REVIEW: ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ should be a model for the whole Marvel franchise

Anyone who knows the previous movies by Ragnarok’s director, Taika Waititi, will recognize the style of humour here instantly. There’s a deadpan, bantering quality to the writing that I loved, seemingly born just a much via improvisation than by a writer’s room. Waititi also doubles down on the wacky possibilities of his outer-space setting, resulting in some space-time gags that wouldn’t be out of place in Doctor Who. One of my favourites involved a weird mashup of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the scary tunnel scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – yes, you read that right. It’s awesome.

REVIEW: ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is a sharp effort but uncovers nothing new

Branagh himself directs and stars as Poirot, and from a production standpoint, the whole affair is visually rich and full of fine performances. But somehow, Branagh’s version still lacks a distinctive voice. The film experiments with camera angles and re-stages certain scenes, though they don’t illuminate the proceedings more than a traditional presentation would. The structure of the film also poses problems, moving the plot forward at a jerking pace that hints at some heavy re-editing after the initial test screenings. Murder on the Orient Express is never not watchable, but if Fox is hoping to spark a series of Poirot mysteries on the big screen, it may require a few more of Poirot’s “little grey cells”.

TV REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 is creepy, ambitious and utterly binge-able

In many ways, this serves the Duffers well. Season two of Stranger Things is marked by a willingness to diverge from some of the things that made the first season so addictive. The nostalgia for 80s pop culture is less pronounced. There’s very little (if any) Dungeons and Dragons. The dynamics of the core group of kids are in flux. But this doesn’t reduce our craving for more; in fact, the show keeps us clicking the “next episode” button by folding in character development and narrative experiments, all to test what Stranger Things can be.

True North Streaming: The Best New Titles on Netflix Canada, October 28/17

True North Streaming is a semi-regular column highlighting some of the best new additions to Netflix’s Canadian service. Like many of you, every so often I get a pleasant surprise when I discover a cool movie or TV show that’s just popped up on Netflix’s often-maligned sister platform. These posts will help you filter through the often quirky mix of Netflix Canada’s offerings and find the most valuable ways to waste some time.

REVIEW: 'Geostorm' sweeps in bad ideas and blows away the fun

Sadly, the feature-length experience of the film offers none of that joy. Unlike its genre brethren (The Core, The Day After Tomorrow or 2012), Geostorm is a deadening facsimile of earlier apocalypses. The main characters are only once physically threatened by the storms they’re racing to stop. The filmmakers woefully underuse their core concept - a malfunctioning weather-controlling satellite network - wasting opportunities to see wild remixes of typical weather. The cardboard characters interact as if they’ve all wandered into the proceedings from other movies. And perhaps most disappointing, they spent so much godforsaken money on Geostorm that it can’t even aspire to the kind of grubby, homemade production value that might bring a smile to your face, in the vein of Birdemic or Troll 2.

[VIFF 2017] REVIEW: 'The Florida Project' is a slice of life, and it's quite wonderful

The Florida Project was one of the films I was looking forward to the most at VIFF, and it didn’t disappoint. The title is taken from EPCOT, which was a master-planned community envisioned by Walt Disney in the 1960s. Disney’s project was never fully completed, and the motels and attractions that surround it now serve as housing for those struggling to stay above the poverty line. Florida, by the way, has a higher than average poverty rate.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 23, 2017the florida project, willem dafoe, drama, comedy, brooklynn prince, bria vinaite, sean baker, tangerine, poverty, movies, film, review, criticism, viff, 2017Comment

REVIEW: 'Blade Runner 2049' is a top-notch sequel

With Denis Villeneuve at the helm, Ryan Gosling in the lead role and Roger Deakins potentially setting a new bar for cinematography, on paper it looked like Blade Runner 2049 could work. Sequels have a spotty record, however, and it may be a far less painful experience to remain skeptical. But, within the first few minutes of 2049, you just knew everything was in good hands.

[VIFF 2017] REVIEW: 'Sweet Virginia'

Sweet Virginia has, and will continue to, draw strong comparisons to a Coen brothers film, because it definitely feels like one. Almost everything is shot in the shadows and hidden by walls, doors or corridors, there’s a murder plot gone wrong, and it has a roster of quirky and violent characters.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 14, 2017sweet virginia, thriller, 2017, alaska, viff, vancouver, film festival, canada, film, movies, cinema, review, jon bernthal, imogen poots, rosemarie dewittComment

[VIFF 2017] REVIEW: 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' is mind-bendingly creepy

Where The Lobster becomes a relatively straightforward film about a man looking for love in all the wrong places after adjusting to the absurdity of its characters and the world they inhabit, Sacred Deer is much less so. I think it seeks to visually maim and shock its audience, and that the story leaves a lot to be desired on purpose.

[VIFF 2017] REVIEW: 'Disappearance'

I was wondering why the title was Disappearance until the very end of the film, and when the lights came on I definitely felt a little empty. It’s that feeling you get when films want to say something poignant but can’t quite put it together using sounds and images, but you really want to understand because it must be important.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 7, 2017Verdwijnen, disappearance, rifka lodeizen, crime, thriller, norway, denmark, oscars, vancouver, canada, viff, 2017, movies, cinema, review, filmComment

[TIFF 2017] REVIEW: ‘Downsizing’ takes Alexander Payne’s social consciousness global, with uneven results

By contrast, in his new film Downsizing, Payne expands his perspective to the entire planet, and in so doing loses some of the authenticity that he’s been known for. Downsizing doesn’t seem to trust the audience to pick up on its save-the-world thesis, and ends up feeling more like an over-eager university student giving a speech than a satisfying moviegoing experience. It’s not a bore, but it wastes too much energy wagging its finger while the story is lagging behind.

[TIFF 2017] REVIEW: ‘The Disaster Artist’, a heartfelt tribute to the people who make bad films

Movie trends and tastes may change, but there’s one constant no matter which sliver of film history you look at: the movies are powered by dreamers. Maybe it’s the characters on the screen, or the creatives behind the camera, but a movie is always an act sharing a dream with someone – even if it’s the bizarre, misguided product of a Hollywood outcast.

[TIFF 2017] REVIEW: ‘The Current War’ buzzes with ideas, but doesn’t connect

Gomez-Rejon throws a lot at the screen, especially some adventurous cinematography, but it doesn’t help clarify a thorny narrative that spreads out over many years and offers valid arguments on either side of the debate. No matter the subject matter, historical period pieces generally need to synthesize the many sources out there into something that educates and entertains inside of two hours. It’s kind of hard to do that when the director appears to be fussing over the umpteenth long take, off-kilter composition, or daring scene change.

[TIFF 2017] REVIEW: ‘Lady Bird’ is an unforgettable debut, powered by striking authenticity

One of my favourite foundations for a movie is a young character with improbable confidence. Whether it’s Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) in True Grit or Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) in Rushmore, there’s something instantly charming and loaded with potential in a character who knows their own mind, and charges forward in a world of adults. They’re often the product of an unusual background, and they continually baffle those around them, but there’s a sense that once the wider world gets a few knocks in, their smarts will see them through.

REVIEW: 'Wind River' is more jarring than fluid, but it works

There’s a final Mexican standoff in the finale of Wind River that has become instantly recognizable as director Taylor Sheridan’s work: tense and unflinchingly brutal. These gunfights are nerve-wracking and serve their purpose, such as in Sicario and Hell or High Water, but in the much slower and contemplative Wind River, it suddenly feels slightly out of place.

Set in Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers the frozen corpse of Natalie Hanson (Kelsey Chow), and it’s quickly ruled a homicide by FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen). With the help of the local Tribal Police Chief, Ben (Graham Greene), the investigation leads them to the dark corners of the reservation, from broken homes to drug houses to remote oil rigs.

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