#REVIEW: “LIVE BY NIGHT”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong In recent years, Ben Affleck truly has solidified his standing in the world of Cinema. He directed the fantastic Gone Baby Gone, and he managed to change practically everyone else’s opinion of him overnight as an artist. An Oscar and a Dark Knight appearance or two later, and we have his latest multi-hyphenated work, Live By Night. World War I is over and prohibition is in effect. Joe Coughlin (Affleck) is a noble thief, doing his best not to fall ... Read more

#REVIEW: “20TH CENTURY WOMEN”

Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong Few years in recent memory have been as good for women in Film as 2016. In the latter part of the year, interesting and diverse roles for women seemed abundant. Great example of strong female roles that pass the Bechdel Test can be found in the new Film 20th Century Women. Dorothea, Julie and Abbie are as much a product of the eras in which they were born as they are the one they currently inhabit, 1979 Santa Barbara. Born in 1924 when “the people ... Read more

#REVIEW: “SILENCE”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong The legendary Martin Scorsese directed the ridiculously-controversial The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988. While he was promoting the Film, he was handed the novel Silence. And ever since that moment 28 years ago, he has been trying to direct a Film based on that Book. And after years of false starts, we are finally able to watch his passion project in all its glory. After discovering their mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson) has renounced his ... Read more

#REVIEW: “HIDDEN FIGURES”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong As the United States continues the Space Race with Russia in the early 1960s, a gifted team of African-American women (initially relegated to the “Colored Computers” department of NASA) were using their mathematical and engineering expertise to help behind the scenes. Having attended the exclusive preview of Hidden Figures at TIFF this past September, my expectations for the final Film were more inflated than I would like to admit. I was ... Read more

#REVIEW: “A MONSTER CALLS”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong Sometimes a Movie sets out to tug on our heartstrings. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. However in the instance of J.A Bayona’s A Monster Calls, it is safe to say that it succeeds. Emotions run high in this wonderfully-thought-out adaptation of Patrick Ness’s book of the same name. The only calling out to be heard are the noises people suppressing their cries. The Movie focuses on our lead character Conor (Lewis MacDougall) as he ... Read more

#REVIEW: “E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL IN CONCERT” AT SONY CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong E.T.'s universal appeal is undeniable. The 1982 Steven Spielberg classic is one of the first Movies I saw ever which drew me truly to the magic of cinema. I was late to catch-on to its legacy - my first time seeing it on its 20th anniversary in 2002 at my local Cineplex, thanks to Enzo at my local video store.  Instead of taking our rental money, generously he gave me and my dad twenty dollars, urging us to go enjoy it in a format that it is ... Read more

#REVIEW: “LA LA LAND”

We've seen many Films about falling in love and usually the 'happily ever after' begins there, leaving us at that. A rarity however is a Film that captures with great truth the tenderness of both falling in and out of love and also the costs of pursuing our dreams. Director Damien Chazelle wowed us with Academy Award winner Whiplash back in 2014. In already what is looking like a brilliant career ahead, he dispels defiantly any talk of a sophomore slump in current Oscar Frontrunner and ... Read more

#REVIEW: “FENCES”

Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong As the year draws to a close, you are probably busy with important last minute details to make the holidays special. I am, of course, talking about completing your Oscar homework. Seeing all the Movies in the running for 'little gold statues' is a key December task for all Cinephiles. Well, here is one more to add to the list: Fences. Garbage collector and former Negro League baseball star Troy Maxson is not an easy man to love but his wife of 18 ... Read more

#REVIEW: “WHY HIM?”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong 'Tis the season for that one completely absurd Movie that helps us get away the holiday madness and have a good laugh or two. Thankfully Director and Screenwriter John Hamburg along with Jonah Hill and Ian Helfer deliver a great deal of laughter in Why Him? The Movie may not be groundbreaking on any level, but it also doesn’t need to be and the audience gets exactly what they asked for. The Movie starts off focusing on the relationship between ... Read more

#REVIEW: “ASSASSIN’S CREED”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong While above the mark set by others in its genre that came out this year, Assassin's Creed is dependent on some of great action sequences seen in it.  We still are waiting for that one truly great Video Game adaptation. Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender) had a rough upbringing as he watched his father kill his mother right in front of his eyes. Fast-forward to modern day, and Cal is in prison sentenced to death for a murder and next thing we know he ... Read more