“Beast,” a new nature-gone-wild flick starring Idris Elba and a big, angry CGI lion, and now playing in theatres, is a throwback to man vs. beast movies like “Jaws” and “Anaconda.” “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says wildlife biologist Martin Battles (Sharlto Copely). “Multiple attacks, without eating its prey. Lions don’t do that. At least no lion I’ve ever seen.”
Elba is Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed father of two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries). In an attempt to reconnect with his kids, he arranges a holiday to a South African wildlife reserve, run by Battles, a childhood friend of his late wife.
Daniels met his wife in South Africa, and, although he was separated from her when she passed, he wants his daughters to connect to their mother’s homeland.
The trip is idyllic until they arrive at a village that has been devastated by a gruesome lion attack. Soon, they meet the culprit, a wrathful male lion who regards all humans as enemies after his pride was wiped out by poachers. The lion is now fighting back.
“It’s the law of the jungle,” says Battles. “It’s the only law that matters.”
Elba hasn’t had great luck with felines on screen (see “Cats”), and faster than you can say, “Old Deuteronomy,” Samuels and family are engaged in a horrifying fight for their lives.
“It’s you against him,” says Battles, “and that is not a fight you are designed to win.”
As a thriller “Beast” is so predictable the subtitle could have been “Maul’s Well that Ends Well.” Nonetheless, Icelandic director Kormákur does stage a few straightforward action scenes in long takes that will make your blood pressure rise. The fight sequences in and around the jeep the main cast spends most of the film in, are claustrophobic and primal, with a real sense of danger.
Screenwriter Ryan Engle attempts to weave some father-daughter dynamics into the story, but we’re not here for the dysfunctional family stuff. We’re paying top dollar to see Idris Elba punch a lion in the face (before you @ me, these are CGI creations, no animal’s pride was harmed in the making of this movie) and so he does in fine b-movie style.
“The Ghost and the Darkness” this ain’t.
Between lion attacks, the silence is filled with a variety of dialogue that ranges from, “You stay right here,” to “We’ve gotta get out of here.” Elba does bring some emotive qualities to this action character, while Copely lends the story some grit. As the sisters, Halley and Jeffries bring a mix of steeliness and empathy. There is more to them than being scream queens on the Savannah.
“Beast” is not an ambitious film. It doesn’t have to be. It has Elba and enough angry animal action to make its 90 minutes fly by in the swipe of a lion’s paw.
Set in a quaint village in Malta in the 1980s, “Carmen,” a new film starring Natascha McElhone as a middle-aged woman who finds a new path in life through romance, is part coming-of-age, part travelogue.
McElhone is Carmen, a fifty-year-old woman, loosely based on director Valarie Buhagiar’s own aunt Rita. In her village in Malta, tradition has it that when a man enters the priesthood, his sister comes along as caretaker of the church. Beginning at age sixteen Carmen lives a life of service, thirty-four years of toil, until her brother unexpectedly drops dead.
Free of her obligation to the church, Carmen embraces life. She gets her hair done for the first time, offers very practical and playful advice to the villagers through the confessional, and finds romance with Paulo (Steven Love), a younger man who runs a pawnshop.
As Carmen discovers new ways to move forward with joy, we learn about the path that brought her to this stage of her life.
“Carmen” is an empathetic and optimistic movie about a second chance at living life to the fullest. McElhone brings a spirit of generosity and warmth to the character’s journey. Carmen’s life is blossoming, but her awakening isn’t easy and McElhone acknowledges her character’s struggle. Everything is new, and while Carmen is on the brink of becoming overwhelmed, this skillful performance also shows us how eager she is to embrace life’s opportunities.
The simple story is enhanced by the lead performance, and cinematographer Diego Guijarro’s gorgeous photography. This small Mediterranean island nation appears locked in time, a modern town rooted in the past, surrounded by travel brochure-ready scenery. It’s pure eye candy and serves as a perfect backdrop to this story of tradition and rebirth.
“Carmen” aims to make you feel better on the way out of the theatre than you did on the way in. It’s an admirable goal, and even if the movie doesn’t reinvent the feel-good-movie wheel, it accomplishes what it sets out to do.
UPDATE: Read another write-up on the “Ghosts” panel at JFL from popculture.com HERE! “We figured out that as long as you say ‘sucked off’ and it is a bow to a ghost ascending to heaven, you can use it. If it’s interpreted in any other way…”
UPDATE: Read a write-up on the “Ghosts” panel at JFL from popculture.com HERE!
UPDATE: Read a write up from the interrobang.com on the “Son of a Critch” panel HERE! “Canada’s top film critic and proud east coaster Richard Crouse knew exactly how to moderate the panel, bringing out heart warming casual anecdotes that made the conference room feel like a sunny Newfoundland Kitchen.”
I’ll be hosting two comedy panels at this year’s Just for Laughs in Montreal. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer, Just For Laughs Montreal has grown to become the largest comedy festival in the world.
CBS presents: A Spirited Conversation With The Cast Of Ghosts – Saturday, July 30 2022 | DoubleTree by Hilton, the Inspiration Room | 3:30 PM
GHOSTS is television’s number one new series and the number one comedy on Paramount+ and it shoots right here in Montreal! Join Showrunner, Joe Port and the ensemble cast of spirited characters as we discuss the challenges and joys of bringing the American version of the international hit sensation series to life (or is it death!)
Season two of the critically acclaimed breakout hit GHOSTS will premiere Thursday, Sept. 29 in its new time slot at 8:30 PM, ET/PT on CBS.
Joining this cast panel:
Rose McIver (iZombie; Masters of Sex)
Brandon Scott Jones (The Good Place; Isn’t It Romantic)
Richie Moriarty (Orange Is the New Black; The Tick)
Danielle Pinnock(Young Sheldon; This Is Us)
Asher Grodman (Succession; Chicago Med)
Sheila Carrasco (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson)
CBC original hit comedy series Son Of A Critch will be engaging in a cast panel at this summer’s festival, featuring showrunners Tim McAuliffe (Fox’s The Last Man on Earth and NBC’s The Office) and Mark Critch (CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes), and cast members Malcolm McDowell (Warner Bros’ A Clockwork Orange), Claire Rankin (STX Entertainment’s Molly’s Game), and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Walt Disney’s Pinocchio). Since the premiere on January 4th, Son of a Critch has ranked as the most-watched original Canadian comedy in the country and as one of the top five most-watched comedies overall (including U.S shows) in Canada. Son of a Critch has been renewed for a second season and filming is set to commence in St. John’s this summer.
Since the premiere Son of a Critch has ranked as the most-watched original Canadian comedy in the country and as one of the top five most-watched comedies overall (including U.S shows) in Canada. Don’t miss the cast of Son of a Critch; Mark Critch, Malcolm McDowell, Claire Rankin, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and showrunner, Tim McAuliffe at ComedyPRO. This panel discussion will be moderated by Richard Crouse.
Tickets available below and event is included with ComedyPRO pass holders.
The long-term effects of abuse and control are detailed to vivid and violent effect in “Resurrection,” a new psychological thriller starring Rebecca Hall now playing in theatres.
Hall is biotech executive Margaret, a confident and mentor leader at work, a loving single mother to daughter Abbie (Grace Kaufman) at home. Her off hours are occupied by feverish physical training and a fling with married coworker Peter (Michael Esper).
Into her carefully constructed and compartmentalized life comes David (Tim Roth), an unwelcome visitor from the past. At first his presence exists only in the periphery. He attends a conference, almost unnoticed, sitting several rows in front of Margaret. Later, she sees him at a department store, and confronts him as he reads a newspaper in a park.
Turns out, David wants to rekindle their relationship, an abusive situation Margaret ended twenty-two years ago by fleeing, changing her name and rebooting her life. But, two decades later, the scars of their time together remain. Margaret is instantly flooded with memories of his physical punishments, which he paradoxically calls “kindnesses,” and the disappearance of their son Benjamin.
Fearing for Abbie’s safety, as well as her own, Margaret slowly unravels as David attempts to reassert his control over her.
“Resurrection” is a tough movie to describe without giving away salient plot points. It is the story of the lengths a person will go in defence of their loved ones and sanity. The more outlandish aspects of the story—no spoilers here!—only dig their hooks in because of the power of the performances.
Margaret’s turn from self-confidence to dazed-and-confused is expertly handled. From discipline to desperation, Hall’s change is complete. Her transformation is most effective in its subtlest moments, when her shifts in mind set are telegraphed by the twitch of an eye or a faint change in posture. A seven-minute monologue that reveals the nature of Margaret and David’s history is played out in one long, unedited close-up and is a master class in how to present exposition that hits all the right emotional notes.
Roth has less to do, but brings an air of menace to every frame of film he appears in.
“Resurrection” culminates with a horrifying scene that throws everything that came before into question. It confronts the audience with a gory scene that asks, How much of what we’ve just seen is real, and how much is fantasy? It is an unforgettable scene in the style of Ari Aster or David Cronenberg, but overpowers the film’s interesting look at female trauma, gaslighting and repression.
“Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon,” a new animated film for kids from Peru, and now playing in theatres, has a lot going for it. There’s a very kid friendly run time of just over 80 minutes, some cool creatures and an Indigenous perspective. It’s a shame that much of that goodwill is undone by generic animation and storytelling.
The Amazonian village of Candamo is home to brave teen Ainbo (Lola Raie) and her best friend, the soon-to-be-crowned Princess Zumi (Naomi Serrano). The town, and its elders, like Atok (Rene Mujica), have grave concerns about the future of the home. It is a lush, beautiful world, but is endangered by exploitive developers and a failing ecosystem.
When two spirit animals, an armadillo named Dillo (Dino Andrade) and a tapir called Vaca (Joe Hernandez) visit Ainbo, they tell her the evil jungle spirits the Yacaruna, and their curse, can be defeated with a special root found only in the rainforest. The info sets her off on a quest to save the only home she’s ever known. Her friends may have given up oin the traditional ways, but her belief in the Yacaruna keeps her moving forward.
You may get a slight sense of déjà vu while watching “Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon.” The spirited animated movie owes a debt to “The Lion King” with an homage to “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” thrown in for good measure.
Action packed with a plucky female lead, the adventures are sometimes too frenetic and the messages that drive the action are perplexing—what is the biggest threat to the village; man, myth or a worsening ecosystem?—but while it may be familiar thematically, the movie’s good-natured feel makes it feel less like a knock-off or direct-to-DVD flick.
“Emily the Criminal,” a new crime drama, now playing in theatres, and starring Aubrey Plaza, uses ripped-from-the-headlines topics—student debt, the terrible job market and the gig economy—to fuel a story of a search for liberation.
Plaza plays Emily, a young woman whose criminal record, although minor, and short temper make it difficult for her to advance up the job ladder. Stuck in a dead-end restaurant job, she barely scrapes by, let alone put a dent in her $70,000 student debt.
Desperate, she takes a job working with the slick-talking black-market thief Youcef (Theo Rossi). The scam is simple. She’ll be a “dummy shopper,” someone who buys merchandise with stolen and forged credit cards. A quick $200 payoff later, her cool and calm demeanor impresses Youcef who offers her a bigger, though more dangerous job for the next day.
Seduced by the money, she goes into business, personally and professionally, with Youcef. She begins earning good money, and, as their relationship blossoms, finds love. But when she gets sloppy, scamming the same store more than once in a week, she learns the easy money can disappear as quickly as it appeared. Unless she does something about bit.
“Emily the Criminal” is a hard-boiled look at the intersection of desperation and opportunity.
Director John Patton Ford and Plaza craft a portrait of Emily, a millennial fighting for her piece of the American Dream, even though it remains just out of her reach. She is a complex character, edgy yet sympathetic, messy but focused. Plaza gives voice to Emily’s frustration of being forever punished for a mistake, but never panders to the audience in an attempt to be likable. She has lost faith in the polite society that hasn’t afforded her opportunity, so she steps outside it, and doesn’t look back. We may not make the same decisions as she, but her motivations, under the weight of a future filled with student debt and crappy jobs, come off as understandable. That is a credit to Plaza’s performance that reveals both Emily’s vulnerability and her steeliness.
Thanks to Plaza, “Emily the Criminal” is a fascinating character study, but crime aspects of the story are just as compelling. Like its main character, the movie is a mix of elements. Social commentary, crime drama, a hint of romance and character work, whose sum fit together like puzzle pieces.
If the name “Vertigo” wasn’t already taken by a classic movie, it could very well have been the title of the new fear-of-heights thriller “Fall,” now playing in theatres. Mostly set on a tiny platform high above the earth, it is a dizzying experience.
“Fall” begins with thrill seekers Becky (Grace Fulton) and husband Dan (Mason Gooding) clinging to the side of a mountain. When tragedy strikes, Becky is left alone and traumatized. Off the mountain she lives in fear, and her father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is convinced she is medicating herself with alcohol.
Her adrenaline junkie friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) thinks Becky needs to get back up on the horse, put fear aside and pay tribute to Dan by climbing an abandoned 2000-foot radio tower in the middle of nowhere. They’ll scale the structure, spread his ashes and bring closure to Becky’s suffering.
The expert climbers scale the tower with the aid of a rickety old ladder, which falls apart as they rise. At the top, they perch on a small platform, but their elation is fleeting. With the ladder in pieces, getting down to ground level is going to test not only their skills as mountaineers, but the bond of their friendship.
The pleasure of “Fall,” I suppose, is voyeuristic. We can watch Becky and Hunter try and figure their way back to safety, while not actually being nibbled on by vultures ourselves. It’s a relief. We’re glad we’re not them, and that gives us the thrill, the dopamine rush we want, as we remain safe in an earthbound theatre.
Like “Open Water,” “47 Meters Down” or “27 Hours,” and other endurance dramas that place a person or persons in untenable situations of their own making, “Fall” is a cautionary tale. The old saying may be that, “the biggest risk is taking no risk at all,” but that, I think, applies more to the stock market than it does to climbing 2000-foot poles in the middle of nowhere. Becky and Hunter take unnecessary risks to make themselves feel alive and, whoops, end up endangering their own lives.
It’s hard to conjure up a great deal of sympathy for their ridiculous situation, particularly since neither are particularly well-rounded characters, but nonetheless “Fall” is a visceral experience. It’s a mix-and-match of hopelessness, frustration and resilience, captured, despite some dodgy CGI, with some impressive high-flying photography by director Scott Mann and cinematographer MacGregor.
“Fall” is a simple film with a simple premise. It lags in the middle and overstays its welcome by fifteen or twenty minutes, but as a story of survival against insurmountable odds it delivers the vertigo inducing goods.
I write about fun podcast, book and streaming shows for the car fanatic to enjoy for the Toronto Star!
“To make ourselves feel better during the pandemic, we leaned into old favorites. We binge watched “Seinfeld” and “Fraser,” listened to classic rock and reread our favorite books. Those creature comforts made us feel better, and helped pass the hours. They were the pop culture equivalent of comfort food. But like meatloaf, the ultimate comfort food, you can’t eat it every day. You have to shake it up and try new things…” Read the whole thing HERE!
