1925 - The Hangover Part III

This film got shit on a whole lot when it came out.  I didn't mind it at all.  I didn't laugh a whole lot, but I was also curious what would happen with these characters and I liked the premise quite a bit and appreciated that they didn't go back to the well with trying to have the characters be drugged again.  It feels like a nice period to the story as well as it brings the story nicely full circle with events from the first film and a lot of really strong callbacks.  I have to admit, I was always disappointed that Stu never hooked up with Heather Graham following the first film.  Big shame.
It's around VOD now if you missed it in the theatres as I did.  I don't think it beats the original by any means, but it's worth checking out if you made the effort to see the second one, for sure.

1924 - Solo

I got to check this film out to a packed audience at Toronto After Dark Film Festival earlier this week.  Full disclosure - one of the producers of this film is someone I'm working with on some upcoming projects, however I would never write an ass-kissy review just because of it.
The premise of this film is that a young woman goes to camp to be a new counsellor - and part of her initiation is spending 2 nights on a nearby island.  And nerve wracking shit ensues.
What I liked about this as a thriller is it felt largely credible.  There's one moment where I has to suspend disbelief a bit, but even that I might just be being nit-picky.  Annie Clark is delightful as the lead - she's doesn't play it stupid or naive - she plays it like a smart young woman caught up in a really shitty situation.
It's the kind of film that keeps you guessing, keeps you on edge, and entertains at the same time.  That and it's just so goddamn pretty to look at - they really took great care in the visual.  It's being released in Canada in the near future - so pretty please check it out - especially if you like film that keep you on your toes!

1923 - Hitchcock

I'm a film nerd, and part of my collection is a whole shitload of Hitchcock - some of which I'm embarrassed to admit I've still never seen.  The trick is I need to develop a Hitchcock type project to give me the excuse to watch all those films.  I still think North by Northwest is my favorite, but there's a special place in my heart for Psycho as well.
I don't know if there's a whole lot of new discovery in this film - for anyone that's even a moderate fan of Hitch it feels like you could have gotten all of the little tidbits of info by just scouring the internet a bit.  The film seems to focus on the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife, resulting in him appearing to have a change of heart with his view on his women in his films by the end, and putting his focus onto his wife. Ironic that the next film he makes is The Birds where the famous story of his obsession with Tippi Hedren comes from - which just makes the ending of his "bio-pic" feel a bit like bullshit.
That said, Hopkins disappearing inside of Alfred Hitchcock and gives a fantastic performance, as does Johanson - both worth watching it for that alone.  I was hoping it would be a bit more exciting, or at the very least offer new substance and behind the scene stuff that the average Hitchcock nerd is already aware of.  Alas.  It's on Netflix if you want to give it a shot - although I think the making of documentary on the DVD of the film likely provides much stronger material.  So there's that :)

1922 - The Office: Christmas Special

I haven't seen this in years and since I'm re-studying the mockumentary style there's few finer examples.  This series has inspired me to no end, and I believe it's the awkward humour and the way it tickles the heart that's absolutely seeped into my own style.  There's something so admirable about the way that the British do their series, short and sweet, and never any waste.  It's surprising to think that this is over a decade old now, or around that.  I love the honest and simple closure that this gave the world and the characters we'd grown to love.  David Brent doesn't ride off into the sunset, but we see he's grown a backbone and making choices he never would have made at the beginning of the series.  It's simple and so effective.  If you haven't watch this, the original version of The Office, I don't want to ruin anything for you.  There's much debate over Jim and Pam Vs. Tim and Dawn - and while I love them both, it's hard to beat the original.
Please, if you've never see it, get on it.  There's only 14 episode of the entire series - it's a crime not to give it that 7hrs of your life, even this many years later.  Pretty please, with sugar on top, watch this!

1921 - This is Spinal Tap

I decided to go back to the beginning - and I don't know if it's Rob Reiner directing here that makes the difference, but this is a phenomenal film for a few reasons.  First off - it's ridiculous in the way that all Guest mockumentaries are - but what's different about this one is that it feels authentic.  The world is grounded by some things that make me buy into the concept.  There's tremendous heart and sadness as we watch these poor bastards turn into nobodies.  It's beautiful.  It's also filled with the iconic and hilarious bits that we all recall, but what really strikes me here is the arc of the relationships and I think that's what makes this one truly special.  There's a connection there.  This all means something to them, and so it really does mean something to us.  I'm in pre-production on something in a similar vein so it's nice to rewatch a master work like this for reference. 
If you've never seen this film and you're either a music or comedy lover, do yourself a massive favor and watch this straight away.  There's a good chance I might even revisit it again in the upcoming weeks.

1920 - A Mighty Wind

Re-watched this film for research on a project I'm getting ready for.  I have to be honest in that this isn't my favourite Guest film.  I love the musical aspect of it, but I just feel like it's missing a point to the whole thing.  I'm not quite sure why we're following these people or what Guest is trying to get at with the idea of following these folk stars around - the themes and whatnot.  I love a lot of the performances here, but mostly Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, who are fantastic and somewhat heartbreaking.  Everyone else just feels like they're coming out to do something fun - which it is.  There's some characters here that I just downright don't enjoy at all - but it's no fun obsessing over that :)
It's a very welcome additional to Guest's work, but no where close to my favorite.

1919 - Bindlestiffs

I heard about this through one of Kevin Smith's podcasts so I thought I'd throw it on in the background as I did some work - and as background material, it's absolutely adequate.  It's about three high-school friends who go on a bender living vicariously through Catcher in the Rye.
I can see how Smith probably felt a kinship to this team of filmmakers given his own beginnings.  As a feature made by a bunch of highs school students - it's rather impressive - as a film in general.... well - it feels like it was made by a bunch of high school students.  The performances are pretty bad, albeit amusing - the stand out is the young actress that plays Caramel - she is easily the most enjoyable thing about the film.
It'll be interesting to see if anything comes out of this team's brush with fame, or if they're never heard from again.  Neither would surprise me.  Truth is, we all made embarrassing films when we were practising and learning our craft - the difference being that we didn't realize ours into the general public.  So kudos to them for at least being naked in front of us.  That said -  it's hard to give a reason to check this out outside of pure curiosity.

1918 - The Guilt Trip

This film came and went pretty quickly from the populus, and the fact that it's on Netflix this soon says something, sadly... Seth Rogen plays Barbara Streisand's son, they go on a road trip together.  Great title and set-up for a movie that's, well... just okay.

Rule #1 of comedy - if you're going to do a scene that's been done before, do it bigger and better.  Here we have a bit where someone has to eat a giant steak dinner to get it for free.  The Great Outdoors has the best version of this that I've seen - and yes, making Barbara Streisand do it is a very funny idea - but that's about the end of that joke, and it doesn't go anywhere from there.  The whole movie is kind of like that when it comes to the comedy.  Great potential, but not followed up on and grown further.  It's the kind of film that lays very obvious bread crumbs early on and then things go pretty much as you'd expect them.  There's a nice little twist at the very end, but other than that there's not a lot of surprises going on here and for a comedy, that's a problem.

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it.  I think the Streisand audience will enjoy it a lot more than the Rogen one.

1917 - Breaking Bad: season five - part 2

What can I say here that hasn't already been said?  This show is universally loved, by myself as well.  There isn't a bad performance, a bad scene, hell I'd argue there isn't a bad episode in the entire run.  Perfect is a strong word, but Breaking Bad might be just that.  There was an interesting theory that the final episode was a dream of Walt's, and that he simply died alone, not accomplishing anything he wanted to - part of me likes that as much as I like the idea of the ending going down exactly as it happened.  Did it tie things up too cleanly?  Maybe.  It went down pretty much as I'd expected and thought - so I didn't have a lot of surprises in the final hour, but I had a lot of fun watching it. What I loved about the last run of episodes was that it really felt like Vince Gilligan was giving us a sample of every possible outcome.  We got to see what it looked like when Jesse turned the tables on Walt, what it looked like when Hank won, Walt running away with his tail between his legs, Walt dying alone, and then Walt making amends and doing what he set out to do: take care of his family.  I'd argue that if you didn't like the ending of the actual finale - then at least you were given something in that group that helped it.  

I'm really looking forward to picking up that big-ass boxset and delving into the materials and behind the scenes.  Shit yes.  It's a beautiful show that never stayed past it's welcome and went out absolutely on top.  It's inspiring.  Good on ya, Gilligan and company.  Thank you for giving us an amazing story to obsess over for several seasons.  You'll be missed.

1916 - RoboCop

I haven't seen this in years and was compelled to give it another view (totally forgetting that the reboot is on it's way to us).  I was kind of surprise to find that Peter Weller is… well… he's not a great actor.  He's fine when he's playing a robot, but that's largely because that's what his acting range in this film seems to fit (that said, he was great in his stint on Dexter, so hard to give him too much shit).  I think this is a film that's so easy for people to slush off as a bizarre 80's flick, but it's so rife with social commentary and imagery that it makes it kind of amazing.  It's an allegory wrapped around a b-movie.  I don't think I've ever seen the follow-ups, and I'm not sure I'd be interested in it.  The re-make trailer seems to miss the central point of the original which is, really about how you can't remove the soul from a living creature, no matter how much technology you throw at it.  Morality survives.  It's on netflix if you feel the need to revisit - I'm glad I did!

1915 - Now You See Me

I am a sucker for a big flashy con-film - and throw together a cast like this and I'm all-in.  It's the story of four-magicians brought together - why?  They aren't entirely sure - but they're about to become Robin Hood-esque Magicians on a heist that even they don't understand.
To talk about this film properly requires me to go into SPOILER MODE.  But before that I'll say - I liked it - I will absolutely see a follow-up if they make it (although it felt like this whole con had been someone's life's work) - but I did find that the characters were a little one note - and it was almost entirely plot based - nothing wrong with that - I just think the film could have been a lot richer otherwise.

Okay.  Now SPOILERS...

You know that the film is going to end with the twist of us realizing that one of the characters is going be the mastermind - it's not going to be a new character - films don't do that.  They kept pointing at the French lady (also this film seemed to have a bizarre racist slant agains the French...), so it's too obvious to make it her - she's the assistant - and Morgan Freeman's character is too obvious as well.  Ruffalo seemed like the biggest twist, and so to me it only made sense to make it be him.  That said, I just don't know about this twist - I'd have to re-watch the film to make sure it fit and wasn't just parlour tricks.

All that said, it was good popcorn entertainment and I will, indeed, take second helpings should they come my way.

1914 - The Heat

I really wanted to see this film when it was in theatres as Bridesmaids was easily one of my favorite films of that year.  It was a no brainer for Paul Feig to reunite with McCarthy and vice versa following the success of their previous joint-outing - and this time they go after the buddy cop genre.  It feels at times very much like those kinds of films that I grew up on.  I like Bullock and McCarthy quite a bit here and the pairing is amazing casting.  That said.... I don't know... I kind of started to feel like the film laboured on a bit - there were some entire scenes that were there just for the funny and didn't move the story along at all, and felt like that.  The film, sadly, is hit or miss - but when it's hitting - it's hitting hard.  There's some belly laughs here with the chemistry of the two leads, but the story beats and everything else feels a bit on the safe and predictable side of things.  Although it could very well be that I just walked into this with unfair and unrealistic expectations.  Please don't let me persuade you from checking it out, as I said - I liked it, but I was just hopping I'd LOVE it.

1913 - Skyfall

I can't say that I'm a big Bond nerd - although I dated a girl whose father was, and so managed to get through his entire collected during that relationship - and I think... I've seen them all... I loved the first Craig outing, was 'meh' on the second, and really really enjoyed this one.  I mean, I like the nerdy stuff like the idea of introducing Moneypenny - especially in such an awesome way - this is the first Bond film that really played into those older versions of it with that, the male M being instated, and the introduction of Q.  Very fun.  

One thing I was never big on when this new version started up was the carrying over of Judi Dench.  I like Dench, it's not about that, but more what it said about the world... and the fact that she exists in the Bronson ones as well.  Is the idea that James Bond is just a code name?  There have been several Bonds?  This film seems to suggest, with the visiting of his childhood home, that there is only one Bond.  But enough about that.

This film was what a Bond film should be, first and foremost, fun.  It had girls, gadgets, and a great villain.  Sign me up for more if this is what we're going to be expecting.  I love that Bond was a true underdog here and didn't really come off like a perfect killing machine.  The story was engaging, the cast was enjoyable.  If you haven't gotten around to seeing it and had any interest whatsoever give it a shot.  I'm up there with the best of the Bonds.

1912 - The Beaver

I first heard about this project when the script was on The Blacklist, and at the same time knew it was going into production so I decided to avoid reading it.  I recall the production having it's ups and downs, and that there was some controversy over Gibson's personal life around the time of it's release - so it didn't move out as wide as it was initially intended to.
It's an interesting film, that's for sure.  My only real solid complaint is that we're never really given a picture of who Walter is before the story really kicks in - we're meeting him at absolute rock bottom, and I get that, but I think there were some beats missing that could have eased us into it somewhat.  He's depressed... about what?  I'm not sure we ever really get a sense of that, or who Walter really is outside of a stereotype.  That said, Gibson is in fine form here.  He's charming at The Beaver, and troubled as Walter - and he melds the two together pretty damn beautifully.
The world felt a bit over-the-top.  I have a hard time buying that their company would be getting as much exposure as they do, etc... but I'll let it go for the sake of story.
With the premise being that a toy company exec, on the verge of a mid-life crisis, enlists the aid of a puppet Beaver to speak on his behalf and help him get through his day-to-day.
Jodie Foster, and the script, decides not to make fun of this man - which would be easy to do with a simple casting change.  That's not to say it isn't funny, or amusing, it's all of those things - but I think that the tone of this film is tricky, and Jodie managed it pitch perfectly.  It's kind of a mid-life-coming-of-age-crisis kind of film, been there - done that - but never without it being it's own thing.  It's on Netflix if you're interested - if you're just not quite sure about this one - give it a 10 minute try... better yet 20...

1911 - Dexter: season eight

Somewhere in the second season of this series I remember being so amazed at where they were going with it that I had to keep asking "Where are they going to go with this show?  How are they going to keep up how solid this is?"  And now we have the answer.  They didn't.  Or maybe they just couldn't.  The third season of this show was it's first valley after a series of peaks.  The fourth season (Trinity) was a return to form with what ended up being Dexter's best adversary that culminated in the series strongest moment.  After that it was a lot of waiting around to see if it would get back to greatness, and it never really did.  The 6th season was terrible, and the beginning of the 7th showed a lot of promise - in general I liked the 7th season, but this last season… geez.

Now - if you haven't finished watching this series - stop now.  Spoiler heavy shit coming below.

First off, let's start at the end.  What a terrible ending for this show.  Although, to be fair, there was no good ending for this show.  It was almost an impossible task.  But watching the finale was like watching a bad fan-boy script.  Having the final thought of the show being that all the work Dexter had done to become a rounded human was pointless?  That he couldn't changed, despite evidence that he was changing?  It all felt a little random.  It made me feel like I'd wasted my time watching this show all together.  And the fact that the show never put Dexter's feet to the coals in the end and exposed him to his world… what a missed opportunity.  We got to see Miami Metro be bumbling idiots for years, it would have been amazing to watch them go toe to toe with Dexter and Debra caught in the middle… but alas… instead we get Oliver Saxon - as boring as they come.

The writing on this season was terrible.  Just little things like the idea that Hannah has come back, and is a wanted woman.  You'd think the first thing they'd do is cut and dye her hair.  Something, ANYTHING to change her goddamn appearance.  But no.  Whatever cleverness was in the writing early in the series has long since evaporated.  The stuff with Masuka and his daughter was such a last ditch effort to give that character some depth - and the fact that it resulted in… nothing.. what a waste.  

And Debrah… fuck it… at that point it just felt like the whole thing was being written by a fan who didn't really understand the show.  I like that it was Dexter that took her out and was protecting her, that he put her in the water, and that he "died" there as well.  

I could go on and on, but I'm not entirely sure the point.  This last season was such a wasted opportunity given how strong this series started.  But… well at least it's over… 

1910 - Fading Gigolo

When I was first looking into this year's TIFF line-up this quickly became a must-see for me.  The premise alone had me sold: Woody Allen decides to become a pimp for John Turturro to help them out of a financial drought.  I'm in!
I wasn't expecting it to be a mad comical romp, by any means, but I have to say that the tone of the film was a lot more sentimental and slow than I would have imagined.  In the end, while I still enjoyed this film, I didn't love it as I was really hoping to.  There was a lot going on that didn't quite make sense to me, including a sub-plot with the always-fantastic Liev Schreiber that had Woody Allen going off to Jewish Court for reasons that were not all together clear.
The ending left a lot to be desired as I'm not quite sure what the film was getting at with it, what the point of it was, really.  Maybe I'm just spoiled by the current state of high-stakes story-telling, but the film lacked a sense of urgency and purpose that I think would have made all the difference.
By all means it's still worth checking out, it's very sweet, I think I was just hoping for something different with it.

1909 - Bad Words

I have a big place in my heart for inappropriate and dark comedy, and this filled it right up.  Jason Bateman's directorial debut has him playing a 40-year old man who has found a loophole to allow him to compete in a national high school spelling bee competition - the reason for which I won't spoil here.
The jokes are fast and funny and anyone studying the writing of comedy would do well to study this film for that alone.  The timing, callbacks and plot reversals are super strong and keep the film flowing without a dull moment through-out.
I can only imagine we'll be seeing this in a wide-release, so I don't want to give away any of it's shining moments.  If I had to make a critique the film could have, maybe, had a tinge more substance and message - although I think on a second viewing I might find I was enjoying myself too much to really notice that it was already there.
This film is a real crowd pleaser, and if you like your comedy dark, this is the place to be.

1908 - The Husband

The Husband tells a story of the saddest guy ever.  His wife, a teacher, has slept with one of her teenage students, and while off to jail has left him alone with their newborn child (when exactly did this affair take place, given how young the baby is?... was it before?...).  On top of that he's being further emasculated at work by younger employee.  It's just a shitty situation for this guy.  So we're programmed to have nothing but empathy for him... except I didn't... and that's what I bumped up against in this film.  I'm not against the choice of having the main character seem pissed off the whole time 'cause of the shitty situation he's been dealt - I get that - but the film has made the choice to make him... well, unlikeable.  I should have had nothing but empathy for this guy - but I didn't and I'm trying to figure out why.  Mostly it's probably because the choices the guy made - he just kind of ... acted, without and kind of a plan - and when we seem him trying to break out on his own career-wise, well, he just doesn't seem all that good at his job.
I really wanted to like this film, and there's some good elements going on with it, but I really had a hard time finding an in with the main character.  From the reviews I read, I think there's an audience for this type of film, and likely it just wasn't the right fit for me at the time I viewed it.  Please, though, if it seems interesting to you at all, please give it a shot and judge for yourself!

1907 - Child of God

There's no way to describe this film outside of delightfully fucked-up.  I have no way of explaining why I liked this film, but I really really did.  It follows a backwoods man as he delves into moral depravity and it's so goddamn fascinating.  You don't give the character a pass, but you also don't want to look away - he's so watchable and interesting.  Franco has such a confident eye in this film and knows exactly what he's trying to accomplish.  I can't imagine how on earth you would market this film outside of an art-house crowd, but it's a really solid, interesting film.  Scott Haze is absolutely amazing as the backwoodsman, and commands your attention.
I love that Franco is just all over the map with his projects and doesn't really have anything in particular that defines him.  Good on him, and I can't wait to see what he brings out next.

1906 - Joe

David Gordon Green has made some interesting career moves and tonal shifts in his body of films, and this feels much closer to his early days.  Joe is the story of Nicholas Cage who runs a group of guys that work in the forrest, and takes on a protoge in a young teenager with a shitty family in tow.  First, I love how dirty everyone looks and feels in this film - it's a beautiful thing.  The whole thing feels a bit like a poem, or a dream.  Green guides us along like a master story teller, taking his time, but always making us legitimately interested in what's happening, and what's coming.  Cage is in top form and deserves some nods for his performance here.  This will probably not be for everyone, but those into character dramas, this one will make you happen.

1905 - Don Jon

Only Joseph Gordon-Levitt would cast himself in a role like this and thank the sweet lord that he did.  Holy shit did I love this film.  I loved how fun it was, how much the cast gelled, and how inspired the casting was (especially Tony Danza).  I loved the style of the images, it's repetition.  Such a wonderfully endearing and fucked up lead character that you really love and want to see get what they want and need.  Again, this is a film where I don't want to give away a single damn thing, but know that I smiled from ear to ear from start to finish.  Not only is this a great film, but for a first time filmmaker, it's the promise of a great career as a filmmaker and I'm so excited to see what he does next in his regard.  See this the instant you're able.

1904 - Almost Human

I believe this is the only midnight madness film that I saw, and I went into it on a lark because it's screening time lined up with a window I had.  The premise is that a guy got abducted by aliens years prior and has returned and something's up with him.  Essentially he's an alien/human hybrid who reaks havoc on the community trying to further his new "species".  It's a fun premise, but the main issue with the film is that it feels kind of paper-thin and there's very little logic to how it all works, really.  From the acting to the writing everything kind of screams b-movie, but perhaps that's the point.

1903 - Gravity

We've seen Cast Away, Open Water, Frozen, Gerry, lots of great Dude With a Problem films that throw someone against the elements and demand that they survive and often laugh in their face for even trying to do so.  But, correct me if I'm wrong here, never has it happened in space - and if it has - I can't imagine it's been done so epically and so beautifully.
I'm not a 3D nerd, but this is the first film in the last dirge of them that I've seen where I absolutely understand why the medium exists.  It truly did add a layer to the film (pun only marginally intended).  Sandra Bullock doesn't give the performance of a lifetime or anything, but she easily carries the bulk of the film on her shoulders along with some amazing technical wizards.  I heard some people had story issues but I was just along for the ride and happy to be there.  This will be sweeping the multiplexes soon enough and I give it my solid approval.  And it's absolutely a film that needs to be seen in as beautiful a theatre as you can muster.

1902 - The Wonders

This film didn't do a whole lot for me, sadly.  It was full of double crosses and "who's screwing who" and it flipped flopped till I couldn't quite keep it straight.  Charming in pieces, and I liked the performers.

1901 - The F Word

Now.  THIS is an example of making an accessible, commercial film inside of Canada.  But Michael Dowse is no stranger to that with Good.  Dowse is easily one of my favorite working directors in Canada.  I've been tracking this film for a while because two of my friends have small parts in it, but I'd be tracking it anyway because of Dowse alone.
It's easy to label this film as an update on When Harry Met Sally, but it's more than just that.  It throws you right into a head-on witty banter and doesn't let you go from that.  Of course you're in for a will they/won't they type film, but the situations they're put into aren't just for laughs or annoying suspense.  You feel their angst and confusion.  There's a pitch-perfect scene that takes place inside of a change room which anyone writing an effective rom-com should study.  It's a fantastic moment and the film is full of them.  Radcliffe is quite charming once you get used to the idea of him as a romantic interest (which does take a moment to adjust to) and Zoe Kazan is downright adorable - Adam Driver rounds out the cast nicely.
This film made a big splash at TIFF, and rightly so, so I think it won't be long before you can see it yourself.  Make sure you do.

1900 - Enough Said

Nicole Holofcener is one of my favorite filmmakers - she's labelled as a female Woody Allen, and while I love Woody, Nicole stands strongly on her own two feet.  She's making some of the best romantic comedies of our generation, and this is no exception.  I need to see it again before I firmly make this statement - but this might be my favorite of her films.
It's about two middle aged people who are watching their only children moving out of the house, and in the course they strike up a relationship and see if they can get over the baggage left by their previous marriages.  It's a beautiful little comedy with honest, insightful and hilarious conversations.  It's about learning who you are as you grow, and what you will and won't put up with.  It's a great film and a must-see.

1899 - Hateship Loveship

All I knew about this film going in was that someone I knew liked it, and who was in the cast.  That's another beauty of just seeing a bunch of films in a festival - often you get to go in fresh to the story and world - and it's so rare these days that you get to experience a world that way.
It's the story of a sheltered young woman played by Kristen Wiig, who is fucking wonderful here.  Her subtle smile that creeps through the whole thing is so beautiful and you just want to wrap your arms around her.  What I loved most about this was that I legitimately had no idea where the story was headed, and in a very good way I was just along for the ride.  It's a film about a caregiver and a bunch of other people who have to learn to take care of themselves.  I don't want to ruin any details of this lovely little film - but if you like strong, heartfelt character pieces - this is a must-see.

1898 - August: Osage County

When you've got an all access pass to TIFF, it's difficult to not just use it to see all the big films that are being released for Oscar season, and while I don't avoid them entirely, I try to see a good mix-bag to keep me honest.  This is, clearly, not one of those - this is oscar bait through and through.
It's a powerful ensemble that comes to give powerhouse performances - there's a, roughly 25 minute living room scene, which that allows every single performer to have a moment all of their own including several reversals.  It's delightful.
For years I've been dancing around a dysfunctional family film of my own - but now I'm not sure I've got anything to say that this film hasn't.  So good on them for that.  It's not an easy film to make - none of the characters are super likable, but that isn't the point - the point is that they're interesting.  We want to know what makes them tick - we want to see what they'll do, how they'll end up.  Making a character do unlikeable things isn't enough to make them someone interesting and this filmmaking team nows that.
Expect to hear a lot about this film in the upcoming months.  For those who love character dramas - it's a muse-see.

1897 - TIFF - Short Cuts Canada - Programme 2

So full disclosure - this is the programme that I screened in in TIFF this year - and since this is my blog, I'm including a still from my own film about to represent the group.  Sue me :)
Over-all I really enjoyed the flow of the programme, which must be an art in and of itself to do for those in charge.  The program is at one time beautiful, challenging, heartfelt, and hilarious.  I look forward to staying in touch with these filmmakers and see how they grow.  Below, a snapshot on my thoughts on the films in this program:

A Grand Canal - Directed by Johnny Ma
The visual style was quite striking and made it feel like it took place in the 70's.  It's the story of a young man recounting his father's final days.  Based on how the narrative ends you're lead to believe that the filmmaker is telling the story of his own father - but this is just a dramatic device, and sadly I felt like it was a little bit of a cheat when I found that out.  It shouldn't make the film's ending any less satisfying, but for me - somehow it did...

Beasts in the Real World - Directed by Sol Friedman
A delightfully experimental film.  It starts off by putting a camera on the conveyer belt of a sushi restaurant and I was worried that was all the film was going to be - but Sol is good hands to be in as he pushes you around and makes you delight in glee at some morbid stuff, all done with a lovely wink.

Seasick - Directed by Eva Cvijanovic
My joke through-out the festival was that any of the animated filmmakers were infinitely talented than any of the live-action ones - and while that's not true necessarily, I've always been a bit jealous of the skill set.  The animation here is beautiful - the story is all the way secondary, and not really the point.  But lovely all around.

Daybreak - Directed by Ian Lagarde
This film was disturbing in a deliberate and challenging way.  The story of a bunch of asshole kids on the cusp of being adults and figuring out what that means, where you stand, and who your real friends are.  A dark, sad, yet beautiful film.

Noah - Directed by Walter Woodmen & Patrik Cederberg
This might be my favorite of our program.  First off, the idea of having it take place entirely online is timely and satisfying.  I dare say the filmmakers should consider a feature version of this.  I found myself engaged, laughing out loud, rooting for this young stupid kid.  You'll likely be able to see this one on-line - do it!!!

Out - Directed by Jeremy LaLonde
This one is mine.  It's a comedy and people laughed.  Mission accomplished!

Young Galaxy - Directed by James Wilkes
What's it like to live inside of the mild of a child.  The answer is this.  Imagination abounds here, although I have to say that I didn't get a sense of a lesson learned.  It's one thing to put us inside the mind of a child so effortlessly, but the film doesn't answer - why his imagination - why this day, why, why why?  Too many questions and not enough answers, sadly.  Why are we inside of his head on THIS day.  

1896 - Stay

I am officially in love with Taylor Schilling.  And I also found myself adoring Aidan Quinn, who I can normally not really get all that excited about - as far as I know it's the first time he's really played his age in recent years.
The film is about a young woman who is dating a man old enough to be her father, living in Ireland.  They have a nice simple life until she discovers she's pregnant, and knowing that he doesn't want children, the two take some alone time to figure out their shit, which includes her leaving their place in Ireland for her to return him to Canada to figure some stuff out (her father, played by Michael Ironside, was a delightful surprise).
The film starts off as a simple story of a couple, but then it ends up being an ensemble by the end, and the shift is confusing at first.  It muddles the central story a bit and left me wondering what the over-all themes of the piece there were.  Solid performances make the film an easy recommend, though, and make up for any of the film's minor flaws.

1895 - The Right Kind of Wrong

I often complain that Canada doesn't bother making commercial films very often, which is part of the problem with our film system.  So first off, I want to give kudos to this filmmaking team for even making the attempt.  That being said, this isn't exactly the kind of film I hope for when I make such comments.  It's got some charm to it, absolutely, but the premise is... I don't know... A man, who has become the subject of his ex-wife's book "Why You Suck" falls in love with a woman on her wedding day based solely on the fact that she kicks the hell out of a football whilst in a wedding dress.  Granted, the film mocks him for this, it doesn't change the fact that this is a rom-com because Ryan Kwanten is cast in the lead.  Put Paul Giamati in this role and the women aren't exactly getting behind his goal of making this woman fall for him.
I could actually forgive the film all of that if it didn't commit the biggest sin - being a rom-com with no 'com'.  It's just not funny, really.  The film has a solid message behind it, but the characters aren't grounded in any kind of reality to help support that message, instead relying on cliches like cute kids who are way too smart for their own good and instead of stealing scenes mostly just elicit eyeball rolls.
The highlights of this film is how beautiful Canada looks in it and just how great Sara Canning is.  She's easily the highlight of the film, and if there's a reason to check it out - it's her.

1894 - Empire of Dirt

Got to see the World Premiere of this at TIFF, and since then I've heard such varying things about it.  It's the story of three generations of women trying to sort their lives out and figure out how to deal with one another.  I've heard people say that it's absolutely brilliant and others calling it an unfocused mess.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.  I found the visuals to be distracting in that it felt like an artistic choice that was more interesting for the filmmakers than suiting of the story and world.  In the Q&A Stebbings mentioned that the film was an experiment in him not using a storyboard or shot-list, and it feels like that.  Also they mentioned not knowing where an expositional speech that everyone loved should go.  Right now, they've placed it at the very end of the film, and it almost feels like it's explaining, on-the-nose, all the subtleties we've been going through for the last two hours.  This was one of the larger complaints about the film I'd heard as well.
So I don't really recommend this film one way or the other.  If you're a fan of heavy dramas this could be right up your alley.

1893 - CinemaNovels

A young woman's father dies an in an effort to get to him him despite their checkered past, decides to run a memorial film festival - the problem being that she's never seen any of his films.
Lauren Lee Smith is the reason I went to see this, and by all means, she's the best thing about the film.
This is a tough film, because at one point it comes off as the kind of film that's making fun of arty Bergman-esque films, and on the other hand - it absolutely is that kind of film too.  So my fear is that with a film like this, it's going to isolate it's audience...
There was something bizarre in the visuals as well, beautiful close-ups that were matched with these flat, pixelated wide-shots - almost as if a different DP did them - or it was a different film.  I normally don't comment on such things - but because they pulled me out of it I couldn't help it.
Overall, I enjoyed Lauren Lee Smith so much, but the film over-all just didn't grab me the way I was hoping it would - perhaps it'll be different for you when you give it a shot!

1892 - Blood Ties

Finally getting around to writing up my TIFF viewing!  I'm a good dozen or so behind, so bear with me :)
This is a re-make of a film I never saw.  Two brothers, one a cop and the other a hardened criminal and the cat and mouse game that they play.  The film takes it's time in setting up the family dynamics - and it really doesn't need to - we get it pretty quickly.  Clive Own and Billy Krudup are top notch here, but sadly the women are given very little to do.
The film could do well with some trimmings - it has several solid sequences including a phenomenal third act that really builds up up to a super solid conclusion.  I hope they cut it down a bit before it's final release.  Great performances for the guys, a real shame the amazingly talented women were short changed here.

1891 - Despicable Me 2

It's been about a year since I took my son to see a movie, which shames me to no end, but here we went again.  We watched the first together and it gave him some genuine belly laughs, as it did me, so I was happy to check this out with him.  The minions, obviously, steal the film - and what I like about here that was smart was that they used them as a major plot point in the film as opposed to just filling the film with more random scenes of them as a lesser movie would have done.  In fact, the minion stuff is so strong that it eclipses the rest of the film, and that's not always a great thing.
I had some story logic quibbles, which I won't bring up here in great detail.  Mostly, it just bothered me that they didn't go as far as they should have with some of the character stuff, with Gru in particular.  There were some missed opportunities.  All in all though, I quite enjoyed it, and I think I even liked it better than the original - which is nice since the second film should be better if there's a point in making it at all.
I see that there's a Minions film coming out, so I'm sure my little guy and I will find our ways over there when it's released.  If you want to see a kid's film that's pretty enjoyable for the parents as well, this is a good one!

1890 - Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone

I've been looking for a reason to revisit these, and having children is a pretty good one.  We watched this because I wanted to take a crack at reading the first book to my four year old, and while he's pretty good about books with a lot of pictures, because there's a lot of fantasy elements to this he had a hard time visualizing what was there, so I decided to give him a look-see at the film world.
They're sooooo little here.  It's kind of adorable - and what a different tone this film is by the time to we get to the end-game.  One day I would love to do a marathon of all eight films - I think that's something that will have to happen when the kids are teenagers for sure.
This film still stands up, and its fantastic how much foreshadowing is going on, even here, despite how little the filmmakers knew about where the story was going.  There's even subtle moments between Ron and Hermoine.  Charming to say the least.
If you've never dived into these, and you like fantasy even a little, give it a go.  If nothing else than for the pop cultural value.

1889 - iSteve

I watched this film in the background while getting some work done and, sadly, that's about all the attention that it deserves, really.  I'm not sure who the audience is for this film outside of hardcore apple geeks, and then it's just going to offend them to some degree.  What a bizarre little film - it's almost intended to be a piss-up or a roast to Apple.  Maybe the whole point was to just take a piss on the whole thing, and that's kind of what it feels like.  I don't mean to talk shit about this film - Justin Long (as always) was a lot of fun, and had fun within the world - I'm just not sure what the point of the film was for the filmmakers, especially since they were playing pretty hard and fast with the actual facts behind the story.
It's on Netflix, so check it out - I'd be curious to know what other Apple nerds thought of it...

1888 - Arrested Development: season four

I wasn't one of those who felt like the world would have been robbed without more Arrested Development.  I was a big fan of the initial run of the series and I thought that, for better or worse, the show walked away at it's peak - a feat many others can't claim.  And then this came along.  I have to say, the AV Club's season long review sums up a lot of my own feelings:

It’s an occasionally hilarious, sometimes boring, always bloated boondoggle of a project, and it’s the sort of thing that’s at once staggering in its ambition and hard to approach with anything like real affection. It is, in places, masterful. It is also, in other places, at once weirdly pleased with itself and too ready to hold the audience’s hand where that hand needn’t be held. 

I watched the first half until I felt like I was watching it more out of obligation than real interest, and then I took a break.  I found when I came back the second half really started to gel.  Part of the problem with this season is the sheer design of it - because they couldn't get all of the cast back together at the same time, they decided to go with a different kind of situation, but as it gets closer to the end you start to see all the pieces of the puzzle coming together and it's quite rewarding.

There's a number of pretty amazing sight gags - the Jeremy Piven one being one of the most clever.  A huge missed opportunity was in not referencing how the cast had changed so drastically physically (mostly Lindsay and Maeby) and yet it goes without comment - especially in the scenes meant to take place directly following season three.  Alas.

I don't need to recommend this to hard-core fans, you're already in.  Newcomers... this is going to feel like it's a crack experiment - so if you really just want to start the show here, tread lightly.  Also, you're missing out on some amazing things if that's your call.  At one point I really want to revisit the initial run.  One of these days!

1887 - The Kids Are All Right

My wife and I have been wanting to see this film since it was first announced.  Big fans of all the lead actors, and the story was pretty interesting and compelling.  Two lesbian's Mom's children (both from the same sperm donor) want to figure out who their father is - but when he enters back into their lives the family connects with him in ways that make it very uncomfortable for them to continue along like they have.
It's a film that never gets too heavy, but also delves into how difficult long term relationships are.  The dynamics of family, and how addictive that lifestyle is even though on the surface it doesn't really seem all that appealing.
This is a great film for a night you just want to veg, but also watch something with substance.  Give it a shot if you haven't already.

1886 - True Blood: season six

This show is another of my guilty pleasures - although I have to say that this was one of the show's strongest seasons over-all.  Typically True Blood has a lot of stray plot threads and don't come together till mid-season but the unifying theme of Humans Vs. Vampires was super strong and effective in really bringing everything together.  All of the characters were interesting and important, and we got rid of some who have over stayed their welcome a bit (although SPOILER ALERT... I loved Terry and the actor who plays him).
I liked the Warlow storyline a lot and how it shifted and you didn't really know where it was going to go good or bad.  What I love about this show at this point is that every single character rides the line between hero of villain depending what their current motivation is and it works really well for the most part.  I have to say that, like a lot of fans of the show, the ending of the series left something to be desired and it'll be interesting what they do with next season given what they've set up - the idea of humans and vampires needing to pair up.  Could be very interesting to see how those pairings go.
It was sad to lose Alan Ball after last season, but I think the shake-up has been a good thing for the show - which doesn't seem to have an end date at this point.  As long as this season wasn't the last we've seen of Erik I'll be happy.  I have no problem with killing off major characters, but if that was the way they took him out it would be pretty disappointing.
So there it is - another season down - if you haven't started yet I'm not sure where a good entry point is, outside of the start... to get the full experience you kind of have to go all the way back... enjoy!

1885 - Whodunnit

So I don't really watch "reality" shows.  I work in reality a lot, but I don't find myself watching a whole lot of it.  I don't know how the hell this happened but this show became my guilty pleasure.  It's sooooo cheesy - but that's also part of it's charm.  It plays out like a massive version of Clue where a dozen or so people are brought into a house and one of them is the killer and the others have to figure out who.  But as they go along one-by-one they're all "killed" (which is this show's version of them being voted off the island) and then the others have to solve the murder - whoever has the worst theory on the murder is the next one to die - so on and so forth.
So if you like murder mysteries, this one is a lot of fun if you can get past the schtick.  I believe you can stream it online.

1884 - The Sessions

I've been wanting to watch this for awhile, so bless you Netflix for providing it for me!  I'm a fan of anything that tackles sexual behaviour - I find it fascinating.  For those who don't know, this film is about a man who suffered polio and it largely confined to an iron lung.  Now 38 he seeks out the help of a sexual surrogate to help him get over his fears and insecurities.
Hunt and Hawkes are quite lovely together, and you buy their growing relationship.  Macy just a lovely bit as the priest who says that God would give him a "pass" on this pre-marital relations sex.
The humor is subtle and organic to the characters and situations.  Hawkes is charming pure and simple, and gives a full bodied performance using mostly just his face.  Delightful.
If I have a single complaint it's that the last stretch of the film was a bit rushed and anti-climatic.  All of a sudden the film just decided to wrap itself up a little bit too quickly.  I suppose they're following the true-life story - but there's a way to do that which doesn't hurt anyone, and entertains (even on a base level).
If you like stories about relationships and have a Netflix subscription - this one is a no brainer.

The Merchant of Venice

I was fortunate to get to go see this on it's opening night in Stratford.  I read this play in high school but had never seen it performed.  I remembered the general storyline, but what I hadn't recalled was just how anti-Semitic it is.  I am not a person who is easily offended, but man oh man… First I want to say the the performances were fantastic - the play, in parts, is hysterical.  A solid cast all around.  So now that that's out of the way I have to say - I am not a fan of this play - and that's not a criticism on the production.  For the life of me, I cannot understand why this play is still performed.  I understand the mentality of "we remember so that we never forget the terrible things".  I don't know how much I buy that idea.  This production was set in the 1930's with the war looming, which makes sense since the Jewish popular was not in favour then.  Here we have a story with a bunch of lovers trying to hook up - these are supposed to be our heroes - but they torture a poor money lender, Shylock The Jew, mostly just because he charges interest on his loans.  God forbid he makes money at his job.  He's spat upon, name called, beaten, his daughter is taken from him, his money is taken, his land - and also his religion, all because he's just doing this job.  He's the villain.  What the fuck.  And this production ends with (SPOILER ALERT)….

…

… A holocaust siren.  That's right, because our "heroes" have taken everything Shylock holds dear, including being a Jew, he's now spared from the holocaust.  WTF.  

If you're a fan of this play please explain to me why - but if you are, then this production is likely worth your time and money.  If you're new to Shakespeare maybe give one of the comedies a go :)

1883 - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part II

I don't know why I felt compelled to watch this - mostly 'cause I wanted something fun on in the background while I got some work done.  It's a tough film, this one, really just being the second half of something else.  Voldemort is kind of a weak villain here.  You don't really get a sense of his "plan" - what's he going to do if he wins?  What does that mean?  Is he going to take over the world?  You don't really get a strong sense of it.  Is he just going to be pure evil and try to make everyone else likewise?  That's my bigger issue with this series, mostly the films, is that we don't get a strong sense of the stakes outside of the typical good Vs. evil and life Vs. death.  

That being said the film is a lot of fun, the performances are solid, and it's a grand send-off for the series.  I'm really looking forward to exploring this world with my kids when they're old enough.

1882 - It's a Disaster

I have to admit that when I saw the trailer for this I wasn't at all excited - it was pretty uninteresting, despite the topic.  However, having seen some really solid reviews I gave this a shot when I saw it on Netflix and I'm happy to say that the trailer didn't do this justice at all.
This is essentially a low budget version of "This is The End" but at a couple's brunch instead - and it's a bit more of a high-brow dark comedy in deal with people's relationships with one another in what seems likely to be their final hours together on earth.
Maybe it's because my expectations were so low, but I found myself really interested in this through-out.  There was some lovely awkwardness, some lovely cattiness that happened between the characters that really gave you a sense of history.  So well done.
If you're looking for a strong character based comedy than look no further.  I really enjoyed it.

1881 - Reservoir Dogs (commentary)

Like all teenagers of the 90's I was in love with Quentin Tarantino, and while I've grown away from that unforgiving kind of love with him, there will always be a special place in my heart for this film.  I rewatched it as reference for something, but also just to hear the commentary again.  It's interesting - instead of a group of people sitting around talking they interviewed a lot of people involved in the production and edited it together over the film - an interesting technique - and probably a lot more informative than just a random round-table discussion would have been.  There's an art form to a good commentary, and this is one worth checking out for film lovers in general, especially if you found this film inspiring at all - which most do.
I'll likely revisit the film on it's own in the near future - but for those who are interested in it's commentary - totally worth your hour and a half!

1880 - The Dictator

This might very well be my favorite of the Cohen/Charles collaborations.  That's not to say I didn't laugh my ass off or enjoy previous outings - but because this one felt much more tight and scripted it worked for me.  It's a pretty solid send-up of North American culture and our policies and Cohen really is fantastic in it.  Anna Farris is lovely as the hippie love interest, but Ben Kingsley feels a tad underused. 
It's on Netflix in Canada, and I assume elsewhere.  If you like any of Cohen's previous work you'll probably dig this.  If you're on the fence about him, this might help sway you.

1879 - 30 Minutes or Less

I just wanted to watch something mostly mindless, and remembered this was on Netflix.  I have to be honest, I find Danny McBride to be a pretty one-note actor - I can't say I've ever seen a lot of variety from his performances, and Aziz Ansari is about the same - that said you get what you get from them and here it works well enough.  It's not the kind of film that's asking them to stretch their range to begin with.
Jesse Eisenberg plays a... well, he's not a loser or a burn-out, I guess he's just a guy who hasn't put any effort into his life and slums through as a pizza delivery guy.  He's likable because he's played by Eisenberg, but really, he's got no goals, no aspirations. It's actually kind of difficult to get behind him as a character too much.  He gets kidnapped, has a bomb strapped to him and is forced to rob a bank so that some people can use the money to pay someone to kill their father for the inheritance.  It's a bit over-the-top, but again - it works for this kind of film.
I liked the film enough, it has some funny moments, but it exists within that slew of comedic films that comes out, gets seen and just kind of falls away.  I'm not saying it's disposable, but there's very little that's substantial about it.  It's just a fun little film.  I don't mean to be ripping on it as much as I am, I'm just apparently in an overly critical state of mind right now...

The Walking Dead: Vol 18 - What Comes Next

It goes without saying, we're eight-teen trades into this series, so I'm going to spoil some stuff in this little mini-review - and if it's this far in you don't need my recommend to buy it :)
So hear we are in the post-Glen world, and our heroes are devastated.  I need to go back and remind myself what happened to Maggie 'cause I swear she's not here, but I also don't remember something happening to her last time...
We're deep into the Negan storyline, and Kirkman has done a good job so far of showing why he's different from the Governor - first of all - he's pretty damn charismatic.  He's the kind of villain that's really enjoyable to spend time with because he seems to have a code, fucked up as it is, and seems to be, as he states, "a reasonable fucking guy".  He's also created a trade network - or more like a stealing network - which is what you'd have to do in a situation like this.  I'd like to think this will go down differently than it did with our last big bad of the series.  It almost has to.  This book was a bit of a calm before the storm - and through Carl we got a good glimpse into the world of Negan and how that all works.  And we got to meet King Ezekial - which is all kinds of bizarre and awesome.  And now it's a long-ass wait until the next trade comes out, and the series is back.  Alas...

1878 - Blue Jasmine

It's so exciting to see a Woody Allen film on opening night, especially in a city like Toronto.  The first screening I tried to attend was sold out - which actually made me happy :)

This film is the story of watching a woman unfold.  Her husband is a Madoff type.  Blanchette does an amazing job of unravelling the layers of this character whom could so easily be absolutely unlikable.  Cate's been getting the lion's share of the glory from this but Sally Hawkins and Bobby Carnivale are so great here as well.  

I think it's in pretty limited release, but if you're a Woody fan at all you should absolutely seek it out whilst still in theatres.