[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.

[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

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'One Second' demands your time

It’s nice to get a reprieve from some of China’s big-budget films laden with special effects. Zhang’s films had grown to be more commercial than ever, reaching an unforgettable low point with The Great Wall (2016), but One Second is definitely worth your time

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 8, 2021one second, zhang yimou, zhang yi, liu haocun, comedy, review, 2021, china, viffComment

[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'Official Competition' produces a worthy competitor but not a winner

Sometimes, a film executes its message so flawlessly it works against itself. The film becomes an example of what it is trying to satirize, and I think that’s what ultimately makes Official Competition grating when the credits roll.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 8, 2021official competition, spain, 2021, viff, review, antonio banderas, penelope cruzComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Special Actors’ is a sweet-hearted but predictable comedy

The movie delivers a series of slapstick scenes with increasingly frantic stakes, and it’s a lot of fun to watch the fictional acting troupe carrying out their plans. But despite how often the film focuses on Kazuto and his condition, the bare sketch of its origins makes it hard to sympathize with him.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowOctober 5, 2020special actors, shin'ichirô ueda, one cut of the dead, 2020, comedy, viff, viff 2020, reviewComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: Hands up for 'Another Round'

Thankfully, there’s no hammer-over-the-head moment that blasts what the four buddies have done, but their overindulgence does extract a fairly heavy cost. Credit goes to Vinterberg, who finds the right balance in showing how drinking can reduce barriers and bring people together, but also how much destruction it can cause.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 4, 2020another round, mads mikkelsen, thomas vinterberg, magnus millang, drinking, alcoholism, comedy, review, viff 2020, viff, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'Falling' sends you into the abyss but never quite pulls you back out

Even though John and Willis have a big cathartic fight that leads to an emotional embrace, it doesn’t feel like there’s a higher level of understanding between the two characters to be attained. Mortensen the director is reaching for this one moment where a strained father-son relationship could be understood, but that moment never quite comes.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 3, 2020falling, viggo mortensen, lance henriksen, laura linney, terry chen, drama, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'My Salinger Year' thankfully doesn't last that long

There are various moments throughout the film where I was left scratching my head, to the point where I wasn’t quite sure how to tie everything together for this review. But I kept coming back to these five main points where the film either missed the mark or left me absolutely bewildered.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 1, 2020my salinger year, j.d. salinger, margaret qualley, sigourney weaver, drama, literature, viff 2020, viff, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Tales of the Lockdown’ won’t outlast the pandemic

Some credit has to be given to the filmmakers for the constraints they worked under: tight spaces, entry-level equipment, stringent health and safety protocols. But most of the stories still feel overly rushed, with unconvincing characters and scenarios that don’t rise beyond what’s been posted on platforms like TikTok or Twitter during this time.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowSeptember 30, 2020tales of the lockdown, spain, 2020, viff 2020, viff, short film, film, movies, review, comedy, thrillerComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness' should deliver a lot more

Director Massoud Bakhshi felt it necessary to introduce several twists to the story, and it’s debatable if it added any more tension or identity to the characters. Did we really need further explanation why Mona had such a vested interest in her father’s empire? Did we really need that twist to further root for Maryam?

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 29, 2020yalda, a night for forgiveness, sadaf asgari, behnaz jafari, massoud bakhshi, drama, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, film, legalComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'My Prince Edward' is no fairy tale, but it's still a good one

It’s clear that Fong is unhappy with Edward, and Edward is similarly unmotivated in making any changes to their lives, but there’s little recourse either way because they have little financial and political means to drastically change their futures. Rather than watching the characters meander around the streets of Hong Kong, Edward and Fong’s cramped apartment forces them to confront their problems.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 27, 2020my prince edward, stephy tang, chu pak-hong, norris wong, film, movies, review, viff 2020, viff, dramaComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘The Reason I Jump’, a sensory-immersion documentary on autism

It’s the movie’s sound design and editing that makes you take notice; to try to replicate how autistic people process the world, amplifying and fixating on certain details, the filmmakers use extreme close-ups and precise, overwhelming sound mixing. The real experience of autism may well remain beyond what movies can convey, but this is the closest I’ve seen any project come.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowSeptember 26, 2020the reason I jump, autism, jerry rothwell, documentary, naoki higashida, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game’ probably happened on a Tuesday

There’s some genuinely funny moments that’s part Napoleon Dynamite and part The Breakfast Club, but there’s a lack of an overarching arc to tie it altogether. I guess ETBDAHSBG’s supposed to be a slice of life and represent an awkward yet normal day of high school, but perhaps that’s why it’s not very engaging. It feels like a bunch of forgettable SNL skits cobbled together, and there are times where it just drags.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 25, 2020high school basketball game, events transpiring, calgary, 1999, 2020, canadian, ted stenson, andrew phung, paul cowling, viff, viff 2020, reviewComment

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