Reviews: Ida, Blue Ruin, The One I Love, White Bird In A Blizzard

December 31, 2014 flawintheiris

A few impressions of films now available on one of the alternative platforms—Netflix, DVD, Blu-Ray, VOD, iTunes, what have you—that didn't open in local cinemas. Ida A spare and gorgeous black and white drama from filmmaker Pawel Pawilikowski (My Summer of Love, The Woman In The Fifth), Ida is set in Communist Poland in the…Read More

Wild review — An affecting drama of personal change, but for one thing…

December 30, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, written by Nick Hornby, adapting the memoir by Cheryl Strayed It's a great thing that the Quebec filmmaker Vallée is working in Hollywood. He made a big splash with last year's terrific Dallas Buyers Club, though I've been enjoying his work since he made C.R.A.Z.Y. and his best film, Cafe de Flore.…Read More

In Cinemas: December 25, 2014 — Big Eyes, The Imitation Game, Into The Woods, The Gambler, Unbroken, Wild

December 25, 2014 flawintheiris

Merry Christmas everybody! And a special Christmas it is for anyone who's living near one of the 200 cinemas in the US showing The Interview, or those who have the internet in that country. The suits at Sony have decided to let people see it in select cinemas and online platforms today after all. The State Department must…Read More

The Imitation Game review — Quality historical drama

December 24, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Morten Tyldum, written by Graham Moore adapting a book by Andrew Hodges Alan Turing was a British mathematician who helped break the Enigma code, the encrypted communications the Nazis used to direct U-Boat attacks in the North Atlantic, amongst other things. His contribution to that code-breaking—including the creation of one of the world's…Read More

The Alternative Christmas Film Festival

December 23, 2014 flawintheiris

I'm just about done with all the X-Mas hubbub—the relentless advertising, the schmaltz, the earworms on a loop at the grocery store. And if you're like me, you have some ambivalence around the holidays, along with movies that celebrate Christmas. Sure, I'll probably watch about 30 minutes of the evergreen It's A Wonderful Life on one of its…Read More

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies review — The end of a long road

December 21, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Peter Jackson, Written by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo Del Toro, from the novel by JRR Tolkien In the first few minutes of this final visit to Middle Earth by Peter Jackson, my cinepanion and I found ourselves whispering back and forth to each other. We had a lot of questions.…Read More

CTV Morning Live: December 20, 2014 — Holiday releases

December 20, 2014 flawintheiris

The charming Alyse Hand was hosting on CTV on Friday morning when I was invited back to talk about new releases in cinemas. We started with a brief discussion of the craziness this week around the Sony hack and pulling Seth Rogen's The Interview from the release schedule. We also talked about Foxcatcher, The Hobbit: The Battle…Read More

John Dunsworth in Santa Quest — Doing, believing, and the meaning of Santa Claus

December 18, 2014 flawintheiris

John Dunsworth has gone to the trouble of printing out photos of himself as Jim Lahey—the character he plays on Trailer Park Boys—passed out and sprawling, with a large stain on the crotch of his familiar tan pants. Next to him, shirtless as always, is Pat Roach as Randy. These photos are for autograph-seekers. But…Read More

In Cinemas: December 17-19, 2014 — The Hobbit, Foxcatcher, Night At The Museum, Annie, PK

December 17, 2014 flawintheiris

This is the official beginning of the holiday movie season, the release of the third (and final, whew) Hobbit movie from Peter Jackson. I'm not someone who has a hate-on for these movies, but I certainly understand those who do. And even the folks who will line up tonight to see the first screening, I…Read More

Exodus: Gods And Kings — Biblical blah blah

December 16, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine, and Steven Zaillian When I saw Noah earlier this year, I wondered who it was made for. Studio heads must be thinking with the right Biblical story they might have another Passion Of The Christ-level success, getting the devout Christians out to the movies.…Read More