Monkey Man

Dev Patel ("Chappie," "Lion," "The Green Knight"). I like him. He's extremely likeable. Somehow he imbues an underdog quality and you want to root for him in every role he's in. "Monkey Man" is Dev Patel's action love letter to India. It's grimy and dirty and it has a turbo charged tuk-tuk! It's a revenge story. I love a good revenge story. A bad man killed his mom and wiped out his village. Dev's nameless character is going to kill that man. Simple. Well not so simple. Dev has been getting into fighting shape by Thai boxing in a monkey mask in the grimy underground fight world of India. He infiltrates his wealthy nemesis's fortress-of-opulence by becoming kitchen staff and making friends with a stray dog. Patel punches with his fists and with his camera - he wrote and directed this. With nods to "Rocky" and "John Wick" Patel's action sequences hit like a spicy curry rolling across your tongue. This is one of the best action movies you will see this year. Get hit in theaters now. 

Baby Reindeer

This series streaming on Netflix, based on the experiences of Richard Gadd, is a warts-and-all, can't-look-away-car-crash of epic proportions. Richard Gadd stars as Donny Dunn, a man living in London, who is working at a pub while he tries to get his comedy career off the ground. A woman walks into a pub - sounds like the beginning of joke. It's no joke. Her name is Martha. If you recall Kathy Bates in "Misery" then you are pretty close to Martha. Donny becomes her obsession. Just when you think this show is all about stalking, it takes an even darker turn. This is traumatizing stuff. It's also darkly funny and extremely honest, intelligent, and well made. Richard Gadd is exceptional in this. His performance is worthy of all the awards, whatever they may be. The human condition is laid out here, exposed, and it's a raw messy thing, not logical or rational most of the time. We do things, fucked up things, and we don't understand why; this is the great honesty on display here; it's what makes the show great and compelling. Catch one of the year's best shows now streaming on Netflix.  

Arcadian

arcadia (merriam-webster) 
noun
ar·ca·dia är-ˈkā-dē-ə 
often capitalized 
    : a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet

Nic Cage plays a father who has raised two twin teenaged boys in a post apocalyptic world where something bad lurks in the darkness of night. Daytime looks like something out of "Little House on the Prairie" but at night, they go into full lockdown. If you took "A Quiet Place," crossed it with "It Comes at Night" and threw in a little of last year's "The Boogeyman" you would have something that resembles "Arcadian." This little low budget horror film directed by Benjamin Brewer has a wonderful feel of authenticity - everyone feels real, their actions, their home, their neighbours - you believe it all. It's a horror film and we have seen much of everything here before, but it's really well done. I fully bought in largely because of the young cast, the boys (Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins) and the neighbours' daughter (Sadie Soverall); they were all so brilliant. These kids felt real. Catch this hairy beast in theatres now.  

Civil War

This isn't a time travel movie but you could argue it's a "what if" movie, as in, what if the Germans had won WWII - you get "The Man In the High Castle" and other such books and films. "Civil War" seems to me to be a hypothetical, what if Trump insurrection had been successful? What if he was able to maintain control of his presidency and keep himself in power even into a third term? What would the US become? What would it look like? Alex Garland has given us his vision and it seems pretty darn spot on to what I imagine the answers to be. I've been a Garland fan from the start of his writing/film career began. His last film, "Men" made my top ten list of 2022. I'm sure "Civil War" will land in the top 10 films of 2024. From the outset, Garland grabs the audience and doesn't let go. It's an intense ride as we follow a group of four journalists (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson) who are attempting to get to the capital in hopes to interview the President before his government is overthrown by Western Forces. It's a dark film and some of powerful images are enhanced by an uber-cool soundtrack like something out of "Miami Vice." It's enthralling stuff. Catch one of the year's best films now in theatres. 

Nocturama

This is a French film from 2017, from writer and director, Bertrand Bonello. It was recommend to me by an English faculty member from Carleton - what's the world coming to, French films being recommended by the English department. Chaos! Speaking of which, "Nocturama" is exactly about this, manufacturing chaos! A group of young  people, for reasons maybe even unclear to themselves, decide to stick it to society, stick it to France, and go blow some stuff up in Paris. And that's what they do and after that, they go hide out, after-hours, in a multilevel department store in downtown. If you took "Dog Day Afternoon," and Gus Van Sant's "Elephant" and crossed them with "The Breakfast Club" and "Dawn of the Dead" you would get "Nocturama." I feel it's a commentary on the restless nature and the idealism of youth conflicted and contrasted against the materialism of contemporary society - look at me being all confusing and academic English-like - ha! What it is, it's riveting stuff. Gripping viewing. Another film to check out on Criterion or at your local video store.   

Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold directed one of my favorite films in the last decade, "American Honey" staring Sasha Lane and Shia LaBeouf. At a runtime of 2 hours and 43 minutes, it's a beast. It's white trash America on full display, in an almost documentary style of realism. I love "American Honey." I have no explanation as to why I never bothered to seek the other films of Andrea Arnold, that is, until now. "Fish Tank" is a film from 2009. A banger, as they might say in the UK, although I believe that term is generally reserved for songs or sausages. "Fish Tank" is a banger. This is another white-trash, (Eurotrash?) fairytale about a young girl, Mia growing up with her alcoholic mother and her younger sister in a poor flat in London. Mom brings home new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender) and he turns out to be a real treat. "Fish Tank" is a dark coming of age tale and at times it's uncomfortable to watch - this film goes to dark places. It's a slow burn and I was riveted by it. Catch it streaming on Criterion or grab a copy from your local video store.    

Knox Goes Away

Another hitman on his last job movie! The second one this year! "American Star" being the first. It seems like everyone wants in on Liam Neeson's share of his action corner market. Michael Keaton (one of our favourite bat people) directs and stars in, "Knox Goes Away," a film about an aging hitman who has developed Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a fast moving form of dementia. Knox only has weeks left before things go south for him. He has to cash-out and make things right with his estranged son Miles (James Marsden). Coincidently Miles has done something bad and needs his father's help. The movie is somewhat pedestrian, we have seen all this before, however the supporting cast is so good, especially the performance of James Marsden, which was a standout for me. Al Pacino plays Knox's boss - he reminded me of Dr. Teeth from the Electric Mayhem (The Muppet Rock Band). This movie was floating between being an honourable mention and a full entry on the blog. I didn't want to let Knox go away without giving Keaton the attention his clever film deserves. Catch it in theatres if possible, or on streaming services when available, or rent it from your favourite video store: in Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Hundreds of Beavers

There's a cutesiness to it and after the first ten minutes, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it. I'm happy to report, I did. Won over by the sheer amount of cleverness on display. This "Wallace and Gromit" Wile E. Coyote-Bugs Bunny, Buster Keaton, slapstick, video-game, mashup is a silly and joyous wonder to behold. On a shoestring budget of 150 thousand dollars, "Hundreds  of Beavers" is far superior to most of the 150 million dollar CGI messes Hollywood likes to inflect upon movie going audiences. What's it all about? Ryland Brickson Cole Tews plays Jean Kayak, a drunken apple Cider farmer who has lost everything due to pesky beavers. He must video-game-level-up one beaver pelt at a time to finally win the hand of The Merchant's daughter. The beavers look like people in beaver costumes, which is what they are. When sliced open, they contain a plastic human skeleton, bits of Styrofoam, and plush fuzzy organs - of course they do! The film crescendos with Jean Kayak infiltrating the giant beaver damn as if it were the fortress of Dr. No or Han's Island Fortress of "Enter the Dragon." "Hundreds of Beavers" is one of the most creative and fun movies you will see this year. Catch it in rep theatres now.

Immaculate

If you're only going to see one horror movie this Easter, let it be "Immaculate." Sydney Sweeney plays Sister Cecilia, a nun who has moved from the US to Italy to join a nunnery, which we know from the opening sequence is a place where bad things are happening. What exactly is going on isn't revealed until the third act, or in this case third trimester. Yes, you read that correctly. Sister Cecilia soon upon arrival finds herself immaculately pregnant - Jesus be praised, it's a miracle! Or is it? "Immaculate" is pretty much your standard horror nun fun, until we get to the ending. While many horror films, or films in general, fail to stick the landing, it's the opposite with 'Immaculate." The ending is so good, so unhinged, wildly intense, and yet so utterly satisfying, the ending lifts the whole film up. It's largely because of the incredible performance of Sydney Sweeney - she is a beast in this movie. Last year she was in HBO's "Reality" She is a remarkable young actor and I loved her in that performance and in this one. She's someone to watch. Catch this holy-moly this Easter, in theatres.     

Late Night with the Devil

It's far too early to say but "Late Night with the Devil" might just be my favourite horror movie of 2024. It has a lot going for it. It's a faux documentary about a fictional late-night talk show host, Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). Jack's show, Night Owls, is competing against Johnny Carson for ratings in the year, 1977. Jack's show isn't doing well, so to boost his audience score, he hosts a Halloween special and invites psychic Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), psychic debunker Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss), and parapsychologist June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) along with her devil possessed patient, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli). Let the fun begin! A lot of the enjoyment is merely the 70s clothing and the set of UBC TV's Night Owls; like a repurposed set of The Price is Right, the brown, yellow, and orange paint stripes flow Yellow Submarine style about the walls, wrapping around in the background. In the foreground is a hipster's wet dream - vintage retro second hand furniture. The movie itself is "Quiz Show" meets "The Exorcist" - the escalating late-night episode building slowly and dramatically - and not without lots of laughs along the way: STAY TUNED, WILL WE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS COMMERCIAL BREAK. Catch the devil by tail, playing at night, in theatres now.    

 

Origin

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Isabel Wilkerson, an American Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who wrote, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" and it won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Our true story begins with Wilkerson being asked to write a piece about 17-year-old Trayvon Martin who was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman. Trayvon was just walking home. Soon after, Wilkerson has some personal losses in her life and she kind of has an epiphany: racism in America, it's not really what we think, it's the caste system. If you don't know what that is, well it's the Indian hierarchy of class. She makes a case that both American Slavery and WWII's Jewish holocaust were largely created by dominating class structures - Caste. Whether you fully buy into Wilkerson's theory or not, it doesn't change the fact this film is full of powerful emotional moments and stories. There is one about a little league team going swimming at a public pool where their only black player wasn't allowed to use the white-only pool - it choked me up. Both cruel and heart-wrenching stuff. The movie overall is an indictment of humanity and the unimaginable cruelty it's inflicted on those not born of good fortune and wealth. It's also a movie about personal loss and carrying on in the face of tragedy. Catch this on in theatres, on streaming, or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Love Lies Bleeding

One of the major reasons I love "Blade Runner" is the soundtrack, the music, composed by Vangelis. (who also did the music for "Chariots of Fire"). I loved "Witness" and "Dead Poets Society" also for the music composed by Maurice Jarre. "Love Lies Bleeding," the music crafted by Clint Mansell (who has worked on the films of Darren Aronofsky) has brought the spirit of these two composers to his work. Mansell has channeled the zeitgeist of the 1980s and pumped into his score like a weightlifter pumps iron - it's muscled and yet feminine. Which brings me to the subject matter of this film, muscled and feminine. Katy O'Brian plays Jackie, a she hulk who dreams of competing and winning a body building competition in Vegas. Along the way she meets and falls in love with gym manager, Lou (Kristen Stewart). Jackie also lands a job with Lou's dad (Ed Harris - who resembles Cousin Itt crossed with Uncle Fester, or maybe the Crypt-Keeper with really long hockey hair). Lou Sr. is a bad dude with a ravine full of dead bodies and has the FBI sniffing around like dogs hearing a cheese slice being unwrapped. Director and co-writer Rose Glass has crafted a film noir thriller that resembles something like a Coen Brothers film but add in a touch of magic realism - it's film-arty and I dug it. "Pain is just weakness leaving the body" Get pumped to see this excellent film now in theatres. 

Seven Veils

Atom Egoyan at the opening of IFFO 2024

I had the good fortune to attend the open night of this year's IFFO - the International Film Festival of Ottawa. Atom Egoyan was there in person for the festival's showcase opener, his film "Seven Veils." The Ottawa audience gave him a standing ovation at the end. Well deserved. It's an intense film with many moving parts and lots of characters - it's also arty as stink. I loved it. What's it all about?  Amanda Seyfried plays, Jeanine, a woman who is tasked with putting on an Opera, Salome (pronounced Sal-a-may). Jeanine has done this before, but under the wing or tutelage of her former boss, who has recently passed away - this is at his widow's request. Jeanine had an affair with her old boss and Jeanine's husband seems to be currently having one with the caretaker of Jeanine's mother. Confused yet? There is more! There are flashbacks to Jeanine's childhood and arty-farty home movies made by her dad where Jeanine was the star. Then there is the production and the play of Salome itself, a gruesome play involved unrequited love and a beheading. There is a lot going on here and it's a miracle (or maybe it's genius?) Egoyan manages to keep it all straight for us. Like some of his other films, themes of sex, love, and voyeurism prevail - these things are messy and lines between these elements get crossed both literally and figuratively. I found it to be a fascinating watch. I need to see it again. Catch this one in theatres when it comes out for wide screen distribution.  

Red Rooms

Much like the "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," the protagonist of "Red Rooms" is Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) and she is always going to be the smartest person in the room. Writer and director, Pascal Plante has given us one hell of a movie. It's a serial killer flick, set in Montreal, where Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos) is standing trail for the murder of several young girls killed live-streamed on the dark web. The subject matter is grizzly. In the age of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, "Red Rooms" felt uncomfortably real. I watch a lot of horror films and I was taken aback. However this is no "Saw" film or torture porn - most everything is left for your own mind, which might just be worse. "Red Rooms" is the closest thing I've seen to being a David Fincher film without it being one. And the performance of Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne was remarkable - she reminded me of Michael Fassbender in "The Killer," cold, calculating, and driven. The clever thing about "Red Rooms" is you aren't sure where this is going or who is who until the gotcha moment - a moment in film I will likely never forget. Burned into my mind. Powerful. Wild. This film might have made my top ten of last year had I seen it sooner. Catch it now streaming on Crave. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Perfect Days

Wim Wenders. He was a director that I greatly admired back in the late 80s. "Wings of Desire" and "Paris, Texas" were (and still are) important films to me. They were arty and intelligent and had an emotional punch to them. They were/are brilliant. Then I got older and like a stuffed toy from my childhood, I forgot about Wim Wenders. Looking over his career on IMDB I realize I have only seen a few of his films since then; documentary "Buena Vista Social Club" and docu-dancery "Pina." Like cleaning out an old closet, I found Wim Wenders again! He has been in Tokyo making "Perfect Days." This film follows Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) as a man who cleans Tokyo's public toilets. Say wut? Yes, you read that right, our protagonist is a kind of Tokyo toilet cleaning monk and we follow him on his daily journey from the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to bed. He has a routine (as we all do) and he follows it almost religiously (or maybe it's a little OCD). Hirayama doesn't seem to be concerned at all with his status or what others may think of him; he is living his best life, moment by moment, appreciating the trees, reading his novels, and enjoying American rock classics on cassette tape as he drives his toiletmobile minivan about the city. This voyeurism into the life of someone we normally wouldn't pay attention to is the brilliance of Wim Wenders, the brilliance of his film; that's the joy of it. It's a wonderful film if not a touch melancholy. Catch it in a theatre near you or on streaming services or on DVD when available.      

The Empty Man

I pride myself in knowing what films are coming out; I watch tons of movie trailers. I try and keep a pulse on everything coming out from blockbusters to small indie films, foreign films, documentaries, etc. How "The Empty Man" from 2020 flew by me without noticing is odd. It was the pandemic after all but still. This is a horror film I had never heard of, had no knowledge of until last week. On a whim I watched it. Blown away. "The Empty Man" is one of the best horror movies I have watched in the last few decades, ranking up there with last year's "Talk to Me," and giving it a place alongside "Don't Breathe," "It Follows," "Hereditary," "Us," and "Split." It's a firecracker with a somewhat slow burn: clocking in with a runtime of two hours and eighteen minutes, it flies by. It's big and ambitious. What's it all about? To keep it simple, it starts out with a "Candyman" style teenaged ritual, blow into a bottle and the boogeyman will appear. Then it turns into an investigation of a missing teen by a former cop with a drinking problem and a tragic past (played by James Badge Dale, who is bloody fantastic in this). His investigation leads him to something bigger, strange, San Francisco-weird! The movie is a blast with strong performances from all of the supporting cast. And the music! Oh man, did I love the music - like tasting different spices from other horror films - you know them but can't name them, a kind of subtle thematic ode to beloved films of the 70s and 80s. I loved this movie. Catch it streaming now on Disney+. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Land of Bad

In terms of military action thrillers, we are in the Land of Good. One time Academy Award winner and two time Golden Globe winner, Russell Crowe has recently been in a string of films which geographically have been located in the Land of Bad. I'm happy to inform you, Crowe has snuck across the border, along with Liam Hemsworth, into the Land of Good. This military action movie follows in the footsteps of such films as "The Covenant," "The Outpost"  and "Black Hawk Down." In this film, a group of American muscly military commando types are on a dangerous mission in a foreign county (the Philippines), to acquire the asset - some kidnapped fellow. Along with our seasoned combat vets is the rookie (Liam Hemsworth) who they have nicknamed, Playboy or Airforce. The eyes in sky (and the bringers of doom) are Reaper (Russell Crowe) with his partner (Chika Ikogwe) who are back in the US controlling a drone remotely. Of course shit goes sideways and Playboy must go it alone with only the help of Reaper and his partner to guide him. I had a ball (which was in the shape of a grenade, tossed at my feet - run, run, RUN!). Russell Crowe ordering artisanal vegan cheese at the deli counter might just be one of my favourite guilty pleasure moments of cinema this year. Catch "Land of Bad" in theatres now. 

American Nightmare

My wife and I have been watching true crimes shows together for over twenty years. Friday or Saturday nights often included "Unsolved Mysteries" or "Dateline." Now it seems Netflix has cornered the market on TV true crime. These docuseries or documentaries are usually pretty good but they often get repetitive. Spouse killing spouse, affair boyfriend killing husband, affair turned into a "Fatal Attraction" style killing; we have seen it all before. There isn't a whole lot new. Like a serial killer looking to up his game, "American Nightmare" has done it. When my wife suggested we watch, it was with great reluctance and some mild protest ("Oh god, not another one") but I finally agreed. We binged all three episodes of this short true crime miniseries. Fascinating. This is home invasion/kidnapping. It was the media's, police's, and the FBI's responses which I found the most fascinating  and shocking - including my own biases I brought to the table. There is no handbook on how people act or should act when they have been violently attacked. The year prior to this "Gone Girl" had been released and it seemed to have played deeply into the psyche of America and into all those involved in this case; most troubling, law enforcement. Fascinating. Emotional. Powerful. Catch one of best of the true crime series I've seen in a while, now streaming on Netflix. 

Memory

Unforgettable? Not sure about that but it's unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. Peter Sarsgaard plays Saul, a man who has dementia and Jessica Chastain plays Sylvia, a damaged woman who works at an adult daycare; adults with some sort of cognitive impairment (Down syndrome, etc.). For reasons unclear, Saul follows Sylvia home from their high school reunion. From there, their strange love affair begins. Peter Sarsgaard - I've pretty much liked him in everything he has done. He has that John Malkovich style of a simple and understated delivery but you can feel a looming intellect behind it. And Jessica Chastain - loved her in " The Eyes of Tammy Faye" and "Molly's Game." We have two fine actors playing damaged people crashing into each other. It works. I found it to be absorbing and emotional. One of the most unconventional love stories to come along ever. It's rather fascinating. Don't forget about this one (see what I did there - I'm sorry). Catch this one in the theatres now or on streaming when available (or even at your local video store - Movies 'N' Stuff here in Ottawa). 

American Star

The aged old hitman, out on what might be his last job, it's almost a sub genre of the action genre; George Clooney in "The American;" Liam Neeson in "Memory," and you might lump in most recently, Michael Fassbender in David Fincher's excellent film, "The Killer." Do we really need another film about this? "American Star" stars, Ian McShane as a hitman on what might be his last job - settling down on a tropical island presents itself as an option. You might know Ian McShane better as Winston from the John Wick series - all the good folks there are hitmen or hitwomen or hitpeople. Anyway, I was expecting a run of the mill, by the numbers hitman's-last-job film. I was also expecting it to be not very good. What I found was art. ART. It has the pacing and feel of "Sundown" or "Aftersun" or maybe a film by Wim Wenders or Terrence Malick. It’s a film by Gonzalo López-Gallego and he has crafted something special. It's slow and thoughtful but it grips your attention. Ian McShane’s performance is beautiful. A single bullet in this film is worth 10,000 bullets in "John Wick" - there is power and purpose. This is an excellent piece of cinema. Catch this in the theater if possible or on streaming services when available. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Dogman

Luc Besson. The man has given us so many riveting action films: "Nikita," "The Fifth Element," "Léon: The Professional," and has been the writer or co-writer on "Taken," "Unleashed," and "District B13," just to name a few. Besson writes B-action movies like nobody else. His writing is so well done he manages to elevate his material to a solid A. Besson is back after a four year hiatus and he has given us "Dogman," a story which in someway echoes Besson's own life. If you read Besson's IMDB bio, he was on his way to becoming a marine biologist specializing in dolphins when an accident left him unable to drive and he went into film. The story of "Dogman" is about a young boy who suffers an injury, leaving him unable to walk and proceeds to get a biology degree while being heavily involved in the theatre arts. Dogman is about, Douglas Munrow, played by Caleb Landry Jones. It is because of Caleb Landry Jones' performance that this movie has landed here on the Marquee. He has delivered a captivating drag-queen Hannibal Lecter like performance; Douglas is calm, well mannered, and has a fierce intelligence behind his eyes. He prefers the company of dogs over humans. When he picks a fight with the local mob boss, well it all goes woof woof. The story is ridiculous, absurd, but again, Besson raises high these roofbeams. And the final shots - all pure cinematic ice-cream and I loved it. Catch this one in the theatre or on streaming services when available.  

30 Coins

HBO Europe! It's a thing. I didn't know it even existed. Well it does and in 2020 they released a show entitled, "30 Coins." If you are okay with subtitles, keep reading. What's it all about? It's kind of like if you crossed "The X-Files" with "The Exorcist" as if it was made by the love child of Robert Rodriguez and Matthew Barney - it has a bullets-dipped-in-holy-water "From Dusk Till Dawn" sensibility. It's bananas. It's about a Priest, Padre Vergara (Eduard Fernández) who has come to a small Spanish village to be the town's man of God. He is an exorcist with a troubled past and that trouble has followed him to the town. The town mayor's, Paco (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) has a thing for the town's veterinarian, Elena (Megan Montaner) and together they Mulder-and-Scully the bizarre events which happen inside their little village. The bigger story line is about the thirty pieces of silver, the 30 coins, Judas received for betraying Jesus. There are dark forces at work who want these coins as they wield great demonic power! At times the show's imagery is gory as a "Saw" film - a wall of fly covered pig heads! It's exciting, bizarre, thrilling, and even contains the melodrama of a soap opera. I LOVED IT! This show is one of the wildest things on TV. Go check it out on HBO/CRAVE. If you don't fall in love in the first seven minutes of the first episode, well then you can stop watching. 

Jojo Rabbit

Again, not really sure why I didn't watch this film back in 2019. It has been at the urging of my sister-in-law, Claire, to get my ass to watch this. I'm happy to report, it was excellent, blog worthy. What's it all about? Roman Griffin Davis plays Jojo Rabbit, a ten year old  Nazi living in Germany six months away from the end of WWII. Like most ten year old Nazis who have lost their big sister and have a father who has gone off to fight in Italy, Jojo has an imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. Imagine Big Bird from Sesame Street pretending to be Hitler and you kind of get the idea. Jojo's mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, has a secret, a young Jewish girl living in the walls of her house. Jojo comes upon the girl and the film is about their relationship as Jojo discovers what the Nazi movement is all about. It's clever, funny, and surprisingly emotional. It kind of has a Wes Anderson feel about it, however in this film you actual care about the characters and the dialogue is far more interesting. I thought it was brilliant. Hats off to director, co-writer, and star, Taika Waititi (he plays Hitler). Catch this gem from 2019 streaming on Disney. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

The Bear - Season 2

I have never written about a show twice, until now. You can read my first review here: "The Bear." I'm uncertain why I waited so long to watch the second season. For reasons unexplained, I waited until after the Golden Globes where Jeremy Allen White won Best male actor in a TV series – musical or comedy, for the second year in a row! Ayo Edebiri won for Best female actor in a TV series – musical or comedy for her role as Sydney. And where Ebon Moss–Bachrach was nominated (but sadly didn't win) for his role as cousin Richie. Richie is my favourite character on the show - he is loveable and flawed and heartbreaking. "The Bear" won for Best TV series – musical or comedy. The Golden Globes kicked me into watching season 2.

"Breaking Bad" is my favourite show of all time. I loved it. I still love it. However, "The Bear" might now be tied with it, on the verge of surpassing it. Season 1 was good. Season 2 is mind-blowing phenomenally good. What's it all about? Season two focuses on The Beef, the long time Chicago sandwich diner, becoming a high end restaurant, The Bear. It's the transformation of the physical space but more importantly it's the mental transformation of the staff. It also offers us deep insight into the backstory of why this family is the way it is. Episode 6, "Fishes" - this guest star-studded episode I think scarred me. It was so raw and wild and it left me breathless and emotionally wrecked. Episode 7 "Forks" about cousin Richie was even better. And the final episode of the season, 10 "The Bear" had me on the verge of a panic attack for the first half and then punched me emotionally for the second half. Wild. I LOVED THIS. Streaming on Hulu, streaming on Disney. Go watch it now.  

Society of the Snow

J.A. Bayona (who gave us "The Impossible") has crafted a gripping and visceral account of the 1972 plane crash of the Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes mountains. The crash landing will haunt you. I'm an atheist, vegetarian, who hates the snow. I don't think I would fair so well in the snowy mountains of the Andes. I haven't watched the 1993 version of this story, entitled "Alive," so I have nothing to compare it against. Not a whole lot to eat in the snowy mountains - "I see dead people" to borrow a "Sixth Sense" phrase. Things go "Soylent Green" pretty quickly as time moves very slowly. These people were trapped for months in brutal conditions, starving. It's horrific. When the rescue does finally come, I was moved to tears - what an ordeal. There is a scene where two of the characters ask each other what is the point of it all - there is no real answer. Why should you watch? It's another example of our built in drive to survive. This is who we are as humans; good society goes out the window quickly when your life depends on it. Catch this nail biter (maybe the whole finger - tastes like chicken (too soon?)) now streaming on Netflix. 

The King

Normally I only write about current films, the current year (2024) or last year (2023). I'm making an exception. And I think I will continue to make exceptions from here on in; if a film is great, it should end up on the Marquee. Right? So why have I travelled all the way back to 2019 to watch, "The King?" It was at the urging of Sam, my co-worker who has a love for period pieces - knights and horses and all things plague infested and medieval. I dislike period pieces. Any frilly lace or chainmail around someone's neck and I'm out. Westerns are about as far back as I am willing to go. I like contemporary dramas. After months of Sam's prodding I finally relented and watched "Seven Kings Must Die." I turned it off after half an hour. Sam conceded I needed to watch "The Last Kingdom" first. With great reluctance I threw on "The King" next. Bewitched; a one-eyed hag hunchback must have put a spell on me! I loved it. What's it all about? Timothée Chalamet plays Henry V, a reluctant king forced to take the throne after the death of his tyrannical father (Ben Mendelsohn). Henry goes to war against the French King's son (Robert Pattinson) and consults his good friend Falstaff (Joel Edgerton) for advice. That's the movie. It doesn't sound like much but the writing by director David Michôd and Joel Edgerton is so fabulous it completely won me over. I believe Joel Edgerton to be some sort of mad genius. And Timothée Chalamet - the kid has acting chops. However my favourite performance was by Robert Pattinson. Brilliant. Catch this medieval period piece streaming on Netflix. Trust me, Sam knows what he is talking about (wink). 

The Best Films of 2023

What a year! 2023 saw new music from the Beatles and The Rolling Stone - it was 2023! And the movies, wow! Canada 🍁, well done. So many great films this year. I watched 290 movies to bring you this list (about half were from 2023) - and I still haven't seen everything I want to. Here are my favourite 15 films and everything else which made the blog. It's got to be an "A+" to an "A-" to make it. Followed by the honourable mentions/guilty pleasures. Then we have the best of last year I only watched this year, followed by the worst and biggest disappointments of 2023. You can click the links for the full reviews. 

The Best 15 Films of 2023

1. Beau is Afraid

2. The Creator

3. Mob Land

4. Talk to Me

5. Leave the World Behind

6. American Fiction

7.  Poor Things

8. Joyland

9. The Killer

10. Riceboy Sleeps 🍁

11. Brother 🍁

12. Air

13. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

14. Cat Person

15. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

And here is everything else and none of these films would be a waste of your time (in no real order)

16.  Plane

17. Enter the Drag Dragon 🍁

18. Knock at the Cabin

19. Infinity Pool 🍁

20. I Like Movies 🍁

21. Smoking Causes Coughing

22. The Lost King

23. Evil Dead Rise

24. How to Blow Up a Pipeline 

25. The Covenant 

26. Blackberry 🍁

27. The Boogeyman

28. Reality 

29. Bones of Crows 🍁

30. Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella 🍁

31. The Flash

32. Lynch/Oz 

33. Oppenheimer

34. Barbie

35. Sympathy for the Devil

36. Shortcomings

37. Lola

38. Jules

39. Passages 

40. Birth/Rebirth

41. Fair Play

42. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person 🍁

43. The Holdovers

44. She Came to Me

45. Dream Scenario 

46. Dumb Money

47. Godzilla Minus One

48. Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire

49. Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis

50. How to Have Sex

Honouralbe Mentions/Guilty Pleasures

Horror Films:

Megan - the best dancing killer doll movie every made

Renfield - Nic Cage is great in this one, would love to see him get a best supporting nomination

The Nun II - full confession, I thought it was great (almost blog worthy - definitely an honourable mention on the Marquee). This one gets my blessing.  

Dark Nature - 🍁Canadian horror film. Reminiscent of  "The Descent." You might need therapy after this one. 

Influencer - Take a selfie in Thailand, this one is a boat ride of fun

Slotherhouse - a killer sloth in a sorority - the jokes move quickly

Appendage - reminded me of Malignant - a basket case of fun! 

Totally Killer - Back to the Future meets Scream

The Exorcist: Believer - I loved the first 2/3 of this film. A somewhat disappointing third act caused it to just miss getting a full entry on the Marquee.   

Action Films

The Equalizer 3 - I loved this series, better than the 2nd, almost as good as the first

Gran Turismo - the best underdog sports film about car racing this year

Dramas/Drama-Thriller:

Hunger - reminiscent of films like "Chef," "Burnt," and "The Menu," this Thai film looks amazing but left me hungry for a little more- catch it on Netflix  

Dreamin' Wild - Casey Affleck stars as a man finding musical fame 30 years later (think "Sugar Man")

Punch - New Zealand boxing movie staring Tim Roth

Sanctuary - be submissive and let this fun drama dominate your time for 90 minutes - it's a love story

The Passenger (2023) -  Kyle Gallner's performance was so outstanding for me. Similar to  Sympathy for the Devil (also this year). 

Priscilla - Almost got a full blog entry. I thought the performances of Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi were both fantastic. People said it was boring - I was glued to it. 

Documentaries: 

Still - Catch this on Apple+ documentary about Michael J. Fox.

Once Upon a Time in Uganda - This documentary is about Isaac Nabwana making action movies in the slums of Uganda. So great!

Sly - Catch the documentary on the life of Sylvester Stallone (writer, actor, director, painter) - amazing. 

Satan Wants You 🍁 - This documentary on the Satanic Panic of the 1980s is as fascinating as it is bananas. 

The Mission - the story of American missionary John Chau as he tried to bring Jesus to the people of Sentinel Island. It didn't go so well! 

Great Films of 2022 I only watched in 2023

1. All Quiet on the Western Front - this would have made my top ten of last year. The soundtrack! 

2. Turn Every Page - The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb

3. To Leslie

4. REVIVAL69: The Concert that Rocked the World 🍁

Worst Films of 2023

1. Cocaine Bear - there was 10 minute of fun, the rest was rather dull, like cocaine itself.

2. Skinamarink - stare up at the corner of your ceiling for 90 minutes, that's the movie 

3. Enys Men - throw this one down a well

4. The Black Demon - Bad, bad shark movie

5. Showing Up - Don't show up

6. Asteroid City - Wes Anderson, please stick to animated movies

7. Joy Ride - Looking for a funny Asian comedy, this isn't it. Watch Shortcomings instead.  

8. Don't Look Away - Look away

9. The Adults - grow up and write something worth watching

Biggest Disappointments of 2023

1. Killers of the Flower Moon - It's not that bad but it's way, way too long. I wanted to love it and didn't. Hence it lands on this list for being one of the most disappointing films of the year

2. Napoleon - another film which I didn't hate but was hoping to love and didn't. Meh. 

3. May December - didn't care for it at all. Not funny. Not interesting. I expect much more from Todd Haynes 

4. John Wick 4 - endless gunfire ballet where you care about nothing and no one. More fun to watch your friend play video games.

5. Ferrari - Through the forensic analysis of the crash it was determined that a lack of dramatic tension, boring car races, and not a single character to care about were the factors responsible for the catastrophic accident, which is this film.

American Fiction

As a writer, I always have a soft spot for stories about writers. Writing is hard - and I don't mean to be a whiny bitch about it but it is. To put your full heart and soul into making something which you believe to be great and have it receive little or no attention, well that can be tough. I'm white as Canadian snow. There is no such thing as an authentic white voice - at least not that I'm aware of. There is language used in literary circles of "authentic" black voices - this is problematic for  Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) who is the lead protagonist in "American Fiction." Monk, who has a doctorate in English Lit, wants to be just a writer, not a black writer, but recognized as a great writer for the writing alone. His latest novel is languishing with his literary agent; multiple publishing houses have passed on his new manuscript. Monk, with an ailing mother, medical bills piling up, gets drunk and turns out joke manuscript, his version of an "authentic" black novel. He gives it to his agent and it is immediately picked up and hailed as a masterpiece. Writer, director, Cord Jefferson has created a wickedly smart and touching film. It's "Tootsie" meets "Sideways," the Spike Lee version. I loved it and it's one of the year's brightest, funniest, and moving movies of the year. Catch this in theatres or on streaming when available. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

Poor Things

A feminist version of Frankenstein. I think yes. And the dialogue, so very pleasing - a kind of Yoda like Shakespearean seesaw. Yes, yes. No ordinary film at all, this was. A wonderous wowing. Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter, a woman brought back from the dead with an infant brain by her mad scientist father, God (Willem Dafoe). Bella is a child in an adult body (Think "Big," "Edward Scissorhands," "13 Going on 30," etc.) and grows exponentially smarter, learning fine motor skills, language, and human anatomy. Bella soon discovers her vagina and the pleasures it can bestow. Before Bella marries God's assistant, she goes off to explore the world with scallywag Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), to discover, sex, food, the injustices of the world, and the cruelty of many men. "Poor Things" is a raunchy and wild comedic ride and I loved every minute of it. From the opening and closing credits, the sets, the costumes, the music, this film is overflowing in artistry. The costumes are something of a hybrid from "The Hungry Games," "Moulin Rouge!" and "Brazil" - shoulder pads from the 80s, on steroids. The set pieces are art nouveau architecture soaked in pastel colouring out of the Florida Keys. Then the MUSIC! Oh wow. Not since last year's "All Quiet on the Western Front" have I heard something so original. Director Yorgos Lanthimos has sewn these pieces together to give us a monstrously great film, one of the year's best. Catch it now in theatres.     

How to Have Sex

Molly Manning Walker has written and directed her first feature length film, "How to Have Sex" and it's brilliant (as the British like to say). "How to Have Sex" is a candid slice of contemporary adolescence, about three young girls who have gone on vacation to Greece for a week of drinking, drugs, and sex. Mia McKenna-Bruce, who plays Tara, is determined to lose her virginity. What a performance - it's Oscar worthy but the film is too small and sadly Mia McKenna-Bruce will be overlooked. Mia McKenna-Bruce is a name to watch out for. "How to Have Sex" reminded me of "Aftersun," "Sundown," and "American Honey," to name a few recent films which share a gritty realism, an almost documentary style of candor. The authenticity of these characters speaks to the excellence of the writing and the wonderful performances of the entire cast. This is a modern snapshot of British youth. These kids felt real to me. Their choices and behaviours might, at times, make you uncomfortable. This is life. I look forward to seeing what Molly Manning Walker does next. Catch this one on streaming services or at a rep cinema near you. Or grab a copy from your local video store. In Ottawa that would be Movies 'N' Stuff.