Damian Lewis narrates text by George Orwell, as director Raoul Peck profoundly demonstrates that we as a society, and a planet, are living smack dab in the middle of Orwell’s 1984. Intercutting with the various adaptations of 1984 and Animal Farm, Peck includes documentary and news footage charting the new rise of fascism, authoritarianism, and…
Tag: tiff
TIFF24: The Wild Robot dir. Chris Sanders
I closed out my TIFF run this year, with the latest animated effort from Dreamworks. Based on the children’s book by Peter Brown, Sanders not only directed the film, but adapted the story as well, and it’s going to be a family classic to be sure. When a robot, Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) awakes from her…
TIFF24: DO I Know You From Somewhere? dir. Arianna Martinez
Let’s just get this out of the way, Caroline Bell is luminescent. She may say it’s the dress, but there’s a 1920s grace and beauty to her that means you can’t take your eyes off of her whenever she’s onscreen. Throw in a contemplative film about choice and happiness and you have a Canadian gem…
TIFF24: K-Pops dir. Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak stars and directs alongside his son, Soul Rasheed in a formulaic but incredibly energetic and entertaining family comedy filled with lots of tunes. BJ ( .Paak) is a drummer who fell for Yeji (Jee Young Han) but couldn’t choose between a real romance and possibly more and his music career, which never seems…
TIFF24: Ick dir. Joseph Kahn
I had a great time with Kahn’s Detention so was ready to happily slip into his latest effort, Ick. A bit of a combination between Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Blob, Night of the Living Dead and The Faculty, Kahn’s film suggests that there is a lot of fun to be had, but it…
TIFF24: Vice is Broke dir. Eddie Huang
Eddie Huang, a chef and former Vice host lays out the horrible truth of Vice, and Vice Media’s rise and fall when it declared bankruptcy. Intent on getting his residuals, Huang went after Shane Smith, one of the co-founders who alongside Gavin McInnes (yes that Gavin McInnes) built the company up, and then fell victim…
TIFF24: Saturday Night dr. Jason Reitman
Jason Reitman delivers her sharpest, most well-crafted film today with Saturday Night, a look at that fateful night on 11 October, 1975 when the world was introduced to the Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Players with NBC’s Saturday Night. Lorne Micheals (Gabriel LaBelle) is working to juggle a live to air sketch show that…
TIFF24: A Missing Part dir. Guillaume Senez
Senez delivers a moving drama that examines familial connections against the backdrop of Tokyo and Japan’s clean break policy when it comes to family separation. Jay (Romain Duris in a role that allows him to deliver a stellar performance) drives a cab at night, while he spends his days trying to find the daughter he…
TIFF24: It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This dir. Rachel Kempf and Nick Toti
It’s right there in the title, so if you aren’t into found footage films and the restraints (sometimes creatively solved) it puts on the horror subgenre, this may not be the one for you. I reality, Rachel, Nick and Christian are three good friends, and they’ve been making goofy horror movies together since they met,…
TIFF24: The Order dir. Justin Kurzel
Jude Law plays Terry Husk, an FBI agent who is investigating a murder and a series of large bank robberies along the American Northwest. As he digs in, he begins to suspect it’s all tied to a racist terrorist organization that may be planning a big move. Based on actual events, and just as relevant…
The Mind Reels 