Adult Beginners
Indie comedy about a man who loses everything when his start-up tech company goes bust, then goes back to his hometown to stay with his sister and her family and start over. Nick Kroll (whom you may recognize as "it's that guy" from various TV and film comedies, and who is also co-writer and producer here) a likeable and sympathetic leading man. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, as the sister and brother-in-law, do well with their fairly unremarkable roles. Lots of familiar faces with cameos — most memorably Jane Krakowski as an annoying swimming instructor for toddlers and Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as an enthusiastic loser of a retail assistant manager. Consistently amusing and enjoyable to watch, but there's nothing special or new about the story being told here. Impersonal direction by Ross Katz (Taking Chance, but best-known perhaps as an Oscar-nominated producer). Has little value, but it's heartfelt and cute and you'll probably like it.
Grade: B-
Beyond the Reach
Indie thriller starring Michael Douglas as a wealthy businessman who takes a hunting trip in the desert that turns deadly, with Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) as his local guide. Reasonably stressful, but ultimately reveals itself to be nothing more than one of those stories where the frightened hero is terrorized by a madman for no reason and then defeats him, and those are never interesting. Beautiful sun-scorched cinematography by Oscar-winner Russell Carpenter (Titanic). For a while, I thought we were heading towards dark commentary about white male privilege and how the 1% answer to no one... but this film ends up not being that ambitious. Jaw-droppingly stupid ending. Irvine spends most of the film running through the desert in his underwear, though, so you may decide it's time well-spent.
Grade: D+
Blackbird
Indie drama about a black teen Christian boy in Mississippi coming to terms with being gay. Mo'Nique so good at playing bad mothers — and her strong performance here is very different from the one she gave in Precious. Interesting to see Isaiah Washington as the supportive father of a gay son — is this part of his image rehab? Newcomer Julian Walker does some rough acting in the lead role, and even rougher lip-synching in an early choir performance scene. Title never explained. Admirable for its attempts to reconcile being gay with being a devout Christian, but conclusions don't feel that helpful. Ridiculous recurring device of the lead character experiencing premonitions — and never worse than right at the end of the film when a character appears in his dream to tell him/us what will happen to all the characters in the future. Atrocious dialogue. Feels like an amateur production — director Patrik-Ian Polk has his heart in the right place, but this is quite bad.
Grade: C-
Child 44
Sluggish drama about a secret-police officer in 1950s Soviet Union who, when a friend's son is murdered, begins to suspect his superiors of a cover-up. Needlessly long; shaving several minutes out of every single scene could have helped with narrative momentum — surprisingly disappointing work from Pietro Scalia and Dylan Tichenor, two of cinema's greatest editors. Strong, layered lead performance by Tom Hardy, who manages to be simultaneously sympathetic and despicable. No one else in the main cast — including Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman — makes much of an impression, though. Annoyingly features entire cast speaking English with heavy Russian accents. Director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) attempting an epic prestige drama, but it's not as thematically resonant as he thinks. There's a message here about how the regimes of Hitler and Stalin turned good men into monsters... but the villain turns out to be nothing more than a one-dimensional serial killer from a case-of-the-week cop show.
Grade: C
Clouds of Sils Maria
English-language (mostly) drama from Europe with Juliette Binoche as a famous actress revisiting the play that made her famous 20 years earlier, only this time playing the older character and falling into an existential crisis. Kristen Stewart, as her personal assistant, gives another great, complex performance, so alive and present. Thematically ambitious and intellectually challenging — a film that rewards (perhaps requires) multiple viewings. Concerned with exploring the ways that our past experiences inform and affect and haunt the present. Also engages in a discussion about the value of popular (i.e. lowbrow) entertainment versus highbrow art. Writer/director Olivier Assayas (Demonlover, Clean, the Carlos miniseries) has a lot on his mind about where the separation lies between actor and character — indeed, the line eventually gets really damn fuzzy between the characters in the play-within-the-film, the characters in the film, and even Binoche and Stewart themselves. All very dense and requires active engagement, but always rich and fascinating. Easier to admire/appreciate maybe than to love — this is more of an intellectual exercise than an emotional one. Stewart has perhaps the most mystifying final scene of any character ever.
Grade: B+
Effie Gray
Barely released British historical drama starring Dakota Fanning as the titular neglected wife of Victorian art critic John Ruskin and her infamous "love triangle" with John Everett Millais. Striking cinematography by Andrew Dunn. Very subdued performance by Fanning, who so effectively portrays the sadness and boredom of her life with just her eyes and body language. Greg Wise so good at playing arrogant and positively loathsome. Tom Sturridge the prettiest and most sensitive pre-Raphaelite dreamboat imaginable. Original screenplay by Emma Thompson (who also has a supporting role) is solid, even if it doesn't quite have the soul and depth of her astonishing Oscar-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility. Not exactly a film that will stay with you for long (director Richard Laxton is just not a distinctive enough filmmaker), but interesting subject matter and above-average crafts and performances make for a period piece that doesn't disappoint.
Grade: B
Ex Machina
One of the most imaginative and exciting screenplays of the year — a near-future sci-fi story about artificial intelligence supplanting humanity that is as chilling as it is completely plausible. A superb Alicia Vikander, sly and sensual and so good at playing a non-human exploiting the sexuality that male characters assign to her human-like body. Oscar Isaac excellent too, as a sketchy billionaire tech-genius sex god — all muscles and menace and secrecy. And that dance break! Eerie sound design. Specific, memorable production design. Spectacular subtle visual effects. Great directorial debut from Alex Garland, who previously wrote such films as 28 Days Later and Never Let Me Go. So much to love here — this is engrossing and thought-provoking and unpredictable and ultimately disturbing stuff.
Grade: A
5 to 7
In this New York-set romance film, what begins as a fascinating exploration of non-traditional romantic relationships and an exciting reversal of traditional gender roles ultimately devolves into cliché and unbearable schmaltz. Also: why cast Glenn Close and Frank Langella... then hardly use them? Anton Yelchin, in the lead role, is immensely charming and likeable.
Grade: C+
Just Before I Go
Black comedy about a man who travels back to his hometown with the intent to tie up loose ends before committing suicide. Terrific lead role for Seann William Scott, whose career has faded since his peak 15 years ago, but who has never been better — this is a grounded, intelligent, mature performance from an actor best-known for playing cartoonish buffoons. Imbues his character with such deep sadness, such a weariness of life, that is positively haunting. Film also laugh-out-loud funny, though, with a surprisingly raunchy and crass sense of humour. Every supporting character resonates — these are people who crave human connection, who yearn to matter, and it's all quite profound and unexpectedly moving. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned yet that this is the directorial debut of Friends star Courteney Cox, who balances between two very different tones with skill and confidence, making it all feel very cohesive. Shame that this didn't get a wider release or stronger reviews, because it's funnier and smarter and more human, with sharper characters and something more meaningful to say, than most of the comedies you'll see coming out of Hollywood.
Grade: B+
Kill Me Three Times
Australian black comedy from director Kriv Stenders (the little-known Dark Frontier) about a group of people whose paths become intersected in a web of desperation, greed, and murder. Story told non-chronologically, which disguises its total mundanity for a while. Cardboard "characters" — Simon Pegg is the most famous face in the cast, as a hitman with very little personality. Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies) gets the juiciest role, as an amoral schemer who constantly berates her spineless dentist husband (Sullivan Stapleton, NBC's Blindspot). Very fake-looking blood that splashes everywhere. Beautiful sunny scenery, courtesy of being shot along the coast of Western Australia. Nonsensical title. Baffling that this had its world premiere at TIFF. Not boring, but instantly forgettable.
Grade: C-
The Living
Indie drama that begins when a guy (Fran Kranz from Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse) wakes up from a booze black-out to discover that he has savagely beaten his wife, and which examines the ramifications this episode has for each member of their family. Well acted, but no characters are developed enough for the viewer to care. Writer/director Jack Bryan uses the setting of rural Pennsylvania to explore the idea of what it means to be a man in this particular culture. Bryan has potential, but ultimately he has nothing especially interesting to say on this topic.
Grade: C-
Lost River
Ryan Gosling's directorial debut boasts a great and interesting cast — Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, Matt Smith — but that's all it boasts. Shot in decaying Detroit, the film tells the story of a struggling family desperate to save their home in a disappearing neighbourhood, and their quest to do so leads them to magical realist developments (I think?). Gosling is seemingly so focused on making sure he has an auteurial aesthetic (and is helped immensely by the great cinematographer Benoît Debie) that he neglects the storytelling entirely. As a result, the visuals are often beautiful and horrifying — but the film itself is an incoherent, unwatchable mess.
Grade: F
The Sisterhood of Night
Indie teen drama about a high school girl who, angry that she hasn't been invited to join a secret club, spreads rumours that they're involved in occult practices and sexual abuse. First-time director Caryn Waechter has made something that is as much a modern-day Salem witch trials story as it is a cautionary tale of teen girl bullying. Well-developed characters across the board that resonate and have distinctive traits; horrifying lesson that words can have real consequences. Stellar teenage cast, led by Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom) and Georgie Henley (the Chronicles of Narnia films), all delivering deeply felt performances. Strong screenplay from first-time feature writer Marilyn Fu, who understands the huge emotions of adolescence — where any little thing feels like The Biggest Problem on Earth — and how these amplify the loneliness of teenage years, making the longing for human connection and a sense of belonging feel so much more desperate. Beautiful, eerie cinematography from Zak Mulligan, who imbues forests and bridges with an otherworldly quality. Faux-documentary format feels arbitrary, though, especially since it's used only sporadically.
Grade: B
The Water Diviner
Historical Australian drama about a farmer who travels to Turkey in search of his three sons, who never returned from the war in Gallipoli. Assured, handsome directorial debut by Russell Crowe, who also stars. Thought-provoking perspective that considers the non-Eurocentric experience of war — who is the real enemy when a country is unjustly invaded? — which is rather obvious, perhaps, but refreshingly un-Hollywood. (Troubling, though, to depict Turkey as a WWI victim, while never mentioning the Armenian Genocide.) Terrific late scene revealing the fate of the sons is devastating, with excellent, deeply affecting performance by Ryan Corr. "Love" story between Crowe and Olga Kurylenko feels contrived. Establishing that Crowe's farmer is a water diviner so that later he can easily use that same intuition to almost magically locate the spot his sons fought on is borderline absurd. Difficult to muster much enthusiasm for this.
Grade: C+
Woman in Gold
By-the-numbers procedural drama about an elderly Austrian woman and the American lawyer helping her seek restitution of valuable paintings stolen from her family by the Nazis. Rather pedestrian role for Helen Mirren, who has enough success to be more selective than this. Ryan Reynolds has a huge personality, but this rare dramatic role manages to stifle it completely. Katie Holmes trapped in an atrociously written concerned-wife role AND saddled with cinema's hilariously least-convincing pregnancy belly. Flashback scenes to Nazi-ruled Austria featuring the great Tatiana Maslany (BBC America's Orphan Black) acting in German are infuriating and stressful, as Holocaust stories inherently are — though director Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn) is no Spielberg. Tolerable enough and without question a very important story to tell, but ultimately artless and predictable.
Grade: C-
