★★★★ The Legend of Hei, hailing from China where it struck box office gold, replicates a very smooth and specific style of 2D animation. Studio Ghibli would be proud of the lushness and splendid rendering that puts thrilling Chinese landmarks on full display, while centering solely on the richness of the characters and their relationships. … Continue reading SIFF 2021: The Legend of Hei
SIFF 2021: Nahuel and the Magic Book
★★★★ Nahuel and the Magic Book is a beautiful animated film, the first of its kind to sprout from a collaboration between Chile and Brazil. While it may hit several familiar family-movie beats, the biggest selling point here is the traditional 2D animation style. Coupled with a story that draws from rich Mapuche mythology, Nahuel … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Nahuel and the Magic Book
SIFF 2021: When I’m Done Dying
★★★★ In When I’m Done Dying, we follow the struggles of aspiring rapper, Fehmi (Oktay Cubuk), as a psychedelic drug named Bonzai ravages his spirit and ambition. Writer/director Nisan Dag works with acclaimed Turkish beatmakers and rappers Da Poet and Hash to craft a lyrically complex and visually stunning film. We watch helplessly as Fehmi … Continue reading SIFF 2021: When I’m Done Dying
SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
★★★★★ Passionate, emotional, and heartbreaking, Summer of 85 is one of the best gay romance dramas I’ve seen since Call Me By Your Name. Based on Aidan Chambers’ British novel, Dance on My Grave, director and screenwriter François Ozon imprints personal touches and authenticity in adapting the material. This raw snapshot of young love and … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
SIFF 2021: Deadly Cuts
★★★★ Deadly Cuts takes the energetic world of hairdressing competitions and injects it with signature Irish black comedy. Bringing to mind a mix of the competitive pageantry of Miss Congeniality and the female empowered salon-meets-crime angle of TNT’s Claws, the film is hilarious, engaging, and surprising. It’s clear that writer and director Rachel Carey has … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Deadly Cuts
SIFF 2021: Love Type D
★★★★ Have you ever felt unlucky in love, so much so that there might actually be something wrong with you? Writer/director Sasha Collington’s brilliant new comedy presents the idea that a gene may be responsible for all your romantic troubles. Love Type D follows Frankie (Maeve Dermody), dumped for the 11th time—this time, it was … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Love Type D
SIFF 2021: Mogul Mowgli
★★★ Co-written by Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed, the inspirational new drama Mogul Mowgli sees the seasoned actor once again stepping in the shoes of a disabled musician. Zed (Ahmed) is on the cusp of a hard-earned world tour when an illness cripples his mobility. Zed is forced to move back in with his family, embrace … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Mogul Mowgli
SFFILM 2021: Strawberry Mansion
★★★ Strawberry Mansion is a trippy and bizarre film about a dream auditor (Kentucker Audley) sent to audit an old woman’s dreams that’s filled with muchness to the point of explosion. It tries to cram in so many ideas that it becomes overwhelming. Bizarre, poetic dialogue adds only a thin layer of understanding to the … Continue reading SFFILM 2021: Strawberry Mansion
SIFF 2021: Too Late
★★ Too Late is a horror comedy that fails to find the perfect balance of the two genres. A reliance on stale stand-up comedy acts to drive the story along is a bit lazy. For some reason, the constant ‘several weeks later’ passages of time and stand-up routines add the feel of vignettes. Occasionally, one … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Too Late
SIFF 2021: Wyrm
★★★ In the first five minutes of Wyrm, the quirky new comedy from writer/director Christopher Winterbauer, our shy lead Wyrm (Theo Taplitz) gets told by a friend that his sister just got fingered yesterday—“thought you should know!” This early zinger sets the tone for a film that instantly reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite and Gentlemen … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Wyrm