Category: Mini Review
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Mini Review: I Love Boosters
There’s such genius in the visuals of I Love Boosters, which uses its maximalist aesthetic, bold colours & fashion, & quirky production design to such incredible effect. Even though the narrative doesn’t fully coalesce for me, I’m thankful for Boots Riley’s bold artistic vision.
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Mini Review: Silent Friend
The fact that Silent Friend, a film about a ginkgo tree, kept me captivated for 2.5 hours is a testament to the filmmaking and it’s ability to establish a its interesting characters & situations. But I feel its reluctance to capitalize on any narrative makes it fall a bit short. https://x.com/yearincinema/status/2057684471738966401
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Mini Review: Blue Heron
I’m still trying to determine whether the midfilm shift worked for me, but what I can say about Blue Heron is that there are some incredible & deeply affecting moments that I truly felt to my core. This is not a light watch by any means, but the honest perspective is refreshing.
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Mini Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Netflix’s #RemarkablyBrightCreatures is like having a warm cup of coffee on a rainy Pacific Northwest day – a little moody but truly heartwarming. I don’t know if the film works without Field & Pullman, who deftly sell the melodrama. But it’s hard to not be comforted by this one.
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Mini Review: The Sheep Detectives
Oh how I would’ve killed to be a fly on the wall for this films’ pitch meeting! And while it won’t win any awards, I’m glad there’s still room for wholesome films like #TheSheepDetectives, which balances silliness with the right amount of earnestness & sincerity. Not bad at all.
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Mini Review: Mortal Kombat II
Finally a Mortal Kombat film that feels like Mortal Kombat! Mortal Kombat II is at its best when it leans into the zany comedy & action (thank you Karl Urban), but falters when it rushes to add any sort of emotional stakes. But the fact that the movie isn’t half bad is a victory.
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Mini Review: The Devil Wears Prada 2
While the quips don’t bite nearly as hard as the original, & the laughs aren’t quite as loud, The Devil Wears Prada 2 manages to justify itself as a sequel 20 years in the making, giving us satisfying ends to its characters while still carrying its own modern point of view.
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Mini Review: Mile End Kicks
Chandler Levack so beautifully captures that feeling of leaving home for the first time in #MileEndKicks, a film filled with so many great Montreal-isms. While I can’t totally relate to our protagonist, Barbie Ferreira delivers a sincere & honest performance. Well worth a watch.
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Mini Review: The Drama
A spiritual successor to Dream Scenario, with a slightly more satisfying end, Kristoffer Borgli’s #TheDrama is another descent into madness helped by a fantastic edit and some truly top-notch performances from Pattinson & Zendaya. That said, the chaos will not be for everyone.
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Mini Review: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
There’s a certain talent & ingenuity behind jamming in so many references & nods to the video game, that I genuinely applaud the writers & directors of the #SuperMarioGalaxy movie. It’s a film that knows what it is, and leans into what it does well. It doesn’t mean its great.
Year in Cinema 