Posts Tagged ‘Memory’

CTV NEWSCHANNEL: MOVIE REVIEWS FOR SUNDAY JANUARY 20, 2024!

I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Roger Peterson to have a look at the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

CTV NEWS TORONTO AT FIVE WITH ZURAIDAH ALMAN: RICHARD ON WHAT TO WATCH!

I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with host Natalie Johnson, to talk about the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 13:06)

NEWSTALK TONIGHT WITH JIM RICHARDS: DOES RICHARD CROUSE LIKE THESE MOVIES?

I sit in with NewsTalk 1010 host Jim Richards on the coast-to-coast-to-coast late night “NewsTalk Tonight” to play the game “Did Richard Crouse Like This?” This week we talk about the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

RICHARD’S WEEKEND MOVIE REVIEWS FROM CP24! FRIDAY JANUARY 12, 2024.

I join CP24 anchor Andrew Brennan to have a look at the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

RICHARD’S CP24 WEEKEND REVIEWS & VIEWING TIPS! FRIDAY JANUARY 19, 2024.

I  joined CP24 Breakfast to have a look at new movies and television shows coming to theatres and streaming services.  Today we talk about the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the Paramount+ series “The Woman in the Wall.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

CFRA IN OTTAWA: THE BILL CARROLL MORNING SHOW MOVIE REVIEWS!

I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to theatres including the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

YOU TUBE: THREE MOVIES/THIRTY SECONDS! FAST REVIEWS FOR BUSY PEOPLE!

Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to pour a drink! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the space thriller “I.S.S.,” the poignant “Memory” and the drama “Origin.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

MEMORY: 3 ½ STARS. “no-frills approach to the characters and the story.”

“Memory,” a poignant new drama now playing in select theatres and starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, is a difficult, delicate story about how the past impacts the present.

Chastain is Sylvia, a self-reliant social worker and overprotective single mother to Anna (Brooke Timber). Sober for a dozen years and counting, she wears her emotions on her sleeve, and when she isn’t working, she’s often at AA meetings, sometimes with Anna in tow.

The story kicks in when Sylvia reluctantly attends a high school reunion with sister Olivia (Merritt Wever). Sitting alone, she’s alarmed when a bearded stranger stares blankly at her, before sitting at her table. Unnerved, she bolts, with the man in pursuit. He follows her home to her rough Brooklyn neighborhood, parking himself outside while she hurriedly goes inside and bolts the door.

The next morning it’s revealed he is a middle-aged man with early onset dementia named Saul (Sarsgaard) who lives in a fancy townhouse with brother Isaac (Josh Charles) and niece Sara (Elsie Fisher). When Sylvia takes on the job of Saul’s caregiver, a relationship blossoms, as she confronts memories of her young life, while Saul strains to remember the day-to-day.

“Memory” is a simply rendered, quiet movie with powerhouse performances from Chastain and Sarsgaard. Director Michel Franco is a fly-on-the-wall, keeping the camera at arm’s length, with no fancy cinematography to distract from the performances. Ditto the soundtrack. Or, should I say lack thereof. Franco doesn’t manipulate emotion with music, save for repeated spins of Saul’s favorite song, Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”

The no-frills approach is in service to the characters and the story. With no distractions, the narrative, which details sexual abuse and trauma, unfolds in an unexpectedly warm way. That is thanks to Chastain, who plays Sylvia with emotional bluntness and Sarsgaard, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, who brings vulnerability to Saul, but never forgets his strength of character.

They share remarkable chemistry, and even when “Memory” drifts into implausibility, the story of two outsiders who find redemption in one another packs an emotional wallop.

TIFF 2023: RICHARD’S TIFF TAKES: what to see and what’S HAPPENING!

Flora and Son,” starring Eve Hewson as a Dublin single mom trying to make a connection with her son, is a rousing crowd-pleaser that breathes the same air as director John Carney’s other films, “Sing Street” and “Once.”

A look at a strained marriage through the lens of a public murder trial, “Anatomy of a Fall” is more concerned with human drama than the procedural aspects of the story. The result is a complex look at the search for truth in relationships and justice in court.

Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard bring raw intensity to “Memory,” a story that essays memories that torment and memories as they disappear. Almost overwhelmed by melodrama, it stays on the right side with committed performances and a bold love story.

The 4K “Stop Making Sense” restoration of the four-decade old movie is a joyful, high-energy revisiting of a classic concert film. A document of a band working at the top of their game, it captures the love of music and performance in a way few other have. And it’s got a good and you can dance to it.

Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich star in the financial drama “Fair Play’s” blistering exploration of workplace gender dynamics. A throwback to the erotic thrillers of the 1980s, its story  of sabotage is smart, sexy and sharp, if a tad long.

Perfect Days” is a contemplative movie that examines the simple pleasures in life. Music, literature and nature are showcased, but this poetic, profound film celebrates finding contentment in all aspects of life.

Dumb Money” doesn’t get bogged down by the financial jargon, although it may be worth a trip to “short sell” Wikipedia page before buying a ticket. Instead, it’s the rousing David and Goliath story of leveling the playing field.

Using first hand sources, the documentary “Sorry/Not Sorry” examines the accusations of sexual harassment leveled against comedian Louis C.K, and his subsequent career come-back. Not ground-breaking in terms of style, but thought provoking in terms of its “judge the art or the artist” perspective.

Edgy and tense, “The Royal Hotel” is a slow burn story about sexual violence and intimidation, power dynamics and revenge, wrapped up in a story about two young women on a work/travel visit to Australia.

Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” is in my top two at TIFF. Glen Powell and Adria Arjona earned a well-deserved applause break after the movie’s best and funniest scene. Their chemistry ignites the movie.

Limbo’s” black and white photography lends a stark and stately field to the study of damaged people, disguised as a police procedural.

Errol Morris‘s latest film, “The Pigeon Tunnel,” is a look at the extraordinary life of David Cornwell a.k.a. prolific author John le Carré. It examines the very essence of truth, and how memory and manipulation play a part in how we shape our world and our perceptions.

Set an a remote, Newfoundland seaport, population thirty, “The King Tide” is an effective supernatural thriller. It takes place in a very specific area, but the story address is universal concerns about parenting and the dangers of isolationism.

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe,” a look at the life and legacy of legendary children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs, has the same brand of low-key kindness and empathy that made “Mr. Dressup” appointment viewing for several generations of Canadians.

Finestkind” begins as a slice of life drama about a man following his dream, but soon morphs into a credulity stretching story of antiheroes, drugs and fish poaching.

Amanda Seyfried hands in a career best performance as a director helming a production of “Salome” at the Canadian Opera Company. An ambitious meditation on the healing power of art, “Seven Veils” is a dense psychological thriller that examines toxic masculinity and eradicating the male gaze.

Reptile” is a standard good cop in a bad situation drama, given oomph by Benicio del Toro’s badass and quirky performance.