Category: Reviews

A story that follows Adam and Brian, a gay couple with all kinds of open wounds from being beaten up by homophobic thugs, Jeremy Leroux’s Dominant Chord shows glimmers of insight but mostly struggles to overcome superficial writing.  Country singer Adam, played by Clayton Chitty, is riding the high of stardom when he is rudely… Continue reading Dominant Chord: Contending With The Age-Old Battles Of Success vs Freedom

Raymond Carver penned a restless story of a restless man, hounded by his own ravenous insecurities. His short story Cathedral translated to Benjamin Caro’s 21-minute film Cathedrals. As far as adaptations go, Caro’s short stays laudably true to Carver’s, going so far as to add an original character to voice the protagonist’s textual internal monologue.… Continue reading Cathedrals: The Mundanity Of Sight

The release of John. M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians became the foothold of many Asian directors waiting to tell nuanced tales of humanity, united by common threads, distinguished by the fabric of cultures.  One such director is Serena Kuo, a film festival veteran. Her latest film End of Summer draws away from focusing on the… Continue reading End Of Summer: The Secret Lives of Parents and Teens

Shira Haimovici’s The Launderette of Salvation is a short film about belief and faith and the film manages to make an unexpected impact in a very short span of 3:41 minutes. The story follows Sabina, a devout catholic who owns a self-service launderette in East London. Posters of Jesus are found on every wall in… Continue reading The Launderette of Salvation: A Tale About Jesus or A Commentary on Homelessness

David Teixeira’s Mater is a horror flick that centers around the lengths a religious woman is willing to go to in order to save her dying mother. Now, horror plot rules dictate that if there is a religious character, there must be the devil trying to corrupt them (which is fine in and of itself,… Continue reading Mater: Age-Old Consequences Of Liaising With The Devil

Elevators, as everyone knows by this point, is a prime spot for mischief. Of all kinds. Under the precise hands of writer-director Forman Howes ‘Going Up’ introduces us to Raff the dissatisfied hitman, Finn the motormouth and Paloma the wide-eyed goth. Hired by Paloma (a delightful Lillian Doucet-Roche) to kill Finn (Logan Fenske), Raff (Raphael… Continue reading Going Up Takes You On A Ride That Is Equal Parts Tense & Comic

16-year-old Nabila sneaks out of her home. It’s dark and the air feels thick, cautious even. The lovers meet and exchange promises and hopes for a brighter future. Abed (Adam Haloon) and Nabila (Anuar Jour), both Palestinians are prepared for whatever it takes to build a home together. A bracelet is exchanged to solemnize their… Continue reading Something To Live For: Story That Keeps Its Characters’ Humanity Intact

Paul Becker’s Connie + Consuelo is not a musical but it certainly has the flair and theatricality of one, with comic undertones thrown in for good measure. Set in a retirement home, it brings in veteran actors Angélica María and Christina Pickles to star as the central characters, diva Connie and sidekick Consuelo, two octogenarians… Continue reading Connie + Consuelo: Seeking Second Chances At 80

One of the more remarkable aspects of Bonnie Ryan’s Real. Live. Girl. are the two intertwining worlds of neon-lit webcam shows and sombre, ever-slipping reality of Alzheimer’s. Starkly different, their blend is a tricky business and Ryan manages to accomplish it with dexterity.  Rachel Nichols’ Jennifer is the link that connects these: she is a… Continue reading Real. Live. Girl.: On Alternating Between No One and Just The One