Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make your bed. Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the dark comedy “The Christophers,” the east coast crime drama “Little Lorraine” and the Montreal coming-of-age “Mile End Kicks.”
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 dark comedy “The Christophers,” the east coast crime drama “Little Lorraine,” the documentary “Lorne” and the Montreal coming-of-age “Mile End Kicks.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 12:11)
I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Scott Hirsch to talk about the recently announced “Top Gun 3” and new releases in theatres, including the dark comedy “The Christophers,” the east coast crime drama “Little Lorraine,” the documentary “Lorne” and the Montreal coming-of-age “Mile End Kicks.”
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 dark comedy “The Christophers,” the east coast crime drama “Little Lorraine” and the Montreal coming-of-age “Mile End Kicks.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Mile End Kicks,” a new coming of age rom com now playing in theatres, Barbie Ferreira plays a music critic who moves to Montreal in search of inspiration to write a new book but finds much more than she bargained for.
CAST: Barbie Ferreira, Devon Bostick, Stanley Simons, Juliette Gariépy, Jay Baruchel, Robert Naylor, Emily Lê. Directed by Chandler Levack.
REVIEW: If “Almost Famous” was an indie-flavored rom com it might look something like “Mile End Kicks,” the newest film from “I Like Movies” director Chandler Lavack.
Barbie Ferreira is 22-year-old Grace, a Toronto music critic who moves to Montreal for inspiration as she works on her latest project, a 33 1/3 book about Alanis Morissette’s album “Jagged Little Pill.”
Working on the book takes a backseat to her interest in Quebec’s indie rock scene. Specifically, she’s interested in Bone Patrol, a quirky band fronted by the charismatic but insufferable Chevy (Stanley Simons). “Charles Manson’s solo material is a big influence on me,” he says.
Also in the band is the socially awkward Archie (Devon Bostick), a sweet-natured but celibate guitarist who has a crush on the self-involved Grace despite her attraction to the flashier Chevy.
Over the summer Grace navigates the chaos of love vs. lust and young adulthood all set to a banging soundtrack with new songs courtesy of the Montreal band TOPS and needle drops from Joanna Newsom, Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne.
“Mile End Kicks” is a romantic coming-of-age story that captures the messiness of the realities of growing up.
Ferreira, best known for her role as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series “Euphoria,” brings humor, charm and relatability to Grace, even when she’s being driven to selfishness by her own insecurities. It’s a career best performance that does something very difficult. It takes a character to the edge of unlikability but never allows her to topple over the edge.
Bostick also stands out, finding the sweet spot between charm and dorkiness. He’s the only character here you’ll root for, and, as the only character who treats Grace with respect, he’s a perfect foil for Simons’s narcissism.
“Mile End Kicks,” with nicely observed details of its characters and the scene they inhabit—like club goers snorting cocaine off a toilet seat in the club—is as funky and cool as the famous Montreal neighborhood that serves as its backdrop.
SYNOPSIS: A family drama loosely based on the personal experiences of director Tracie Laymon, “Bob Trevino Likes It,” now playing in theatres, is the story of a lonely young woman who keeps track of her estranged father, Bob Trevino, on Facebook. As her relationship with her dad deteriorates, she finds another Bob Trevino online who becomes a father figure.
CAST: Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, French Stewart, Rachel Bay Jones. Directed by Tracie Laymon.
REVIEW: A story of finding your logical family, “Bob Trevino Likes It” is a heartfelt look at age-old topics of loneliness, healing and personal growth processed through the modern medium of social media.
The tale of two Bobs, one Lily’s (Barbie Ferreira) selfish father (French Stewart), the other a compassionate contractor (John Leguizamo), begins with the quiet trauma of a daughter who feels cut adrift from her family. Lost and rejected by her bio-dad, who is more concerned with finding a new girlfriend than he is in Lily’s wellbeing, she accidentally finds a father figure on Facebook. Together they fill the gaps missing in each other’s lives.
A feelgood tearjerker, “Bob Trevino Likes It” could easily have slid into easy platitudes and sentimentality but director Tracie Laymon displays a light touch, even when dealing with difficult topics. Abuse and loss figure heavily in the storytelling, but so do empathy and optimism and that goes a long way toward to reinforce the movie’s themes of self-worth and healing.
None of it would matter if the central characters weren’t so compelling. Lily feigns a cheery disposition, but beneath the open smile is a deep chasm of sadness. Ferreira, best known as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series “Euphoria,” sets Lily on her healing journey in an authentic, earnest way that keeps the story from becoming a misery.
Leguizamo brings a quiet power to surrogate Bob. He’s broken, unfulfilled at work and at home, but determined to forge ahead.
Together, they complete one another, finding a logical, not biological father daughter relationship.
On the other end of the spectrum is French as Lily’s unpredictable, self-interested father. He is unbearable, and that is exactly his function to keep the story chugging forward.
“Bob Trevino Likes It” is a four-hankie weepie, but don’t worry, you’ll cry out of joy not sadness.
