Category: Mini Review
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Mini Review: The Outrun
Saoirse Ronan delivers yet another awards-worthy performance as an alcoholic struggling with sobriety in #TheOutrun. While it’s a slow & familiar journey to its cathartic conclusion, the interweaving of the rock-bottom & recovery plots & the beautiful scenery help. Worth a watch!
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Mini Review: Joker: Folie à Deux
The musical aspects of #JokerFolieADeux, while cool in theory & decently realized in practice, can’t elevate a woefully basic plot. Joaquin Phoenix is consistent at least, & Lady Gaga does her best with what little she’s given (which is mostly singing). So ultimately, it’s fine.
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Mini Review: In The Summers
Sundance’s #InTheSummers is a deeply personal portrait of two sisters who spend the summer with their problematic father, told over multiple years. While it didn’t quite come together for me emotionally, there’s an authenticity & tenderness that will surely resonate with many.
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Mini Review: A Different Man
Sebastian Stan is the standout of #ADifferentMan, in an complex role as a man with a deformity who is transformed but haunted by a better version of his past self. The film for me leans more unsettling than darkly funny, but the performance makes it worth it. Body horror warning!
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Mini Review: My Old Ass
Blending drama, comedy & a bit of whimsy, Sundance’s #MyOldAss is a top-notch coming of age tale of an 18-year-old who meets her older self on a shrooms trip. Maisy Stella shines & Aubrey Plaza delivers a career-best performance. These are the pleasantly poignant movies I love!
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Mini Review: Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola’s #Megalopolis is a philosophical think piece, with an overt satire that will be dissected for years. But as a film experience…it’s a mess. Visuals hit or miss, acting over the top & too many loose threads to count. You’ve been warned! In theatres Sept 27.
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Mini Review: The Wild Robot
Phenomenal! Chris Sanders’ #TheWildRobotMovie from @Dreamworks is truly a new height for animation, with a stunningly refreshing art style, epic score, beautifully touching narrative & incredible voice cast. Filmmaking at its finest. Go watch! Seen @TIFF_NET in theatres Sept 27.
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Mini Review: His Three Daughters
#HisThreeDaughters on @netflix follows 3 estranged sisters reunited over their father’s final days. While the dynamic is frustrating at first, what unfolds is a nuanced & quite brilliant journey of conflict, grief & mutual understanding. A truly stellar cast for a powerful film.
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Mini Review: How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Thailand’s #HowToMakeMillionsBeforeGrandmaDies is a rare & perfectly poignant portrait of a grandson & grandmother, and a much needed reminder that the small things matter. Heartfelt & tender, never cloying. A brilliant debut feature film from director Pat Boonnitipat!
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Mini Review: Daughters
Stunning! #DaughtersOnNetflix, simply put, is a beautiful doc, both in its powerful story, but also its moving visuals, editing style & music. Told from the perspective of the daughters, it’s a refreshingly authentic story about the importance of fatherhood. A real tearjerker.
Year in Cinema 