Category Archives: Indie

Tara Thorne’s Compulsus screens in Halifax

July 27, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Tara Thorne | 80 min | Screening at Carbon Arc Cinema A version of this post first appeared on the blog in September 2022 during coverage of the Atlantic International Film Festival — this week the fest having shrugged off that awkward, unloved tag, FIN. So, this isn't a proper review…Read More

Past Lives review — Gorgeously intimate, romantic tale told over decades

July 2, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Celine Song | 105 min | ▲▲▲▲▲ | Amazon Prime Celine Song is a Canadian-Korean playwright, this is her debut feature film. It's shockingly mature for a first timer, suggesting not only that writing for the stage has provided chops in her cinematic storytelling, but that she's got a terrific eye…Read More

The 2023 Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival is here!

June 21, 2023 flawintheiris

Perhaps the most idiosyncratic and grassroots film festival in Halifax is on right now. I'm talking about HIFF, running from today through Saturday at the Light House Arts Centre (1800 Argyle, the former World Trade Centre). Things get going at 6:30 this evening with the feature, So Much Tenderness, from Canadian-Colombian filmmaker Lina Rodriguez. (Director…Read More

Showing Up review — Kelly Reichardt’s indie spirit reemerges

June 8, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Kelly Reichardt | Written by Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond | 107 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Carbon Arc Cinema The corner of American indie cinema that Reichardt comfortably inhabits is akin to indie folk rock of the early 2000s — entirely lo-fi and earnest and in no hurry to get where it's going. I…Read More

Adult Adoption review — The Queen of Twee

June 4, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Karen Knox | Written by Ellie Moon | 90 min | ▲▲△△△ | on Digital and VOD I have to say off the top I'm not a fan of indie quirk, nor am I of the shaky-cam. It hasn't been a good thing in feature films since Dogme 95. I understand it though…Read More

You Hurt My Feelings review — The truth may hurt, but the movie’s hysterical

May 26, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Nicole Holofcener | 93 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Amazon Prime Someone in a movie once said it's hard to get through the day without a juicy rationalization. The same can be said for a white lie. Where would we be if we had to be 100% honest with the people around…Read More

Master Gardener review — Thriller gets lost in the weeds

May 18, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Paul Schrader | 111 min | ▲▲▲△△ | Netflix I often think about casting, and how a project can sink or swim depending on who gets put in the key roles. Sometimes if it's a poor fit it isn't really about the skill or charisma of the actor, sometimes it's…Read More

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. review — Legendary YA novel finally arrives on the big screen

May 8, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig | Written by Craig, adapting the book by Judy Blume | 106 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Crave I'm of the generation that grew up, unfortunately, with stuff that was for boys and stuff that was for girls, and Judy Blume was definitely for girls. I was told in no uncertain…Read More

Polite Society review — Not polite about kicking ass!

May 6, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Nida Manzoor | 103 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Amazon Prime When I saw the amazing Rye Lane on Disney+ last month, I would not have predicted another comedy coming out of a London suburban immigrant enclave would knock my socks off, but here we are. With this film what we have…Read More

Windfall review — Desert-set noir delivers lean, effective story

April 30, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Charlie McDowell | written by McDowell, Jason Segal and Justin Lader | 92 min | ▲▲▲△△ | Netflix Here’s a film from the director of The One I Love, an indie science fiction picture from a few years back that I really liked. Like the earlier picture this one's set in a luxurious…Read More