Good Kill review — Strong subject but weak execution in drone war movie

May 15, 2015 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol Niccol's work is never less than interesting. He wrote The Truman Show, and wrote and directed Gattaca, Sim0ne, Lord of War, In Time, and now Good Kill. He explores science fiction, but he also has a sense of the contradictions of our age: the way our media and technology can both…Read More

Mad Max: Fury Road review — A masterpiece in speed and metal

May 14, 2015 flawintheiris

Directed by George Miller, Written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nick Lathouris | Netflix Badass. As the end credits rolled, that's the word that kept bouncing around my rattling and enervated cranium. Mad Max: Fury Road is totally badass. When was the last time I was totally floored like this? The last time I saw…Read More

Far From The Madding Crowd (2015) review — A handsome period romance

May 13, 2015 flawintheiris

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, David Nicholls adapting the Thomas Hardy novel | Disney+ I miss Merchant Ivory. There, I've said it. During the heyday of the filmmaking team of Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, they created a brand of literary adaptations that ignited a genre of corset dramas, many of which were…Read More

In Cinemas: May 8, 2015 — Ex Machina, Hot Pursuit, The Water Diviner

May 7, 2015 flawintheiris

Ah, spring. Shorts weather! Sunny days! While most people go out to enjoy it, I'll be spending as much time in the dark as ever, watching movies. And that's how I like it. I'm being a little facetious here: I am a sun worshipper, but while I'm out there I'm listening to movie podcasts and…Read More

Ex Machina review — Stylish, essential science fiction

May 6, 2015 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Alex Garland Talented coder Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), working for global search engine Blue Book, wins a company lottery to join the CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), at his mountain retreat for a week. The house is beautiful, a glass and concrete hideout—actually located in Norway. Caleb is automatically issued a passcard by…Read More

Orson Welles at 100

May 6, 2015 flawintheiris

Not that we need any kind of an excuse, but this week would be a terrific time to go back and watch some of Orson Welles' films. Today is his centenary. I confess I haven't seen enough of his work, but if you're wondering where to start, I recommend going with Citizen Kane (1941), which still tops…Read More

Talking Star Wars and Avengers on CBC Radio One

May 5, 2015 flawintheiris

On Monday, May 4th—now the official Star Wars day, what with the bells of the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill ringing selections from John Williams' anthemic score—I joined Dalhousie professors Jason Haslam and Jacqueline Warwick, and host Stephanie Domet, on Mainstreet, the CBC Radio One afternoon show, to talk movie franchises, reboots, and fantasy adaptations. We…Read More

Reviews: The Homesman, Men Women & Children, Song One, Gemma Bovery, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, Black Sea

May 4, 2015 flawintheiris

A few thoughts on movies now available on VOD, DVD and Blu-Ray The Homesman A powerfully sui generis western, the kind of a story that steps over so many of the generic Hollywood screenwriting conventions you'll never see where it's going. Director and star Tommy Lee Jones adapts a Glendon Swarthout novel about a woman…Read More

CTV Morning Live: May 1, 2015 — Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Ex Machina, and a bunch more…

May 3, 2015 flawintheiris

Heidi Petracek and the good people at Halifax's CTV morning show had me on again Friday morning. We discussed the brand new Avengers: Age of Ultron, the big floating head at the start of the 2015 blockbuster season, along with While We're Young, and Age of Adaline, both already in cinemas, and Ex Machina, opening next week.…Read More

Avengers: Age of Ultron review — The biggest, but not necessarily the best

May 1, 2015 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Joss Whedon, from the Marvel Comic created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby After 10 movies set in this particular Marvel Cinematic Universe, we know these costumed folks now. They're fun to spend time with, what with the jokes and fighting and punching. But the filmmakers also have the added pressure of…Read More