#REVIEW: “A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING”
Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
Second chances are hard to give, but they are necessary for growth. Tom Tykwer’s latest Film, A Hologram for the King, is an insightful look at the importance of second chances. It’s based on a book by the same name written by Dave Eggers, (see, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius). The Book, like the Film, follows Alan Clay, a modern day Willy Loman. Like the aforementioned salesman, Alan is an aging peddler whose glory days appear to ...
Read more
#REVIEW: “THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR”
Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong
When celebrities go from being nobodies to being front page news fans want to know everything about them. The need to know about every moment of the lives of the rich and famous gave birth to everything from the Kardashians to TMZ. In the case of fictional characters, the desire to delve deeper sparked the need for both Prequels and Sequels. It is no longer enough to know that Snow White lived happily ever and her evil stepmother died. Moviegoers now ...
Read more
#REVIEW: “HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS”
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After losing her mother, Doris (Sally Field) is not sure of her next move. But she instantly becomes smitten after meeting her office’s new art director John (Max Greenfield). With the encouragement of a self-help guru, Doris begins to pursue a romantic relationship, despite their large age difference.
In a passing glance, you would easily mistake Hello, My Name is Doris as a very clearly indie romantic comedy. It appeals to a specific age and ...
Read more
#REVIEW: “BARBERSHOP 3: THE NEXT CUT”
Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
It’s been 12 years since the last Barbershop Movie. In that time, a black man has become President and the Chicago crime rate has escalated… exponentially. This and so much more is reflected in Barbershop: The Next Cut.
Like its predecessors, the Film follows Calvin Palmer, a Chicago based barber. The primary difference with this third chapter is its discussion of serious contemporary issues. Namely, the relentless gun violence in Chicago. ...
Read more
#REVIEW: “THE JUNGLE BOOK”
Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
Director Jon Favreau brings to life The Jungle Book for an entirely new generation of kids. This CGI/Live-Action comes with a fresh perspective and tone. By contrast, this take on the Rudyard Kipling literary classic is much darker and heavier than the 1967 animated version we have come to love, hence young children be warned. For 105 minutes, we are in a complete state of bliss knowing that the story has been adapted so faithfully, even if the ...
Read more
#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 ...
Read more
#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 ...
Read more
#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 ...
Read more
#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 ...
Read more
#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 ...
Read more