Dear Comrades! review — Red riots and bloody streets

February 12, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Andrey Konchalovskiy | Written by Konchalovskiy and Elena Kiseleva | 121 min | Carbon Arc Cinema The Russian submission for the Best International Film at this year's Academy Awards is a black-and-white historical docudrama set in 1962 in Novocherkassk, a factory town in the Soviet Union. It tells the story of a workers…Read More

Cineplex Cinemas reopen in Nova Scotia

February 11, 2021 flawintheiris

This Friday, February 12, will see cinemas here reopen. If you're like me, and you've missed the experience, I'll see you (at a safe distance) at the movies this weekend. I know there were some people who weren't especially interested in going back to cinemas when they were open last summer and fall, and I'm…Read More

20 Best Movies on Canadian Netflix (from the 20th Century)

February 8, 2021 flawintheiris

I don't think this is a secret: Netflix doesn't carry a deep library of quality older cinema. Most folks looking to a streaming service for a classic movie are probably better off subscribing to Amazon Prime — a lot to enjoy there — or the Criterion Channel. (I'd also recommend a look at the library…Read More

A Glitch In The Matrix review — No red pill

February 5, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Rodney Ascher | 108 min | On Demand Hollywood has capitalized on the ideas of Philip K Dick, but we haven't yet had a documentary (that I've seen, anyway) that does justice to his concepts of memory, identity, and humanity. This isn't that doc, either. It takes us on a fascinating journey, but…Read More

The Kid Detective review — Scruffy neo-noir comedy mostly works

February 2, 2021 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Evan Morgan | 100 min | Crave Plus Abe Applebaum was the pride of the town of Willowbrook (actually North Bay, Ontario) back when he was 12 (Jesse Noah Gruman). He was a boy genius, brilliant at solving mysteries. He'd lie awake at night, wondering if he was the smartest person…Read More

The Dig review — It’s a classy, poignant English period drama

January 30, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Simon Stone | Written by Moira Buffini from a novel by John Preston | 112 min | Netflix A gentle, moving drama, and lovely to look at, apparently based on a true story. The Dig has plenty of space for the stock and trade of English period movie: a host of repressed emotions,…Read More

Acasa, My Home review — A family in the wild

January 29, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Radu Ciorniciuc | 86 min | Carbon Arc Cinema In the Romanian capital Bucharest is an urban wetlands — now protected — called Văcărești. That's where this documentary starts, with the Enache family: Two adults and nine children who have been living in a large tent in the park for years. The filmmaker,…Read More

News Of The World review — Hanks brings patented ease to western tale

January 28, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Paul Greengrass | Written by Greengrass and Luke Davies, based on the novel by Paulette Jiles | 118 min | Crave Plus Paul Greengrass is best known as the English director of docudramas and thrillers, like the Tom Hanks starrer, Captain Phillips. On News Of The World he once again pairs with Hanks, who's playing…Read More

Identifying Features review — A descent into darkness

January 27, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Fernanda Valadez | Written by Valadez and Astrid Rondero | 95 min | On Demand This Mexican film paints an astonishing, powerful portrait of a national nightmare made personal. It's a deeply affecting, if brutally bleak journey. It tells the story of one woman seeking the fate of her son who has disappeared…Read More

LENS ME YOUR EARS Update: January 2021

January 26, 2021 flawintheiris

My fellow podcast host Stephen Cooke and I have been busy watching new and classic films and discussing them using the magic of remote recording during this ongoing pandemic. Our newest episode of the film podcast LENS ME YOUR EARS is now available to enjoy online wherever you get your finer podcast content — including…Read More