I join CP24 to talk about the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire,” the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee” and the family friendly “Charlie the Wonderdog.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with anchor Zuraidah Alman to talk about new movies in theatres including the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire” and the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 16:18)
I join the CTV NewsChanel to talk about the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire” and the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk about the new movies coming to theatres including the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire,” the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee” and the family friendly “Charlie the Wonderdog.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the fiery “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” the crime drama “Dead Man’s Wire” and the shake, rattle and roll of “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “The Testament of Ann Lee,” a historical musical drama now playing in theatres, Amanda Seyfried stars as the titular character, the 18th-century founder of the Shaker religious movement.
CAST: Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, Jamie Bogyo, and David Cale. Directed by Mona Fastvold (who co-wrote with Brady Corbet).
REVIEW: “The Testament of Ann Lee” is a historical musical, but it’s no “Les Misérables” or “Hamilton.” The music takes a turn from Broadway to traditional Shaker hymns that fuel the film’s feverish spirituality.
Narrated by Ann Lee’s loyal disciple Mary (Thomasin McKenzie), “The Testament of Ann Lee’s” remarkable story unfolds in three chapters beginning in 18th-century England. Lee (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman born into poverty in Manchester, struggles with her faith after losing four children in infancy. Her life finds purpose when she has spiritual visions suggesting she is the second coming of Christ, and joins a radical offshoot of the Quakers, who allowed female pastors.
Preaching gender and social equality, communal living and pacifism, she differentiates herself and her followers from the Quakers by an oath of celibacy and using communal ecstatic dance to “shake” off sin. Nicknamed the Shaking Quakers, or simply the Shakers, they faced persecution in England which forced Ann and her flock to relocate to America in search of religious freedom.
Her messages of pacifism and gender equality do not go down well in the New World, and she is accused of witchcraft and treason for her refusal to support of the Revolutionary War.
A singular and otherworldly movie, “The Testament of Ann Lee” is as passionate as its lead character. Anchored by a career best performance from Seyfried, it’s a portrait of a woman whose agony and ecstasy challenged the societal norms of the day.
Seyfried presides over every scene with conviction. Sometimes visceral, sometimes vulnerable, she’s always intriguing. Lee is a person fueled by tragedy and trauma to find a new path in life, and Seyfried plays her with compassion, empathy and determination. It’s her commitment to the material that keeps “The Testament of Ann Lee” on track.
“The Testament of Ann Lee” features a great deal of music but isn’t a musical in the traditional sense. The characters don’t suddenly burst into song. Instead, the songs are woven through the narratives as part of the religious worship. Performed with biblical enthusiasm, the musical numbers have a hypnotic feel that transcends theatricality to become a blissful display of faith.
“The Testament of Ann Lee” is a cradle to grave historical biography, but it isn’t a Wikipedia entry style film. Instead, it’s an unusual film that explores spirituality through a retelling of an unconventional woman’s life.
I join CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis to talk about the epic “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the absurd “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” the feel-good divorce drama “Is This Thing On?” and the psychological thriller “The Housemaid.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with CKTB morning show host Steph Vivier to have a look at movies in theatres including the epic “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” rthe absurd “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” the feel-good divorce drama “Is This Thing On?” and the psychological thriller “The Housemaid.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk about the new movies coming to theatres including the epic “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” rthe absurd “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” the feel-good divorce drama “Is This Thing On?” and the psychological thriller “The Housemaid.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
