Carbon Arc Cinema review: Once You Know

November 30, 2023 flawintheiris

I am the Artistic Director at Carbon Arc Cinema, part of a group of programmers who choose the films we screen. This weekend we're screening a 4K restoration of Guy Maddin's 1990 film, Archangel, and a documentary from 2020, largely in French, called Once You Know. Directed by Emmanuel Cappellin | 104 min | Carbon Arc…Read More

The Knox Office: Thanksgiving, Saltburn, and Quiz Lady

November 30, 2023 flawintheiris

I recently appeared on CBC Radio's Information Morning with my column, The Knox Office, to review three new movies. Two are in cinemas and one on streaming: the horror comedy, Thanksgiving, gothic class comedy, Saltburn, and the straight ahead laugh-fest,Quiz Lady, on Disney +. You can listen by clicking here.Read More

Dream Scenario review — A surreal nightmare with Nicolas Cage FTW

November 27, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Kristoffer Borgli | 102 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | In Cinemas A version of this review appeared during FITI's coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival. Once again A24 produces a film the likes of which we've not seen before, proving the American indie studio is consistently making the best movies in…Read More

Thanksgiving review — Stuffed with gore and laughs

November 26, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Eli Roth | Written by Roth and Jeff Rendell | 106 min | ▲▲▲△△ | In Cinemas You may recall Grindhouse, the double-feature cinematic release from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez back in 2007 — the individual features were Death Proof and Planet Terror. Neither were those individual filmmakers' best work, but paired…Read More

Napoleon review — It’s a long wait for Waterloo

November 26, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Ridley Scott | Written by David Scarpa | 158 min | ▲▲△△△ | In Cinemas Sir Ridley Scott, now in his 80s, continues to show he's one of Hollywood's great visual stylists. What he isn't is a writer, so while the director of Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator has made…Read More

Saltburn review — Gorgeous and lurid, fascinating and flawed

November 23, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell | 127 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | In Cinemas Best Original Screenplay Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell made a big splash with Promising Young Woman, has written and directed a follow-up that disguises its genre for much of its running time in a series of narrative lock boxes and red herrings. Is…Read More

Carbon Arc Review: Fallen Leaves

November 22, 2023 flawintheiris

I am the Artistic Director at Carbon Arc Cinema, part of a group of programmers who choose the films we screen. An earlier version of this review appeared during my coverage of the 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival. Written and Directed by Aki Kaurismäki | 81 min | Carbon Arc Cinema Since the early 1980s…Read More

Quiz Lady review — Good times with Awkwafina and Sandra Oh

November 22, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Jessica Yu | Written by Jen D'Angelo | 99 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Disney + Isn't it odd how few *pure* comedies we see these days? It's a genre that doesn't really exist anymore as a box office force. Sure, we get comedy horrors, comedy fantasies, comedy romances, even comedy superhero movies, but…Read More

Carbon Arc Review: The Mission

November 16, 2023 flawintheiris

I am the Artistic Director at Carbon Arc Cinema, part of a group of programmers who choose the films we screen. Written and Directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss | 103 min | Carbon Arc Cinema Not to be confused with the Roland Roffé epic from 1986, this is a documentary centred on the…Read More

The Knox Office: The Holdovers, Testament, and Fingernails

November 15, 2023 flawintheiris

If you're a regular reader of FITI you'll know that in the past week or so I've reviewed the new Alexander Payne feature, The Holdovers, as well as Testament, the new film from veteran Canadian filmmaker, Deny Arcand. and the oddball sci-fi romance, Fingernails. If you're all TLDR, and would rather hear me talk about…Read More