“Are we in another planet?’ asks a five-year-old Jack (an astonishing Jacob Tremblay) in earnest to his mother, having awoke beside her in an unfamiliar hospital room. Only the day before, Jack and his mother, Joy (a superb Brie Larson in her best role since Short Term 12), made a soaring exodus from the one-room […]
Year: 2015
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10 Essential Films About America That Start With The Word “American”
Its chiefest export being patriotism, and its greatest commodity being self-assurance, America is known as a proud nation. Indeed, this pride is not without merit in the fields of filmmaking. This economic powerhouse, cultural incubator, and altogether well established nation has been heavily involved in the art of cinema since its inception. Inventor Thomas Edison […]
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The 20 Greatest Director-Composer Teams in Cinema History
Movies and music have gone together since the beginning of film, accompanying viewings before even dialogue. The passion and excitement of the story, while heavily dependent on the story and direction, can be brought to even greater levels when accompanied by a fitting musical score. While some consider film scores to be lesser than concert […]
Entertainment – VIFF 2015 Review
As he wanders through a dusty, hard-hearted American landscape, mostly the Mojave Desert, a nameless anti-hero and ho-hum stand-up comic played by Gregg Turkington moves like a man thrown down, on a journey somewhere, maybe home. Entertainment is director Rick Alverson’s fourth feature film, following 2012’s The Comedy, and was co-written with Tim Heidecker, and […]
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The 15 Best Movies About Psychotherapy
What is the role of psychology in contemporary society? How is the psychologist perceived by the modern mindset? Is the therapy process recognized as a potential tool for internal reinterpretation? These questions help to explore the nature of psychology and to establish how it can be depicted in modern culture. The “cultural products” of the […]
Victoria – VIFF 2015 Review
The roller coaster metaphor isn’t a perfect one to describe German filmmaker Sebastian Schipper’s single take dramatic crime thriller, Victoria, but it’s apt. Especially if you’re the type who gets nauseated by endless litany, easy to anticipate spirals, and, after a tedious build, you just want it all to end. That’s not to say the […]