Tag Archives: Valentine Movies

Shortcomings review — Laughs, loathing mix for an unusually good time

August 4, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Randall Park | Written by Adrian Tomine, adapting his own graphic novel | 92 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | On Demand Here's a knowing, self-aware comedy that plays with the conventions of the genre while also serving as a sharp look at creativity, identity, and representation, specifically amongst urban Asian-Americans. Actor-turned-Amazon-pitchman Randall Park (Always… Read More

Past Lives review — Gorgeously intimate, romantic tale told over decades

July 2, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Celine Song | 105 min | ▲▲▲▲▲ | Amazon Prime Celine Song is a Canadian-Korean playwright, this is her debut feature film. It's shockingly mature for a first timer, suggesting not only that writing for the stage has provided chops in her cinematic storytelling, but that she's got a terrific eye… Read More

What’s Love Got To Do With It? review — Culture clash works better than the romance

May 20, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Shekhar Kapur | Written by Jemima Khan | 108 min | ▲▲▲△△ | On Demand Best known as the director of Bandit Queen, the movie that made Cate Blanchett a star, Elizabeth, and it's sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a romantic comedy might seem an unlikely project for the Indian filmmaker, but it's actually… Read More

You Can Live Forever review — Queer lovers in a dangerous time

April 20, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts | 96 min | ▲▲▲△△| Crave It's the early '90s — only 30 years ago but a very different time for gay rights in Canada. Following the death of her father, an Ontario teen, Jamie (Anwen O'Driscoll) has been sent to live with her aunt and… Read More

Rye Lane review — The freshest romcom in ages

April 13, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller | Written by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia | 82 min | ▲▲▲▲▲ | Disney + Dom (David Jonsson) has just been dumped by his girlfriend who cheated on him with his best friend. When we meet him he's crying his heart out in an art gallery's unisex bathroom. Yas (Vivian… Read More

Emily review — Brontë biopic unpacks gothic myth

March 5, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Frances O'Connor | 130 min | ▲▲▲△△ | On Demand A fresh literary biopic has washed up on our cinematic shores, and I confess walking into the screening room I wasn't altogether excited about it. The conceit that something essential about the canon of classic lit can be gleaned by watching… Read More

One Fine Morning review — Léa Seydoux charms in lovely French film

February 23, 2023 flawintheiris

Original Title: Un Beau Matin | Written and Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve | 112 min | ▲▲▲▲▲ | Crave A version of this review appeared on the blog from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival It's hard to say something feels like a quintessential representative of a national cinema without sounding condescending or trite —… Read More

Ticket to Paradise review — Big stars don’t save blah Bali break

October 24, 2022 flawintheiris

Directed by Ol Parker | Written by Parker and Daniel Pipski | 104 min | ▲▲△△△ | Crave You can't deny the dazzling star power of Mr George Clooney and Ms Julia Roberts, Oscar-winners both but more likely to be remembered as movie stars than character actors — or in Clooney's case, as a director.… Read More

Bros review — Gay romcom better at the com than the rom

October 8, 2022 flawintheiris

Directed by Nicholas Stoller | Written by Stoller and Billy Eichner | 115 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Crave This past week Film Twitter has been all up in arms about why Bros bombed at the box office and whether its writer and star, Billy Eichner — of the running up to people on the street… Read More

Persuasion review — Breezy, modernized Austen still convinces

July 18, 2022 flawintheiris

Directed by Carrie Cracknell | Written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow, based on the book by Jane Austen | 107 min |▲▲▲△△| Netflix I was thinking we must be in the midst of an Austen revival, but Austen never really goes away. Just this summer we've seen Fire Island, which has its roots… Read More