Oscar winner filmmaker Ben Proudfoot turns the objective eye of the camera on the powerful story of Chris Hesse. A man of the cloth, Hesse was once a filmmaker and cinematographer in his home country of Ghana. He was with Ghana’s first president, Kwarme Nkrumah, from his inauguration to the coup that removed him from…
Tag: cinema
Hoosiers (1986) – David Anspaugh
There’s a few films that have slipped through my cinema education, Hoosiers with Gene Hackman was one of them. Sports films aren’t always my jam, but I know people who swear by this movie. With Hackman’s passing, I thought I was past due to take a look at this one. And hey look, it’s got…
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) – Brian Selznick
I remember being completely enchanted when I realized the movie, Hugo, was not only about a boy who lived in a train station, but about Georges Melies, the famed French director, and his wonderful collection of films. It absolutely swept me up in it’s narrative. But I had never read Brian Selznick’s original book, which…
Shutter Island (2010) – Martin Scorsese
I remember when Shutter Island hit the cinemas, and then hit home video, everyone was raving about it. When I finally had a chance to watch it, I had the mystery figured out pretty quickly, though I will say it was wonderfully executed. Scorsese delivers a gorgeous looking film, and makes great use of visual…
Northern Exposure (1991) – Animals R Us, and Jules et Joel
Ed (Darren E. Burrows) struggles with his cinematic dreams, questioning whether he can actually make a film or not in Animals R Us. Written by Robin Green this episode first debuted on 14 October, 1991. There are a couple of narrative threads woven into this story, but the main one centers on Maggie (Janine Turner)…
Die Another Day (2002) – Raymond Benson
James Bond and Raymond Benson are back. For Benson, this is his last novel with the character, an adaptation of the 2002 film starring Pierce Brosnan, and the last movie adaptation of a Bond film, though a number of moments and ideas from the Daniel Craig series had their origin in Ian Fleming novels. The…
TIFF ’23: The Boy and the Heron
If anyone has ever said that animation isn’t an art form, they’ve never seen a Hayao Miyazaki film. Beloved by fans and critics alike, his films take viewers on journeys through strange lands populated with unusual characters and they always have an emotional core that connects to the audience. And you know you’re watching it…
No Country For Old Men (2007) – Joel and Ethan Coen
I remember watching No Country For Old Men when it first came to home video, I was hip-deep in discovering everything that the Coen Brothers had made, and loving every single one of them. Unfortunately, my first time through it, I didn’t pay lots of attention to it, though some moments are burned into my…
TIFF ’22: The Fabelmans
I have been a Spielberg fan for as long as I can remember. The first film he saw was The Greatest Show On Earth, which affected him. Mine was Jaws, and I can say the same thing. Over the decades I have followed him on his storytelling journey, embracing each new film that came along,…
TIFF ’22: Empire of Light
Writer/director Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light is a beautiful and emotional achievement, celebrating the beauty of cinema while allowing its star, Olivia Colman to deliver a powerful, layered and nuanced performance as Hillary. She’s a woman of a certain age who suffers from a mental illness, which she has to contend with in her day-to-day…
The Mind Reels 