'Siberia' Is So Desolate That Even Willem Dafoe Can't Save It Directed by Abel Ferrara

Published Oct 14, 2020

Abel Ferrara's built a reputation as a confrontational, upsetting director, so much so that a simple, prosaic scene shocks in and of itself....

'Undine' Puts a Unconventional Spin on a Fairy Tale Romance Directed by Christian Petzold

Published Oct 14, 2020

German director Christian Petzold takes on bold premises, working with interesting and difficult ideas without losing the emotional dimensio...

'Last and First Men' Is a Poignant Reminder of Jóhann Jóhannsson's Mood-Setting Mastery Directed by Jóhann Jóhannsson

Published Oct 13, 2020

"But listen patiently — this is not the last word." Tilda Swinton speaks these words as the narrator in Last and First Men as an agent of...

'The Trial of the Chicago 7' Shows That Aaron Sorkin Is a Better Writer Than Director Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Published Oct 08, 2020

The Trial of the Chicago 7 has many masters to serve. When a movie captures a notable moment in American history, staying true to the events...

'Dick Johnson Is Dead' Takes a Surprisingly Joyful Look at Death Directed by Kirsten Johnson

Published Oct 06, 2020

A notable moment from 2016's Cameraperson finds director Kirsten Johnson watching offscreen as a child plays with an axe with no one but the...

'Kajillionaire' Is a Wacky Romp with an Honest Emotional Core Directed by Miranda July

Published Sep 28, 2020

A con artist story can sometimes be full of flash and fun. Sometimes they can find desperate characters trying to use their wits to score bi...

The Best (and Worst) Films We Saw at TIFF 2020

Published Sep 21, 2020

The Toronto International Film Festival normally takes over the city with Hollywood premieres, celebrity sightings and massive crowds of fil...

TIFF Review: 'New Order' Takes a Nihilistic, Both-Sides Perspective on Political Upheaval Directed by Michel Franco

Published Sep 18, 2020

The utility of rioting has been an important debate of late. For some, destruction of property seems to be a step too far; others recognize...

TIFF Review: 'Good Joe Bell' Is a Tragedy That Can't Quite Humanize Its Own Subjects Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green

Published Sep 15, 2020

Good Joe Bell offers Mark Wahlberg a dramatic turn without doing much to advance the issues it's attempting to tackle. Talking about intenti...

'Lucky Grandma' Is Packed with Octogenarian Energy and Unexpected Charisma Directed by Sasie Sealy

Published Aug 14, 2020

By some measures, within 15 minutes of the start of a film, the premise should be well established. By that same mark in Lucky Grandma, the...

'Unhinged' Is a Fine Excuse to Watch Russell Crowe Wreak Havoc Directed by Derrick Borte

Published Aug 13, 2020

Russell Crowe is a first-billed villain in Unhinged, the road rage-themed thriller, earning the honour for being the biggest name involved a...

'Random Acts of Violence' Wades into the Murky Ethics of Using Murder for Entertainment Directed by Jay Baruchel

Published Jul 31, 2020

At one time, the true crime that set me on edge were the paperbacks with a few glossy pages stuck in the middle, showing photos of the kille...

CUFF Review: 'Climate of the Hunter' Feels Like a Stylistic Exercise Directed by Mickey Reece

Published Jun 22, 2020

Climate of the Hunter finds a chill in the air, inside and outside the cabins in which the movie is set. The title recalls The Night of the...

CUFF Review: 'Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets' Is a Drunken Farewell to a Beloved Watering Hole Directed by the Ross Brothers

Published Jun 22, 2020

The people in the room almost need to go through what Bruce is saying word by word. Parts keep getting lost, but eventually, his sentiment i...

Hot Docs Review: 'Hoop Dreams' Filmmaker Examines the Nuances of Chicago Life in 'City So Real' Directed by Steve James

Published Jun 09, 2020

Laquan McDonald, a Black 17-year-old, was shot 16 times while turned away from the Chicago Police Department officer who murdered him in 201...

Hot Docs Review: 'The Painter and the Thief' Turns Crime into Art Directed by Benjamin Ree

Published Jun 08, 2020

Plenty of entertaining documentaries are built from being in the right place at the right time. The Painter and the Thief — a doc filled wit...

Hot Docs Review: 'Mayor' Highlights the Day-to-Day Practicalities of Palestinian Political Life Directed by David Osit

Published Jun 01, 2020

Few documentaries come across discussion of a Christmas tree that's politically fraught. In Mayor, director David Osit's sophomore feature,...

'The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open' Explores Shared Connections and Conflicts Directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn

Published Mar 23, 2020

A specific significance of this film's title, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, might be lost on me. To pick out the pair of wor...

CUFF Review: 'Los Reyes' Tells a True-Life Shaggy Dog Tale That'll Warm Hearts Directed by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff

Published Dec 04, 2019

In looking at Los Reyes, a story of a couple of strays, it's tough not to think about the lived conditions of capitalism. People keep moving...

CUFF Review: 'Our Time Machine' Explores Art and Remembrance via Chinese Theatre Directed by S. Leo Chiang and Yang Sun

Published Dec 04, 2019

What makes a work worth remembering? Worth not only being experienced by audiences in its own time and place, but to be talked about after?...