Darkest Hour review — Sterling, if unnecessary, historical drama

December 29, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Joe Wright | Written by Anthony McCarten | 125 min It isn't the fault of the filmmakers that Darkest Hour is the third feature film to show up in cinemas this year—following Their Finest and the titanic Dunkirk—inspired by the same historical material, the rocky period in May 1940 when Britain was staring down the…Read More

Top 10 Under-The-Radar films of 2017

December 24, 2017 flawintheiris

It'll probably be early January before my Top 10 of 2017 is ready to drop—I need to see a few of the holiday releases before I make that call—but right now I can share my favourite hidden gems of the past year. This will be an alphabetical set of the more unusual, lesser-seen pictures that…Read More

The Shape Of Water review — Romantic monster movie a new high point for Pan’s Labyrinth director

December 23, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Guillermo del Toro | Written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor | 123 min | Disney Plus and On Demand I've heard two jokey descriptors for this picture, that it's a gothic remake of Ron Howard's Splash, and that it's a Hellboy prequel, focussing on the origins of Abe Sapien. Both takes feel a…Read More

Coco review — Pixar celebrates ancestry and music

December 21, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina | Written by Unkrich, Molina, Jason Katz, and Matthew Aldrich | 109 min If it hasn't happened already, someone should be writing a thesis about Pixar's diamond-hard, perfectly paced storytelling. I'm not talking about the animated cars, the bugs' lives, or even the monsters. I'm talking about the…Read More

LENS ME YOUR EARS and other PODCAST news!

December 20, 2017 flawintheiris

Another couple episodes of Stephen Cooke and my podcast, LENS ME YOUR EARS are online, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Late last week two episodes went up, one on Darren Aronofsky's mother! and about Movies Made To Freak You Out. That includes discussion about Last Year At Marienbad, Zabriskie Point, and a couple by David Lynch, especially…Read More

Holiday Movie Preview, and ICYMI: CTV Morning Live, December 15, 2017

December 18, 2017 flawintheiris

The typical December hubbub and commercialized nonsense has not diminished my excitement about the group of stellar-looking new releases soon coming to cinemas. I'd even venture a little hyperbole: This looks like the most promising holiday season in recent memory. A few award-worthy films screened at the Atlantic International Film Festival will be arriving just…Read More

Star Wars: The Last Jedi review — The Force could be stronger with this one

December 15, 2017 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson | 152 min By now we're all amongst the initiates, if not the disciples, of Star Wars. And while these movies were the base mythology of my childhood, I can't overlook how these fan-fiction sequels absent George Lucas bend over backward to echo the early trilogy—with frequent and direct…Read More

Song to Song review — Malick’s dream ride continues to SXSW

December 12, 2017 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Terrence Malick | 129 min | on iTunes Since The Tree of Life, Terry Malick's been eschewing anything approaching a traditional narrative in his films, instead making sweeping romantic tales of love and alienation—To The Wonder and Knight Of Cups—driven by visuals and intimate voiceover rather than dialogue and plot. This approach upsets many in the…Read More

Alone in Berlin review — Sincere but clunky wartime melodrama

December 12, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Vincent Perez | Written by Perez, Achim von Borries and Bettine von Borries, adapting a novel by Hans Fallada | 103 min | on iTunes A sentimental concoction where the serious talent of the pair in front of the camera can't quite overcome the deep cliches of those who have made decisions behind…Read More

The Room (2003) and The Disaster Artist reviews — A shared enthusiasm for movies

December 6, 2017 flawintheiris

The Room | Written and Directed by Tommy Wiseau | 99 min :: The Disaster Artist | Directed by James Franco | Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the book by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell | 103 min I was only initiated into the cult of The Room recently, but the experience was…Read More