I join the CTV NewsChannel to talk about Jude Law in “The Order,” the whimsical “Universal Language,” the Irish drama “Bring Them Down,” the Nertflix comedy “Kinda Pregnant” and the horror comedy “Heart Eyes.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to do a high five! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about Jude Law in “The Order,” the whimsical “Universal Language” and the Irish drama “Bring Them Down.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: “Universal Language,” a new surreal comedy now playing in theatres, mixes and matches three stories of human connection set within Winnipeg’s Iranian community. Two young girls try to retrieve money frozen in ice to buy glasses for a classmate, a tour guide explores Winnipeg’s most absurd landmarks and a civil servant moves from Quebec to Winnipeg to tend to his ailing mother.
CAST: Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Sobhan Javadi, Pirouz Nemati, Mani Soleymanlou, Danielle Fichaud. Directed by Matthew Rankin.
REVIEW: Touted as a “surreal comedy of disorientation” set “somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg,” “Universal Language” takes place in Canada, but in director Matthew Rankin’s idiosyncratic vision French and Farsi are the official languages.
The three, seemingly unrelated stories, form a narrative tryptic about how fate, luck and chance are key components to creating connection between people. While episodic in nature, it dovetails together in unexpected ways by the time the end credits roll, completing the sense of togetherness that lies at the film’s soul.
”Universal Language” is whimsical, both visually and thematically, but Rankin, while playful, takes his ideas seriously. The sense of belonging infused into the trio of tales is heartfelt, but never maudlin. It can be surreal (Why so many turkeys?) but it’s never saccharine. Instead it’s a nuanced look at the value people bring to communities, and how humanity burns bright, even in chilly Winnipeg winters.
Biopics are a movie staple. They give us insight to people we’ll never meet and bring history to life but there has never been a biography quite like the Matthew Rankin’s “The Twentieth Century,” coming to VOD this week. A heightened look at the life of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, it’s part Dada, part Art Deco and utterly unique.
The bizarre biography sees a marvellously deadpan Daniel Beirne as the young Mackenzie King. As a child his mother (Louis Negin) prophesied his political destiny to become the tenth Prime Minister. King’s road to history significance is a rocky one, marked by romance trouble, chronic masturbation, over confidence, sexual fetishes and an ice maze.
You didn’t learn any of this in Mr. Parker’s history class.
Director Matthew Rankin uses a heightened version of his main character’s biographical details to craft a satire of Canadian identity and masculinity. Like a Heritage Minute on acid the film details King’s campaign. Instead of policy the film pits politicians against one another in “traditional” Canadian pastimes like baby seal clubbing and waiting your turn.
A farce coupled with deep commentary and a heightened yet minimalist style that recalls the films of Guy Maddin by way of German Expressionism, “The Twentieth Century” has timely messages about the dangers of empty political rhetoric and the processes by which we elect our leaders.
Rankin casts a wide net here, parodying everything from politics and diffident national outlook to British imperialism and even foot fetishes but does so in a wonderfully surreal way that is equal parts silly and sincere.
