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TIFF Journal: Jojo Rabbit

Jason Gorber — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:00:10 +0000

At one level, Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit is a fable about horror and redemption. On the other, it’s a coming-of-age story, where tales of monsters and villains, the basis of most literature aimed at children, are twisted to create new and darker myths. It’s a film of brash silliness and profound ideas, buttressed by the...

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Fosse/Verdon Pilot Recap: “I’m the Guy, I’m Sure of It”

Josh Zyber — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 12:00:26 +0000

The FX network’s new bio drama Fosse/Verdon examines legendary choreographer and filmmaker Bob Fosse, dissecting his life, his loves, his career and all that jazz. At least, I assume it will eventually get to All That Jazz, Fosse’s own semi-autobiographical musical extravaganza. The TV version’s premiere episode focuses mainly on his earlier work. Recent Oscar...

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Vice Review: Weak Veep Satire

Jason Gorber — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 13:00:30 +0000

Comedy is hard. Political comedy is harder. The awards are greater when you pull it off, but the pitfalls are deeper when you fail to get the tone right, the content intelligent enough, or the humor fully intact. Adam McKay’s Vice tries hard to strike this balance, but never quite succeeds despite the valiant efforts...

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Blue Iguana Review: Reptile Dysfunction

Deirdre Crimmins — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 19:30:02 +0000

Fast-talking British crime comedies go way back in cinema’s history. I was raised by a man who thinks 1955’s The Ladykillers is the precise peak of our culture, so this genre has always been near and dear to my heart. Blue Iguana might not give Guy Ritchie a run for his money, but it’s a...

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The Best of the Best in Film 2017, Part 1

Philip Brown — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 16:00:08 +0000

Well, folks, we did it. 2017 is over. We survived. It wasn’t easy. At times, it felt like nothing but horrible things happened for a solid 12 months. Heroes died, scandals rocked the entertainment community, American politics turned into Reality TV, the Cold War got a sequel. Damn, it was tough. Well, except for one...

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‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Review: Masterful Morality Play (Plus Comedy!)

Philip Brown — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 18:00:58 +0000

‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ is a righteous and angry film. It deals with an unsolved and dismissed crime that rocked a small town, along with the people left harmed in its wake. However, if Martin McDonagh’s brilliant movie were merely about some sort of rise to justice, it wouldn’t be nearly as effective. Frances...

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TIFF Journal: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’

Philip Brown — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 19:00:37 +0000

‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ will likely take multiple viewings to process its achievements. What’s clear from the first round is that writer/director/playwright Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges’, ‘Seven Psychopaths’) has created something fascinating, darkly hilarious, unexpectedly humane, and maybe even a little profound. The film deliberately avoids easy classifications and turns down roads you’d never...

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‘Mr. Right’ Review: Violently Romantic

Philip Brown — Wed, 25 May 2016 19:00:23 +0000

‘Mr. Right’ is no masterpiece, but it’s certainly a hell of a lot of fun and that’s all that it really needed to be. Blindingly bright, gushingly romantic, wilfully silly, and pulse-raisingly action packed, it’s a blast of pure entertainment that’s practically impossible not to be charmed by. Maybe it’s a bit dumb and maybe...

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TIFF Journal: ‘Mr. Right’

Philip Brown — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:00:15 +0000

It’s pretty typical for an action/comedy to include a romantic sub-plot. It’s also quite common for that to be the worst part of the movie. However, ‘Mr. Right’ is a welcome exception to the rule. This big, goofy romp mixes adorable romantic comedy and hyper-stylized gunplay so effectively into such a wildly entertaining cocktail that...

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‘Poltergeist’ (2015) Review: They’re HEEEEEEERE… Again

Philip Brown — Fri, 22 May 2015 13:00:42 +0000

The horror remake craze finally seemed to be dying down when it was announced that Sam Raimi’s Ghosthouse production company would be “re-imagining” the Steven Spielberg/Tobe Hooper kiddie horror classic ‘Poltergeist’ thanks to a struggling MGM’s desperate attempt to make any cash whatsoever. In theory, the results should be disastrous given how much the charms...

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‘Laggies’ Review: Glory Days, Well They’ll Pass You By

Philip Brown — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 19:00:17 +0000

For too long, men have like Seth Rogen have dominated the “adult child” comedy market, as if women were impervious to the comedic charms of being ludicrously immature twenty-somethings. Thankfully, along comes ‘Laggies’ to set things right with a central character so lost that even Rogen and his entire crop of man-children would urge her...

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Now Playing: ‘Way’ Good

Bryan Kluger — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 19:00:03 +0000

Hot off their Oscar win for ‘The Descendants‘, screenwriters Jim Rash and Nat Faxon hop into the director’s chair for the first time with the incredible summer flick ‘The Way, Way Back’. The comedy duo pulls triple duty on this film, serving as directors, writers and actors. That’s no easy feat, but they pull it...

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