The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes. Directed by Jenn Storm
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes is a standard, by the book documentary about one of the most renowned Canadian artists. Filled with archival footage, interviews from Hughes himself and his closest friends, historians, and biographers, Jenn Storm dissects the artist’s work in a manner that can be found in a common Wikipedia article. Though insightful and well made, it is a standard biographical doc that does nothing to go beyond its standard formula.
My Rating: B-
Broken Voices. Directed by Ondrej Provaznik
Broken Voices is a heartbreaking and intimate tragedy of child grooming and molestation through the eyes of girls attending a prestigious choir school. Unsettling and sickly it will make your heart ache as you witness these girls being groomed by their choir teacher. From the small glances to the gestures of “kindness” the film shows it all from start to finish. Featuring fantastic performances from the entire ensemble, Broken Voices is not for the faint of heart, but is an essential look into child grooming.
My Rating: B
Cutting Through Rocks. Directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammad Reza Eyni
Cutting Through Rocks is a politically charged, docufiction film that dives into the terrifying realities that women in Iran face. We follow this narrative through the eyes of Sara, who becomes the first female elected official in a remote town in northeastern Iran. What should be seen as a celebration is immediately met with sexism, misogyny, and violence as she tries to convince the town that some of their traditions, such as child marriages, are barbaric and should end. We see her fight tooth and nail to do what is right, only to realize that she is in for a long war, where she is constantly on the defensive and offensive. Yet within this horrifying documentary, there is a small sliver of hope as she starts inspiring the younger generation of women to stand up for themselves against the oppressive Sharia Law, one step at a time.
My Rating: B+
Late Shift. Directed by Petra Biondina Volpe
Working in the medical field is tough, especially for nurses who have to deal with all varieties of patients. And Late Shift honors them by showing the trials and tribulations of a late shift nurse going through her everyday shift at a grossly understaffed hospital that is as stressful as it is terrifying. We see the dire state of this hospital is in as it is grossly understaffed as only two nurses are left to take care of over 30 patients over a course of eight hours. We see the verbal, emotional and physical abuse that the nurse faces all while trying to not only give their patients the best care possible, but keep their own sanity. Led by the brilliant Leonie Benesch, Late Shift is a horrifying look at the daily lives of nurses all over the world.
My Rating: B+
La Grazia. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Paolo Sorrentino latest feature, La Grazia is a lot. It’s not the type of film you watch at the end of a long film festival day. Though I was exhausted, I was still enthralled by La Grazia. Its exploration of the human condition is explored through the eyes of Mariano de Santis (played by the magnetic Toni Servillo) as he questions his legacy, his regret, his existence, and the loved ones in his life as he asked the question “can he forgive and move on with his life as his presidency comes to an end”. Though messy and tonally jarring, there is still something enthralling beneath the surface of La Grazia, a character study of a man looking back on his life.
Young Mothers. Directed by the Dardenne Brothers.
Young Mothers is an intimate and powerful portrait of the challenges and strife of young moms through the eyes of five teen moms. We witness their struggles first hand as they deal with hardships of being a teen mom in a world where they struggle with abusive family members, substance abuse, financial struggles, and a world that looks down on teen moms. The film is honest and sincere as it is led by a group of powerful young actresses who dominate the screen. Though scattered and a bit overstuffed the film lives up to the quote, “support teen moms not teenage pregnancy”.
Last Night in Taipei. Directed by Kuo Cheng-Chui
Last Night in Taipei is a naturalistic and grounded drama about four friends coming together for possibly the last time as their lives are slowly drifting away from each other. Authentic and intimate with its storytelling, Last Night in Taipei is feel good, emotional, and melancholic as it explores shared experiences and the connective tissues that define relationships. While not perfect and a bit sluggish, the film is at the very least enthralling.
My Rating: B-
The Mastermind. Directed by Kelly Reichardt
It wouldn’t be a Kelly Reichardt film if she wasn’t trying to deconstruct the genre, and in this case she deconstructs an art heist gone wrong. Led by the brilliant Josh O’Connor, The Mastermind is not the typical heist gone wrong kind of film. Instead, Reichardt delivers a more intimate character study of a man spiraling in his pride after an art heist goes wrong. Funny, tender and firm, The Mastermind is a good time that will undoubtedly not be for everyone.
Sound of Falling. Directed by Mascha Schilinski
Shot like a mesmerizing horror film, Sound of Falling is a haunting vignette of coming of age in a world when you don’t have the will to live. Beautifully shot, this impressionistic period piece is a haunting, harrowing piece of haunted house horror as we navigate the lives of several girls living in the same house over a course of 100 years. Filled with mesmerizing performances, immersive sound design, and haunting cinematography, Sound of Falling is the encapsulation of the “Death-gaze” as we watch these young girls contemplate their life and death.
Koln 75. Directed by Ido Fluk
Similar in style to Fleabag, Koln 75 is a surprisingly energetic and jazzy look into the makings of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 Koln Concert, which would later on to become the best selling Jazz album of all time. Though not perfect and does fall into some of the typical biopic tropes, the film is still a fun, energetic, jazzy time.
My Rating: B
Decorado. Directed by Alberto Vazquez.
Decorado is an animated, Looney-Tune coded version of the Truman Show, but with more surreal and horrifying commentary. Filled with beautiful animation and exploring themes such as consumerism, existentialism of the middle-aged, and late-stage capitalism, Decorado is an animated film like no other. Though a bit long and sluggish for its 75-minute-long run time, Decorado is the bold animated swing that the medium has been missing. Bold, beautiful and horrifying, don’t miss out on Decorado.
My Rating: B
Jay Kelly. Directed by Noah Baumbach
Jay Kelly is Noah Baumbach’s most ambitious film to date. Intimate with its storytelling, yet epic with its character study of an A-List actor, you would expect greatness from a story like this and well it kind of falls flat on its face. As expected the film is sentimental, funny and well made with a perfect A-List cast. Tackling themes such as legacy, regret, fame and the consequences of being an actor through the eyes of an A-List actor going through an existential crisis. But sadly, despite having a great premise, the film is too scattered, spread out, and self-absorbed to find any meaning beyond the surface.
Pillion. Directed by Harry Lighton
Pillion is a hot, steamy, sexy, and surprisingly sincere romantic comedy, or should I say “dom-com”. Led by Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard, deliver a sincere romance exploring domination or “BDSM” in LGBT relationships. Highlighting both the complexities and issues with the kink as well as the beauty and affirmation that can come from it in a beautifully sincere way. Charming and a guaranteed crowd pleaser, look out for Pillion in February.
Nouvelle Vague. Directed by Richard Linklater
After sadly falling asleep during Nouvelle Vague at TIFF, I decided to give it a rewatch at VIFF and it is undoubtedly one of the most charming films of the year. Feel good and easy to process, Nouvelle Vague documents the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s masterpiece, Breathless, in the style and framing of the French New Wave. Filled with outstanding performances and the charm of the French New Wave, Nouvelle Vague is an essential watch for cinephiles.
The Secret Agent. Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
After sadly falling asleep during The Secret Agent at TIFF, I gave The Secret Agent a rewatch at VIFF and the film is so much better on a rewatch. Though still a tad bit long and sluggish, The Secret Agent is an engrossing, slow burn tale of survival and hardship during the Military Dictatorship of Brazil during the 1970s. Led by the captivating Wagner Moura, we follow a simple man’s tale of resilience and fight as he tries to escape from the Dictatorship’s clutches.
Tuner. Directed by Daniel Roher
You take the crime from Baby Driver, the hearing disability from Sound of Metal, and the jazziness from Whiplash, you get Daniel Roher’s latest feature, Tuner. A fun, snapping, drama thriller about a piano tuner who dives into the world of crime to pay for his mentor’s medical bills. Led by the brilliant Leo Woodhall, Dustin Hoffman, and Havana Rose Liu, is a surprisingly good time and an absolute blast of a film.
The Plague. Directed by Charlie Polinger
The Plague is a brutal and horrifying look at adolescence through the eyes of a tween boy attending a water polo summer camp. Filled with terrifying middle school bully culture and the right amount of puberty, unpopular body horror, The Plague is a horrifying psychological horror film like no other. Its grounded realism and brilliant performances from its cast hits close to home as it felt like I was back in middle school once again, surrounded by my bullies.
Resurrection. Directed by Bi Gan
Can I tell you what Bi Gan’s Resurrection is about? No. But, is it an experience you won’t forget, for better or worse? Hell yes. Resurrection is a cinematic fever dream of an odyssey as it dazzles on the silver screen to deliver an out-of-body cinematic experience. Told over six-chapters, each with their own stories and cinematic style ranging from German Expressionism to neo-noir and much more, each frame of Resurrection is a stunning tapestry of cinematic artistry. While its narrative is a lot, to say the least, there is a striking, visual charm that is hard to ignore and to be enthralled by.
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