TIFF 2021: Petit Maman dir. Celine Sciamma

Director Celine Sciamma delivers a gentle pontification of loss, family and understanding in this gentle, and quiet drama. When Nelly’s (Josephine Sanz) grandmother dies, she regrets the fact that she didn’t get a chance to truly say goodbye to her. While her mother (Nina Meurisse) deals with her grief, and the job of clearing out…

On Golden Pond (1981) – Mark Rydell

The next title up in the Ten Bad Dates with De Niro book, under the category of movies not to watch while you are medicated, is this classic Oscar-nominated film starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda. The film, based on the play by Ernest Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay, follows Norman (Henry…

Toronto After Dark 2019: 8 (2019) – Harold Holscher

Toronto After Dark brings us a tale out of South Africa tonight with 8. Marrying the feel of a haunted house tale with the legends and myths of the tribes of South Africa this film plays almost as a gentle tale, and while light on real scares, there are some character moments that resonate and…

TAD 2018: The Dark (2018) – Justin P. Lange

Having had its Toronto premiere last week at Toronto After Dark, writer/director Justin P. Lange’s film, an Austrian-Canadian co-production hits VOD today. Despite its bloody and horrific trappings, The Dark is a gentle tale that sees a young girl, Mina (Nadia Alexander, best known for her work in The Sinner) become a monster because of…

Death Takes a Holiday (1934) – Mitchell Leisen

I continue my exploration of classic cinema with DK Canada’s The Movie Book, as I dive into the What Else to Watch list following my screening of the brilliant, The Seventh Seal. Death Takes a Holiday (remade in 1998 as Meet Joe Black) stars Fredric March as Prince Sirki, a man who comes to visit…

Harvey (1950) – Henry Koster

James Stewart turns in yet another amazing turn, as I continue my way through DK Canada’s The Movie Book. Working on the What Else to Watch list following the recommendation of It’s a Wonderful Life, I delighted in settling in for this one. Mary Chase adapts her Pulitzer-Prize winning stage play to the silver screen,…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Lessons, and The Chase

Captain’s log: stardate 46693.1 Jean Louise Matthias and Ronald Wilkerson penned this episode that first aired on 5 April, 1993. It is a Picard (Patrick Stewart) story that sees the captain discovering love with one of his crew members, the head of the stellar science services, Nella Daren (Wendy Hughes). As their relationship blossoms, and…

Gods and Monsters (1998) – Bill Condon

The bio-pic, Gods and Monsters, is the next film on the What Else to Watch list, for Bride of Frankenstein, from DK Canada’s The Movie Book. The film chronicles the last days, as well as life and career of director James Whale, played brilliantly by Ian McKellen. The legendary film maker, perhaps best known for…