Category: Mini Review
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Mini Review: The Color Purple
#TheColorPurple is an upper tier movie musical for sure, anchored by its all star cast that deliver hard hitting & emotional performances. It doesn’t quite capture the magic of live theatre, but there are admirable moments throughout especially in the final act. In theatres now.
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Mini Review: The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer’s latest film @ZoneOfInterest is a stark, bleak portrait of a family living next to Auschwitz that very intentionally keeps the horrors at a distance, but for me left me at a distance as well. Helped by a hauntingly beautiful visual style, score & sound design.
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Mini Review: American Fiction
As a brilliant & biting satirical comedy (that is actually funny and not just Oscars funny) #AmericanFiction is not one to sleep on. Refreshingly never heavy handed in its social commentary, its incredibly charismatic cast never lose the heart amidst the humor. In theatres now.
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Mini Review: Wonka
I wish I loved it, but in the end the #WonkaMovie just felt fine. It’ll entertain & tug the heartstrings. But I wish it was a bit sillier, or warmer (like Paddington), or the songs a bit more memorable. Instead we’re left with something that feels serviceable & a bit superficial.
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Mini Review: The Iron Claw
Following the tragic Von Erich family, #TheIronClaw has a bit too much ground to cover but ultimately sticks the emotional landing due to a strong ensemble that firmly establish the brotherhood despite minimal attention. Efron is a solid but subdued anchor. In theatres now.
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Mini Review: Afire
Christian Petzold’s #Afire is a captivating character study, exploring that which make us blind to the problems around us, whether they’re human or cataclysmic in nature. Its atmospheric tone is mesmerizing, and the song “in my mind” now plays in my head rent free. A great watch.
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Mini Review: Rebel Moon
Zack Snyder’s #RebelMoon is such an odd passion project. A space opera so overly reverential to sci-fi & Star Wars to the point of parody, filled with characters so underdeveloped you wonder why they exist. Maybe Part 2 will make it make sense? Seen @TIFF_NET, on Netflix Dec 22.
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Mini Review: Leave the World Behind
Sam Esmail’s #LeaveTheWorldBehind is perplexing. It’s well made & tense, cast is fantastic, and the focus on people in the midst of wide-scale disaster is refreshing. But the characters are so insufferable and the end so depressingly “real” that its hard to recommend this one.
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Mini Review: Wish
It’s unfortunate because Disney’s #WishMovie had so much potential – an imaginative concept, a striking visual style, and a fantastic lead & song in “This Wish”. But while attempting to honour 100 years of animation we end up with a script & story that feels reductive.
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Mini Review: Godzilla Minus One
While it’s the 37th in the franchise, #GodzillaMinusOne is one of the best. It’s post-WWII Japan setting feels fresh while still being rooted in tradition. A focus on the human impact ups the stakes. And even on a $15 mil budget the kaiju action is incredibly epic. Go watch!
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