The Toronto International film festival is so vast that it’s hard to get a handle on it. With a selection of 288 feature films, TIFF is really about a dozen festivals under the umbrella of one. A viewer can only hope to taste a slice of the programming. Even if festivalgoers intend on solely exploring, […]
In the English-speaking world, Ruth Rendell hasn’t exactly made her mark on the big screen. In the Francophone world, however, the late mystery and thriller author’s effect continues to be felt. At fewer than 15 pages, Rendell’s Edgar Award–winning short story “The New Girlfriend” seems an odd choice for a feature film. But director François […]
Of all the films in the official Cannes Film Festival competition this year, Carol should have been awarded the Most Valuable Player. It ticks off nearly all the boxes: strong acting all around; a rich, muted, Edward Hopper–esque palette; impeccable period details, namely the prim and proper costuming; and, most importantly, the straightforward direction by […]
Written and Directed by Pat Mills Produced by Mike MacMillan and Alyson Richards Released by Strand Releasing Canada. 80 min. Not rated With Pat Mills, Zahra Bentham, Tracey Hoyt, Kevin Hanchard, Alex Ozerov, and Eleanor Zichy Guidance, a new comedy about a depressed ex-child actor posing as a high school guidance counselor, is the directorial […]
Written and Directed by Sophie Deraspe Produced by Isabelle Couture and Nathalie Cloutier Released by SundanceNow Doc Club English, French, and Arabic with English subtitle Canada. 84 min. Not rated Abduction can be a tool of terror, employed by political regimes to silence opposing viewpoints and conceal the truth. It is ironic that in the […]
Written and Directed by David Thorpe Produced by Howard Gertler and Thorpe Released by Sundance Selects USA. 77 min. Not rated Some documentaries are very serious because they want you to consider their subject matter seriously—sometimes very, very seriously. These somber films want you to consider things through the lens of “history,” and they offer […]
Directed by Dito Montiel Produced by Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso, and Mia Chang Written by Douglas Soesbe Released by Starz Digital USA. 88 min. Rated R With Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Roberto Aguire, Giles Matthey, Eléonore Hendricks and Bob Odenkirk Robin Williams’s last role, in the bleak yet engrossing Boulevard, is unlike any other dramatic […]
Directed by Sean Baker Produced by Marcus Cox, Karrie Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou Written by Baker and Chris Bergoch Released by Magnolia Pictures USA. 87 min. Rated R With Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan and Alla Tumanian Writer/director Sean Baker has made wonderful indie films that are sparkling […]
Directed by Sophie Hyde Produced by Bryan Mason, Matthew Cormack, Rebecca Summerton, and Hyde Written by Matthew Cormack, story by Cormack and Hyde Released by Kino Lorber Australia. 114 min. Not rated With Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbet-Jane, Imogen Archer, and Sam Althuizen Prior to filming, director Sophie Hyde and screenwriter Matthew Cormack set specific ground […]