REVIEW: ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ asks Wes Anderson to expand his borders

Anderson has been refining the visual sensibility seen in The Phoenician Scheme for years, with each successive film feeling like a slightly more concentrated version of what came before. It’s a style that has its detractors, and I doubt Anderson will ever swing back to something resembling a “normal” indie film. But even I, as a long-time fan of Anderson, found myself feeling a little claustrophobic during this latest release. As much as I love the filmmaker’s style, the world of Zsa-zsa Korda felt like it deserved a little more freedom, with more location shooting in the model of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or Moonrise Kingdom.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowJune 11, 2025wes anderson, phoenician scheme, 2025, review, benecio del toro, michael cera, mia threapleton, movie, filmComment

REVIEW: ‘Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ is a mostly earned victory lap

By morphing the series from episodic adventures to a cohesive, serialized format, some of the flimsiness of the characters and the story begins to show. Both Dead Reckoning and The Final Reckoning try to retcon Hunt’s backstory, giving him a dead love interest and an oath to the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) that he’s seemingly repaid many times over. The screenplay recontextualizes old plot elements, like the so-called Rabbit’s Foot from M:I 3, into this film, to apparently sweep us up into the feeling that we’ve been on a grand journey with the series for 29 years.

REVIEW: ‘Friendship’ connects sketch comedy absurdity with feature film scale

Like so many I Think You Should Leave characters, Craig is like an eager-to-please robot with a corrupted software update. Basic structures of human connection elude him, and while he can perceive when he’s done something wrong, his reaction is often to dig in his heels, obfuscate or distract, rather than apologize. There’s a specific quality that Robinson’s voice takes on when this happens; a raspy, guttural sound entirely his own that I find intensely funny.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowMay 22, 2025tim robinson, netflix, paul rudd, kate mara, comedy, movies, review, friendship, 2025Comment

REVIEW: ‘Civil War’ is an eerily plausible vision of the future

As a Canadian, I live close enough to the United States that I feel somewhat invested in what happens there, given how similar our cultures are. But I also don’t feel the sort of dread that would come with something like this happening in my backyard. I’m able to dissociate and view a theoretical conflict from a remove. Maybe that’s why American reactions to Civil War are as polarized as the events in the movie itself.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowApril 22, 2024civil war, alex garland, kirsten dunst, wagner moura, jesse plemons, cailee spaeny, nick offerman, 2024, film, movies, reviewComment

REVIEW: ‘Dune: Part Two’ is a beautiful sci-fi sequel with a complicated future

Villeneuve’s script makes it obvious that no matter how much free will Paul attempts to display, his fate is preordained. He will rise up to lead the Fremen, even if that means setting off a chain reaction of events that begets ever more bloodshed. It’s proof of Villeneuve’s skill and the abilities of the cast that we’re hardly ever in the dark about the characters’ feelings – they don’t get lost amid the larger, bombastic action setpieces happening around them.

REVIEW: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ may be my last Marvel outing for a while

Being a Marvel effort, the closing scenes take pains to establish that no ending is permanent. The characters will still be available for future filmmakers to take off the shelf and drop into a story every so often. But I can’t get over the feeling that even if the Guardians reappear later on, I’m not inclined to rush out to see them. Vol. 3 feels like as good a time as any to bid the Marvel Cinematic Universe adieu for a while.

REVIEW: ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is a successful dice roll

The fact that I still had a good time in the newest movie based on the tabletop game - without much of the context - suggests that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves succeeds on its own merits. It doesn’t require total immersion in the lore, and that’s more than you can say about a lot of geeky series these days.

[TIFF 2022] REVIEW: ‘Nanny’ is an immigration survival story

The first thing I noticed about Nanny is how confident it feels. Jusu has evidently been building up to this project with the work she’s done on short films over the past 15 years. The story is tidy, and the screenplay doesn’t hold our hands too often.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowSeptember 14, 2022nanny, anna diop, tiff, tiff 2022, 2022, horror, thriller, michelle monaghan, morgan spector, reviewComment

TV REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – Episodes 1 and 2

It’s finally time to explore the next big swing at adapting Tolkien for the screen - will Amazon delve too deep?

TVRobert SnowSeptember 6, 2022rings of power, the lord of the rings, tolkien, morfydd clark, robert aramayo, amazon, fantasy, tv, reviewComment

REVIEW: ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ lightens up its star

It’s a funny and occasionally touching story about male friendship and Cage’s character learning when to put his art aside for his family. But Unbearable Weight, for all its dedication to its gonzo subject, sometimes pulls its punches.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowApril 26, 2022unbearable weight, massive talent, nicolas cage, nic cage, tiffany haddish, pedro pascal, comedy, review, 2022Comment

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'The Worst Person in the World' is actually quite wonderful

The film is both charming and challenging, and has at least two scenes that were a visual delight.

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' is low voltage drama

Even an A-list cast can’t save the film from becoming a cliched fable about an eccentric polymath, which glosses over some of the issues that plagued the life and legacy of the real Louis Wain.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 15, 2021the electrical life, louis wain, benedict cumberbatch, claire foy, toby jones, review, period, 2021, viffComment

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: A droning 'Benediction'

Benediction escapes most of the traps in a straightforward biopic – we don’t really see the events that turn Sassoon into a vocal critic of the war, nor do we see many scenes of him writing out poems. That can be a good thing, but what’s left behind are a smattering of sometimes incoherent scenes and little connective tissue.

REVIEW: ‘No Time to Die’ shoots for the heart of James Bond

No Time to Die proves to be one of the most surprising turns for the franchise since Casino Royale itself. And while it deconstructs and redefines the Bond character in notable ways, it also retains many of the touchstones we crave.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowOctober 13, 2021no time to die, 2021, daniel craig, cary joji fukunaga, ana de armas, lea seydoux, rami malek, james bond, reviewComment

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'Red Rocket' takes off quickly but fizzles at the end

It’s pretty amazing how Baker manages to find all these local people to act in his projects. Rex, a former adult film actor and all-round thespian, is perfectly cast in this role, and without his manic hand waving and fast talking, Red Rocket barely gets off the ground.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 12, 2021red rocket, sean baker, simon rex, drama, review, 2021, viffComment

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