Lynch/Oz

"Lynch/Oz" is for hardcore film geeks and/or David Lynch fans. If you aren't one of these people, you can stop reading and give this film a skip. If you are still with me, then let's get our geek on! I'm not a hardcore David Lynch fan. I confess, I have never watched "Twin Peaks" - I know, I know. However I have loved a good body of his work, "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet," "The Straight Story." and "Lost Highway." For this film, it's more than enough. "Lynch/Oz" is a nerd documentary broken into six video essays by six different individuals. It compares and contrasts Lynch's work to the "Wizard of Oz." I realize this sounds a tad dry and maybe for some, it will be. However the documentary is far more than just this. It's more about story templates and a small history of film in relation to the Wizard of Oz and other films. There is so much other film stuff discussed that even if you aren't a die hard Lynch fan, your inner film nerd will be delighted. It reminded me a little of Mark Cousins's "The Story of Film." So grab a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon (Heineken, you know what you can do with that) and follow the yellow dotted lost highway line to Oz, all your dork cinephile friends will be waiting there for you. Catch this in a rep theatre near you. 

The Flash

I'm a sucker for time travel movies. Love them. And if you have been following this blog you will know I'm also a lover of Batman. I have a soft spot for the caped crusader. "The Flash" is 65% Flash, 30% Batman, and 5% for other DC characters. It's also a time travel movie. You could geek out and argue all the multiverse stuff is really just time travel pathways or vice versa; time travel leads to a multiverse. But I'm not here for that, I'm here to tell you how good and how much fun "The Flash" is. Ezra Miller plays Barry Allen, aka The Flash, two versions of him. He moves so fast that he can go back in time and does so to save his mother but in doing so, breaks the universe. Batman is no longer Ben Affleck but Michael Keaton. Yes, it's heavy on nostalgia. Was it great to see Michael Keaton back in the bat suit? Absolutely! This alone was worth the price of admission. Keaton gives a warm, heart-felt performance; and some laughs. But it is Ezra Miller who is the star and sells the whole picture. He is really fabulous. The movie has a sincerity to it. It's also extremely funny at times - I loved the opening 30 minutes. The writing is clever with subtle time travel film references. I couldn't have written a better comic book super hero film. "The Flash" is 100% fun. Catch it now (in IMAX if you can) at a theatre near you.   

Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella

Generally I enjoy documentaries. I thought it was almost impossible to make a bad one up until about fifteen years ago when I began seeing a rash of terrible ones. These days, Netflix and Amazon's documentaries are mostly true crime outings (or at least how it feels to me). Apple+ has focused its documentary lens on the portrait; Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and Michael J. Fox to name a few. These are well known names. A name you might not know is Rosalie (Rosie) Silberman Abella. She was the first Jewish woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada. She was appointed by Paul Martin in 2004 and is responsible for some ground breaking work in human rights, specifically when it comes to gay rights and gay marriage. "Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella" is an excellent Canadian documentary about this fascinating woman. It's also a tender love story between her and her husband Irving. There are interviews with Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, and Margaret Atwood, to name a few. Rosie is a character and her love of colourful and strange art reminded me of my own - another charming part of this wonderful portrait of an important Canadian who brought humanity to interpreting the law. Get off the couch and get to the theatre to catch this well made documentary - this is my ruling.  

Bones of Crows

This Canadian Indigenous film about the Residential School System will no doubt become must viewing in Canadian high school history classes - one should hope. It's a tough watch and a powerful film. The story follows Aline Spears through her lifetime, played by three different actors: Summer Testawich (young), Grace Dove (middle and main focus), and Carla-Rae (oldest). The story is told in overlapping timelines but if you were to place it in chronological order, you would see Aline and her three siblings ripped from her family and placed into the Residential School System where they all receive physical and mental abuse. Later, after making her way out, Aline becomes a Wind Talker for the Canadian Army in WWII because of her ability to speak Cree. She gets married and has two kids of her own. Aline's sister, Perseverance, doesn't fare so well later in life. She falls into drug and alcohol abuse, then goes to prison, then becomes a sex worker, and then finally disappears as an Indigenous woman, likely murdered. Aline's husband also doesn't do well, post WWII - likely suffering from PTSD, becoming a drunk with a temper. There is a tremendous amount of suffering and abuse is this film. It begins and ends with a number you can call if you are a survivor and require help. A lighthearted comedy this is not. Bring some tissues for this one. The film itself might suffer a bit of bloat but it's a minor criticism. This is must see Canadian viewing. Along with "I Like Movies," "Riceboy Sleeps," "Brother," and "Blackberry," Canada has come out swinging hard with some great movies this year. Catch "Bones of Crows" in theatres now. 

Reality

At the sparse running time of 82 minutes where not a whole lot happens, I was riveted, glued to it like I haven't been to a movie in some time. "Reality" is based on the three person play, "Is This A Room." It is also the true story based off of the actual audio recording of when the FBI busted Reality Winner (that's her actual name) for leaking NSA security info on Russian interference in the 2016 US election to the media. Reality Winner is played by Sydney Sweeney. She deserves a Golden Globe nomination for this one. And FBI agent Garrick, played by Josh Hamilton, well Josh deserves one too for best supporting. The punishment Winner received struck me as unnecessarily harsh. The entire movie speaks to the current American political system. The film's pacing, the music, it's intense. If you are looking for something short and riveting, then go get a dose of "Reality" now streaming on HBO/Crave; it's a winner (see what I did there).   

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

If you are getting tired of the multi-verse, I get it. "Everything, Everywhere, all at Once," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and the soon upcoming DC film, "The Flash." Do we really need all this multipoop infesting our multiplex theatres? Well in the case of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," it's a universal yes. It will win an Oscar for best animated film, guaranteed; nothing will beat it. It will also likely be nominated for best picture, it's that good. It really is impressive. Heartfelt, original (commendable after a half dozen plus films and an abundance of animated shows), and visually dazzling (and often dizzying), "Spider-Man: Across the Sider-Verse" impressed me greatly. This, from a guy who doesn't like most Marvel films. In fact, this is the first Marvel superhero movie to land on this blog with a full review. What's it all about? Well it's the first of a two part sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The main character is Miles Morales, our first black Spider-Man. He does what any Spider-Man does, stops the bad guys and tries to live a normal teenager life. This time his enemy is Spot, a villain that has the power to create portals from one spot to another - sounds bizarre and it is; it's also extremely comical. And remember, this is the multi-verse, so popping from one earth planet to the next is a whole whack of Spider-People: a Sex Pistols U.K. Spider-Man, a chai drinking Indian Spider-Man, a Pam Grier motorcycle riding Spider-Woman, a blonde Gwen Stacy Spider-Woman, and even a Peter Parker dad with a Spider-Baby. Can Spider-Man do it all, save everyone, save everything? Stay tuned for the next installment. And catch this wildly entertaining, web slinging adventure in theatres now. 

The Boogeyman

So "The Boogeyman" is an excellent little horror film. It's a story about grief. Chris Messina plays Will; father, therapist, grieving husband who has lost his wife and now is left alone to raise their two girls, Sadie and Sawyer. Sadie (Sophie Thatcher - she was really terrific and kind of made the movie for me) is in high school and isn't doing great with the loss of her mother. Much younger sister Sawyer, she is worried about monsters in the bedroom closet and under the bed. She sleeps with a glowing ball/light. Along comes the seriously creepy, uninvited, without an appointment, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) to see Will, to get some therapy. Lester's story is also one of grief, tragedy, but also one of terror. Lester explains that the thing in the closet kids are afraid of, it's real and, well, it's coming for his kids. Based on a short story by Steven King, this movie will rank up there as one of the best from King. Better than being scary, the characters felt authentic; the grief felt raw, the fears palpable, and people behaved like real people. And the movie, yeah, it's pretty terrifying. Catch this one in a dark theatre near you. 

Blackberry

I keep blaming "Stranger Things" for kicking off the wave of 80s nostalgia we have seen in films and TV over the last seven years   We all like going back to the past, don't we? So far, this year, we have been given "Tetris" and "Air." With the arrival of "Blackberry," it feels like a natural trilogy. Not quite as good as "Air" but better than "Tetris," "Blackberry" gives us the very Canadian story of the first smart phone, capable of email and texts. There have been complaints about some of the film being greatly exaggerated or just outright fictitious - I don't really care, it makes for good cinema; truth be damned. Canadian, Jay Baruchel (born in Ottawa!) stars as Mike Lazaridis, the brains and co-founder of RIM (Research In Motion) with Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton). Jim is the power hungry executive and Mike, well Mike just wants to make a good product. It’s the story of unravelling ambition and you have seen it before but this one is very well done. And so Canadian! Jim, the evil one, he loves hockey and even wants to purchase an NHL team - there is a scene where he is screaming at Gary Bettman - everyone Canadian will love this. Canadian actor Michael Ironside even has a large role as corporate enforcer. Go get your geek on; for best reception, catch this one at your local theatre or on streaming services.