Movies Archives - Page 10 of 53

22 January 202223 January 2022

Review: ‘Poupelle Of Chimney Town’ is a sweet adventure that loses something in translation

The opening moments of the latest movie from Japan’s Studio 4°C are quite the thing: from the depths of space, a streaking red heart burns through the cosmos and buries itself into a very familiar planet. Landing directly in a landfill dump, it draws scraps of metal and canvas towards itself, gradually forming into something that starts to resemble a man. This striking setup beautifully sets the scene for a charming story of friendship and loss, with only a few hiccups along the way.

16 January 202217 January 2022

‘Titane’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, and ‘Mass’ big winners of Pandora International Film Critics Awards!

As I mentioned last week, I am a voting member of the Pandora International Critics this year, and this week we have been voting on the best films of 2021. Now voting is over, and here are all the winners!

16 January 202217 January 2022

Awesome Friday Movie Podcast: ‘Marvel’s Eternals’ & ‘The Matrix Resurrections’

Greetings programs! In the latest episode of the podcast, Simon and I are discussing two films just released for home audiences in Canada: Marvel’s Eternals and The Matrix Resurrections. Join us!

9 January 20228 January 2022

Awesome Friday Movie Podcast: 2021 in Review

Greetings programs and welcome to the first Awesome Friday Movie Podcast episode of 2022! In this episode we take a look back over some of our favourites from the year past. Join us!

8 January 20228 January 2022

WFF ’21 Review: ’18 1/2′ is an amusing genre mashup

There are many theories about the missing 18 1/2 minutes of Richard Nixon’s White House recordings. At a time of heightened controversy –thanks to Watergate and the ensuing investigations– the gap in recordings created a convenient slot into which a persons conspiracy theory of choice might fit.

Dan Mirvish’s new film 18 1/2 explores a quaint, yet zany, moment of alternate history where the tape itself was taped and a young transcriptionist secrets it away from the White House to listen to it with a journalist. Hilarity ensues when they check into a small town motel to do just that.

6 January 20228 January 2022

WFF ’21 Quick Review: ‘A Wicked Eden’ offers a glimpse into a fascinating world

There’s a whole world of sexual proclivities out there. The world of the dominatrix and the submissive is represented in media fairly thoroughly but often without much depth. A Wicked Eden changes that, taking a deep dive into the world of Alexandra Snow, a popular dominatrix.

5 January 20228 January 2022

WFF ’21 Review: ‘Carmen’ is a lovely story of self-rediscovery and empowerment

Devotion to a church or a cause is, for many people, a true calling in life. Those who join the priesthood describe hearing a call to that life and dedicate their lives to it. On the island of Malta, a tiny island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, it is also a tradition that when a man hears that call, his younger sister goes with him. In theory, this is to devote her life to the church. In practice, it appears that it is to ensure that the new priest has a servant.

In Carmen, Natascha McElhone plays such a woman; having lived a life of servitude since she was 16 and set free 34 years later when he brother dies, suddenly she has to rediscover her own life and desires. What follows is a lovely journey of self-discovery that takes Carmen around the sun-drenched, 1980s set Maltese countryside.

4 January 20228 January 2022

Review: ‘Don’t Look Up’ is angry at the right things, but lacks focus

Climate change is real. I can’t believe this is a thing that we still have to debate in the 2020s, but there is a not-insignificant portion of people –or at least people in positions of power– who seem content to let it happen in the name of high-profit margins, and have found a multitude of ways to distract the populace into either ignorance or obliviousness.

This is also the plot of Adam McKay’s new film Don’t Look Up, which presents a world not unlike our own that happens to have a planet-killing comet headed directly toward it and a and of scientists unable to convince the world to do anything about it. Subtle, this movie is not. Of course, subtly isn’t a requirement for a satire in the form of a pitch-black comedy, but you know what is? Humour. Unfortunately, this movie isn’t humorous either.

30 December 202130 December 2021

Simon’s Best Movies, TV and Games of 2021

Because why have three lists when you can squash them into a single post. Enjoy!

23 December 20218 January 2022

WFF ’21 Review: ‘Confessions of a Hitman’ paints a portrait of a man you’d never suspect

Every country has their extraordinary criminals, and Canada is no different. One key difference with notorious contract killer Gerald Gallant though, is just how ordinary he otherwise was. Living a mostly quiet suburban life, he carried out 27 hits (and attempted 12 more) in 25 years and went almost entirely unnoticed. Confessions of a Hitman chronicles that life and its absurd banality with Luc Picard in both the starring role and the director’s chair.

21 December 202122 December 2021

Matt’s ‘Best of the Rest’ of 2021

It has been a hell of a year and a hell of a year for film. The second year of the ongoing worldwide pandemic has been a bit of a roller coaster, with wave after wave of COVID once changing the film landscape. Theatres re-opened, but people have only really gone back for the biggest blockbuster titles, and even then, the numbers are a bit soft.

That’s not to say that there hasn’t been many a literal ton of films this year, though. I set a new personal record, having seen nearly 180 films released in 2021, and let me tell you that most of them are good!

To break down my favourites a little more this year, I’ll be dividing things up into three lists, one for my favourite performers, one for my favourite films, and one for the best of the rest. There are navigation links at the bottom of each page to the others.

So let’s get started with this year’s best of the rest, featuring a baker’s dozen more films you should see from 2021.

20 December 202122 December 2021