As the final credits began to roll on Amanda Lipitz’s Step, a woman sitting next to me turned and said “wow.” She stated that she felt like she had cried throughout the whole film. I must admit that the sound of her sniffles and her frequent dabbing of the eyes did not go unnoticed, but […]
Category Archives: Reactions
August
09
Toronto Youth Shorts 2017 Sneak Peek
posted by Courtney Small
The 9th Annual Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival will take place from August 11th to August 12th. Featuring 53 short films from five distinct programs, the festival has become a vital launch pad for emerging artist looking to share their unique stories with audiences. Aside from the immense talent on display, one of the pleasures […]
August
08
Detroit
posted by Courtney Small
Watching Detroit, the latest collaboration between director Katheryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, reminded me of my experience observing D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation for the first time. While I marvelled at the filmmaking prowess on display, I was ultimately left feeling angry and cold. Thankfully, unlike Griffith’s cinematic propaganda, Bigelow’s film has no […]
July
25
New to Blu-Ray: Ghost in the Shell
posted by Courtney Small
In the works for nearly a decade, it has been a turbulent journey to the big screen for the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. Based on the popular Japanese manga book, which has spawned several animated movies, video games and a television series, Rupert Sanders’ film received major backlash when it was first […]
July
24
Dunkirk
posted by Courtney Small
During Dunkirk’s opening sequence the audience watches as a British soldier, Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), runs for his life after his troop is ambushed by German soldiers. The echoing sound of his feet on the paved streets, as bullets sail pass him, slowly begin to mimic the pulsing heartbeats growing within the viewer. It is the […]
July
13
Mermaids
posted by Courtney Small
The myth of the mermaid has been told by the ancient Greeks, Inuit communities, and most famously in children’s fairy tales. Popular culture has also played a key role in perpetuating the allure be it the romantic charm of Disney’s The Little Mermaid or the dark musical fun of Agnieszka Smoczynska’s The Lure, our love […]
July
10
Spider-man: Homecoming
posted by Courtney Small
It has been a rather turbulent journey for Spider-Man ever since he jumped onto the big screen in Sam Raimi’s 2002 film. Fans have had to endure the gambit of titles that ran from enjoyable, Spider-Man 2, to disappointing, everything after Spider-Man 2. Prior to Marvel striking a deal with Sony to bring everyone’s favourite […]
July
08
Okja
posted by Courtney Small
One of the exceptional aspects of Bong Joon-Ho’s latest film Okja is not in how it humanizes a pig, but rather how it makes one reflect on humanity. On the surface, wears the clothes of a traditional child and her pet adventure story. However, underneath there is a fast-paced, and emotionally enriching, tale that confidently […]
July
07
Tickling Giants
posted by Courtney Small
Bassem Youssef has been called the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” for his popular brand of political satire. In a country where journalists are routinely jailed, or mysteriously go missing, for exercising free speech, the surgeon turned televised comedian is truly one of a kind. As Youssef points out in Sara Taksler’s charming and poignant documentary Tickling […]
July
05
Integral Man
posted by Derek Jacobs
Writer-director Joseph Clement’s subject for Integral Man is the modern renaissance man Jim Stewart. Stewart is a brilliant concert-level violinist with a contagious passion for music, but he is also an accomplished teacher of mathematics. Spurred on by some students who told him that his notes on the chalkboard were clearer than the textbook they […]
July
04
Baby Driver
posted by Courtney Small
It is somewhat mystifying that a film centered around an expert getaway driver would have so little actual driving in its climatic moments. Instead of a final car chase sequence that is worthy of the action movies Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver takes inspiration from, the audience is treated to a smorgasbord of scattered action and […]
June
22
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography
posted by Courtney Small
It is rather fitting that Errol Morris’ most gentle film to date focuses on a photographer who has no interest in taking unhappy photos. His latest work The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography is a loving tribute to his good friend Elsa Dorfman, a self-proclaimed nice Jewish girl from Massachusetts who found her calling in […]
June
09
Awakening the Zodiac
posted by rmpixie
The Zodiac Killer has baffled experts for decades. Authorities have never been able to find this sensationalized serial killer who was most active from the 1960’s-70’s in the San Francisco Bay area. He is known for murdering or seriously injuring several victims, reaching out to police via taunting phone calls, and demanding that newspapers publish […]
June
08
CSFF 2017: The Surrounding Game
posted by Courtney Small
Despite being played by over 40 million players worldwide, the board game Go has yet to reach the same level of obsession in the West as in the East where it originated. Created in ancient China, and currently the oldest board game to be played in its original form, Go is known for its meditative […]
June
08
CSFF 2017: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
posted by Courtney Small
The 1936 Olympics in Berlin will always be remembered for Jesse Owens’ four gold medal performance which was viewed as a triumphant defiance to Hitler and his ideology on race. Though he captured much of the media’s attention, Owen was not the only African-American to make waves at the games. In her latest documentary Olympic […]
June
07
CSFF 2017: Crossing The Line
posted by Jay
Danny Lee Harris, 1984: an American track and field athlete who ran the 400-meter hurdles and won silver medals at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was the guy who always finished behind Edwin Moses, a track and field phenom, known as the guy who never loses – and he never did; he had […]
June
07
CSFF 2017: Hillsborough
posted by Derek Jacobs
The worst sports disaster in the history of England occurred on April 15th, 1989 in Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during a semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. During the match, overcrowding in a pen lead to an alarming number of deaths. Daniel Gordon’s documentary Hillsborough recounts the story of this disaster, its causes, and […]
June
06
CSFF 2017: Keepers of the Game
posted by Jay
High school funding for sports, and girls’ sports in particular, is on the decline, but fundraising isn’t the only issue for the members of the Salmon River High team. As the first all-Native girls’ lacrosse team in their section, they’ve got something to prove, and not just to their rivals, but to their own community […]
June
06
CSFF 2017: The Boy Who Learned to Fly
posted by Courtney Small
Usain Bolt’s athletic ability and undeniable charm has made him one of the most popular Olympic athletes in recent years. While he exudes confidence on the track, Limbert Fabian and Jake Wyatt’s animated short The Boy Who Learned to Fly shows that this was not always the case. Commissioned by Gatorade, working in conjunction with […]
June
05
Wonder Woman
posted by Courtney Small
One of the most stunning things about Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is not its thrilling action, but its overall ambition. Rarely has a summer blockbuster been so in tune with the foibles of mankind while still being a thoroughly entertaining ride from start to finish. It is not everyday you come across a film that […]
