The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart review

December 31, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Frank Marshall | Written by Mark Monroe | 111 min | Crave Plus An entertaining and insightful doc on the lives and careers of the brothers Gibb — Barry, Maurice, and Robin, as well as younger brother Andy, who had a solo career and performed with his brothers. The Aussie pop stars are…Read More

Swallow review — Open wide!

December 30, 2020 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis | 94 min | On Demand Swallow is a single-minded psychological thriller that reaches for the unbearable queasiness of body horror, but in such a discreet way as to undercut the suggestion of genre. That's fully to its credit. It stands as a character study and a bloody, bold…Read More

Let Them All Talk review — Sign up for Soderbergh’s spontaneous sail

December 29, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Steven Soderbergh | Written by Deborah Eisenberg | 113 min | Crave Plus/HBO Max in the US There's a lot about this concept that appeals: A renowned American literary writer, Alice Hughes (Meryl Streep), has agreed to attend an awards ceremony in the UK, but she won't fly. Her agent agrees to pay…Read More

Wonder Woman 1984 review — Amazonian return a mixed bag

December 28, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Patty Jenkins | Written by Jenkins, Geoff Johns, and Dave Callaham | 153 min | Crave Plus and On Demand The long delayed superhero sequel finally arrives with a jolt of frisson. It's been so long since we've seen a full-on blockbuster of this sort, even if most of us — in Halifax…Read More

The Midnight Sky review — Clooney’s sci-fi drama goes gently

December 26, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by George Clooney | Written by Mark L. Smith, adapting a book by Lily Brooks-Dalton | 118 min | Netflix "Barbeau Station." "February 2049." "Three weeks after the event." This is the on-screen text that follows astronomer Augustine (Clooney), whiskered, ailing, and distraught, to an empty cafeteria in the opening shots of George Clooney's…Read More

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom review — Stuck on stage, but powerful anyway

December 22, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by George C. Wolfe | Written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, adapting the play by August Wilson | 94 min | Netflix From the jump this is a straight-ahead stage-to-screen transfer that doesn't do much to free the narrative from its theatrical roots. Right away that's a strike against it — there aren't many of these…Read More

A few thoughts on the future of going to the movies

December 19, 2020 flawintheiris

So, 2020. Not a great year, eh? We've all done our best to stay safe and amongst the uninfected, like we're living in a more deliberately paced version of Contagion. This while the death knell for movie-going has been sounding amongst the cinematic cognoscenti. Early in December Warner Bros, announced that their entire slate for…Read More

Another Round (Druk) review — Danish dramedy finds dark laughs in the drink

December 18, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg | Written by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm | 115 min | Crave Plus The original version of this slightly edited review was first published in September when this film was the Closing Night Gala at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival. He set the world alight with The Celebration (Festen) and…Read More

Palm Springs review — A timely, terrific romcom (with a twist)

December 17, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Max Barbakow | Written by Andy Siara | 90 min | Amazon Prime "This is one of those infinite time loop situations you might've heard about," says Nyles (Andy Samberg), stuck in a repeating day at the California desert wedding where his girlfriend, Misty (Meredith Hagner), is a bridesmaid. Maid of Honour, Sarah…Read More

Aniara review — Potent and thoughtful Scandi sci-fi

December 13, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Written by Kågerman and Lilja, based on a poem by Harry Martinson | 106 min | On Demand What we've got here is a chilling science-fiction drama based on an epic science-fiction poem. In Swedish. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this won't be to…Read More