TIFF Review: With ‘Julia,’ Julie Cohen and Betsy West whip up a charming confit of cooking’s most fearless and unlikely personality [Grade: A]
Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s Julia opens with a clip of Julia Child introducing her TV audience to “the chicken sisters,” the six headless fowl... Read More
Film Reviews
TIFF Review: ‘The Falls’ (瀑布) is a tense, touching portrait of love and empathy [Grade: A]
At the center of our story stands an apartment building, fully wrapped in blue tarp. We see many buildings of identical structure, but only this... Read More
TIFF Review: Alexandre Moratto’s ‘7 Prisoners’ is a compelling and harrowing look at modern-day slave trade [Grade: B+]
Brazilian filmmaker Alexandre Moratto creates a highly effective, if uneven, picture on the devastating working conditions in his homeland, capturing both the dreams crushed by... Read More
TIFF Review: Pablo Larraín’s ‘Spencer’ is a riveting tale of isolation and loneliness with a stellar performance by Kristen Stewart [Grade: A]
One of the best films of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, Pablo Larraín’s Spencer is a perfect example of how imagined fables within the... Read More
Venice Review: “Reflection” is a brutal, technically accomplished, but emotionally cold look at war and its consequences
Ukranian director Valentyn Vasyanovych won the hearts of many at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, when his Atlantis won the Orizzonti section. Atlantis was a... Read More
TIFF Review: Darin J. Sallam’s debut feature ‘Farha’ is an effective socio-political thriller of the horrors of displacement in the Middle East [Grade: B]
Despite glaring pacing issues, Darin J. Sallam’s debut feature, Farha, manages to leave a strong impression. After a clunky first 30 minutes, the film finds... Read More
TIFF Review: ‘The Survivor’ has a knockout performance from Ben Foster, even as it pulls its punches elsewhere [Grade: C+]
Weepy prestige biopics set during the Holocaust are nothing new; they’re the backbone of a robust subcategory of Oscar-hungry films eager for the audience’s attention... Read More
TIFF Review: A career-best Jack Lowden carries Terence Davies’ somber yet lyrical ‘Benediction’ [Grade: A]
Within his short filmography, rising Scottish actor Jack Lowden has shown immense acting range in films like Mary Queen of Scots, Kindred, and the overlooked... Read More
TIFF Review: Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ masterfully captures the joys and agony of what truly makes a home [Grade: A-]
Undoubtedly his most personal film to date, Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is a quietly moving and universally resonating film about the roots that connect us, the... Read More
TIFF Review: Michael Showalter’s ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ is a fascinating character study led by a career-best performance from Jessica Chastain [Grade: A-]
A wonderful showcase for the incredible talent of Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye looks at opportunism and exploitation in the flashy, and often... Read More
2024 Camerimage Film Festival: Danish Oscar Entry ‘The Girl With the Needle’ Wins Golden Frog 
Interview: ‘Gladiator II’ Cinematographer John Mathieson on Reuniting with Ridley Scott and Continuing the Legacy and Lore 
Interview: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater on Creating the Songs and Score for ‘Spellbound’ and the “Perfectly” Cast Rachel Zegler 
2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November)