#TIFF26: “TANGLES” REVIEW

By David Baldwin

It is the late 1990s and Sarah (Abbi Jacobson) is a queer artist and activist who has just gotten a promotion at work and has a new girlfriend named Donimo (Samira Wiley). Things in Sarah’s life quickly change after she takes a trip home and notices her Mom Midge (Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus) acting completely out of character. She pushes her father Rob (Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston) to take Midge to a doctor, and when he finally does, the family learn that Midge has the beginnings of Alzheimer’s.

What follows in TANGLES, the Feature Directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker and Co-Writer Leah Nelson, is an exploration of grief, understanding, familial bonds and coming-of-age in the face of one losing a parent to a horrific degenerative disease. As the ending credits suggest, it is an all too common narrative for so many people and Nelson presents the story of Sarah Leavitt’s (also Co-Writing) original graphic novel in a raw, honest and often darkly hilarious kind of way. And because it is all captured in black-and-white 2D animation, it allows Nelson and her team to really get creative with the format, layering in unforgettable moments of tragedy and wonder in ways the dominant 3D style rarely, if ever, presents. I was frequently in awe watching the visuals alternate between crude and polished, always on the lookout for not-so-hidden details and trying my best to not become a weeping disaster.

If the impressive visuals were not enough, the voice cast Nelson has assembled might be one of the best in recent memory. Alongside Jacobson, Louis-Dreyfus, Cranston and Wiley – each giving absolutely stellar and devastating performances – we get solid supporting turns from Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen, Pamela Adlon, Sarah Silverman, Bowen Yang, Wanda Sykes and more. They each get a turn or two to shine, and help make TANGLES one of this festival’s unmissable hidden gems.

TANGLES screens at TIFF ‘26:

Sun. Sept 13 at 2:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Wed. Sept 16 at 9:00 AM at Scotiabank Theatre

Fri. Sept 18 at 12:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

#SPOTTED: KELLY MCCORMACK IN TORONTO FOR “A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN”

Such a pleasure getting the celebrate what’s poised to be a home run for Prime Video in their latest Series A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN! Based on the beloved 1992 Sports Dramedy of the same name, the Series gets eight episodes to delve deeper and more authentically into the stories of the women who comprise groundbreaking All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Team, the Rockford Peaches.

Taking place at Soho House, Toronto’s Kelly McCormack who stars as Jess McCready, spoke at a fireside chat about her experiences filming in isolation with her Castmates during the pandemic. Her character heads south, hailing from Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. And unlike the original Film, this Series co-created by starring Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), same-sex relationships and women of colour in the league are themes that properly are explored.

Some Snaps of McCormack and at the end of the Carousel, hear her speak about her role with TSN’s Kayla Grey:

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Such a wonderful bash for a wonderful Series. There was even a Rockford Peach-inspired Cocktail!

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Review here.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN is streaming now on Prime Video Canada!

(Photo/video credit: Prime Video/Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: “A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” (2022)

By Mr. Will Wong

We absolutely adore Penny Marshall‘s A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. The 1992 Sports Dramedy about All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Team, the Rockford Peaches, will always hold a special place in my heart. Living-up to that legacy really is a tall order and after a failed 1993 TV Series, this 2022 eight epsodes at one-hour-each reboot looks to give us all the things we love about the original Film, but also tell some of the untold stories its acclaimed Predecessor didn’t tell.

At first glance, the Series appears a very faithful remake of the original Film but before the end of the first episode, we realize there were story lines the original didn’t dare go. Though the Series doesn’t quite have that same bright energy the Film has, over eight episodes, we get a chance to let these Actors tell these women’s stories about how baseball changed their lives and the time they lived in, during World War II.

At the core of the story is Broad City’s magnetic Abbi Jacobson as Carson Shaw, teased for her dowdiness. But quickly, with a new hairdo and a spot among the Peaches, she begins to find her own purpose rising as a leader among the girls. And there might even be a sexual awakening to be had as well. We meet a new character in Max (Chanté Adams), a young black woman who struggles to land a spot because of the colour of her skin, despite a smashing try-out and having the credentials, playing regularly with male counterparts. Greta (D’Arcy Carden) has plenty of sass to balance Carson‘s calm, while Nick Offerman leads the team as Casey Porter who’s looking to get himself back on-the-map.

Though the Series doesn’t hit quite the same notes emotionally the original does, and at moments it feels outside the era it’s set, there are bright spots and fans of the original Film will appreciate that this Series gets the space and time to properly tell these women’s stories. The Series’ focus on the struggles these women face being taken seriously – and ultimately winning their naysayers over – yet are expected to adhere to gender standards of the day rings true like the original, but it goes a layer deeper with its thoughtful exploration of race relations and sexual identity among these women. And this in itself makes it warrant a watch because it’s saying something new. Be patient, you might even notice a few exciting familiar faces sprinkled throughout the Series!

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN arrives August 12, 2022 on Prime Video Canada.