In Cinemas: December 30, 2016 — Happy New Year!

December 30, 2016 flawintheiris

Well, nothing new opens in cinemas for the new year weekend. No Jackie, no 20th Century Women, no A Monster Calls, and no Hidden Figures, none of the end-of-2016 features I've been waiting to see before I write up my list of the best films of the year. I may have to bite the bullet and just…Read More

La La Land review — Fizzy musical eschews plot for romantic glamour

December 28, 2016 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle | 128 min | On Demand La La Land and Moonlight are in a two-horse race for award season glory at the time of this writing. The latter has already come and gone in theatres, but the former, after much delay and glowing reviews from elsewhere, finally arrived at a…Read More

2016 in Review: Part 6 of Halifax cinephiles’ best of the year

December 26, 2016 flawintheiris

I’m fortunate to know a group of people as passionate about film as I am. They’re students, programmers, filmmakers, screenwriters, bloggers, critics, and journalists. In this space, when I reference people I know whose opinions I respect—and who often hold positions contrary to my own—that’s who I’m talking about. The debates and conversations are always enriching.…Read More

Lion review — Roaring drama of homecoming, portrayed

December 24, 2016 flawintheiris

Directed by Garth Davis | Written by Luke Davies, adapting the book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley | 118 min It's 1986, and Saroo (Sunny Pawar) is a five-year-old Indian boy living in a rural village with his older brother, Guddu (Abhishek Bharate), mother Kamla (Priyanka Bose), and baby sister. Kamla barely ekes…Read More

2016 In Review: Part 5 of Halifax cinephile year-end lists

December 23, 2016 flawintheiris

Passengers (2016) review — Space jaunt scuppered by script’s fatal flaw

December 22, 2016 flawintheiris

Directed by Morten Tyldum | Written by Jon Spaihts | 116 min The trailers for this film, despite being a bit muddled, have revealed quite a bit about it. If you've seen them then you know Jim (Chris Pratt) and Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) are passengers on an enormous space ship headed for a distant solar…Read More

In Cinemas: December 21-25, 2016 — Assassins Creed, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Dangal, Lion, Passengers, Sing, Why Him?, Fences, La La Land

December 21, 2016 flawintheiris

For better or worse, Christmas is upon us. As a result of Sunday's celebration, this week's film releases are staggered over three days. Here's how they'll roll out: Wednesday, December 21 I think we were all hoping that Assassin's Creed—starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and directed by Justin Kurzel, all of whom teamed up…Read More

2016 in Review: Part 4 of Halifax cinephiles’ favourite films of the year

December 20, 2016 flawintheiris

Nocturnal Animals review — Glossy thriller steps between b-movie punch and campy satire

December 18, 2016 flawintheiris

Directed by Tom Ford | Written by Ford, adapting the novel by Austin Wright | 116 min | Netflix When slick celebrity designer Tom Ford tried his hand at filmmaking, his first effort was a genuine surprise. A Single Man (2009) was a tender melodrama with Colin Firth as a heartbroken (and exceptionally well-tailored) academic wrapping…Read More

2016 In Review: Halifax cinephiles look forward and back (Part 3)

December 17, 2016 flawintheiris