TIFF Review: Michel Franco’s ‘Sundown’
“‘Sundown’ is in the curious position of being a step backwards, while at least not plumbing to the ideological depths of ‘New Order’ to quite the same extent.”
TIFF Review: Anita Rocha da Silveira’s ‘Medusa’
“‘Medusa’ is so overstuffed that it can’t find a way to tie its myriad conflicting tones together…”
TIFF Review: Luàna Bajrami’s ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’
“At just 20 years old, Luàna Bajrami has an assured artistic vision that makes ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’ a stunning debut feature.”
TIFF Review: Rob Savage’s ‘Dashcam’
“‘Dashcam’ unintentionally reinforces the idea that protagonists must be likable in some fashion, even if depiction obviously doesn’t equal endorsement.”
Review: Paul Schrader’s ‘The Card Counter’
“‘The Card Counter’ is a dark and moody work that successfully entertains and engages, reaching new heights for the experienced director.”
TIFF Review: Mélanie Laurent’s ‘The Mad Women’s Ball’
“‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ is a squandered opportunity when considering the richness of both the source material and the many stories encapsulated within the asylum walls.”
Review: Scott B. Hansen and Desiree Connell’s ‘Bad Candy’
“At 100 minutes, ‘Bad Candy’ should be the ideal length for an anthology, but it feels equally overlong and rushed. The tone is also disconcertingly serious for such lowbrow material.”
Review: Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan’s ‘The Interpreters’
“The Interpreters’ most powerful moments emerge when the subjects speak about achieving their goals. Their eyes light up, they exude pure joy. It’s a unique type of happiness that bursts through the screen.”
Review: Heather Ross’ ‘For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close’
“‘For Madmen Only’ is essential viewing for comedy and improvisation hounds, but Ross must be praised for her ability to appeal to general audiences as well as hardcore scholars.”
Review: Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin’s ‘Together’
“‘Together’ is a monotonous affair with little to add to either the pandemic or relationship genre.”
EIFF 2021 Documentary Reviews
EIFF 2021: Vague Visages’ Marc Nelson on the documentaries Bosco, The Gig Is Up, Faceless and Radiograph of a Family.
EIFF Review: Chloé Mazlo’s ‘Skies of Lebanon’
“‘Skies of Lebanon’ asks slightly too much of its actors; the switch-up from animation and deliberate artificiality to fine-grained historical drama demands a change in style that results in the performers having to pull in two directions at once…”
Review: Natalie Morales’ ‘Plan B’
“‘Plan B’ is a rare bird in that it gets better as it goes along. So many movies in the teensploitation tradition start strong and quickly run out of gas.”
EIFF Review: Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha’s ‘Ballad of a White Cow’
“‘Ballad of a White Cow’ has a knack for creative and unexpected camera placements, expressive touches in staging and layered use of sound design.”
Review: Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’
“‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ gets a little too didactic with its final act messaging, but the strong central performances make the overall experience worthwhile.”
Sarajevo Film Festival Review: Marija Zidar’s ‘Reconciliation’
“‘Reconciliation’ exists in a curious middle ground, stuck between the effectiveness of its craft and touching, humanist storytelling and the wider narrative desires that pull both artists and audiences to these stories.”
Review: Jessie Barr’s ‘Sophie Jones’
“Those who have faced tremendous or even overwhelming emotional hurricanes following the death of a close friend or family member will appreciate the movement of time in ‘Sophie Jones.'”
Review: Eddie Arya’s ‘Risen’
“‘Risen’ won’t fare well with impatient streamers. Writer-director Eddie Arya should be applauded for his creative ambition, but even the most forward-thinking filmmakers need strong performances to sell their product.”
Review: Sean Penn’s ‘Flag Day’
“‘Flag Day’ refuses to ponder challenging ideas but still wants its viewers to be moved.”
Fantasia Fest Review: Ruth Platt’s ‘Martyrs Lane’
“Hopefully, as the horror genre continues to grow and deepen, it won’t lose sight of itself as ‘Martyrs Lane’ sadly does.”