TCFF 2024 Review: BLITZ – Saoirse Ronan is luminous in Steve McQueen’s impeccably-crafted but emotionally underwhelming WWII drama

Blitz tells the tale of a group of Londoners navigating life during the bombings of World War II in the 1940s. Written and directed by Steve McQueen, the film opened with a fiery inferno right from its opening scene. Firefighters desperately try to put out the blaze that engulfs a row of houses, one of …

Continue reading TCFF 2024 Review: BLITZ – Saoirse Ronan is luminous in Steve McQueen’s impeccably-crafted but emotionally underwhelming WWII drama

The Beast (La Bête, 2024) review: Léa Seydoux is undeniably magnetic in this disconcerting genre-bending dystopian film

The Beast in the Jungle is Henry James’ novella that has been adapted numerous times. This one marks the sixth cinematic adaptation though it’s very loosely based. In fact, Bertrand Bonello and his co-writers Guillaume Bréaud and Benjamin Charbit take so many creative liberties this one is more ‘inspired by.’ This is my intro to …

Continue reading The Beast (La Bête, 2024) review: Léa Seydoux is undeniably magnetic in this disconcerting genre-bending dystopian film

FlixChatter Review – 1917 (2020)

When I heard that Sam Mendes, the Oscar winning director of American Beauty and one of my favorite “James Bond” films, Skyfall, was releasing a World War I film, I was beyond intrigued. Centered around the spring of 1917 during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich, Mendes wanted to incorporate a …

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FlixChatter Review: Captain Fantastic (2016)

The title of the film may sound like a superhero film but this indie drama is as far away from the ubiquitous genre as it can get. It made me think of The Sound of Music if Captain Von Trapp were to uproot his entire family to the Austrian Alps and homeschooled all his kids instead of hiring Maria. Set …

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TCFF Day 7 reviews: The Liability, Casual Encounters, How I Live Now

Now that TCFF has wrapped, I'll be posting some reviews from the last few days of the film fest, as well as which films won the TCFF Awards which was announced last night. Glad to see some of my personal favorites getting nominated. You can check out the list here. Now here are some films …

Continue reading TCFF Day 7 reviews: The Liability, Casual Encounters, How I Live Now

DVD Picks: The Cove, The Boys Are Back, Bright Star

The Cove – Documentary Synopsis: Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taiji, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health. This doc was highly-recommended by a group of friends as we're having dinner. I …

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