Whiplash

Whiplash; An exceptionally powerful film feat. performances for the ages. Direction & editing of music scenes bring music alive to our eyes complementing what it brings to our ears. Actors offer us the devastating impact that music has on the hearts and minds of the dedicated; A

The Witches

The Witches; Fantastic grotesque makeup applied on top of Angelica Houston’s fabulous performance of Roald Dahl’s high witch makes for a delightful, frightful family film. Keeps the macabre aspect of the source material intact and allows for menacing thrills at a fun level; B

Downhill

Downhill; A fitting name for a film that seems promising at first by casting the dream team of Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell, only to squander their comedic AND dramatic capabilities with a D.O.A. script of two characters unworthy of our empathy or attention. Completely unlikable; D

Moonstruck

Moonstruck; Silly love story that thrives on the deft turns of the cast. Cher, Cage and crew play the laughs, the drama and the absurd with equal brilliance, crafting an enjoyable farce about an Italian family turned inside out by struggles with love. A goofy delight; B+

Life of Pi

Life of Pi; Fabulous combination of film elements combine to create a fantastic adaptation of an unfilmable novel. Visuals are stunning, combined w/the score, cinematography & F/X, the story's religious allegory & exploration of storytelling unfolds beautifully before us; A-

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A; Insane amount of personal footage paints a portrait of an artist who seemed to know her talent before the rest of us. Fascinating reflection on the influence & impact of events that shape an artist. Goes to unexpected places, much like M.I.A’s music itself; B
 

Secret Society of Second Born Royals

Secret Society of Second Born-Royals; Surprisingly enjoyable twist on the franchise films found in the marketplace. Likeable cast is compelling enough to rise above Disney Channel budget level F/X & story beats. Sequel setup is welcome for young fans awaiting more instalments; B-

Save the Tiger

 Save the Tiger; Meditation on a man affected by war & what it does to his everyday work & personal interactions. Lemmon gives a power performance, finding many notes both small & grand to paint this portrait. Reflections on morality may speak to some people but miss others; B+

Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes; MBB has oodles of charm playing a character from a family line that’s captivated us in many iterations. Her expressive face breaks the fourth wall w/frivolous fun. Writing is witty but clues hold little mystery, not on a Sherlockian level. Bring on the sequels!; B+

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan; Impeccable digital rendering of animals shows no expense was spared, but the F/X animation doesn’t have a story worthy of it. Voice cast is excellent and bring their best to what is a simple, true (??) story that seems to be more fantasy than fact; B-

Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven; Simple story propped up by roaming camera lovingly capturing the beauty of the surroundings. Tension builds as the proposed con reaches a point of no return but the meandering narration is more interested in poetic form than plot revelations. Sweet and simple; B+
 

Rain Man

Rain Man; Dynamic performances from Cruise and Hoffman highlight a film about family bonds and understanding autism. Though some aspects have become more noticeably stereotypical and less nuanced, the heart residing in the acting remains. Definitely a classic film. Definitely; A-

Papillon

Papillon; Grand filmmaking lends itself to the epic exploits of the title character’s penchant for jail breaks. Hoffman imbues his role with delicate humour and McQueen gives an action star turn for the ages. Very captivating film that doesn’t feel as long as its run time; A

Waitress

Waitress; Cast elevates what could be just a simple, good film into a more memorable one. Finds the heart & humour in an otherwise tragic story while at the same time finding subtle notes within the melodramatic plot lines. Worth the time invested; B

Seven Chances

Seven Chances; A giant chase sequence prefaced by smaller, simple gender role jokes. Keaton is superb in his deadpan way and takes the premise as far as it can go given the contrived setup. The stunts in the final sequence hint at the feats to come from the silent film genius; A- 

Don't Look Now

Don’t Look Now; Creepy film w/clever editing & Venice location shooting creating an air of despair & trepidation. Acting leads play their relationship well, as they live, love & suffer through exploits tragic & mysterious. A thriller that uses film techniques to great effect; B+   

Magic Camp

Magic Camp; School of Rock style film for magic that doesn’t have same quality of direction or cast. Despite this, it has some touching qualities & respects skill of magic. Bounces from telegraphed schmaltz to very funny quips. Hard to fully embrace but has redeemable moments; B-

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe; Everything we’ve come to expect from this fabulous show. Puts some interesting pairings together and some good songs. Doesn’t reach the heights of the series’ best moments or the previous film but it’s a welcome return; B

Brewster's Millions

Brewster’s Millions; Comedic giants Pryor & Candy deliver the goods in a zany premise that celebrates & condemns excess in the 80s. Some aspects are product of the time while others are eerie in retrospect (like the election). W/o the leads it would truly be run of the mill; B-

Parasite

Parasite; Engrossing progressive descent into family horror show w/clever & creepy allegorical touch points on capitalism & societal fiscal stratification. Shot beautifully while amping up the anxiety towards the horrific concluding incidents. Foreign horror made mainstream; A-

Birdman of (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); Virtuoso performances in a refreshingly unconventional film. Keaton is remarkable & fascinating in every moment. Percussion score and fluid camerawork propel the story forward at a blistering pace. Nutty in all the right ways; A-

Crash

Crash; Stellar performances by many (notably Cheadle) can’t save this film from its misguided examination of racism using a soft lens. The movie means well but doesn’t dig deep enough to provide a true meaningful examination yet isn’t very subtle about its intentions either; B-

Hamilton

Hamilton; Wonderful filming of theatrical production manages to capture stage, lighting & choreography seamlessly while providing intimate, up close moments w/o missing a beat. Fabulously frames founding fathers in an equally groundbreaking energetic revolutionary performance; A+

Death Note

Death Note; Interesting premise offers enough to entice us into the story. Dafoe’s performance is fun to watch (like a Groot Green Goblin) and the mix of supernatural and morality tale is thought provoking. Film favours conventional story beats to entertain a broad audience; B 

Harold and Maude

Harold and Maude; A bizarre, dark February-December romance (?) that questions what is worth living for? Uneven, odd and off putting, in all the right ways. Cats Stevens soundtrack sunnily contrasts the black comedy it is. Great lead performance by Gordon; B+ 

Sky High

Sky High; Silly, teenage superhero film imagines high school stratified by superpowers, on top of all the other tropes. Messages are aplenty, but never too overbearing as the adult cast has fun playing around in tights. Solid family entertainment with a good soundtrack; B

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl; Oddly omits best parts of book from the screenplay. Changes detract from what makes book a fun, engaging read. Offers less action and more imagery and is overall disappointing. Casting is pretty good despite the alterations. Not sure what they were going for; C-

The Insult

The Insult; Fine, simmering take on racial stigmatism from a micro to macro level. Story develops to ensure sympathy for both sides while divulging background in stages for deeper understanding and awareness. Excellent performances all around. Extremely relevant then and now; A-

Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer; Riveting, thought provoking and intriguing. Class stratification and warfare set on a train has all the obvious metaphors yet doesn’t fail to entertain while reflecting on our society. Action is raw & bloody. Bold performances help sell the story. Excellent film; A-

Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Aladdin and the King of Thieves; Excellent story for a direct to video threequel. Animation is a step lower but is made up for by the return of Robin Williams to the genie role. Hilarious riffs wrapped around a father-son tale and some hit & miss songs. Fun while it lasts; B-

To Live and Die in L.A.

To Live and Die in L.A.; Violent, gritty noir set in sunny California. Casting is phenomenal, as characters convincingly straddle the line between good and evil. Wang Chung score seems dated, yet gives the film its flavour. Action scenes are absolutely thrilling and shocking; A-

Lady Bird

Lady Bird; Fabulous film on all accounts. Personal, yet universal. Beautiful yet economical in its editing. Actors play very well off each other, nailing the layered meanings in the dialogue and characters. A certain soon to be considered classic coming of age tale; A

The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides; Exhaustingly solemn and emotionally bereft, populated with characters we couldn’t care less about on account that we never truly get to know them. Says very little about a very serious topic, making it seem more of a fashion shoot than tragic reality; D

Local Hero

Local Hero; Charming, quirky comedy subtly explores the allure of a small sea side village to a big city oil company Texan. Laughs aplenty land quietly as the story keeps you guessing about how it will all play out. Absurd at times, hauntingly real and beautiful at others; A-

Into the Wild

Into the Wild; A little too in love with itself, but a beautiful film regardless. Excellent cast explores living off the grid with romanticized results. Relationships shine along with the scenery and soothing soundtrack. Intriguing but answers less questions than it brings up; B+

Blood Quantum

Blood Quantum; Will satisfy horror fans with its Walking Dead worthy makeup effects, blood splatter and kill shots. Deeper societal meanings are present too but not fully explored or realized. Well done genre film that happens to break new ground for Indigenous arts; B

Blinded by the Light

Blinded by the Light; There’s a gritty, gripping story here with as much lyricism as a Springsteen song but it never fully materializes due to shoddy execution and subpar performances. Subject matter and story idea would work in more gifted hands. Disappointing yet serviceable; C

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; Actors, orchestral score & visual effects work overtime to try and redeem story beats that aren’t up to par. The fun is there but far from former heights of the franchise. New actors fail to entertain as well as old returnees; C+

Good Boys

Good Boys; Definitely exhibits the merits for a filthy tween age Superbad style film. Trio of young actors sell it well and earn every laugh while convincingly conveying the dramatic aspects underlying the insanity. Gags work more often than not. Sweet, not so innocent fun; B+

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!; Argument for veganism continues w/entertaining exposé of Big Chicken. Spurlock is entertaining to watch, elevating genre in a way Michael Moore did B4 him. The setup to the final punchline is well worth the journey. Doesn’t need the sequel tag; A-

Trolls World Tour

Trolls World Tour; Serviceable sequel doesn’t hit the heights of the original in terms of catchy hits & emotional stakes but offers plenty of fun new characters to the Troll cornucopia. Bloom is particularly excellent in the limited screen time she has. Harmless frivolous fun; B

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place; Eerily directed and paced to great effect. The family cast works so well together, so that we believe their interactions and the danger they are living with. Right amount of suspense balanced with timely threat reveals stemming from the actions of the characters; A

Anna and the Apocalypse

Anna & the Apocalypse; Uneven tone makes for a tricky balancing act of horror, heart, and high school movie. Mostly succeeds, though musical numbers perplex in their swing from parody to tragedy. Cast is game, and Ella Hunt cements herself as a star. Certainly original; B

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw; Perfect pairing of two leads complemented by great supporting cast amplifies the action expected from the franchise and stars. Trims the fat of F&F for those uninterested in fuel and Diesel, yet keeps the octane level explosive and fun; A-

78/52

78/52; Film school done well in documentary form. Cleverly selected and respected artists in the film industry break down the Psycho shower scene (and the movie and career of Hitchcock in the process). Elevates the source material while being interesting in its own right; A-

Charlie's Angels

Charlie’s Angels; Trio of talented actors make a fun, fight fueled action flick that shines on account of their personalities. Without the franchise baggage, this combination of script, style, actors and action could create its own franchise. Loved every minute of it; B+

Zombieland: Double Tap

Zombieland: Double Tap; Exactly what you’d expect from some fun, solid actors playing around in the zombie genre. Gory, gruesome kills and silly banter make it an enjoyable romp, though none too surprising or overly original. New cast additions are fun and mix in well; B+

Onward

Onward; Pixar was once high and above all others but this flick rests with your average excellent animation in look, character and story. Fun adventure that exposed too much in the trailers and didn’t leave many surprises. Themes are heartfelt and score emotionally driven; B+

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog; Not quite the caliber of video game human world hybrid as Pokémon, even w/Jim Carrey in classic plastic faced villain form. Aside from the laughs he provides, not much to get excited about. Feels like a Hop retread w/Marsden talking to a CGI animal again; C+

Knives Out

Knives Out; Layered murder mystery mixes up all the elements of movie making to concoct a pleasure trove of nods and odes. Brilliantly played by the cast, working at multiple levels, political, social, theatrical, without a missed beat. Delightfully entertaining; A+