September 23, 2008
The Stone Angel (2008) dir. Kari Skogland
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser, Kevin Zegers, Ellen Page, Dylan Baker
**
Many 30-somethings, like myself, grew up despising Margaret Lawrence’s 1964 book “The Stone Angel”. It’s been a staple in the Canadian high school curriculum for years. And for many of the kids my age being forced to read the book at then was torture. The story of a dying old woman reminiscing about the good and the bad throughout the 91 years of her life just wasn’t the kind of literature I wanted to read at age 15. Read the rest of this entry »
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2008, Drama, English, Kari Skogland | 
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Posted by Alan Bacchus
September 9, 2008
Blindness (2008) dir. Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Don McKellar, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover, Alice Braga
***
“Blindness” is a mixed bag of intriguing high concept intellectual ideas and thriller genre cliches. Unfortunately it’s an oil and water concoction. What’s frustrating is that both elements could have worked with a seemingly simple idiot check somewhere in the script stage. A couple of massive plot holes drown the entire second act and the film only barely emerges for air in the finale to save itself. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | 2008, Co-Production, Drama, English, Fernando Mereilles, TIFF 2008 | Tagged: Canadian Film, Co-Production, Fernando Mereilles, TIFF | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
September 3, 2008
Control Alt Delete (2008) dir. Cameron Labine
Starring: Tyler Labine, Sonja Bennett, Geoff Gustafson, Keith Dallas, Alisen Down
**1/2
Coming out of the Canada First! Program at TIFF is Cameron Labine’s directorial debut, another entry in the long line of Canadian sex comedies. Everyone has a fetish, and Labine decides to give his lead character, Lewis, one of the sickest and most headturning. Lewis likes to have sex with desktop computers. It’s a wild ridiculous concept, something which could only be gotten away with in Canada or Scandinavia. Unfortunately, despite the concept the film has difficulties sustaining its humour beyond its festish raunchiness. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2008, Cameron Labine, Comedy, English, Romantic Comedy, TIFF 2008 | Tagged: Canada First, Canadian, Computer, Sex Comedy, TIFF 2008 | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
