Category: Canada First
After Dark 2011: ‘Redline’ is a surreal and incredible experience
Redline Directed by Takeshi Koike 2010, Japan, 102 minutes Lots of people are saying that anime hit Redline is like taking acid. Frankly, that doesn’t quite do the film justice. Let’s do better. If Speed Racer and Heavy Metal … [Read the Rest]
After Dark 2011: ‘Father’s Day’ is the best film about raping fathers ever! (Review #2)
Father’s Day Directed by ASTRON-6 2011, Canada/USA, 100 minutes Father’s Day has a half-naked stripper wielding a chainsaw. Review over. Okay, fine. I’ve got more. However, it’s safe to say that about ninety percent of you know whether or … [Read the Rest]
After Dark 2011: ‘Exit Humanity’ swings and misses again, and again, and again . . .
Exit Humanity Directed by John Geddes 2011, Canada, 114 minutes Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that there were six hundred people in the Toronto Underground Cinema for Exit Humanity. There may have been more. It was pretty … [Read the Rest]
After Dark 2011: ‘Monster Brawl’ blows hot and cold (Review #2)
Monster Brawl Directed by Jesse T. Cook 2011, Canada, 90 minutes Know what would improve wrestling? Classic movie monsters, that’s what. How would you get classic film monsters, such as Cyclops and Frankenstein, in the ring together? By saying … [Read the Rest]
TIFF 2011: ‘Monsieur Lazhar’ – A trenchant portrait of loss and light seen through the globalized lens of school culture
Monsieur Lazhar Directed by Philippe Falardeau Written by Philippe Falardeau Canada, 2011 Monsieur Lazhar arrives at TIFF within the Special Presentations programme from festival darling Phillippe Falardreau (La Moitié gauche du frigo, Congorama, C’est pas moi, je le jure!) in … [Read the Rest]
TIFF 2011: ‘i am a good person / i am a bad person’ – A film at once intriguing, intimate, and bold
i am a good person / i am a bad person Directed by Ingrid Veninger 2011, Canada, 82 minutes When it comes to Ingrid Veninger, I suspect that the time has come to invoke that pesky little word ‘auteur’, … [Read the Rest]
Fantasia 2011: ‘Beyond the Black Rainbow’ is a hallucinatory, audacious, and challenging debut
Beyond the Black Rainbow Written by Panos Cosmatos Directed by Panos Cosmatos Canada, 2011 There’s been a welcome rush of audacious first features recently – Evan Glodell’s incendiary Bellflower and Daniel Cockburn’s witty, touching thought experiment You Are Here spring … [Read the Rest]
Bloodied but Unbowed
Bloodied but Unbowed Dir. Susanne Tabata (2011, Canada, 75 mins.) When I was in high school, there were two types of punks. One type shopped at Hot Topic, listened to Good Charlotte, and tended to be chauffeured around by … [Read the Rest]
Fantasia 2011: ‘The Corridor’ combines high-concept horror and psychological depth
The Corridor Directed by Evan Kelly Written by Josh MacDonald Canada, 2011 Tackling a difficult premise is often the kiss of death for first-time filmmakers. Many get lost in their “high-concept” vision, losing track of the human element that is … [Read the Rest]
Fantasia 2011: ‘You Are Here’ is compulsively watchable and utterly unique
You Are Here Written by Daniel Cockburn Directed by Daniel Cockburn Canada, 2010 Equal parts video essay, fragmented “thought experiment,” and social satire, Daniel Cockburn’s You Are Here is one of the most audacious English Canadian features to come down … [Read the Rest]
‘Mon Oncle Antoine’ – Quebec Gold
Mon Oncle Antoine Directed by Claude Jutra Canada, 1971 Mon Oncle Antoine could easily have been directed by Louis Malle. Its bittersweet tone, its curious, naïve protagonist, its meandering semi-narrative structure all find cousins in such films as Murmur of … [Read the Rest]
Hot Docs 2011: ‘Kumaré’
Kumaré Directed by Vikram Gandhi 2011, USA, 84 mins. After watching Kumaré, an old aphorism comes to mind: the best way to learn is to teach. When Vikram Gandhi set out to teach people that gurus and other religious teachers … [Read the Rest]
TJFF: The Heart of Auschwitz
The Heart of Auschwitz Directed by Carl LeBlanc 2010, Canada, 85 mins. The heart that this title refers to is not the centre of Auschwitz. Rather, it is a small, heart-shaped book containing birthday wishes, constructed in secret by twelve … [Read the Rest]
TJFF: The Hilltops
The Hilltops Directed by Igal Hecht 2011, Canada, 45 mins. There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to film. Usually when a film feels longer than it is, it’s a bad thing. In the case of The … [Read the Rest]
