Follows Korean independence activists who launched a daring attack in Harbin against the Japanese to gain their country’s independence. […]
Film Preview: Harbin (2024)
Liar Liar
“It’s going to get weirder and weirder and weirder, and finally it’s going to get so weird that people are going to have to talk about how weird it is.” -Terrence McKenna
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
“Pham sinks his teeth in his debut feature with a politic but formulaic blueprint, his own distinct originality has yet to materialize. So whether he could be hailed as a new auteur to be reckoned with, the jury is temporarily out until his next offering, which has its own shell to break.”
WHIPLASH
It’s impossible to find absolute perfection. I don’t care if it’s in the field of medicine, law, mathematics, art or even music. No one is THE ONE. Yet, if you are determined to partake in that hunt, it’s likely you’ll scream with frustration. You might think you’re on to something but still it’s not quite […]
The Room Next Door (2024)
Almodovar’s first English-language feature doesn’t quite strike gold, but Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore give riveting performances as two friends who haven’t seen each other for a long time, exploring themes of mortality and morality.
Universal Language (2024)
Rankin’s sophomore feature feels like Kaurismaki meets Kiarostami as his surreal, and at times perplexing tale brings us through a hybrid Canadian-Iranian space marked by quaint shophouses and bustling highways.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)
A brilliant idea to set a ‘warring gangs’ action film in the iconic if long-demolished Kowloon Walled City, but this comic book adaptation feels numbingly empty with its stylistic excesses a tonal mismatch with the more sobering space of marginality and exploitation.
The Happy Ending
THE HAPPY ENDING, one of those misery-doesn’t-really love-company dramas that usually revolve around married women approaching or arrived at middle age. Written, produced & directed by Richard Brooks in 1969, it gave his wife, actress Jean Simmons, 40, a strong finish to the decade. After the 1960 glories of Elmer Gantry (Brooks directing) and Spartacus, apart […]
‘Babygirl’ TIFF Review: A Delightfully Kinky Ride for the Sickos
Halina Reijn challenges simplistic morality and puritanical standards about human interaction through this delightfully risqué erotic drama.
REVIEW – “The Brutalist”
Brady Corbet delivers a monumental epic unlike anything you’ll see this year
The Heretic: A Dive into Psychological Horror and Faith
The Heretic, directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, dives deeply into religious philosophy and psychological terror, starring Hugh Grant in an unsettling departure from his typical rom-com roles. Set primarily in a claustrophobic, dimly lit house, The Heretic weaves tension through intellectual debate and moments of […]
Thelma
It’s been two years since her husband passed away and Thelma Post (June Squibb) is adjusting to her new reality. She’s 93 years old and fiercely independent. While Thelma spends most of her days home alone ,she keeps in frequent contact with her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) and her daughter Gail (Parker Posey). One day […]
A Kid (Le fils de Jean)
Matthieu (Pierre Deladonchamps) just received the call that his father died. The father he never met. The father he didn’t even really knew existed. The father he couldn’t meet in life but now must get to know in death. His mother always told him that Matthieu was the result of a one-night stand. But the […]
Sundance: Pleasure
Directed by Ninja Thyberg, Pleasure casts a critical eye on the porn industry, which has a cycle of abuse that particularly affects women. Rooted in realism it watches very much like a fictionalized version of a documentary.
Sundance: The Disappearance of Shere Hite
Biographical documentary brings sex researcher Shere Hite, who revolutionized how we view women’s sexuality, back into the spotlight.
SXSW: Love to Love You, Donna Summer
Co-directed by her daughter, this new doc on Donna Summer gives us a peak at the real woman behind the iconic image.
SXSW: The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
An engrossing documentary about the new age of financial and digital disruption. Ondi Timoner takes a complicated subject and makes it accessible and entertaining.
Napoleon
Napoleon can be a good war epic, but the character development made Napoleon hateable and not interesting!!! Real Rating: 3.5 Cannons What I Like: -The battle scenes were epic, director Ridley Scott executed some mind blowing effects that will keep you engaged The So So: -The acting was good in certain aspects, but as for […]
A Real Pain “Review”
A Real Pain, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, tells the poignant story of Jewish cousins David and Benji touring Poland to honor their grandmother. The film’s beautiful piano soundtrack enhances their emotional journey, revealing old tensions and family history. Despite minor shortcomings, it offers engaging performances and is worth watching, earning a rating of 6.5/10.
2025 Golden Globe Predictions
The first major precursor of the upcoming awards season is right around the corner! The 82nd Golden Globe Awards announce their nominations next Monday, December 9th, giving us our first glimpse at which films and performances will be honored this year. Who are the early frontrunners? What snubs and surprises might we see? Let’s look […]