Alberta Number One (Alexander Carson)- An experimental film from a Canadian director that blends travelogue with art with documentary, exploring the boundaries of genre and bringing to life our deep connection to a sense of place
Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert (Baz Luhrmann)- From the same hand that gave us the recent biopic, one of my favourites of that year, this blend of rare concert footage into a narrative driven documentary form probes underneath one of America’s most tragic stories. Elvis is a microscosm of so much of what that culture is and means, and here the allure and power of his spell is brought alive in a visceral way.
U Are the Universe (Kocmoc)- A Ukrainian space odyssey that is flying under the radar of the much more buzzy and populous Project Hail Mary, but exploring some similar themes in a similar way. I was glad to see this one first, as I think in many ways it helped preserve the modest but authentic experience of the film which might have been drowned out by the spectacle of the latter. I always enjoy uncovering Ukrainian films and directors as they aren’t always easy to get access to.
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother (Jim Jarmusch)- The Latest from celebrated indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Paterson, The Dead Don’t Die, Only Lovers Left Alive), steers his penchant for darker stories towards a family triangle. Told in segments, it’s a story about estrangment and those difficult family dynamics that both push us apart and hold us together. What might be it’s biggest accomplishment is the way it weaves a story about siblings into a working allegory regarding the absence of the parents. That this is the thing that brings the siblings together also becomes the means by which Jarmusch fleshes out the lingering dynamics of what pushed them apart in the past. It might all be a bit undercooked and inconsistent, but it definitely has a creative vision.
The Bride (Maggie Gyllenhaal)- For all the headlines dictating the film’s box office failure (the only relevance there being it’s bottom line, not it’s quality), Gyllenhaal’s follow up to The Lost Daughter manages to take what I felt was one of the weaknesses in her debut and grow it into a compelling character study. It’s bold, it’s messy, but for my money this is the more interesting take on the iconic (related) characters than Del Toro’s decidedly more traditional interpretation of last year (and he’s my favorite director). There’s more gloss and more steadied control in Frankenstien, but if I was going to revisit a film, The Bride is the one which richer layers to mine. And that set design and choreography- captivating, gorgeous and poetic.
Hair of the Bear (James McLellan, Alexandre Trudeau)- A solid debut from a Manitoba filmmaker, making great use of the northern wilderness backdrap. It’s low budget, which, as is typically the case, makes itself most known in the editing and the plotting, but I think it knows it’s limitations and plays to it’s strengths, gaining confidence as it goes.
Hoppers (Daniel Chong)- I am not as high on this one as some others (I found it to have narrative issues), but I am still glad seeing it find success. This isn’t on the level of the Pixar greats, which seemed to hit it’s stride at least 10 or so years ago. Nor is it finding it’s way through the more creative and visionary standouts of Pixar’s recent years (for me Elemental and even last year’s Elio are the far more interesting films, even if Hoppers might be more evenly constructed as a film). But it’s got some mojo, and it’s certainly designed to have broad appeal. And if nothing else, it’s given us a fresh slate of memorable characters.
All That’s Left of You (Cherien Dabis)- The third film by the Palestinian filmmaker, and the first since 2013, might take place in the past, but it couldn’t be more timely. It makes the choice to keep the violence framing the film’s story in the backdrop and out of sight, which I think is a choice that evelates this film to a whole other level (others felt differently, it’s worth noting). Instead, this allows the director to really hone in on the narrative and themes that the film wants to flesh out and explore (displacement, immigration, parenthood, faith, identity). One of the aspects of the film that really struck a chord for me was the film’s ability to also take these micro-themes and overlay it against a more cosmic level reflection on the shape of Life and Death woven into the facric of our shared reality. Here the filmmaker shows an astute awareness and understanding of this kind of rooted storytelling that many others miss, and it results in what is thus far one of the film’s of the year for me.
Undertone (Ian Tuason)- Another Canadian film and director on the slate, this one boasting a bigger budget and higher profile, something it uses to really make it’s presence known. It’s a classic horror film, straight forward, no frills, but effective, especially where it comes to showing restraint. Plot wise it’s really leaning into a couple key ideas and devices, but it’s careful not to overplay that too early and too soon. I know it worked for some but not for everybody, which is to be expected from a horror film, but I found it, at least for the moment, to really draw me in to it’s very sensory driven experience. I was glad to see it with a crowd.
Arco (Ugo Bienvenu)- The oscar nominated animated feature from French Director felt like it should have had a bigger impact than it ultimately did. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was something that felt off or disjointed about the high concept sci-fi premise. Is it that it feels like a Studio Ghibli clone? i don’t think that’s that problem, but maybe. Was it that I saw the english dub (with a stacked voice cast albeit) and the experience and vibe got lost in translation? Possibly. That feels more likely than the Ghibli comparison. I just didn’t find the story to be all that engaging. It didn’t help that the more interesting story dynamics and characters in the film are sort of buried behind Arco (not to mention too much of a visual presence in terms of the colours and design). It’s got time travel though and that always gets points from me. If it had done more with it I think that would have gone a long ways to rectifying some of the felt problems.
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Kaouther Ben Hania)- A Tunisian filmmaker, this hyper focused and haunting dramatization of a single moment in Gaza demonstrates the ways in which some art transcends the creative medium. It asks us to imagine a future where the violence ceases. Whether that imagintion feels possible, the film grants us the permission to grieve as we approach even the potential of that hope.
Maya and Samar (Anita Doron)- Set in contemporary Athens, this Canadian film by a Canadian-Hungarian director (raised in Ukraine) demonstrates that eclectic cultural backdrop by delivering an often explicit (be forewarned), but compelling commentary on the ways in which we tend to judge others, here pushing into the layered reality of the films central themes revolving around an Afghan immigrant, her sexuality, and the intertwining conversations surrouding culture divide. It’s not an easy sit, but carried by some strong performances and a willingness to take an uncensored approach, I found myself thinking about it quite a bit aftewards. Which I think is what it set out to accomplish.
Project Hail Mary (Phil Lord, Christopher Miller)– Certainly the biggest film of the year thus far by any measure. Also featuring the return of Phil and Christopher Miller. As far as adpations go, I felt the film filled in some of the weaknesses that I found in the book. Namely the lack of emotional depth and presence, which the visual storytelling really makes front and center. It’s also a genuine crowd pleaser, doing the job of taking a science fiction story and making it accessible to the masses. who might not normally read or watch this kind of stuff.
The Plague (Charlie Polinger)- Works great as a piece of psychological horror (put young kids at the center and it always makes things more unsettling). Even more impressive that this is a debut.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett)- These director pairings are becoming more and more trendy. Following up on the successful and surpsingly fun and enjoyable Ready or Not, the sequel needs to find a way to up the game and, in my opinion, does it by way of copious amounts of blood. It’s outlandish, the plot stretches points of believability beyond the breaking point in sections, often in service of convenience, but if it’s a slight step down from the first, if you liked that one I think you’ll enoy this one. There’s no doubt the on screen cast is still having fun.
Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice (BenDavid Grabinksi)- A time travel narrative wrapped up in a ridiculously entertaining ride follwing two gangsters and the woman they love. The aim is simple- survive one wild night and embrace the chaos in doing so. The director (if I am right, he comes from the television world) understands and mission and delivers something that is very much worth your time.
The Stories of my Life 