TIFF 25: The Wizard of the Kremlin dir. Olivier Assayas

Director Olivier Assayas with novelist Emmanuel Carrere adapted Giuliano da Empoli’s novel that shows the machinations of political evil at work. While a work of fiction, it does tie in with actual events, and the lead character, Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano, seems to be more than a little similar to Vladislav Surkov. Dano…

American Fiction (2023) – Cord Jefferson

I’m a little upset that I didn’t go to see this one when it screened at TIFF, but I was very happy that this was a film that my partner and I could watch together, and we greatly enjoyed it. But it’s Jeffrey Wright, the man can do anything, and play anything, and he brings…

Asteroid City (2023) – Wes Anderson

It was going to happen sooner or later, there had to be a least favourite Wes Anderson film. And for me, it looks like, at least for now, it will be Asteroid City. I like the idea, the subject matter, and the cast, but it just didn’t pop like Anderson’s other films. Most of his…

Quantum of Solace (2008) – Marc Forster

Daniel Craig’s second outing as Ian Fleming’s James Bond, is the spy movie of the week as I continue exploring the original 007 novels. I have a few issues with this film, one of them being the running time, this is the first Bond film in quite sometime that isn’t two hours or more, and…

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1993) – The Scandal of 1920

Young Indy’s (Sean Patrick Flanery) adventures are coming to a close in this the penultimate story. Jonathan Hales wrote this television movie that first aired on 3 April, 1993. Indy has left Chicago and is heading to New York for the summer. He’s going to be working as a stage hand in George White’s (Christopher…

Game Night (2018): Blu-Ray Review

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are Max and Annie in Warner Brothers’ Game Night, which comes home on DVD and Blu-Ray today. They and their group of friends have a regular game night, but tonight their game takes on a new level when they find themselves caught up in an actual mystery. The game night…

Live and Let Die (1973) – Guy Hamilton

007 is back, and he’s the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Roger Moore debuts as secret agent James Bond in this 1973 update of Ian Fleming’s character. It also delves a little into blaxploitation, and features one of my favourite Bond Girls, Jane Seymour as Solitaire. Marrying drugs…

Ride with the Devil (1999) – Ang Lee

  We get a look at the other side of the Civil War, as we join a Confederate guerrilla campaign in Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil, the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Red Badge of Courage. With a top tier cast including…

The Invasion (2007) – Oliver Hirschbiegel

  The Sci-Fi Chronicles brings me the latest update of the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers tale, and after years of hearing terrible things about it, I think my expectations going into it were low enough that I was actually fairly entertained by it. Except for the need for a happy Hollywood ending… I…