I appear on “CTV News at 6” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the best movies and television to watch this weekend. This week I have a look at the kid’s flick “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” the family drama “Flora and Son” and the crime story “Reptile.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 1:07:08)
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to theatres including the soulful sci fi of “The Creator,” the family dramedy “Flora and Son,” the kid’s flick “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” the gross and gory “Saw X” and the crime drama “Reptile.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Benicio del Toro casts his line for red herrings and more in “Reptile,” a new crime drama now streaming on Netflix.
Set against the backdrop of a sleepy New England town, the action in “Reptile” begins after realtor Summer (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) is discovered murdered in the bedroom of one of her Scarborough, Maine show homes, with such force a knife was left embedded in her clavicle.
Found by her boyfriend, real estate bigwig Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), it is a gruesome scene described as “a nightmare” by grizzled Detective Tom Nichols (del Toro), the seasoned cop assigned to the case.
Nichols, a recent transplant from Philadelphia after an investigation into his former partner’s corruption, initially appears to be more interested in renovating the new house he owns with wife Judy (Alicia Silverstone) as he is with the murder, but he soon puts together a list of the usual suspects.
“Am I a suspect?” Will asks.
“Everyone is a suspect,” Nichols replies.
Also raising suspicions are Summer’s almost ex-husband Sam (Karl Glusman) and Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt), an eccentric man who holds a grudge against the Grady family.
Along the way Nichols goes down a rabbit hole, bedeviled by jealousy, police skullduggery and enough red herrings—fake deaths, etc—to feed an army.
“Reptile” has style to burn. Director Grant Singer, best known for making music videos for The Weeknd, Sam Smith and many others, in his big screen debut, creates a bleak backdrop for the action to unfold against. Trouble is, the story is laid on just as thick as the atmosphere.
Despite some good performances from Eric Bogosian, Michael Pitt and Ato Essandoh, and a heroically quirky turn from del Toro, “Reptile” plays like a derivative pastiche of the standard good cop in a bad situation genre. The myriad plot devices, that borrow from “Law & Order” and “Cop Land” and everything in between, threaten to crush the whole thing under their weight.
“Reptile’s” main strength is del Toro. He shares great chemistry with Silverstone, his co-star in 1997’s “Excess Baggage,” but it is his combination of tenaciousness and eccentricity that are the movie’s most original components.
I joined CP24 to have a look at new movies coming to VOD, streaming services and theatres. Today we talk about the financial drama “Dumb Money” starring Paul Dano, the best concert film ever made, “Stop Making Sense” and the crime drama “Reptile” starring Benicio del Toro.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
“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.
I appear on “CTV News at 6” with anchor Andria Case to talk about what’s happening at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend. I have a look at TIFF hits “Dumb Money,” a financial drama starring Paul Dano, the concert film “Stop Making Sense,” the crime drama “Reptile” and the meditative “Perfect Day.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 35:57)
