The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Review
Fans flocked to the Sony Performing Arts Centre for a black tie, green cap affair.
TIFF 2013: Ida Review
Ida Special Presentation Director: Pawel Pawlikowski In 1960s Communist Poland, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) who, on the occasion of taking her vows, is requested by the church to visit her long-lost aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza). Previously unaware of her aunt’s existence, Anna is doubly shocked by the jarring, alienating world outside of the coventry. It’s as […]
TIFF 2013: The Dog Review
The Dog TIFF Docs Directors: Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren Based on the true story of a man – who by his own admission is a loutish pervert – who tried to rob a bank to pay for his lover’s sex change operation, The Dog was already made into the vastly more intriguing Sidney Lumet fictional […]
TIFF 2013: Mary Queen of Scots Review
Mary Queen of Scots Special Presentation Director: Thomas Imbach Less of a sumptuous period piece (although those elements are there), Imbach’s look at one of the world’s most intriguing historical, female figureheads takes finely detailed historical fact and makes an emotionally resonating experience out of it. It’s a period piece for those who always wished […]
TIFF 2013: The Wind Rises Review
The Wind Rises Special Presentation Director: Hayao Miyazaki If this is indeed the final film from animation maestro Miyazaki, he’s not going out on his strongest work, but certainly his most ambitious and most adult oriented effort to date. Save for a brief opening bit involving dreams and aircraft bombers with payloads gnashing their teeth […]
TIFF 2013: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Special Presentation Director: Ned Benson Told in two parts and from two different perspectives (which can be switched around for different exhibitions), Benson follows the marriage between Conor (James McAvoy), and Eleanor (Jessica Chastain) as their marriage of seven years falls apart. With each day worse than the last, their […]
TIFF 2013: Ningen Review
Ningen Contemporary World Cinema Directors: Guillame Giovanettie & Cagla Zencirci Japanese folk lore is whimsical, wide, weird, wonderful but heinously outlandish, overshadowing in alienation because of how odd and specific its supernatural inhabitants are. And much of that likely attracted Turkish filmmakers Giovanetti and Zencirci, nevermind that the film is, shockingly, mostly improvised by its […]
TIFF 2013: Fading Gigolo Review
Fading Gigolo Special Presentation Director: John Turturro Turturro can have some fun with you behind the camera, and as cult actor worth rooting for in front of. Fading Gigolo, Turturro’s New York flavoured rom-com, wears its influences on its sleeve. Actually, it wears it in the film, as the wit snapping Woody Allen stands side-by-side […]
TIFF 2013: Metalhead Review
Metalhead Contemporary World Cinema Director: Ragnar Bragason Thrashing, moshing, black, speed, doom, new wave of British and heavy, metal rules. It’s a vast collection of camaraderies and noise. And the usual arguments towards carpet bombing your ear drums is that it A) can help the troubled and frustrated vent their clogged emotions in a healthy […]
TIFF 2013: Night Moves Review
Night Moves Special Presentation Director: Kelly Reichardt Each film Reichhardt makes is stark but mysterious, amplifying nuanced emotions by keeping their heads to the ground of the human experience. Night Moves (which has nothing to do with Bob Seger no matter how much you hum the song to yourself) is Reichardt taking another half-inch towards […]
TIFF 2013: August: Osage County Review
August: Osage County Gala Director: John Wells Combing a collection of superstars slumming for awards, a TV director, and single location family dinner setting, August: Osage County sounds like easy awards bait worth dreading. That is unless you recognize the writer: Tracy Letts. He’s the man whose twisted imagination spun Bug and Killer Joe and […]
TIFF 2013: The F Word Review
The F Word Special Presentation Director: Michael Dowse While not the most original take on best friends becoming lovers, the latest film from Dowse (Goon, Fubar) has charm in spades, largely thanks to snappy banter delivered by two perfectly cast leads. Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) has recently crawled out from under his yearlong funk following a […]
TIFF 2013: Horns Review
Horns Vanguard Director: Alexandre Aja Daniel Radcliffe delivers his best performance to date – and horror maestro Aja, his best film – with this devilishly entertaining dark comedy that seems pitched squarely at teenagers, but isn’t afraid to be as gory, sexy, or disturbing as possible. Framed for the murder of his one true love, […]
TIFF 2013: One Chance Review
One Chance Special Presentation Director: David Frankel One Chance, the title of David Frankel’s biopic about singer Paul Potts’ rise to stardom, refers to the British tenor’s first album. Yet it’s also an ironic nod to Potts’ difficult career trajectory. No one “makes it” from one chance—we need more than a single opportunity to achieve […]
TIFF 2013: McCanick Review
McCanick Contemporary World Cinema Director: Josh C. Waller To say that the corrupt cop drama is overdone might be an understatement, which makes the fact that Josh C. Waller’s McCanick works as well as it does quite the achievement. Eugene “Mack” McCanick is not a cop who plays by the rules, but as the film […]
