I appear on “CTV News at 6” with Andria Case to talk about the best movies and television to watch this weekend. I’ll tell you about he flirty “Challengers,” the social comedy “Humane” and the atmospheric supernatural tale “The King Tide.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to stamp your feet! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the flirty “Challengers,” the social comedy “Humane” and the cartoonish violence of “Boy Kills World.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
On the Saturday April 27 edition of the Richard Crouse Show we meet Ruth Reichl, the New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, the novel “Delicious!,” and the cookbook “My Kitchen Year.” She was editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, and previously served as restaurant critic for The New York Times, as well as food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. She has been honored with six James Beard Awards.
Today we’ll talk about her new book “The Paris Novel,” which follows Stella St. Vincent, an introverted thirtysomething, who finds purpose in a search for art, fashion and food on a 1983 Paris trip.
We’ll also meet award-winning, former Toronto Star journalist Morgan Campbell. His new memoir “My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us,” offers a history of his family’s multigenerational battles, a coming-of-age story, and a powerful reckoning with what it means to be Black in Canada when you have strong American roots.
Then, we’ll meet Christian Sparkes, a film director and screenwriter from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. I really like his revenge thriller “Hammer,” the story of a father who faces a personal crisis when he discovers his estranged son fleeing a botched drug deal. It’s good stuff, and likely available on a streamer near you. Today, we’ll talk about his new movie “The King Tide.”
Set in Newfoundland and Labrador, it tells the story of an isolated, struggling community, ten years after a child with miraculous gifts washed up on the beach. She is able to heal people, but after a decade of prosperity, her adoptive parents are forced to decide whether her safety is more important than their community’s prosperity.
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Here’s some info on The Richard Crouse Show!
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!
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I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to theatres and streaming including the flirty “Challengers,” the social comedy “Humane,” the cartoonish violence of “Boy Kills World” and the eerie “The King Tide.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join CP24 to have a look at the flirty “Challengers,” the social comedy “Humane,” the cartoonish violence of “Boy Kills World” and the eerie “The King Tide.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
An atmospheric parable of dependence and desperation, “The King Tide,” a new Newfoundland and Labrador thriller now playing on theatres, uses an extraordinarily gifted character to reveal basic human nature.
Set on a remote island off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, the story begins as an infant washes up on shore after a ship wreck. Rescued by the town’s mayor Bobby Bentham (Clayne Crawford), the child is named Isla (Alix West Lefler) and adopted by the mayor and his wife Grace (Lara Jean Chorostecki).
That Isla survived is miraculous, but even more astonishing are the powers of healing and prosperity she brings to the town. In her first ten years on the island, people are healed of everything from hangovers to serious injuries and illnesses. Crops thrive and when she dips her hand in the water, fish are drawn to her, making for easy catching. Her influence profoundly changes the community, allowing them freedom from the constraints that come from being part of the mainland.
But things change when she is unable to save a local girl. Traumatized, Isla’s powers disappear, leaving the community divided as to how to move forward. Is Isla the responsibility of Bobby and Grace, or is she responsible for the betterment of the community?
A slow burn, “The King Tide” uses Isla’s magical gifts as a catalyst for a larger story. Director Christian Sparkes knows “The King Tide” isn’t about Isla per se, but about the community’s reaction to her and how fragile some belief systems are in the face of upheaval. As such, he carefully builds a very specific world in which this isolated microcosm of society exists. But in its specificity, it becomes a universal story about the lengths people will go to preserve their way of life.
Insightful and unsettling, it brings with it a sense of foreboding that covers the movie like a shroud as it works its way to a rushed, but compelling climax.
“The King Tide” features fine performances and has atmosphere to burn, but it is in its examination of the dangers of protectionism and self-interest that it is most effective.
“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.
