REVIEW: Great Freedom (LFF 2021)
Historically speaking, but also still in many countries today being gay is considered a crime. Homosexuality wasn’t decriminalised in Germany until the late sixties and up until this point in time, Section 175 of the German Criminal Code meant that gay men could be incarcerated…
REVIEW: Bull (LFF 2021)
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Bull will be its comparisons to Kill List and other works by Ben Wheatley, especially with Neil Maskell in the lead role, appropriating a similar role to the one he played to such acclaim in Wheatley’s Kill List from 2011….
REVIEW: King Richard (LFF 2021)
When I say ‘representation matters’, these are words that I do not take lightly. It’s not just to be ‘seen and heard’. True equality comes from the value we contribute and the respect gained through opportunities that get us a seat at the table. It’s…
REVIEW: Playground (LFF 2021)
Written and directed by Laura Wandel, Playground is the kind of film I feel could give parents nightmares, or if you were bullied yourself as a child, give you a vivid reminder of your own experiences. Seven-year-old Nora (Maya Vanderbeque) is nervous about starting a…
REVIEW: Belfast (LFF 2021)
A triumphant personal return to form for Kenneth Branagh. Kenneth Branagh has been an acclaimed stage and screen actor for over three decades but his directorial efforts have been much more hit and miss. However, he has remarkably directed 21 films and while the early…
REVIEW: Welcome to Spain (LFF 2021)
In Seville, a once-famous brothel has become a refugee centre. A place where refugees from all over the world, no matter their reason for leaving their home country, can stay as they learn about Spanish culture and go through the steps to get them the…
REVIEW: Ron’s Gone Wrong (LFF 2021)
For the feature-length animated debut for studio Locksmith Animation, Ron’s Gone Wrong certainly leaves its mark. It’s charming, wonderful, and full of delight. Starring Zach Galifianakis and Jack Dylan Glazer (as Ron and Barney respectively), the story revolves around Barney, a lonely and socially awkward…
REVIEW: The Hand of God (LFF 2021)
Sorrentino’s autobiographical film is an ambitious, intimate triumph. Paolo Sorrentino has been at the epicentre of contemporary European Cinema for over two decades and is responsible for acclaimed films and series including The Great Beauty, Il Divo and The Young and New Pope. He won…
REVIEW: The Harder They Fall (LFF 2021)
When the opening credits appear with all the cool swagger, its sharp, stylistic editing and curated music choices, you would think you were watching a Quentin Tarantino movie. After all, his trademarks and isms have dominated popular movie culture since his introduction with Reservoir Dogs. But The…
TIFF INTERVIEW: ‘Medusa’ Director Anita Rocha da Silveira
In Anita Rocha da Silveira’s sophomore feature Medusa, a group of chaste young women split their time between church services and beating up shameful sinners in the name of the Lord. When watched through the lenses of Bolsonaro’s Brazil, the film feels like a cautionary…
REVIEW: Medusa (TIFF 2021)
In April of 2016, Veja, one of Brazil’s most prominent magazines, published a profile on Marcela Temer – the young wife of president Michel Temer – titled (in literal translation) “Marcela Temer: beautiful, demure and a homemaker.” The article took the country by storm, igniting…
TIFF INTERVIEW: ‘Terrorizers’ Director Ho Wi Ding
The adage goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and that is true for Terrorizers, the fourth and latest film from Taiwan-based Malaysian filmmaker Ho Wi Ding. A public slashing incident is at the heart of things, but the characters—more connected than you or…
REVIEW: The Guilty (TIFF 2021)
On this particular day in Los Angeles in The Guilty, everything is heated. Sky’s orange. The hills are ablaze. “The Guilty” is in blackletter type. Regularly heard are blaring sirens and calls for emergency services. But the place where the temperature is highest would be…
