October 30, 2009
Amreeka (2009) dir Cherian Dabis
Starring: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat
**1/2
A Sundance and Cannes success, this multi-pronged international co-production indie has seen great success in a very competitive market. The title which means, simply America in Arabic, reflects the real life internal and external conflicts of writer/director Cherian Dabis, who as a second generation American in her youth, felt lost with a national identity split between her American home and her Arabic roots. Dabis’ makes up for manipulative and contrived conflict with a palpable emotional honesty and cinematic integrity. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 
2009, Arabic, Drama, English | 
Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
October 3, 2009
Clubland (2009) dir. Eric Geringas
Documentary
***
Every year at this time much is made of the annual Queen’s Homecoming extravaganza when thousands of students descend on the campus and carouse in the streets intoxicated like typical restless youths. The student arrests, minor scuffling, skirmishes, and general public disturbance of this weekend always seems to spark nationwide debate. Well in Toronto, this happens every Friday and Saturday, in the city’s notorious ‘Entertainment District’ – 1.4 square KM area in the heart of the city where nightly 50,000 young people inhabit 60 nightclubs for four hours and then emerge into the streets after last call for even more drunken rowdiness. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2009, Documentary, English, Eric Geringas, Hot Docs 2009, TV | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
September 9, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me (1981) dir. J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Tracey E. Bregman, Lawrence Dane, Glenn Ford
**1/2
Revived from Anchor Bay comes this forgotten-about entry in the golden era of early 80’s Canadian tax shelter cinema – an era which produced numerous genre knock-offs of American films. While ‘Happy Birthday to Me’ is no classic and barely a cult film, it’s not embarrassing and worth a look for fans of slasher cinema. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 1980's, English, Horror | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
September 9, 2009
You Might As Well Live (2009) dir. Simon Ennis
Starring: Joshua Peace, Michael Madsen, Stephen McHattie, Greg Bryk, Clark Johnson
***
Guest review by Reece Crothers
Some films are just destined to become cult classics. I’m putting my money on Simon Ennis’ hilarious “You Might As Well Live” to join the rank and file of other Canadian comedies to achieve that status, from “Strange Brew” and “Highway 61″ through “Trailer Park Boys” and “FUBAR”, the latter of which is all the more appropriate here as that film’s director, Michael Dowse serves as executive producer. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2009, Comedy, English, Simon Ennis | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
July 10, 2009
Hank and Mike (2008) dir. Matthiew Klinck
Starring: Paulo Mancini, Thomas Michael
**
‘Hank and Mike’ was perhaps meant to be the ‘Bad Santa’ of Easter films, a foul-mouthed, irresponsible raunch comedy about two costumed Easter Bunnies who, after being fired, attempt to integrate themselves back into regular working society. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2008, Comedy, English, Matthiew Klinck | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
June 23, 2009
Next Floor (2008) dir. Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Jean Marchand, Mathieu Handfield, Emmanuel Schwartz, Sébastien René
****
Though only 11mins, Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Next Floor’ stands tall as a magnificent visually stunning allegory to class struggle told with a wickedly dark sense of humour. Villeneuve channels the absurd and surreal metaphors of Luis Bunuel with the visually grandness of Terry Gilliam to create a unique artistic masterpiece.”Next Floor” has been gathering awards at various festivals since last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and this week opened the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2008, Comedy, Denis Villeneuve, Drama, Experimental, Shorts, WSFF 2009 | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
June 13, 2009
Here’s some short reviews for the Canadian Comedy Shorts Program:
The Catsitter (dir. Tim Hamilton)
Bob is an emasculated single man who rents out his basement apartment to an emotionally stunted hot-knives toking selfish loser David. When Bob goes to Timmins to meet his internet girlfriend, he leaves David to sit the cat. Bad idea. Tim Hamilton, who also directed the uproarious ‘Truth in Advertising’ absolutely nails the pathetic absurdity of his characters. His stars, recognizable comedic faces, Bob Martin and David Hubband, lead the charge and show perfect comic timing in a series of subtle gags which lead up to Hamilton’s darkly funny final punchline. Definitely the belle of this comic bunch. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 2008, Comedy, English, Shorts, WSFF 2009 | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
June 10, 2009
Cube (1997) dir. Vincenzo Natali
Starring: Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett, Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni
****
Ok, this might be a biased opinion, considering I work for the Canadian Film Centre who made this film, but its not. This a genuine review with all it’s praise due. Made through the CFC Feature Film Project, for under $500,000, “Cube” is a mini marvel – part high concept sci-fi, part horror film, part art film. A wholly intriguing concoction of ideas and action, which avoids its potentially gimmicky hook. Not only one of the best examples of low budget filmmaking but one of the best Canadian films ever made. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 1990's, Canadian Cinema in Revue, English, Sci-Fi, Vincenzo Natali | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
May 22, 2009
Adoration (2009) dir. Atom Egoyan
Starring: Devon Bostick, Scott Speedman, Arsinee Khanjian
**
I am a big Atom Egoyan fan, which extends even beyond flag waving patriotism. Even his recent lesser-regarded films, “Where the Truth Lies”, “Felicia’s Journey” dug into me and struck a chord. With “Adoration” it’s Egoyan again, his trademark multi-layered elliptical style with a peculiar story about a teenager’s conflicts reconciling the death of his parents. If this were another filmmaker’s film, I’d might call it a triumph of tonal control and metaphorical storytelling, but with Egoyan, it’s something we’ve seen before, but with more preciousness and with lesser emotional punch. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | 2009, Atom Egoyan, Drama, English | Permalink
Posted by Alan Bacchus
