Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 37:14)
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Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Watch the whole thing HERE!
CAST: Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms, Ben Foster, Laurence Leboeuf, Joe Cobden, Marc Beaupré, Dan Bakkedahl. Directed by Mike Dowse.
REVIEW: Don’t call Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel) the Canadian answer to dare devil Evel Knievel. “I’m no daredevil,” says Carter. “I’m a stunt driver.” Both performed gravity defying car jumps that put their lives on the line time after time, but Carter, nicknamed The Mad Canadian for the sheer audacity of his stunts, felt that his American counterpart was too showy—“He dresses like a Dallas cowboy cheerleader.”—and often referred to him as “Madame Knievel.”
When the action in “The Stunt Driver” kicks in Carter is planning a career defining stunt, a mile-long jump across the St. Lawrence River in a rickety rocket powered Lincoln Continental. “Evel Knievel has Snake River and I need mine,” he says.
With an NFB film crew documenting the elaborate, but under-funded, construction of a giant ramp pointed toward the mile-long gap over the river between the Quebec launch site and the American landing pad, Carter battles safety concerns, ego, delays and a reluctant engineer (Ed Helms) in his quest to make history and place his name on everyone’s lips.
Rather than recreate Carter’s acts of daring-do “The Stunt Driver” uses the NFB archival of his jumps to great effect. Director Michael Dowse mimics the style of the vintage documentary, seamlessly blending the old and new footage.
The sheer spectacle of Carter’s jumps adds a blast of excitement to the film, but it is the character study that lingers. Baruchel vividly brings the Carter to life, finding the sweet spot between the character’s bravado and his insecurity. Carter was a big personability and Baruchel captures that, his sharp tongue and impulsive behavior, but it’s not a caricature of fast-talking show off. It’s a portrait of a guy who wants to be remembered; to leave something of value behind. An underdog, he’s equal parts, destructive and ambitious, willing to risk his life for glory.
Dramatically, there is a built-in anticlimactic twist to Carter’s story that drains some of the story’s emotional momentum, but despite the unexpected gear shift, the film doesn’t crash and burn because it remains, ultimately, about the human cost of Carter’s ambition.
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 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!
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.
