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A Familiar Narrative Holds “The Bearded Girl” Back | ForReel
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There was a time when we regarded circuses with awe. – when we’d file into circus grounds to see trapeze acts and contortionists, and wonders from far-off lands. But those days are largely in the past now. The Bearded Girl is a coming-of-age story set among the remnants of those days. Centred on a…
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“The Well” Walks a Well Worn Path Through an Intriguing World | ForReel
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Post-apocalyptic stories tend to serve as warnings that come in many forms; sometimes they are about how the apocalypse might unfold, or about the resources we will fight over, or the people who will be doing the fighting. Whether the future is filled with robots or devoid of resources, there’s always human drama and…
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Strong Performances Keeps “Horsegirls” on Track | ForReel
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Horsegirls is a unique film about a young woman’s journey to find her place in the world. It hits several beats that you will see coming along the way, but it gets there with some important distinctions and directions that you perhaps won’t. Margarita (Lillian Carrier) is 22 and autistic. She lives with her…
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“Superman” Revels in Goodness to Find Greatness | ForReel
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There are those who will tell you that Superman is a difficult character to write. Because he’s so powerful, there’s no foe he cannot defeat, and no obstacle he cannot overcome. This is, of course, wrong. Superman is not a difficult character to write; he’s the easiest, since all that you need to know…
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“Birthright” Goes Horrifyingly Wrong in All the Right Ways | ForReel
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There is, it is fair to say, often generational divides. One that we are living through today is between millennials (who are now in their 30s and 40s) and boomers (who are now mostly retired). Boomers grew up in a world that had ample opportunity, and a more fair distribution of wealth, whereas millennials…
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“Inside” Is a Compelling Prison Redemption Story | ForReel
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Each of the men in this story exemplifies a part of these themes, both shared and individual. Warren (Pearce) is a scruffy older man serving time for violence he committed in the past. His parole is coming up, but he’s indebted to other inmates who will get what they’re owed one way or another…
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Movie Review: “The Electric State” In A State Of Disrepair | ForReel
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Where even to begin with The Electric State? The latest film from the Russo Brothers features an all star cast and is set in a 1990s-influenced retro future full of pop culture references, but fails at almost every turn to be anything interesting at all. Let’s not mince words here, The Electric State is a…
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Sebastian Stan Stands Out, Adam Pearson Wins Audiences Over In “A Different Man” | ForReel
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…This first layer of the story is fascinating, with Stan playing Edwrard playing Guy playing Edward, and crushing it. He threads a precise needle with this performance in which he is very visibly still the same man he was but can project confidence while never letting anyone know whom he was before –even going…
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Movie Review: Gripping Thriller “September 5” Lead By Strong Performance From John Magaro | ForReel
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Everything that happens has happened for a first time. Terrorism as we know it has been with us since the late 18th century, but on September 5th, 1972, something happened for the first time. As the Palestinian militant group Black September stormed the Munich Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and…
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The Greatest Hits: A Predictable Flick to Vibe With | ForReel
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The plot is also a touch predictable but that doesn’t matter because The Greatest Hits is a vibes movie, and you have to vibe with it. If you can approach it with this mindset, you will likely have a good time. Sure, there’s definitely a scene where Boynton and Min connect via singing along…
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Civil War Is a Timely, Must-See Cautionary Tale | ForReel
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And yet, throughout the film, one clear choice is made: it doesn’t take sides. Early in the story, Dunst’s Lee tells Spaeny’s Jessie that they don’t decide; they document so that others can decide, and that’s the entire film’s approach. It’s never confirmed who started the war or why, or indeed, in many cases,…
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The Marvels Is Out-of-This-World Fun | ForReel
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The loudest, most vocal section of fans decrying that “the MCU is in shambles” is interesting because their analysis depth is inconsistent and shallow. In the former sense, they’ll watch something like Black Widow, Ms Marvel, or She-Hulk and loudly exclaim that the MCU is doomed while simultaneously looking at projects like Guardians of…
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The Killer Hits the Mark | ForReel
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Fassbender is excellent throughout, both on screen and in voiceover. His character speaks confidently in voiceover about the need for detachment and calm, cool, dispassionate professionalism. On-screen, the character appears to be that, except for all the moments the tumult of emotions beneath the surface peek through (which is a lot). Playing that contradiction…
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VIFF 2023: “Anatomy of a Fall” and the Anatomy of an Exceptional Courtroom Drama | ForReel
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The cast is universally excellent, […] Samuel Theis and Sandra Hüller, in one of the film’s best scenes, have a violent argument (which is recorded and the audio played for the court) in which they discuss the balance of their lives and responsibilities. This scene feels like it could be taken from almost any…
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“The Creator”; A Visually Beautiful Yet Narratively Deficient Sci-Fi Film | ForReel
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If there has been an inescapable topic of 2023, it has been Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’ve seen large language models grow by leaps and bounds in the last year, and Hollywood writers and performers striking – at least in part – over the idea of using AI in creating film and television. AI has…