The uniquely absurd and painterly vision of Roy Andersson is unlike any other in contemporary cinema, so it is always an event when the director brings out a new work to share with neophytes and […]
TIFF Review: Sibyl (Triet, 2019)
The sibyls of Ancient Greece foretold prophesies and supposedly had intimate connections with the deities, with most of those deities hailing from the underworld. Justine Triet’s protagonist Sibyl could be seen in similar terms. She […]
TIFF Review: Jordan River Anderson, the Messenger (Obomsawin, 2019)
A spiritual sequel of sorts to her 2016 documentary We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice, celebrated First Nations filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin once again delves into the contested issues of healthcare and welfare pertaining to […]
TIFF Review: The Truth (Kore-eda, 2019)
Hirokazu Kore-eda broke his long tradition of attending TIFF premieres last year for Shoplifters because he was busy preparing The Truth—his first film made and set outside of Japan, with an international cast that includes screen titans […]
TIFF Review: Ordinary Love (Barros D’Sa & Leyburn, 2019)
The original title of the Owen-McCafferty penned Ordinary Love was Normal People, but because a Sally Rooney novel utilized the same title last year, it had to be changed. Nevertheless, the kernel of McCafferty’s truth can […]
TIFF Review: Atlantics (Diop, 2019)
After being denied pay again at his construction job, Suleiman (Ibrahima Traoré) hears the ocean calling to him as he and his coworkers make their way home. Mati Diop floods the speakers with a siren-like […]
TIFF Review: A Hidden Life (Malick, 2019)
When there is evil before our eyes, it is astonishing to witness firsthand how some people either ignore it or twist it into something beneficial to themselves. A character in Terrence Malick’s latest epic asks […]
TIFF Review: The Lighthouse (Eggers, 2019)
Robert Eggers delivered a memorable frightfest when he debuted The Witch in 2015, introducing Black Phillip into our collective consciousness. His follow-up is another period horror film, sans demonic goats this time around, but one […]
TIFF Capsule Review: White Lie (Lewis & Thomas, 2019)
There are far more questions than answers when you walk away from White Lie, the latest from writer-directors Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas. That’s because the titular white lie told by Katie Arneson (a fabulous […]
TIFF Review: Jallikattu (Pellissery, 2019)
Malayalam director Lijo Jose Pellissery takes us on a frenzied spiral into the heart of darkness in his latest blood-pumping thrill ride Jallikattu. As the opening title cards explain, the Indian tradition of the Jallikattu […]
Luce (Onah, 2019)
Luce is a film that abounds in absences, the foremost being the absence of our certainties. There are moments where dread circulates simply because intentions cannot be read, thereby thwarting expectations from forming completely. Motivations are […]
Vita & Virginia (Button, 2018)
Virginia Woolf is one of the greatest writers of all time, and certainly one of my favourite authors. It was, then, with much anticipation that I waited for news about Vita & Virginia to arrive out of […]
The Lion King (Favreau, 2019)
I have criticized Disney remakes in the past for their pointlessness; I have also given some a pass for their ability to entertain. The Lion King is not only a black hole of entertainment, it even goes […]
The Souvenir (Hogg, 2019)
I have read criticisms of Joanna Hogg’s formal austerity, particularly as it pertains to audience connection. What good is it, they say, if the film purposely frustrates our ability to unlock these characters and their […]
The Beach Bum (Korine, 2019)
When you hear the call of Harmony Korine, you are likely to either turn away or heed it. I can understand why some impulsively have no interest in him, especially considering the uncompromising oddness of […]
The Lonely Film Critic 