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TIFF 2016: Natalie Portman is Exceptional in Pablo Larraín's 'Jackie'
It's never a good time to lose anyone close to you and even worse when the whole world is watching. Every move is watched and scrutinized regardless of context and it's up to you to put your personal feelings aside and keep moving forward. The astounding new film Jackie focuses on one of the biggest icons of class and style in America's history, Jackie Kennedy, and as played by a never-better Natalie Portman we witness the private grief that is human but rarely seen in public. Jackie is the English-language debut of Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (of No, The Club and this year's Neruda) and as the story begins we are dropped right in the middle of the chaotic aftermath following JFK's assassination on November 22, 1963.
› Posted on September 18 in Review, TIFF 16 | 10 Comments
TIFF 2016: Garth Jennings' 'Sing' is a Crowd-Pleasing Musical for All
An extravagant singing competition brings many different creatures of all kinds together in the animated musical Sing, one of the biggest question marks of this year's Toronto Film Festival. However, it turned out to be an enormous surprise once the closing credits started rolling. It's a huge crowd-pleaser and the best family film since Disney's Zootopia, blending a traditional underdog story with gorgeous animation and of course tons of fun. Sing is also the latest endeavor from Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio responsible for Minions, Despicable Me and this year's The Secret Life of Pets. The company is certainly growing with each new project and Sing could be the breakthrough that makes them a household name.
› Posted on September 17 in Animation, Review, TIFF 16 | 1 Comment
TIFF 2016: 'Catfight' - The Gloves Come Off in No Holds Barred Satire
It has often been said, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" It is true that our friends can be are harshest critics; and sometimes you have to wonder why they were your friends in the first place. Catfight is what would happen if you confronted that friend and decided to smack them like a WWE Diva instead of talking it out like grown adults. Catfight, starring Anne Heche and Sandra Oh, written and directed by Onur Tukel – which just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival – is a strange story about a karmic cycle that not only escalates to violent physical altercations, but shows the repercussions of the aftermath.
› Posted on September 15 in Review, TIFF 16 | 6 Comments
TIFF 2016: Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals' is Ambitious Sophistication
Love, revenge and masculinity run deep in Nocturnal Animals, the latest film made by fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford. His previous film was 2009's A Single Man, the elegant and subtle tale of a closeted gay man at odds with himself. Now he's returned to play with those same themes in two different ways, melodrama and pulp. Nocturnal Animals is based on Austin Wright's 1993 novel "Tony and Susan" and among our first character introductions is Susan Morrow (played by Amy Adams). Her demeanor is ice cold and extremely calculating, the type of behavior that suggests deep sorrow and unnamed guilt.
› Posted on September 15 in Review, TIFF 16 | 3 Comments
TIFF 2016: Garth Davis' 'Lion' with Dev Patel is an Emotional Journey
The true story of a young Indian boy separated from his impoverished family only to reunite with them 20 years later is told in the emotional new film Lion, directed by Australian filmmaker Garth Davis ("Top of the Lake"), a tale full of heart and perseverance. Some will perhaps find it easy to compare this to Slumdog Millionaire, another fairly recent (and popular) film about an Indian boy beating the odds to make his way back home, but they are both very different adventures. Instead of the fast-paced Slumdog approach, Lion has a more quiet and subtle style in mind. The film begins in 1986 following five year old Saroo Brierley (played by Sunny Pawar) as he struggles to help his mother and older brother make ends meet.
› Posted on September 14 in Review, TIFF 16 | 2 Comments
TIFF 2016: J.A. Bayona's 'A Monster Calls' is a Rapturous Experience
Confronting the real world through imagination is at the heart of the new fantasy film A Monster Calls, the new visual feast from Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona (of the films The Orphanage, The Impossible previously). Bayona, along with screenwriter Patrick Ness (adapting his own novel), have taken the fairly mundane story of a child coming-of-age and given it a colorful makeover mixing excitement and real-world heartache. The story is about Conor O'Malley (played by Lewis MacDougall, also seen in Pan) who is only 12 years old but he's already dealing with adult problems involving his family and his life at school.
› Posted on September 12 in Review, TIFF 16 | 2 Comments
TIFF 2016: Bullets Non-Stop in Ben Wheatley's Action Film 'Free Fire'
The energy was palpable at the midnight world premiere of Ben Wheatley's Free Fire last Thursday night. The famous Midnight Madness screenings at the Toronto Film Festival are known to be a fun event, with an enthusiastic crowd soaking up the energy of the late night festivities. No one could expect that the film that we were about to see would not only match the energy of the theater, but crank it all the way to 11. Dripping in 70's camp, Free Fire tells a story of a costly gun transaction that goes south very quickly. For 90 minutes you are stuck in a filthy Boston warehouse with these characters who have one thing in mind – take the money used to purchase the guns and get the hell out of dodge. As guns are drawn, bullets start to fly, and lines get drawn, the absurdity of the situation sinks in and the film become disturbingly dark and hilarious.
› Posted on September 11 in Review, TIFF 16 | 1 Comment
TIFF 2016: Fuqua's 'The Magnificent Seven' is Sheer Entertainment
Seven outlaws come together to save a helpless town from a greedy tyrant in Antoine Fuqua's new version of The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the original 1960 film (directed by John Sturges) which in itself was an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai. That's probably the most confusing thing to be said about this new movie since the story its telling is as straight-forward and as expected as you've seen many times before. The good news, however, is what Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven lacks in originality it more than makes up for in sheer entertainment, for those wondering if this one is worth seeing.
› Posted on September 10 in Review, TIFF 16 | 18 Comments
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