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
Toronto International Film Festival
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
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
TIFF Review: Nadav Lapid’s bold ‘Ahed’s Knee’ delivers scathing political critique and a piercing look at decaying humanity [Grade: A-]
One of the year’s most striking films, marked by daring originality and a singular directorial vision, Ahed’s Knee is unlike any other film you’ll see... Read More
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