2057 - The To Do List

I remember when the trailer first came out for this and I was super interested in it then - largely because I’m knee deep in sex comedies of my own.  I thought that this was a really sweet, funny, and heart warming coming-of-age story.  It checks off all the required boxes that come along with a sex comedy - Aubrey Plaza continues to wow me in a character that could so easily be a stereotype but she finds the nuances and the layers without ever abandoning her characters initial concept.  We’ve seen the story a dozen times of the dude trying to lose his virginity so it’s nice to see the female perspective - especially since anytime a girl is shown being sexually adventurous she’s often labelled as a slut, here Plaza is courageous and curious - a go getter.  The 90’s setting was inspired and the jokes weren’t farcical and well placed.  

If you like smart sex comedies with heart this one is absolutely worthy of your time and attention and it’s on Netflix.  Give it a whirl.

2056 - Total Recall (original)

That's better!  Despite it's datedness, this film still stands up - the sci-fi isn't as corny as you'd expect it to be because it's got such a distinct style.  There's something mildly trashy about it with three-breasted hookers and hooker dwarves with machine guns and a young mutant Dean Norris.  But the thing that makes this miles ahead better is that the story is simple - the poor people are being screwed over by the rich - smothered by the lack of air that the rich are keeping, and can easily provide for them.  In this film it makes sense why Quaid was kept alive - I'm not entirely sure that it was in the remake.  The reason this also works is because we see physical evidence of what Arnold is fighting for - to let people breath and live - we keep cutting back to them to get a sense of the importance of his mission.  It means something for us and therefore we root for him... this film is fun and entertaining.  Both versions are on Netflix if you want to do a comparison - though I strongly suggest just spending time with this one - the remake is mostly's meh - though I quite liked how they better integrated Kate Beckinsale's character - a small victory in that non-film....

2050 - Wreck It Ralph

I loved the premise of this when I first saw the trailer, but I have to say that I totally under-estimated this film.  I realize that John Lasseter has his hands in it, so it should be no surprise, really.  The story here is super fun, super tight, and ridiculously smart.  The story turns are very sophisticated and keep me curious where everything was going.  I enjoyed this as much as my son, and maybe even a little bit more.  This one is an easily recommended, especially if you’ve got a kid who enjoys his video games.

2049 - The F Word (aka What If)

If you're in the USA or UK then you might know this by the unfortunate title "What If" but here in Canada it's got the awesome title of "The F Word".  I love this movie so hard.  I'm a romantic-comedy nerd, so I give a lot of them a pass just because I like the genre, but when I find one that's done so amazingly well it makes me want to scream from the rooftops - and this one does.  It's a wicked funny script, a charming as hell cast, and a really mature direction that's also playful.  I think this was my favourite film at TIFF last year, and it's up there with my favourite of the year in general.  It's being added to the ranks of When Harry Met Sally and it deserves to be.  Elan Mastai and Michael Dowse have crafted a beautiful, funny, sweet, and heartfelt romance that isn't shy at all about being set mostly in Toronto.
This film came out wide in Canada this weekend and I think it's still in the USA - please please please go check it out - it deserves a huge audience.  If you see this film and don't laugh a fair bit it's likely because you're dead inside.  I love it and can't wait to own it!

2047 - Guardians of the Galaxy

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting to the point, for me, where it’s akin to the work done in the heyday of Pixar.  And given that Disney owns both them and now Star Wars, anyone who owns stocks in the Mouse are certainly going to be happy in the upcoming years.

Like most people I didn’t know ANYTHING about Guardians of the Galaxy going into this.  And I came out wondering if this was my favourite of the Marvel side-franchises.  It is so goddamn good.  It’s the most fun I’ve had in a Marvel film, including Avengers.  It starts off with a huge gut-punch - which hit me especially hard because of personal reasons - and then it involved into something that was sweet and funny and grand.  Chris Pine is an all-star, and Bradley Cooper makes Rocket more than just a wise-talking side-kick.  

My only complaint, and this is more a big-world question than anything else.  The villain’s lair/world(?) just feels so small and empty.  He wants to destroy things, a planet, but I never really got a strong sense of why - outside of the fact that it was evil and he’s evil.  If I have a complaint with this film it’s that the villain was a pretty weak cardboard cut-out - zero personality besides ‘bad’.  So that was the weak part of the film for me - that said the rest of the ensemble is so delightfully entertaining that it doesn’t hurt the overall movie like it should.  

Keep up the good work, Marvel.  The way you weave all your properties together is such a clever way of insuring viewership - but it’s also rewarding for the audience.  Keep up the quality and I’ll keep showing up.  

2046 - Begin Again

It’s hard to watch this film and not feel like you’re floating.  It’s the kind of film that makes you remember emotions and feelings that you thought were numbed by every good thing that became before it.  It means one thing - it’s the kind of film that makes you feel new feels, and that’s something spectacular in and of itself.  I loved this film.  Kiera Knightly has never been better and she is magic alongside of Mark Ruffalo.  It’s a love letter to the art of creation so it has a special place inside of me.  The music itself is really fantastic and with a purchase itself (which I’m doing as I type this).  There are so many clever and beautiful sequences here that I’d love to go into great detail about, but I’d really rather just convince you to check it out yourself.  This is easily one of my favourite films of the year so far.  It’s a beautiful, entertaining, and powerful little flick.  I liked Carney’s “Once”, I love “Begin Again” - looking forward to a nice third instalment of this ‘making-an-album’ trilogy!

2041 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Andy Serkis - you are easily one of the most underrated actors of your generation.  I re-watched bits and pieces of the first instalment of this re-boot to head into this and I have to say that this is shaping up to be one of my favourite franchises.  I think these two films blow the water out of the original series.  Not just because of the effects, although to be fair it’s the technology that allows for the emotional layer that makes it truly special.  

What’s really lovely about this second chapter is that we care about both sides of the camp. It’s not humans or apes - both parties are good and bad.  It’s real and honest in that sense.  We’re conflicted and have no idea how it’s going to go.  

I don’t want to say much more, because it’s best just to experience this all for yourself.  This is the best blockbuster I’ve seen this summer, and I can’t wait to see it again.  If you have absolutely any interest in this film do yourself a favour and see it on the big screen.

2036 - Orange is the New Black: season two

Now that’s how you progress a story!  This season took what the first season began and beautifully brought it to the next level, furthering to nuance the characters - not forcing us to love or like them all, and even show sides of them that change how we see and feel about them otherwise.  It’s bold and beautiful storytelling and I loved it.  Even bringing in a “big bad” so to speak didn’t feel too formulaic, which it ran the risk of doing.  I don’t want to get into any specific details because it’s such a beauty to discover yourself, but I will say that this show doesn’t disappoint and it leaves us in a beautiful spot for where we come back in season three.  That said, we can move on from Jason Biggs storyline now, thanks.  Nothing against Biggs, I just don’t see how that story helps us moving forward.

2035 - The Grand Seduction

I tried to see this while it was on the festival circuit last year but it was always up against something I couldn’t miss - but it worked out nicely since I was able to go see it with my wife.  This is the kind of film where if you hated it, I might just accuse you of being dead inside.  It’s pretty damn charming.  It’s simple and sweet and entertaining.  Often films that take a gentler approach to innocent comedy pander a lot to their audience where this one felt pretty smart in it’s comedy.  I found myself laughing out loud regularly.  And Gordon Pinsent gives one of his most entertaining performances (in a career full of them) - also lovely to see Peter Keleghan as well.  Brendan Gleason was simply perfect as the small town man that steps up to rally the troops together and save the town.  If you’re from a small town, or just like good hearted films, please do yourself a favour and check this out - especially if you’re looking for something to do on Canada Day!

2034 - Edge of Tomorrow

From the guy who made Swingers… Sorry, I can’t help but say that in my head whenever I see a Doug Liman film.  I have to say that I don’t really have a strong love or hate for Tom Cruise.  With few exceptions (Magnolia, etc…) I find that Tom Cruise is pretty much Tom Cruise in most things - not a bad thing, but nothing to get super excited about.  This is one of his most fun roles to date - a serious action movie that doesn’t take itself super seriously.  It’s Groundhog Day as an action sci-fi film.  I love that we get a combination of seeing him stumble through the ‘repeat’, but then also seeing sequences where he’s clearly done this several times, and watching Emily Blunt be the ‘fresh eyes’ each time is ALWAYS enjoyable.  She’s a powerhouse and a fantastic edition to the action lady group.  You can have your Angelina Jolie’s (for the record, I like Jolie) - but give me Emily Blunt any day and I’m a happy man.  I also quite enjoyed Bill Paxton here, and I’m often so-so about him.  

If you’re up for a smart and fun action flick, this one doesn’t disappoint at all.  Well worth seeing, especially in the theatre.

2033 - Orphan Black: season two

It's impossible to talk about Orphan Black without talking about Tatiana's performance.  Without exception she is not only the star of the show - she is the show.  She slips so effortlessly into the various characters that despite your efforts you often forget that it's all the same person.  Tat obviously has an amazing career ahead of her, but it's hard to think she'll ever have a playground to play in like she does on this series - exhausting as it must be.
This season continued the greatness of the first season and helped to build deeper into the mythos of this world and it's rules.  It was nice for me to see some actor friends show up in supporting roles, and even greater to see characters like Helena really get a chance to shine here.  I love the additional layers that the show started to uncover this season and it went a long way towards convincing me just how much more story there is to tell with this series.  If it's not the best series in Canada at the moment, it's easily the most interesting - and definitely putting ourselves on the map in terms of original content creation.

2031 - Fargo: season one

I write season one assuming that there will be a second season based on the quality of this and what I’ve been able to find online.  This series could have been so bad, instead it’s at least as good as the film it was inspired by - and who knows…. it could be better in some regards…. Noah Hawley has nailed the tone set by the Coens, yet he also makes it uniquely his own.  This features one of the best ensemble casts of any series ever.  From somewhat newcomer Allison Tolman to season veterans Billy Bob Thorton, Oliver Platt, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Goldberg, to some awesome Canadian stand-outs Shawn Doyle, Joshua Close, Carlos Diaz, and Rachel Blanchard… but the stand-out for me is Martin Freeman.  It’s absolutely a career highlight - the transformation he goes through is nothing short of stunning.  

The entire season stands on it’s own and is quite serialized - each episode begging you to watch the next.  I found very few faults with the series in general outside of… (SPOILER ALERT) if both Lester and Malvo died, how did were the events depicted exactly as they occurred as is stated in the opening credits?…  (END SPOILER).

So if you haven’t dug into this and you’re a fan of the Coens work, this is a must watch.  I’d say it’s almost like a marriage between Fargo and No Country For Old Men.  I loved it, and I can’t wait for season two.

2030 - The Fault in our Stars

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep, slowly then all at once.".  This is the kind of film that was 100% kick your ass if you aren't completely dead inside.  It's the story of a young woman who should have died when she was 13, but by a miracle is still here, although sick, and what happens when she falls in love with a boy who isn't exactly the pique of health himself.  Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort are an absolute breath of fresh air.  They're charming and honest and real.  The film doesn't pull punches and it's not the after school special that would have been so easy to make.  The only false step it takes is in a moment that goes embarrassingly too far and it super cheesy.  You'll know what I mean when people start to clap...
You know from the get-go that this is the kind of film that's likely going to break your heart, but it doesn't make it any less worth the journey.  There's a lot that I could write about this film, but I think I'd prefer you to discover it yourself.  It's beautifully written, directed and performed.  And what makes this film all the more special is that it's done so well at the box office - proving that you don't need to be a superhero to rule the summer.  You just need a great story, beautifully told.  Please see this film while it's in theatres.

2028 - Louie: season four

This show continues to kick my ass.  Seriously, I might as well just start this with praise.  This is easily my favourite half-hour series of all time.  It blows me away with how wonderfully funny, honestly awkward and incredibly poignant it is.  This is one of the most unique shows there is, and it’s incredibly brave.  There was a big break between seasons, and given how fantastic this season was, I’m absolutely fine with it.  This season seemed to be about Louie’s relationship with women - with his ex’s, his daughters, and women he dates.  And it culminated in (SPOILER ALERT) he and Pamela Adlon starting to date and fall for one another.  I was so happy that it didn’t turn sour and that we’ll hopefully continue to see more of this relationship into the next season of the series.  This could have worked well as as series finale, but I need and want so much more!  I could go into great detail about all that I loved about this, my favourite season of my favourite half-hour series, but please just check it out for yourself.  If you trust my taste in stuff, trust this - Louie is worth your time.  My only complaint is that season 3 is not available yet on DVD/BluRay (please, oh please make it available - and season four).  Please watch this show.  It will make my heart happy.

2027 - Chef

Swingers remains one of my favourite films.  It came to me when I was a teenager and really fixated on wanting to become a filmmaker, and the story behind how it made, everything about it, was kind of intoxicating.  If you’ve never seen that film it’s absolutely worth hunting for.  The reason I bring up Swingers is because it feels like Chef is the first personal film that Favreau has made since - his career became fixated on blockbusters, so it’s nice to see him return to his roots.  Chef almost feels like Fav’s commentary on the current studio system and the film itself being his own personal food truck.  One can’t help but wonder of the food critic isn’t standing in for a group of film reviewers.

There’s something magical about this film - visually it’s a treat, especially the food porn.  At it’s heart it’s the story of a man finding his way back to his roots and becoming a real father to his son.  Story-wise the film is pretty light - but what it lacks that way it makes up in character and charisma.  It’s the kind of film where heavy-weights like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johanson, and Dustin Hoffman show up to act the hell out of a scene and then let the film take over.  

Only issue was that the backstory of the marriage falling apart with Sofia Vergara seemed random - they never seemed to have any issue with each other and it almost felt forced to give him some kind of hurdle to get over… Her character was a bit too one-note and supportive - it would have been a good way to flesh out his character a bit more.  

All in all it’s a really fun and lovely little film, a nice palette-cleanser from the typical summer-studio-fare.  If you like character based films with a heart - and you’re a bit of a foodie, this one’s right up your alley.

2026 - Breaking Bad: No Half Measures

I treated myself to the BluRay box set of the complete series because it’s loaded to the tits with features and also because I think it’s one of the few perfect television series that exists and I look forward to revisiting and studying it further - especially with all of the features that are on it.  It’s television school in a box and I think anyone wanting to work in the medium owes it to themselves to pick this up.

So this is supposed to be about the documentary that came with the set.  It follows the production of the final eight episodes, and it’s largely a love fest as they go through it, but there’s a lot of insight into how it works and if you’re a fan of the show then there’s no better way to dive back in and enjoy the final pieces being put together.

I look forward to slowly going through the series all over again and all of the special features that this set contains - there’s, I believe, over 55 hours of bonus which is almost as much as the series itself.  What a great ride I’ve got ahead of me… 

Bigfoot

I really enjoyed this little coming of age story about a young man growing up right in the midst of the most humiliating experience of his life.  I really like Pascal's drawing style, and it's been interesting reading his books almost in reverse and seeing how he's progressed.  It's about a young teen in Quebec who just became a YouTube in sensation (not in a good way) and how he deals with that and a crush and life in general.  It's sweet and honest and well worth your time if you like coming of age stories in this medium.

This One Summer

This is a really sweet coming of age story about a girl away for the summer stuck between a best friend whose younger and immature, and a teenage crush with an older bad-boy, and also stuck between her parents' own personal drama.  The artwork is gorgeous and once you've blasted through the story it demands another look through just so you can soak it all up.  If you're a lover of indie comics that are heartfelt and honest, this one is a must read.

2023 - Mad Men - Season Seven: part one

Somehow I thought we had one more episode for this half-season.  I love how this season started up and worked - it was so refreshing to see Don working for something as opposed to just coasting and bossing people around - it did a lot for regaining sympathy for him with his head between his heels.  I loved the way his relationship with Peggy has changed in all the years we’ve known them - it’s pretty amazing and staggering.  If you’d told the Don of season 1 that he’d one day be answering to the girl who gets his coffee he’d have laughed you out of his office.  

I have to say that with the exception of Sally, I could do without ever seeing the adventures of Betty and family for the rest of the series.  No offence to those cast members involved, it just feels like such a wasted amount of time especially given that we’ve got so precious few episodes left.  It really feels like everyone is getting a chance to shine - Roger visiting his daughter on a commune, co-workers going, literally, insane.  The company coming into it’s own, and Joan finally getting the financial wealth she’s only ever dreamed of.  It was actually sad to see Don and Megan’s relationship disintegrate and I wonder what they’ve got planned for him in the final eight when it comes to romance.  I doubt they’d have him and Peggy hit the sheets, but stranger things have happened… Looking forward to the final episodes when it returns.

2022 - Smashed

A cinematographer I know showed me part of this film as a visual reference for something and I'd wanted to see it ever since and was happy to see it on Netflix.  It tells the story of an alcoholic couple and what happens when one of them tries to get better and the other just couldn't give a shit.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives a charmed performance and manages to keep her character human and likeable amidst all of the shit she puts herself through battling her addition.  Paul is fantastic as the passive aggressive husband who, in theory, wants his wife to get better, but really doesn't want her to realize that she can get more out of this life.  It's a really lovely and heartbreaking story.  Check it out if you can!