Category: Mini Review
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Mini Review: The Bikeriders
The @bikeridersfilm is certainly well composed & well acted, painting what feels like an authentic portrait of bike culture in the 60s & 70s, down to the grunge & glossing over of male emotion. That said, it’s a what you see is what you get kind of movie, so mileage may vary.
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Mini Review: Thelma
What a delight! Helmed by the now 94yo June Squibb, #Thelma is a clever action-comedy that doesn’t shy away from the joys & hardships of aging. While there are real laughs, it’s the small moments, particularly between Squibb & Hechinger’s grandson, that are special. A must watch!
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Mini Review: Missing
Keisuke Yoshida’s #Missing is a heart wrenching drama about a missing child that focuses in on the parents & the reactions from onlookers, providing a unique view into their turmoil. While the portrayal is often bleak, it’s paid off by moments of calm within. Seen @TorontoJPFF!
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Mini Review: Treasure
Dunham & Fry are both excellent in #Treasure, a tragi-comedy about a daughter-father duo who travel to Poland in ’91 to visit his post-Holocaust home. While the weightiness is there, the film somehow still feels flat, which isn’t helped by its dreary lighting & pace. Its a miss.
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Mini Review: Inside Out 2
Pixar’s latest #InsideOut2 is a refreshing & pleasantly worthy sequel, that intelligently adds to the originals’ inventive storytelling while still maintaining the warmth at the core of Riley’s journey. While emotional mileage may vary, its a fantastic and fun watch nonetheless!
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Mini Review: Stay Mum
While @kosaisekine’s latest film #StayMum focuses in on the ethical dilemma at its core, feeling akin to #AnatomyOfAFall at times, it stays balanced by not shying away from the moments of catharsis & family healing that act as a satisfying counterpoint. Screened at @TorontoJPFF!
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Mini Review: Atlas
Jennifer Lopez does her best to salvage what she can emotionally in Netflix’s AI-focused #AtlasMovie, but it’s sadly not enough to overcome the superficial generic plot, b-movie style dialogue and over-the-top line delivery. A missed opportunity. Streaming @netflix now.
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Mini Review: Babes
I don’t think the silly gross-out humour of Pamela Adlon’s #BabesMovie will land for everyone, but there’s a certain earnestness to the script & the performances from Ilana Glazer & Michelle Buteau, in between the relatively tame raunch, that just works so well. In theatres now!
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Mini Review: Furiosa
It’s a remarkable feat to make a prequel that feels even remotely worthy of its original, but #Furiosa pulls it off, delivering on George Miller’s signature vision, with inventive high octane action & a solid cast. Hemsworth in particular was a pleasant surprise. In theatres now.
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Mini Review: I Saw The TV Glow
#ISawTheTVGlow is mesmerizing in its execution, with haunting visuals & a deeply relatable take on identity and feeling uncomfortable in your own skin. It loses me a bit in its plot, with an open ending that makes sense but still feels empty. A solid, weird movie nonetheless.
Year in Cinema 