TIFF18: “MONSTERS AND MEN” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After premiering earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Monsters and Men comes to TIFF this week and is just as timely and ferocious as it was nine months ago. The film tells the story of three men from different walks of life dealing with the fallout of a Black man being shot dead by the police in their community.
In a year where we have already seen films like Blindspotting and BlacKkKlansman tackling racial injustice, Monsters and Men may ...
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#TIFF18: “FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY”
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Set in the 1960s young Irish Traveller, Frances (Hazel Doupe), finds her dreams of being a boxer treated when her father gets released from prison. Float Like a Butterfly is the second Feature film for Irish Director Carmel Winters and will have its World Premiere at TIFF in the Discovery Programme.
Typically a film following the aspiring dreams of a boxer has a male protagonist, however, Float Like a Butterfly has a powerful female lead. This is the ...
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#TIFF18: “TEEN SPIRIT” REVIEW
Revjew by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
When Violet (Elle Fanning) hears about an international singing competition that’s holding auditions in her hometown, Isle of Wright, she takes it as her ticket to escape from her family life and the small town. Teen Spirit is actor Max Minghella’s first Feature and will have its World Premiere at TIFF in the Special Presentations Programme.
Fanning gives an energetic and powerful performance as the ever blooming Violet, and is able to showcase ...
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#TIFF18: “OUT OF BLUE” REVIEW
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
When a successful Astrophysicist and Blackhole Expert (Mamie Gummer) is found dead, lead homicide detective Mike (Patricia Clarkson) finds her view of the universe and herself become tested. Out Of Blue is the third Feature by Director Carol Morley and will have its World Premiere at TIFF ’18 in the Platform Programme.
Writer-Director Carol Morley crafts a Crime Film with the most unique and zealous of ideas which makes this one massive ...
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#TIFF18: “THE PREDATOR” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Nearly 32 years after the Predator landed on Earth, Co-Writer/Director Shane Black has returned to his roots and brought TIFF along for the World Premiere. A group of soldiers haunted by their PTSD must fight off the Predator after he crash lands on Earth, avoiding the massive government cover up along the way.
The Predator is the very definition of a mixed bag. I went in with a fair amount of hype and trepidation, but was ultimately left cold. The ...
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#TIFF18: “A STAR IS BORN” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After stunning Venice and Telluride, Bradley Cooper has brought the highly-anticipated A Star is Born to TIFF. Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a Country Singer whose best years are behind him. He’s become an alcoholic and drug addict. Ally (Lady Gaga) is an incredible singer at a drag club. The two meet by chance, become lovers and start writing music together. But the pressures of the tour and the rising tide for Ally may signal some big changes for in ...
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#TIFF18: “NEKROTRONIC” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
In the near future, the villainous Finnegan (Monica Bellucci) has found a way to unleash demonic spirits through an addictive app on people’s phones. She wants to eat all of their souls, and the internet is her most efficient option. With the fate of the world (or at least Australia) at risk, a group of Nekromancers must turn to unlikely sewage-waste worker turned hero Howard North (Ben O’Toole) to save the day.
Nekrotronic is campy and silly ...
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#TIFF18: DAY TWO – JULIA ROBERTS, TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET, ARMIE HAMMER, STEVE CARELL, ISSA RAE + SEVERAL MORE STARS SPOTTED
By Mr. Will Wong
Day two of TIFF '18 has gone exceedingly-well and we're happy to deliver you some of that starpower we witnessed around the City! While stars of breakout hit CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet, were busy promoting their latest projects around town, one thing's clear - fans still very much are in love with these two actors. Everywhere I went, new faces were asking where they could find Chalamet, walking around proudly displaying their memorabilia from ...
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#TIFF18: “PHOENIX” REVIEW
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Phoenix follows young teenager Jill (Ylva Thedin Bjørkaas) who has watched her mother’s (Maria Bonnevie) substance abuse and depression rapidly escalate. After a tragic incident, Jill is forced to mature way beyond her years and take care of her little brother, Bo (Casper Falck-Løvås). This is the first feature for Writer-Director Camilla Strøm Henriksen and will be making its World Premiere at TIFF in the Discovery Programme.
Camilla Strøm ...
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#TIFF18: “LES SALOPES” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Marie-Claire (Brigitte Poupart) is a professor of dermatology, researching skin cells and how they are affected by sexuality. She has an open relationship with her husband, so she is able to take part in the experiments with multiple participants. But when a student issues a complaint against another professor, Marie-Claire’s carefully cultivated life begins to unravel.
Les Salopes is an intriguing and frank portrayal of a woman very much in control ...
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