1825 - The Great and Powerful Oz

I'm an Oz nerd.  Return to Oz was one of my favourite films as a kid - probably my favourite since I went down to the video store every week to rent it to the point where they finally just gave me the well-worn VHS.  The first of a, now large, film collection. 
So here we have a prequel of sorts - I'm pretty big on what Gregory Maguire did with the Oz story, so I'm going into this accepting something that's more align to Baum's canon.  It's the story of how the Wizard got to Oz.  First off, I was entertained the whole way through - I figured out where some stuff was going to go pretty quickly, but I also enjoyed the ride.  That being said, it felt a little like they were trying to be just a tinge too clever.  First, the world looks glorious, but I don't need a dozen spanning shots of CGI - I get it - Oz is magical.  Also it just felt like a few too many winks to the audience in terms of how many connections they made to the 1939 film, etc… it didn't feel like a film that could stand on it's own and become it's own classic.  It felt like it was trying to pay homage a little too much and came off as a bit of a a fan-film because of it.  I'd be interested to see if they continue with this as a series of films, but if I'm completely honest - I'm still looking forward to a film adaptation of Wicked.  If you like Oz stuff, it's a must see - especially in the theatres - there's some scary stuff for kids, so be wary of that.

1602 - The Whistleblower

Full Disclosure: I know some of the behind the scenes people on this film.  As such it wouldn't be surprising for me to go soft on a review for it - but I won't, and here's my honest answer - I really really liked this film, and I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to.  First off, while I've always liked Rachel Weisz, I've always preferred her in 'lighter' roles.  She's one of those actors who have certain 'ticks' and when pushed they play similar notes and it always feels like a performance to me.  That happens just a tad early on in this film, but then suddenly it's gone.  There's a shift and I can't quite put my place on where, but suddenly Weisz goes into full on mode and performs her once-in-a-lifetime role.  She really is quite fantastic here.
This is a difficult film with difficult subject matter.  It had a slightly rough start for me, but as soon as it started working, it never stopped all the way through the end.  This is the kind of film that makes you feel sick to your stomach, but in a good way.  It reminds you to be careful in this world about who you can trust - I'm not saying that it's a nihilistic film - it's just a very honest one.
So if you're up for an intense thriller that's a well made Canadian film to boot, you'll find a treat in this.  And support it while it's in the theatres - let's show the world that we do have a film industry in Canada, damnit!