Movies Archives - Page 23 of 53

14 May 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘The Woman in the Window’ pays homage to many other films you should probably watch instead

Imagine for a moment a film full of Oscar-winning actors you love, written by a Pulitzer prize winner whose work you adore, directed by a director with a solid track record, and that pays homage to some of the great mystery stories of all time. Now imagine that it isn’t very good.

12 May 202119 April 2022

Review: ‘Sugar Daddy’; Kelly McCormack is one to watch in this excellent indie feature

What are you willing to do to make it? Will it be worth it if you do? These are two of the questions at the heart of Sugar Daddy. The story follows Darren (writer and star Kelly McCormack), a young woman who moved to the city to work on her music. She has multiple part-time jobs, none of which pay enough on their own for her to survive, and all of which don’t allow enough free time for her to work on said music until she stumbles into a website where older men pay young women to go on dates with them.

12 May 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘In The Earth’ ventures into the woods and the darkness

Film from this time period is going to be interesting. Much like the years after wars or the September 11th attacks, the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic can’t not have an impact on the art we produce. Some of that is going to be in the form of movies about viruses. Others, like this one, are going to be about how scary is can be to go outside and see people again.

10 May 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘The Mitchells vs the Machines’ continues Lord & Miller’s ongoing streak of great films

Families are tough. You don’t get to choose them, and you may not fit in with them, but unless you are one of the unlucky ones, your family will never stop trying and will always have your back. The Mitchells vs The Machines is the latest film that will teach you this lesson, that no matter what is going on in your life and how much you don’t relate to them, your parents will have your back. Most people learn this over time as they grow and mature. Katie Mitchell learns on a road trip with her parents that happens to coincide with a robot uprising.

Spoiler alert, this movie is amazing.

3 March 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘The Mauritanian’ features a strong central performance stuck in a bog-standard legal drama

It’s no secret that the United States has done some terrible things in the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Nearly 800 people were detained at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp –which, for the record, remains open still– without due process. They have been subjected to “enhanced interrogation techniques”, a bland euphemism for torture. In violation of both international agreements and the united states constitution, these prisoners rights were ignored and their persons abused. The entire affair was –and continues to be– a blight on American history.

The Mauritanian tells the story of one of these people. Mohamedou Ould Salahi (played by Tahar Rahim) was held at Guantanamo for 14 years. His memoir, written while in detention, became the basis for this movie, in which his harrowing story is hiding inside a legal drama we’ve all seen before.

1 March 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘Moxie.’ is a tale of protest and empowerment

How do you create change? That’s one of the questions at the heart of Moxie, the story of Vivian (Hadley Robinson), a young woman whose high school is, in a word, toxic and the girls of which are disempowered and objectified. The boys literally create a list ranking each of the girls for their best “attribute”, like biggest breasts or “most bangable”, or in the case of Vivian, “most obedient.”

The answer, it turns out, is “however you can.” Tired of existing in a world so toxic, and after both being inspired by a new girl in class and by finding a suitcase full of mementoes from her mother, Lisa’s (Amy Poehler) past, she finds a way to create change with an anonymously produced ‘zine she calls “Moxie”.

1 March 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is action-packed, heartfelt, and relevant. In other words: another hit for Disney.

Animation is a medium in which is not limited by imagination. If you can think of it, you can make it happen on screen. The best animated stories have bright, imaginative worlds populated with endearing, relatable characters, and a story that appeals to young and old alike; and most importantly a theme that makes the whole thing work in our world, too.

Raya and the Last Dragon is one of these animated stories. Set in a world inspired by a variety of south-east Asian cultures, and following a young woman on a quest to repair a world torn apart by lack of trust, this movie is the real deal. Shocking, I know.

16 February 202116 February 2021

Let’s Take a Closer Look at the #SnyderCut trailer (with 70+ high-res captures)

We are fast approaching the date when the Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be a legitimate thing in the world, we’ll have a four hour movie to watch, and baat-fans the world over will gloat at how awesome it is even if it isn’t. What a time to be alive!

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the new trailer for the Snyder Cut, and we’re going to do it with nearly 80 high res frame captures.

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10 February 202111 January 2022

Review: ‘Space Sweepers’ is exactly the kind of bonkers fun I want in my Sci-Fi right now

Look, 2020 was a challenging year. In a world that feels incredibly bleak, sometimes you want something bright and colourful and maybe a little naive to get you through the day. Space Sweepers is entirely this: a Korean blockbuster about a group of rag-tag misfits who salvage space junk for a living, get caught up in a massive conspiracy, adopt a child, and fight back against a ruthless and oppressive corporate overlord.

It’s a ton of fun.

10 February 202111 January 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘Fanny Lye Deliver’d’ tells of a woman’s awakening with mixed results

It is easy to romanticize the past but what we often overlook is how difficult and awful it was for women. Women in historical stories are often portrayed as fierce, headstrong, and independent, but much more common was that they were sheltered and abused. This the case of one Fanny Lye (Maxine Peake), husband to John Lye (Charles Dance), a devout Christian and former member of Oliver Cromwell’s army. It is, at least, until two strangers happen into their lives.

9 February 202111 January 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘Queen of the Andes’ explores big ideas with a micro-budget

Space travel is in our future. Of course, we will get to other planets one day, but how we get there and who we send will be an ongoing project. What, though, if it weren’t a choice for us as a society or the people we send?

8 February 202111 January 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘The Secret Garden’ is gorgeous to look at but not much else.

A great story is timeless and as resonant in the present as it was at the time it was written. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s novel The Secret Garden is one of these. A timeless classic with themes that resonate today as well as they did in 1911.

There have been quite a few adaptations of this story over the years, with four film versions being made before this one and at least that many television serials and specials, most of which in the last 30 years. Adapting a classic, it seems, still requires that something new is offered the viewer. What then, after so many visits to this garden, does this new version have to offer? Well, it’s really, really pretty. Unfortunately, not much else.

8 February 202111 January 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘The Reason I Jump’ examines the world from the perspective of those with autism

It has been 14 years since Higashida Naoki’s book, The Reason I Jump was first published in Japan, and 8 since English novelist David Mitchell translated it. Naoki was 13 at the time and is autistic and unable to communicate verbally. He was able to write his book by using an alphabet board his mother created, and in the process provided a roadmap for how his mind works and how he experiences the world.

That roadmap has proven invaluable to the families of those on the spectrum, especially those who are non-verbal. This documentary by Jerry Rothwell explores how that roadmap has impacted the lives of five such people. The result is a film that will open your eyes and your heart.

7 February 202111 January 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘Once Upon a Time in Venezuela’ is a heartbreaking look at a country in crisis

Imagine living in a place that is literally rotting away beneath you. No matter what you do, what help you ask for from local and national governments, your home slowly but surely disappears. This is the story of Congo Mirador, a tiny village of fewer than 1000 people situated on Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. It’s also the story of the whole country, and it’s heartbreaking.

6 February 202119 April 2022

Victoria Film Fest Review: ‘Violation’ is a tense, uncomfortable twist on the rape-revenge genre

There are few things that one person can do to another that is more violating than rape. It is an act of power, selfishness, and an act of degradation. Violation is a film about such an act—a moment when a man sees a woman and takes what he wants. The result is a visceral and uncomfortable watch that sees a woman go to extremes to take her revenge.

Awesome Friday!

Category: Movies