How is it that we can enter a theatre dry-eyed and fresh-faced and emerge several hours later, eyes glistening with tears? It is not simply violence or harm that touches our soul. To elicit such a visceral reaction, something more is required: Injustice. Harm inflicted upon the innocent and kind[Read More…]
Tag: film review
The poison drips through in ‘The Zone of Interest’
Minor spoilers for The Zone of Interest How would you depict an atrocity onscreen? What would you show, and perhaps more importantly, what wouldn’t you? In Jonathan Glazer’s new five-time Oscar-nominated film, The Zone of Interest, these choices are put at the forefront of the narrative. The result? Nothing short[Read More…]
Massimadi Festival highlights Black queer stories
From Feb. 15 to 18, the Massimadi Foundation held its annual Afro LGBTQ+ Arts and Film Festival at the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal. In honour of Black History Month, this special edition of the festival, themed “Transcendence,” highlighted Black queer stories that are not often seen or heard by[Read More…]
‘American Fiction’: A movie about movies about books
Spoilers for American Fiction “Nuance doesn’t put asses in theater seats.” At least, that’s what fictional movie director Wiley Valdespino (Adam Brody) says in the final scene of Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction. In the Cineplex that I trekked out to on a Tuesday after class, the audience let out a[Read More…]
‘The Sweet East’: A tumultuous teenage odyssey
Underscored by chaos and life in flux, Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East is a picturesque tale of a teenage girl’s voyage across the East Coast of the U.S. amid turbulent political and personal landscapes. Lillian (Talia Ryder) is a South Carolina native, separated from her classmates during a high[Read More…]
“Saltburn” is a cinematic scrutinization of opulence and obsession
Spoilers for Saltburn Opulence. Drugs. Midnight strolls. A hedge maze. Far too many shots of bathtubs. Welcome to Saltburn, Emerald Fennell’s latest cinematic endeavour. Known for her bold feature-length directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, Fennell’s newest film takes a more ironic journey, enlisting a stellar cast to portray an “eat[Read More…]
The metamorphosis of Coriolanus Snow
Spoilers for The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; mentions of violence. A villain is made from an innocent soul shattered to the point their humanity is forgotten. An enraptured audience feels compelled to watch this slow descent into madness, the arc of a villain so brutally destroyed.[Read More…]
Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ dethrones the King of Rock and Roll
Spoilers ahead for Priscilla Sofia Coppola’s latest cinematic endeavour, Priscilla, explores the lesser-known life and story of Priscilla Presley. The film is based on Priscilla’s autobiography Elvis and Me. While numerous portrayals of Elvis Presley cast the rock-and-roll icon in a positive light—such as Austin Butler’s portrayal in Elvis (2022)—Coppola’s[Read More…]
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a terrifying masterwork
Spoilers ahead for Killers of the Flower Moon Martin Scorsese’s latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon was released in theatres this past weekend after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival to a nine-minute-long standing ovation. Known for directing iconic films such as Taxi Driver and The Wolf of Wall[Read More…]
Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’ exposes exploitation in the public eye
Mentions of sexual abuse At the Cannes Film Festival in May, Todd Haynes premiered his new film, May December, an immediate fan favourite. Known for his work on the critically-acclaimed Carol (2015), the director diverges from indie romance to a campy drama focused on Hollywood exploitation. The film draws parallels[Read More…]
