4.5
Director Andrew Nichol has always had a penchant for creating films that shine a light on issues happening within our current political climate. Be it the rapid advancement in genetics (Gattaca), our voyeuristic nature (The Truman Show) or the always hot-button issue of gun control (Lord of War). Even when the movies aren’t great, he always takes an interesting approach.
6
I really wanted to like Slow West, especially after seeing the trailer, which, I must say, makes this film look way more entertaining and comedic than it actually is. It made Slow West look like a witty Western that was copiously packed with action scenes and starred a skilled set of actors slinging a bit of dark humor.
10
When it comes to film, the word “masterpiece” is not just a word but also an affirmation. It’s a label that is not meant to be thrown at just any film out there. It’s a declaration that must be warranted.
Think of films that have been declared masterpieces by critics and moviegoers alike – The Godfather: Part II, The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, Chinatown, Lawrence of Arabia. These are films that are looked upon and admired as cinematic achievements, and there aren’t many people out there who would argue with calling them “masterpieces.”
5
Shane Abbess’ sci-fi/horror film Infini starts off well enough, evoking shades of Aliens, Event Horizon, The Thing and even Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. The concept of a gang of roughneck space marines heading into the abyss and battling some unknown evil is never one that will get old and probably one we’ll see for years to come.
7.5
Caroll Spinney may not be a household name, but his iconic Sesame Street characters surely are. For the last 48 years Spinney has been the man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, two of the most well known characters in Disney’s Muppet universe. Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker’s film I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story takes a look at the man behind these characters and paints a lovingly crafted portrait of him, both in his professional career and his personal life.
5.5
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Terrence Malick directed a lo-fi zombie movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well, wonder no more because Henry Hobson’s debut, Maggie, infuses much more Malick than Romero in this unique, but flawed, take on the zombie apocalypse.
Rather than yet another survival story featuring hordes of undead, Maggie takes a more intimate, emotional approach, by focusing the story on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character of Wade taking care of his daughter, Maggie, played by Abigail Breslin, as she slowly turns into an undead flesh-hungry creature.
8
A documentary created with the approval of his family, Kurt Cobain’s only authorized biopic, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, manages to elevate itself well above most standard rock docs due to the quality and wealth of its content. Even as someone who wasn’t a huge fan of Nirvana, I found myself hanging onto every moment of this gripping and expertly crafted film by Brett Morgen.
6
When we last left the assembled Avengers, the team had fought off a Chitauri invasion being orchestrated by megalomaniacal Loki. Substitute aliens with an army of humanoid robots being led by a megalomaniacal artificial intelligence and change the setting from New York to Eastern Europe, and you pretty much have the major conflict of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
7.5
If there’s one thing that can be said about absurdist director Quentin Dupieux, it’s that, for better or worse, there’s no other director making movies quite like his. Whether it’s about a sentient tire going on a murderous rampage through the desert (Rubber) or a strange tale of a missing dog tracked through his poop memories (Wrong), Dupieux consistently brings a unique and utterly baffling vision to the screen in everything he creates. In his latest, Reality, he takes this nonsensical style to a whole new level, adding layer upon layer of bewildering confusion that dares the audience to keep up, with mixed results.
7.5
That’s a question you might ask yourself early on while watching Applesauce, the latest from writer/director Onur Tukel as it serves as the jumping off point for his tried and true brand of acerbic comedy. And, if you’re familiar with Tukel’s propensity to play rather unlikeable, yet somehow appealing, characters you might ask yourself “how in the world is Tukel playing a high school teacher?” Furthermore, what class demands him to teach these kids about empathy?
9
Romanian documentary Toto and His Sisters (Toto si surorile lui) is a great example of how fact can be far more captivating than fiction.
Writer/director Alexander Nanau takes an unflinching look on the lives of three siblings – Ana-Maria (17), Andreea Violeta (14) and Toto (10) – who must take care of themselves and each other amid an abysmal, poverty-stricken, drug-riddled environment. With absent fathers and an imprisoned mother, the trio must find ways to feed and clothe themselves, get an education and avoid becoming pulled into the treacherous grip of heroin addiction, continuously looming over them.
6
The premise of Ben Palmer’s new romantic comedy Man Up is simple: Lake Bell plays Nancy, a jaded thirty-something looking to find Mr. Right and ends up stealing another woman’s blind date, who is a man named Jack (Simon Pegg). Love ensues.
Despite this bare-bones concept, the film proves to be an entertaining little romp, mostly due to the snappy dialogue and strong performances. Sure, it follows the typical rom-com formula, almost to a T, but it has fun doing so.
7.5
Patrick Brice’s The Overnight begins with an awkward sex scene between our two leads, Alex and Emily, played by Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling, setting the stage for what will be an uncomfortable, yet hilarious, 80 minutes of awkward. Brice pulls no punches in this slightly bizarre exploration into the sex lives of two thirty-something couples, as they attempt to keep the spark alive while raising children.
7
Partho Sen-Gupta’s sophomore feature, Sunrise, takes place in the labyrinthine back-alley slums of Mumbai, where a distraught police detective desperately searches to find a shadowy figure who is abducting young girls, one of whom is his daughter. The giallo-infused visuals and electronic score lend themselves to the nightmarish tone of this dark thriller that is just about as far from Bollywood as you can get.
7.5
Adapted from his short film Teacher of the Year from 2012, Chris Modoono’s Tenured is an uproariously funny story about a tenured 5th-grade teacher on the verge of a complete emotional breakdown after his wife leaves him and his cushy do-nothing job becomes threatened. Through a smart and consistently funny script, Modoono crafts a film that manages to be hilarious and, dare I say, touching without losing its sense of humor.
7.5
Dagur Kári’s latest film, Virgin Mountain, presents a light, bittersweet character study about a 43-year-old man and his first foray into love, a frightening endeavor that will ultimately change him forever. This Icelandic drama is sad, funny, at times incredibly awkward, and a highly recommended watch.
