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+