing to advance the plot or develop its characters and world. As a result, Earwig may very well be the most interminable film of the entire Toronto International Film Festival and one of the most disappointing films of the year.

Movie ReviewMaxance VincentSeptember 16, 2021earwig, movie review, tiff 2021, lucile hadzihalilovic Comment

'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.

'The Card Counter' Review: A Gamble That Doesn't Quite Pay Off

‘The Card Counter’ is a film that gambles, but doesn’t quite play a winning hand. Imagine the illegitimate love child of ‘Rounders’, ‘Drive’ and ‘The Big Short’. Then imagine that it was haphazardly executed with a weak script and had no clear direction or intention. That’s ‘The Card Counter’.

DramaKaleena SteakleSeptember 10, 2021the card counter, oscar isaac, paul schrader, tiffany haddish, tye sheridanComment

'Come From Away' Review: A Timely and Heartwarming Musical

Releasing on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the tragic losses during 9/11, AppleTV+ debuts ‘Come From Away’, the professional recording of the Broadway musical of the same name. The show is based on the true story of 38 planes that were forced into an emergency landing in the town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, as the events of 9/11 were unfolding in real time.

MusicalKaleena SteakleSeptember 10, 2021come from away, broadway, Apple TV+Comment

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Review: A Creative New Addition to the MCU

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ is the twenty-fifth theatrical instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the second film in the MCU’s Phase Four. With Marvel fatigue high after the epic conclusion of the Infinity Saga, and multiple delays in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, how does ‘Shang-Chi’ fare compared to its predecessors?

Movie ReviewBryce BaileySeptember 2, 2021Shang-Chi, Marvel, MCU, Simu LiuComment

‘Vacation Friends’ Review: A Predictable, Platitude-Filled Comedy

While ‘Vacation Friends’ contains decent performances, its story feels way too predictable, which combines with dull humor to produce a forgettable comedy.

Comedy, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentAugust 28, 2021Vacation Friends, Clay Tarver, Lil Rel Howery, John Cena, Comedy, Movie Review, Disney+, HuluComment

'Candyman' Review: A Disjointed Script Anchors an Unsatisfying Horror Reboot

Audiences finally get to witness the latest horror cult-classic revival, Candyman. All the ingredients are there for this to be the next great film from recently prolific writer/producer Jordan Peele and director Nia DaCosta and bring the iconic character into the modern world. Instead, audiences are given an uneven mess that could have been so much more.

Movie Review, HorrorRyan McQuadeAugust 25, 2021candyman, nia dacosta, Horror, Movie Review, Jordan PeeleComment