#REVIEW: “MILES AHEAD”
Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
As a teenager growing up in Montreal, my musical tastes always steered towards R&B, Funk and Motown. In those Jurassic days of yore when something called an internet was more science fiction than “Star Trek”, I would rely on Rolling Stone magazine for information about music and reviews of albums. Often artists whose music I loved (like Sly and the Family Stone) would refer to Miles Davis as a huge influence in their life. On a whim, I bought ...
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#REVIEW: “CRIMINAL”
Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong
When director Ariel Vromen blew out the candles on his birthday cake last year he may well have made the ultimate movie wish: a script worthy of a 90’s action thriller and enough cross-generational star power to ensure the widest possible audience. Oh and if the wish gods were feeling generous, those stars should ideally include Oscar winners and action stars. What could possibly go wrong with a wish like that?
Criminal opens with Kevin Costner’s ...
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#REVIEW: “SLEEPING GIANT”
Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
Canadian filmmaking continues to impress, and Cividino’s Sleeping Giant is a perfect example as to why. It’s a visceral look at the power of those fleeting summer friendships experienced by Canadian boys.
The Film takes place in and around Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. The narrative focuses on three adolescents: Adam (Jackson Martin), Nate (Nick Serino) and Riley (Reese Moffett). Adam is from a middle class family who has purchased a ...
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#REVIEW: “HARDCORE HENRY”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
You are a cyborg woken up in the near future by your scientist wife Estelle (Haley Bennett). Before you get your bearings, the lab is attacked by a group led by Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), and Estelle is kidnapped. Unable to speak, you run into a man named Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), who knows who you are and volunteers his help to find your wife. Then you are off to battle your way through Russia to find her.
That set-up sounds positively insane, but acts ...
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#REVIEW: “THE BOSS”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) bounced in and out of foster homes before becoming one of Chicago’s premier industry moguls. But her world collapses after she is arrested for insider trading, loses all of her possessions and is forced to reluctantly live with her former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell) and her daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). But one batch of brownies and some late night thinking may be just enough to send Michelle back to the ...
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#REVIEW: “DEMOLITION”
Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
Jean-Marc Vallée is one of the finest directors to have emerged in recent years, hitting a sweet spot in his career with greats such as Dallas Buyers Club and Wild, both incredible character studies that transport the audience into the lives of their subjects themselves. Last year's Toronto International Film Festival Opening Night Gala, Demolition, is no different as it is arguably one of the best character studies Vallée has released. However, ...
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#REVIEW: “MIDNIGHT SPECIAL”
Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
Midnight Special has been compared to Close Encounters for good reason. Like Spielberg’s masterpiece, Jeff Nichols' latest Film is bound to make an indelible impression. Written and directed by Nichols, it stars his favorite leading man, Michael Shannon. Shannon plays Roy Tomlin, a father on the run with his only child, Alton. Alton, played by Jaeden Lieberher, wields a power beyond his understanding… beyond anyone’s understanding.
The ...
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#REVIEW: “EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
“Alright, alright, alright.” Twenty-three years ago, writer/director Richard Linklater likely had no idea the kind of cultural impact his semi-autobiographical Film Dazed and Confused would have. The infinitely quotable cult classic has only grown in popularity since (even landing a spot in the coveted Criterion Collection) and launched a number of careers – including future Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and of course, Matthew McConaughey. Now ...
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#REVIEW: “DARLING”
Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
Horror is an ingenious genre. Story and scares on a small budget means only the creative can thrive. Mickey Keating is such a creator. Over the last few years he’s crafted great works like Ritual and Pod. He’s an indie darling, and his latest work is equally so. Darling stars Lauren Ashley Carter, who previously worked with Keating on Pod. Like its predecessor, Darling was fawned over by fans at SXSW, and beloved by the big names in Horror. This ...
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#REVIEW: “BOREALIS” (CANADIAN FILM FEST)
Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
I was in a quandary after viewing BOREALIS. There was so much to admire about it. They cast ultra-talented Joey King (Wish I Was Here, TV’s Fargo), with the most hypnotic, beautiful eyes to grace the big screen since Kirstie Alley in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, and have her play Aurora, a character who is going blind. Surround her with the folks who made one of my favourite Movie of 2012, My Awkward Sexual Adventure: Jonas Chernik (who also wrote ...
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