Backcountry
Terrific thriller about a couple who gets lost while hiking in the Ontario wilderness and attacked by a bear. And, man, is this film terrifying — once your heart stops pounding and you remember to resume breathing, you'll vow never to step foot outside the city limit ever again. Very good performances by Missy Peregrym and Jeff Roop, both best-known for Canadian television, who do so much to convey these characters' personalities and shared history beyond what they're given on the page. Excellent crafts too — DP Christian Bielz does beautiful things with natural light, while editor Dev Singh conveys both the visceral terror of a sudden attack and the dreamy disorientation of exposure and dehydration. Ultimately not much more than a straightforward survival thriller, but one made with exceptional skill and artfulness — first-time writer-director Adam MacDonald (another Canadian TV star) shows great promise.
Grade: B
Buzzard
Unsettling indie drama about small-time con artist and sociopath Marty Jackitansky (Joshua Burge) who goes into hiding in Detroit — with nothing but stolen cheques and a Freddy Krueger-inspired modified Nintendo Power Glove — following his latest poorly thought-out scam. Burge blessed with a memorable and unusual face and such innate charisma that you can't help but care about Marty even while finding him worthless and despicable. Scene of Marty eating a plate of spaghetti must be seen to be believed. Fascinating relationship between Marty and his "work friend" Derek (Joel Potrykus, also the film's writer-director), who seems far too worried that their physical proximity might be seen as gay. Haunting final shot. Like the titular animal, Marty is an opportunistic scavenger who feasts on scraps and profits from the work of others. Buzzards (and other scavengers), however, are indispensable to the ecosystem, disposing of decaying meat that would otherwise attract bacteria and disease. But does Marty — who hates, and refuses to be part of, The System — play an equally vital role in society? Deep, thought-provoking film about social alienation, with a high rewatchability factor.
Grade: A-
Danny Collins
Directorial debut of Dan Fogelman (who wrote Crazy, Stupid, Love. and created ABC's The Neighbors) is affecting, but feels far too familiar. Good role for Al Pacino, who is convincing as the titular washed-up rock star in the Neil Diamond or Barry Manilow vein whose rock-star swagger is collapsing into weariness as he realizes that he has no career beyond singing artless hits from decades ago to swooning grandmothers in the front row. When he is given a never-sent letter that John Lennon wrote to him 40 years earlier, he reexamines the choices he's made in his life. Bobby Cannavale is best in show as Pacino's resentful and long-neglected adult child, the product of a one-time fling with a fan. Just about every narrative and emotional beat is taken straight from previous films of this type, down to a sweet but utterly pointless side plot involving two young hotel employees (Melissa Benoist and Josh Peck) that Danny keeps trying to set up. Annette Bening also amusing, though her hotel manager/love interest role is not fully fleshed out. Jennifer Garner, too, makes some special and specific acting choices in another underwritten role, as Cannavale's wife. I guess that's ultimately the bottom line here — good actors being far better than a script like this requires, thereby making the film totally appealing and worthwhile. It's excellent comfort food.
Grade: B-
It Follows
Exciting, original, and genuinely creepy low-budget horror film with fascinating ideas about the way sex connects people. Absolutely amazing '80s-style, synth-heavy score. Alas, the big FX-heavy climax set at a swimming pool is a dud. Still, more horror like this, please.
Grade: B
Kumiko the Treasure Hunter
Surprisingly sad, haunting. Gorgeous cinematography by Sean Porter, whose rural winter landscapes capture loneliness and isolation as much as his hectic office interiors. Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) fully committed to a character I don't think I've ever seen before — this is a by turns intense, emotional, introspective, often funny performance that constantly surprises. Ingenious, instantly iconic costume design; Kikuchi is a vivid, colourful tapestry (literally!) against the barren snowy Midwest. Director David Zellner (Kid-Thing) also very affecting in the role of a sympathetic but clueless police officer. Can't decide if the ending is perfect or if it hits its symbolism too obviously — either way, it pummels you right in the gut. What an original, deeply unsettling, deeply felt film.
Grade: A
Man from Reno
Atmospheric mystery about a Japanese writer in San Francisco who gets involved with a mysterious stranger who then disappears, leaving behind a suitcase and many unanswered questions. Meanwhile, an aging sheriff in a nearby county is searching for an unidentified man he accidentally hit with his car one foggy night. Star Ayako Fujitani (daughter of Steven Seagal) is so warm and expressive as she skillfully navigates her character's gradual trajectory from depressed mystery novelist to enthusiastic detective over the course of the film. Noir-ish plot and aesthetic are great fun, though everything kind of fizzles once the pieces all come together — the big reveal is just not interesting enough a resolution to such a wonderfully tense and moody mystery. Nevertheless, Fujitani and little-known writer-director Dave Boyle show immense promise.
Grade: B
The Riot Club
Infuriating. Gripping and unflinching look at the entitlement of a filthy-rich university men's club, who can get away with literally anything due to their money and influence. Scathing critique of British social privilege. I want to believe that this is overly generalized and grossly exaggerated, but director Lone Scherfig (An Education) makes this seem totally plausible, and that's terrifying. Cast is a who's who of up-and-coming twenty-something handsome British actors, led by Max Irons (The Host), who is so convincing at letting his smug superiority slowly dissolve into sheer horror. Strong ensemble, though I do wish that the script had developed the supporting men further — they become just an ocean of cocky sameness, though that might be the point. Female characters underserved by the script as well, but Holliday Grainger (The Borgias) gets some juicy (if familiar) material to play with. The set-piece at the pub, where everything finally goes off the rails, really sneaks up on you, then lasts a full third of the movie — and it's one of the scariest scenes you'll see in a movie this year. Days later, it still haunts.
Grade: B+
Serena
Great-Depression-set drama starring Bradley Cooper as a lumber baron and Jennifer Lawrence as his Lady Macbeth of a wife. Acting is decent (and occasionally great), and this thing looks classy as hell — costumes, sets, cinematography all superb... but this is about as dull as cinema can get. Barely sketched how-did-they-meet scenes, resulting in a love story impossible to be invested in. One-dimensional supporting characters. No thematic depth. A prophesy comes true, conveniently ensuring that one character vows to do anything Lawrence requires, no matter how evil. Danish director Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire, the Oscar-winning In a Better World) has been an exciting filmmaker in the past, but she really drops the ball here. This film was actually released three full years after it was shot, a release trajectory roughly as urgent as its on-screen storytelling. Beneath the veneer of prestige... well, there's not very much there at all.
Grade: C-
She's Lost Control
Fascinating day-in-the-life examination of a sexual surrogate in New York City with a lovely natural, and warm performance from star Brooke Bloom (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close). Suffers from having too much of an observational detachment from its subject matter — it really needed to have more to say about Ronah and her life. First-time writer/director Anja Marquardt (who's also a producer and co-editor here) strives for minimalism in every aspect of her debut, but this approach occasionally backfires — when Ronah oversteps professional boundaries with client Johnny (Marc Menchaca), the inciting incident and aftermath are so obliquely shot and edited that it's hard to have any reaction at all. There's also a whole sub-plot about Ronah's bathroom being repaired that doesn't seem necessary. Marquardt is a promising new filmmaker, though she seems to be aiming too hard for an indie aethetic in her first film, which is both underwritten and underdirected. Ambitious, but ultimately too cold and clinical. A film you engage with intellectually rather than emotionally.
Grade: B-
Spring
Remarkably uninteresting art-house "horror" romance film set mostly in the Italian countryside (so it looks great, at least). Lead performances by Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker are fine but bland. Visual effects are enormously effective, though — "creature effects" are horrifying and gross and strangely melancholic. Ultimately forgettable.
Grade: C+
While We're Young
Totally mundane and forgettable "comedy" that celebrates how awesome millennial hipster culture is before ultimately concluding that millennial hipster culture is actually everything that's wrong with the world. Stars Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried are enormously appealing elsewhere, but this film does them no favours. Writer-director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) is trying to say things about childless middle-age, artistic inspiration, and marriage — but it's all very muddy.
Grade: C
Zombeavers
The official plot synopsis tells you everything you need to know: "Three college girls go on a care-free vacation of drinking games, topless sunbathing, and sexual exploration. Their frolicking fun comes to an abrupt end when toxic zombie beavers try to EAT THEM." This film is truly ridiculous but completely self-aware, with genuine laughs and inspired makeup effects. If you like this kind of movie, it doesn't get more fun than this.
Grade: B-
