With the release of this week’s Oscar nominations, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI cemented itself as an Oscar favourite with multiple nominations. Starring Francis McDormand and Sam Rockwell, BILLBOARDS is an intense drama (or is it a comedy?) and Steve welcomes back Shelley McVea to discuss the film’s interest in loss, anger and the power…
Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird is a coming-of-age drama that tells the story of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a young woman growing up in Sacramento in 2002. Living with her parents and adopted brother, she has an increasingly strained relationship with her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), as she prepares to…
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, mother! brings us into the heart of the fractured marriage of Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and Man (Javier Bardem).? A poet who suffers from writer?s block, Bardem is distant and cold as he sweats over his pages, praying for inspiration.? Meanwhile, as her husband focuses his energy on his work, Lawrence?s Mother…
The Disaster Artist tells the story of Greg Sistero (Dave Franco), an aspiring actor who dreams of Hollywood stardom. His whole world changes, however, when he joins forces with the mysterious (and untalented) Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) with the hopes of spurring one another on to fame and fortune. As the two struggle to find…
What Will People Say was one of my favorite films at AFIFest this year. I wasn?t alone in my estimation of the work; it also won the Audience Award in the New Auteurs section. It is a powerful and engaging film in which two different value systems collide within the life of a teenager as she grows up with connection to two cultures.
AFI Fest this year screened 137 films (93 features, 44 shorts) representing 53 countries. The program included 14 official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar??submissions. I managed to make it to 18 films (17 features) during my time at the festival. My top films for the festival were (in the order I saw them): What Will…
The final day at AFI Fest gave me a chance to finish off with two more films before I made my way home to a more reasonable schedule and eating habits. Both films played before good sized crowds for a Thursday afternoon. Claire Denis?s Bright Sunshine In (aka Let the Sunshine In) (World Cinema section)…
There comes a time at a festival when you?re standing in line and someone asks what you?ve seen that?s good. You know you?ve seen a lot of movies when you can?t remember the titles anymore. It?s a good thing I take a notebook with me. Claire?s Camera (World Cinema section) from South Korean director Hong…
When I arrived at Hollywood and Highland on Sunday morning, there were some people on the street organizing a march about sexual assault and harassment in the entertainment industry. News in recent weeks has been full of stories about the issue and social media filled up with ?me too? comments. It is indeed a serious…
The first full day for the festival took me on a trip around the world. That?s one of the values of film festivals, we get to see other lands and cultures without the expense and time of travel. (Not that I wouldn?t love being able to go to so many places.)
