Category Archives: Foreign Films

Tribeca Film Festival 2019 Review: ‘The Gasoline Thieves’

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THE GASOLINE THIEVES

Poverty and puberty are a dangerous mix for young Lalo. Feeling overwhelming monetary pressure from family and ultimately to impress a girl at school, our young lead dives head first into the deadly game of gas siphoning for cash. Among the chaos of gas price protests and violence, Lalo has no idea the kind of shady dealings surround what he’s signed up for. This is a coming of age story set against extreme poverty and soaked in cartel-like chaos and vengeance. The handheld camera work is sheer perfection that heightens the intensity of Lalito’s plight. You can feel the pit of your stomach wrenching as the story progresses. Edgar Nito‘s direction is phenomenal, performances (especially Eduardo Banda) outstanding, and the film is amplified by its great soundtrack. The Gasoline Thieves does not pull any punches. It’s a solid piece of filmmaking and a captivating story.

THE GASOLINE THIEVES

Living with his mother and working as a farmhand in his hometown, fourteen-year-old Lalo (Eduardo Banda) sees buying a smartphone for his high-school crush the only surefire way into her heart. When his mother is forced to use his savings in order to pay for medical bills, Lalo decides to approach the local huachicoleros for help, who quickly enlist his aid in their business of illegally siphoning gas in order to take advantage of the country’s shortage and re-sell on the black market. As Lalo naively becomes more involved with the huachicoleros’ work, an uneasy air of violence begins to overtake the world around him, while investigators narrow their search for those responsible.

FILM INFO

 

Review: ‘SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES’

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Two Jesuit priests perform forensic work to solve the mystery revolving around the murders of young boys in one of Metro Manila’s biggest slum areas. While dealing with the systematic corruption of the government, church and the elite, the two priests delve into criminal profiling, crime scene investigation and forensic analysis to solve the killings, and eventually, find the murderer.

Based on the award-winning novel by Filipino author F.H. Batacan, SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES illustrates the best and worst of human nature: the antiseptic and dirty, the sublime and rotten, the hellish and divine.

With an unusual premise of having priests specialize in forensics, Smaller and Smaller Circles opens with haunting music and a disturbing image. Setting the stage for a mystery no one wants to delve further into. It addresses corruption in every corner of the church. Driven by greed and in the interest of reputation over the safety of the community’s young boys, we are witness to evil in many forms. A moody tone is set, eerily similar to the feeling Season 1 of True Detective gave us. The film could have easily been a mini-series. The final scene leads me to believe that this story isn’t over, in a sense. At the very least, our leading  characters have more work they can do. I, for one, would be invested in another film if not a redeveloped series, altogether. There are more details, I can only assume, the novel addresses. The story feels incomplete, only in the sense that I wanted more. Ultimately, this is a compliment to the intricacy of the storyline. The forensics aspects are intensely graphic but profoundly effective. The acting from ancillary characters is a bit spotty. It feels as if locals without experience were used to fill those roles. Though, I must give credit to each lead. Fully fleshed out backstories were felt even if we didn’t see them. This is yet another reason I would watch an expanded version. Smaller and Smaller Circles is undeniably engrossing.

SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES was directed by Raya Martin and written by Raymond Lee and Ria Limjap.  The film features both English and Filipino language.  It has a running time of 111 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

Uncork’d Entertainment will release the film in Los Angeles and additional select markets on March 1.  It will then be released digitally on March 19 (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, Fandango Now, Xbox and local Cable).

Review: ‘THE QUAKE’ will rock you to your core.

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Skjelvet (2018)With PTSD and survivors guilt, hero Kristian is back in the town of Geiranger (Norway) attempting to come to terms with the disaster that was The Wave. He knows Mother Nature has no plans to be kind and that it is only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose again. The signs are all there, you cannot ignore history or hard data. Now he must do everything in his power to save his family and the people of Oslo from the biggest earthquake in its history.
The Wave had some of the most impressive effects I’ve seen outside of a Hollywood produced blockbuster. Far better than many. The Quake surpasses its predecessor. The slow burn of geology science and an emotional stronghold created for the characters sets up the craziness that will inevitably ensue. The tension of knowing the proverbial shit is going to hit the fan at any moment makes the real-time panic all the more intense. Of course, a character is stuck on the 34th floor of a glass covered hotel. Of course, family members are scattered across Oslo. The sprawling shots, blackouts, silence, alarms that arrive too late, combined with a foreboding score make for one perfectly monstrous natural disaster film. The stunts are incredibly timed and impeccably executed. What makes this film and The Wave so scary is that they are based on facts and completely plausible and unpredictable scenarios. The visuals are disturbing, again, for the reasons previously stated. As we watch the news and the growing frequency or power of storms and fires and quakes, we see the death toll rise and we are mostly helpless. That is our biggest fear. The idea that there is zero we can do about it. The Quake plays upon that reality and gives us one hell of a dress rehearsal.
In Theaters and On Demand on December 14
Directed by John Andres Andersen
Written by John Kåre Raake, Harald Rosenløw-EegStarring:
Kristoffer Joner
Ane Dahl Torp
Jonas Hoff Oftebro
Edith Haagenrud-Sande
Kathrine Thorborg Johansen

In 1904 an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 on the Richter scale shook Oslo. The earthquake had its epicenter in the “Oslo Graben” which runs under the Norwegian capital. There are still smaller earthquakes happening in this area today. Geologists cannot be sure, but there are signs that indicate that we can expect a major future earthquake in Oslo. When it comes – nobody can say with certainty. Maybe in 100 years, maybe in 10 years, maybe tomorrow.

DOC NYC review: ‘FAMILY IN TRANSITION’ is more complicated than it appears.

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This doc explores the boundaries we push for love and acceptance. Amit is a husband, a father, and business owner. She is also transgender. This story is about her transition and how it affects the family and friends that surround her. It’s a timely film here in the US as the government is attempting to legally discredit transgender identity by legally defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth. Amit has four children with her wife Galit. Daughter Agam is beyond wise for her years and the most vocal about their unique family dynamics. She understands that people’s ignorance is not her problem. She chooses to surround herself with open-minded peers. The emotional toll of transitioning seems endless. It has the highest highs and lowest lows. How does a marriage survive when circumstance completely changes? What happens after she goes to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery for a month? It’s not a glamorous film. It’s real, it’s honest. It’s exactly what people need to see. Family in Transition is a story of unconditional love and the ultimate sacrifices we make to become whole from the inside out.

DOC NYC International Premiere on November 11 / Opening Nov 16 in LA and Nov 23 in NY

Amit, a husband, and father of four, living in Nahariya, Israel, reveals to his family that he’s a transgender woman. Amit’s wife, Galit, decides to stick with Amit through this journey. Despite personal difficulties and social stigmas, the family insists on staying together, believing that love will overcome all difficulties.

Fantasia International Film Festival review: ‘The Night Eats The World’ breathes new life into the zombie genre.

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The morning after a party, a young man wakes up to find Paris invaded by zombies.

The Night Eats The World is all about isolation. Sam is alone in his ex’s apartment, walls splattered with blood, and the other floors are not much better. Realizing the outside is even less safe, he begins to use his wits by gathering what he can find, little by little, staying organized but perhaps not sane. Actor Anders Danielsen Lie is in every single scene of the film. His performance is so engrossing that I almost missed his complete physical transformation along the way. He must remain as calm as possible, which is pretty difficult considering the circumstances. Director Dominique Rocher has given us quite the gem here. The Night Eats the World easily sets itself apart from the average zombie film. The film delves into the complexity of human intimacy. This is explored through a relationship with an undead individual trapped inside an elevator (played magnificently by Denis Lavant), an encounter with a fellow survivor, and a cat. An added element of interest that propels the plot is the fact that Sam is a musician. This becomes both an advantage and a misstep along the way. We’ve all watched The Walking Dead for years now but off the top of my head, I’m not sure I would be as methodic in my solitary survival as Sam. While we don’t get any information about the outbreak specifically, it never stopped me from enjoying the film, rooting for Sam to stay alive. Sometimes you don’t need it all spelled out for you, sometimes great storytelling is more than enough.

The Night Eats The World made is Canadian Premiere at this year’s Fantasia International Film festival. The 2018 fest came to a close last night, but we’ll keep you updated on the release dates. As for The Night Eats The World, you can catch it in theaters now and on VOD platforms like Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.

Fantasia International Film Festival 2018 starts this week! Here are 10 films that are getting us excited.

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The Fantasia International Film Festival officially begins in two days. If you don’t already know about the fest, you are in for a cavalcade of horror, sci-fi, action and the out of this world twisted with the strange and unusual. How’s that for a description? Some of last year’s hits include Lowlife, The Endless, Mohawk, Good Time, Spoor, and Mayhem to name a few. If you haven’t seen any of these yet, do yourself a huge favor and seek them out. 2018’s lineup is no exception with films like Under The Silver Lake from David Robert Mitchell, which takes us into a neo-noir surreal romp and a complete 180 from It Follows. Nicholas Cage stars in Mandy, already being touted as a genre-bending blood fest of epic proportions. Hint, it’s already sold out. Let us not forget the enormously popular Fantasia Shorts Program. One, in particular, that was phenomenal last year was the Born of Woman section. As the title might suggest, these are shorts made exclusively by female filmmakers. They were as disturbing as they were profound and they are not to be missed. Fantasia has something for everyone. Cinephiles easily plan their year around this one festival and we don’t blame them. Here are a few titles we are stoked to check out over the next few weeks.
​​Blue My Mind
Blue. Of the bewildered spirit intermediating between child and sea. Blue is the colour of Mia (Luna Wedler), 15 years old, newly arrived in a town that looks like all the others. Breaking away from the sterile environment provided by her parents, she is drawn to the pack of popular kids, the ones who smoke, shoplift, mess around. Mia has everything, yet she suffocates. Then comes an odd thirst, an irresistible instinct that has her reaching out for air where there is none. In her head are the turbulent sounds of crashing water against the pebble beach. In her tortured flesh, the alienation of nature, the terrifying and unstoppable transformation of her body conflicting with the need for stillness, to press pause on the perfect breath.
Heavy Trip
Life has its downsides in a small, northern Finnish town. The local bros give long-haired, leather-clad Turo a tough time, and his job at the mental hospital is literally shitty. His crush on Miia at the flower shop is thwarted by the tacky lounge singer Jouni, and his band jams in the back of a reindeer slaughterhouse. In the plus column for Turo, well… there’s the band, even if these black-metal true-believers have never gigged in all their 12 years together (Turo’s concealed but crippling stage fright hasn’t helped). A miraculous crack at a major metal festival in Norway jumpstarts the quartet’s dreams, and Impaled Rektum set out on a metallic mission that will make them confront not only doubts, detours and difficulties, but also Vikings in longships (plus an elf), graverobbing, Swedish rocket launchers and wolverine-wrestling (dangerous… and awkward!).
Cold Skin
In the early years of the 20th century, a young man (David Oakes) takes over the responsibility of surveying the weather of a secluded island in the Antarctic. Hoping for isolation and time for self-reflection, he instead finds a crazed and weathered person named Gruner, played by genre favourite Ray Stevenson (DEXTER, THOR, DIVERGENT). Gruner quickly reveals that there is more to this island than meets the eye and that below the icy depths, a terrible scourge lurks. The extent of Gruner’s madness slowly becomes more and more pronounced as his bloodlust for the creatures becomes apparent. Struggling for survival, the surveyor must choose between a madman and a legion of creatures he does not fully understand.
Tokyo Vampire Hotel

Set in 2021 as the Dracula family and another family of vampires, the Corvins, prepare for the end of the world by getting into a massive rumble.

The Draculas wear billowy pirate blouses, are scared of crucifixes, and have retreated into an interdimensional salt mine beneath Transylvania. The Corvins are pop-idol hot and have retreated into a posh hotel located inside the interdimensional vagina of their leader. There, theyve invited a herd of humans they’ll force to breed at a “Special Coupling Party” to ensure an endless future supply of blood. Enter Manami (Ami Tomite), a girl looking to fit in someplace, who has special vampire blood, and suddenly everyone wants to shoot each other in the face to stash her in their apocalypse bunker first.

Tales from the Hood 2
Horror is back in the hood! The sequel to the groundbreaking original film TALES FROM THE HOOD reunites executive producer Spike Lee (Honorary Academy Award® winner) and writers/directors/producers Rusty Cundieff and Darin Scott for an all-new gripping, horrifying and oftentimes devilishly comical anthology. Keith David stars as a contemporary Mr. Simms to tell bloodcurdling stories about lust, greed, pride, and politics through tales with demonic dolls, possessed psychics, vengeful vixens, and historical ghosts. Mr. Simms’s haunting stories will make you laugh… while you scream.
Mega Time Squad
Johnny (Anton Tennet) lives an underwhelming life. He is a low-level drug dealer in Thames, New Zealand, he lives in his mother’s garage, his time is spent with a blundering friend Gaz (Arlo Gibson) at the local bowling alley and doing petty errands for the local kingpin Shelton (Johnny Brugh of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS) and his henchmen (including Milo Cawthrone of DEATHGASM and ASH VS. EVIL DEAD). When a once-in-a-lifetime chance at a big score reveals itself, Johnny finds himself wondering, “Do I have what it takes to pull off a caper?” He quickly realizes no, he doesn’t. That is, not until he stumbles upon an ancient relic that allows him to travel across time. With the power to bend time in Johnny’s hands, a hodgepodge of hilarity ensues and the “bogans” (Kiwi for loser) sets his sights once again on the wealth just beyond his grasp. However, what are the consequences of this temporal insanity, and does Johnny have what it takes to face off against Shelton and his henchmen?
Nightmare Cinema
At a forgotten, haunted bijou, a group of strangers have assembled to watch a series of macabre vignettes unspooled by the mysterious Projectionist (Mickey Rourke). Like the best anthology films (DEAD OF NIGHT, CREEPSHOW, TRICK ‘R TREAT), the stories’ tones range from truly deep, dark, psychological, demented horror to ones with a lighter, satirical spin. Witness a ghost story that will chill you to the bone; an exorcism story guaranteed to make your head spin; a B&W descent into clinical madness; a plastic surgery gone horrifyingly awry; and a cabin-in-the-woods slasher ditty with a unique twist you’ll never see coming.
A Rough Draft
Over a mere handful of hours, successful Moscow video-game designer Kirill has watched his life vanish. There is no longer any official record of his existence. His colleagues, his loved ones, even his dog no longer recognize him. Homeless, heartbroken, battered and framed for murder, Kirill is at the mercy of a mysterious cabal, and they have a new life planned for him. He is now to reside in a dismal old tower near the Kremlin, and there he will serve as an interdimensional gatekeeper, opening the doors to a myriad of possible Moscows that could have been, would have been? or should never have been. Kirill discovers that he now has the power to manipulate the material world around him. But who is manipulating Kirill?
The Night Eats The World
Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) is not legend, though he may be the last man on earth. After falling asleep in a back room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, he wakes up to discover that the world, or at least Paris, has been overrun by a zombified populace. Barricading himself inside the building, he faces life as the sole survivor of the plague, gathering the supplies he can as the ghouls stagger and slaver outside. He can sustain his body, but can he sustain his mind as the days alone in a world gone to hell stretch out endlessly before him? He finds “companionship” and a sounding board in a zombie (Denis Lavant) trapped in an elevator, while facing an existential crisis: “Being dead is the norm now. I’m the one who’s not normal.”
Summer of ’84
“The suburbs are where the craziest shit happens,” 15-year-old Davey Armstrong (Graham Verchere) tells us at the beginning of SUMMER OF ’84,, and he should know. It’s June of the eponymous year in Ipswich, Oregon, and Davey is spending his days and nights hanging out, talking about sex and the finer points of STAR WARS sequels, and playing “manhunt” with best friends Eats (Judah Lewis), Woody (Caleb Emery) and Curtis (Cory Gruter-Andrew). The innocent fun ends when Davey begins to suspect that his next-door neighbour, outwardly friendly cop Wayne Mackey (Rich Sommer), is the Cape May Slayer who has been preying on kids his age in the area. Davey recruits his pals to help investigate and expose Mackey, initiating an adventure that threatens to turn dangerous and deadly for the boys at any moment.
We could keep naming films but that would be a bit overkill, don’t you think? But seriously, see whatever you can. We’ll be bringing you reviews of everything we’re able to catch. You can find out more info about the full program and tickets at fantasiafestival.com
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The Fantasia International Film Festival, North America’s largest and longest-running genre film fest, will be celebrating its 22nd year in Montreal this summer, taking place from July 12 through August 2.

 

Tribeca Film Festival Reviews: ‘Cargo’ & ‘The Night Eats The World’ breathe new life into the zombie genre.

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Cargo

Director: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke

Writer: Yolanda Ramke

Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Russell Ackerman, John Schoenfelder, Mark Patterson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter

Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for his infant child, and a means to protect her from his own changing nature.

 

Cargo, starring Martin Freeman will undoubtedly rip your heart out if you are a parent. It’s a race against time form the very first scene. It contains an intriguing bit of cannon with respect to this particular zombie outbreak. I’m always curious how this will be addressed in the genre and in Cargo, it’s very different from what we’re used to seeing. This film has a wonderful pace. It is dark with a constant feeling of dread looming. Freeman plays a believably loving and caring father of his infant daughter. The action and terror are unrelenting. In the genre what more can you really ask for? The film will be coming to Netflix next Friday, May 18th!

The Night Eats The World

Directed by

Dominique Rocher

Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)

Pit Agarmen … (novel)
Jérémie Guez … (screenplay) (adaptation) (dialogue)
Guillaume Lemans … (screenplay) (adaptation) (dialogue)
Dominique Rocher … (screenplay) (adaptation) (dialogue)

The morning after a party, a young man wakes up to find Paris invaded by zombies.

The Night Eats The World is all about isolation. Sam is alone in his ex’s apartment, walls splattered with blood, and the other floors are not much better. Realizing the outside is even less safe, he begins to use his wits by gathering what he can find, little by little, staying organized but perhaps not sane. Actor Anders Danielsen Lie is in every single scene of the film. His performance is so engrossing that I almost missed his complete physical transformation along the way. He must remain as calm as possible, which is pretty difficult considering the circumstances. An interesting element to his character is that he is a musician. This becomes both an advantage and a misstep in the plot. We’ve all watched The Walking Dead for years now but off the top of my head, I’m not sure I would be as methodic in my solitary survival as Sam. While we don’t get any information about the outbreak specifically, it never stopped me from enjoying the film, rooting for Sam to stay alive. Sometimes you don’t need it all spelled out for you, sometimes great storytelling is more than enough. 

Review: ‘ A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE’ is eternally mysterious.

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PRESENTS THE ACCLAIMED NEW MASTERPIECE
FROM LEGENDARY JAPANESE DIRECTOR SHUNJI IWAI
A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE
リップヴァンウィンクルの花嫁
Synopsis: Nanami is an apathetic, part-time junior high school teacher, whose only solace comes from connecting with others on “Planet”, a new social network service. One day, a young man named Tetsuya messages her and asks to meet in person. The two begin dating and quickly become engaged. When Testuya begs Nanami to increase her guest list for the wedding, Nanami reaches out to online-friend, Amuro, a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, who hires actors to play Nanami’s guests on her big day. A few weeks following the ceremony, Tetsuya’s mother confronts Nanami with allegations of lying and cheating. Heartbroken and despondent, Nanami checks herself into a hotel and manages to get hired there as a maid. One day, Amuro offers Nanami a housekeeping job in an old mansion, whose sole resident’s infectious spirit helps Nanami to open her heart. However, Nanami soon realizes that Amuro, the mansion, and its occupant aren’t what they seem – and even dreams have limits.
There is something otherworldly about Iwai Shunji‘s latest film. While A BrideFor Rip Van Winkle runs just minutes shy of 3 hrs, the story is vastly engrossing. Our beautiful lead actress, Haru Kuroki, gives us an honest and quietly bold performance that allows us to feel each beat in real time with her. We are along for the ride just as much as she is. The classical soundtrack adds an ethereal quality to mysterious turns in the script. To speak too much about the plot would ruin it for the viewer. I can say that it will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. It certainly speaks to the power of social media. It tackles isolationism and the yearning to feel truly connected physically and emotionally. A Bride For Rip Van Winkle will surprise and delight to no end. You can check out the trailer below and catch the film in theaters this Friday.

A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE opens in cinemas November 10th!

Color
Japanese Language with English Subtitles
179 minutes
Not Rated

Review: ‘KILL ME PLEASE’ will bend your mind and throw you back in time.

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Bia (Valentina Herszage), Michele (Júlia Roliz), Mariana (Mariana Oliveira) and Renata (Dora Freind) are a clique of affluent high school girls. They waste away their days wandering the fields between the vertigo-inducing high rises in Barra da Tijuca, an affluent new neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Both privileged and abandoned by busy parents, the girls spend most of their time together.

When a wave of murders begins to terrorize the neighborhood, the girls develop a morbid curiosity with the victims – and lines separating life, desire and death begins to break down.

If you were a fan of IT FOLLOWS, then KILL ME PLEASE will strike a chord with you. With oversaturated moments in its cinematography to its perhaps allegorical message of teenage lust, this film is filled to the brim with bizarre but very real moments. Ghost stories are woven into the narrative as warnings or maybe even as excuses for avoiding sexual contact, all while an actual serial killer takes out young girls that bare a striking resemblance to our ingenue. As the viewer goes deeper into the mind of Bia, you begin to realize that this film is all of us growing up. Blissful ignorance, metaphors of self-doubt and self-sabotage bring back too many dark memories. Boasting an eclectic and truly kickass soundtrack, KILL ME PLEASE is a one of kind blend of horror and coming of age film that will throw you for a loop. The cast has a brilliant chemistry and director Anita Rocha da Silveira has quite a masterpiece on her hands. If you’re lucky enough to be in NYC today and LA in October, you can catch the film on the big screen. If not, you’ll have to wait until May to catch it on VOD and DVD. Until then, check out the trailer below, though truth be told, the film is on a whole other level than what you’ll see here.

 

September 1, 2017 – Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn in New York, NY
October 13, 2017 – Arena Cinelounge in Los Angeles, CA

A VOD and physical media release are expected by May 2018.

Review: ‘PILGRIMAGE’ takes blind faith on a journey against greed.

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presents

PILGRIMAGE features an all star cast of Tom Holland (Spiderman: Homecoming, Captain America: Civil War), Jon Bernthal (Baby Driver, Marvel’s “The Punisher”), Richard Armitage (Capitan America: The First Avenger, The Hobbit) and was directed by Brendan Muldowney (Love Eternal, Savage).

In Ireland, 1209, a small group of monks begin a reluctant pilgrimage across an island torn between centuries of tribal warfare and the growing power of Norman invaders.  As they escort their monastery’s holiest relic to Rome, the true value of the bejeweled relic becomes dangerously apparent and their path becomes increasingly fraught with danger.
Religion, faith, mysticism, belief; all of these things have caused heartbreak, wars, saving grace, and death. In Pilgrimage, Tom Holland plays a young monk who is essentially forced to protect and carry a relic to Rome. Alongside his mysterious protector, played by John Bernthal, he and an eclectic crew of soldiers and men of faith must battle hidden agendas and a higher power to achieve their mission. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of the film, besides the fact that each actor must deliver lines in at least 2 languages, is the fact that Bernthal’s character has zero dialogue. He is able to pull off a fully fleshed out character whose background leads to many questions along the way. The fight sequences are nothing less than brutal, so be prepared. That being said, they are pretty awesome to witness.The chemistry between the cast is palpable. Holland certainly holds his own among some seasoned players. His vulnerability on screen grounds the film. Overall, Pilgrimage has a Lord of the Rings meets Willow kind of vibe with a thought-provoking final scene. You can catch the film in theaters today, as well as on VOD and Digital HD.

TITLE: PILGRIMAGE
IN THEATERS AND AVAILABLE ON VOD AND DIGITAL HD: August 11, 2017
DIRECTOR: Brendan Muldowney
WRITER: Jamie Hannigan
CAST: Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Richard Armitage
GENRE: Action
DISTRIBUTOR: RLJ Entertainment

Fantasia International Film Festival 2017 Review: ‘Le Manior’ (The Mansion) brings a the scares and the one liners.

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LE MANOIR(“The Mansion”)When a group of 20 something friends plan a New Year’s Eve getaway at an old mansion, things get heated when accusations fly, drugs and alcohol are plenty, and there is no signal for phones or wifi. Oh, and did I mention they start dying one by one? While this may sound like you’ve already seen this movie a hundred times, don’t be fooled by the build up. Le Manoir is one hell of a unique dark comedy horror. This movie is what the Scary Movie franchise could have looked like if they were actually intending on genuinely scaring you. The dialogue is much less punny but seriously over the top. Think Evil Dead meets Scooby Doo in all the best ways possible (and you can add in Scream just for good measure). The cinematography is great and the impact of the music and sound editing is spot on. Not only that, but the cast is shockingly comprised of YouTube stars… and they’re fantastic! The chemistry is beyond and each holds their own and then some. I legitimately laughed out loud during the entire 96-minute run. I highly recommend you seek this film out at and after this year’s Fantasia Festival. Check out the trailer below.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
  • France
  • 2017
  • 96 mins
  • French
  • English (subtitles)

SCREENING TIMES

CREDITS

  • Directed by: Tony T. Datis
  • Cast: Marc Jarousseau, Yvick Letexier, Nathalie Odzierejko, Ludovik Day, Jérôme Niel
  • Company: Gaumont

Review: ‘Footnotes’ brings the classic 60’s musical into this century.

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Inspired by the films of Jacques Demy and Stanley Donen, this musical comedy follows a young woman who must dance between a budding romance, a scheming boss, and co-workers on strike at her new job in a luxury shoe factory.

Footnotes comes at a perfect time in cinema history where the movie musical is once more appreciated and praised. This sweet and relatable story of Julie having to choose between love and loyalty has all the whimsy of a great French musical from the 60’s. From the costumes to the Fosse-esque choreography, Footnotes brings a smile to your face at each turn. It is very reminiscent of The Pajama Game but set this time in a shoe factory. Lead, Pauline Etienne is as charming and awkward as the role of Julie requires. Her airy voice suits the role and is a lovely foil to the gaggle of surprising factory women. With a wonderful, never over the top message of respect in the workplace and equal pay, this gem of a film will have your feet tapping and heart singing, no doubt about it. You can listen to the soundtrack right now on Spotify (link below) but first, check out the trailer. You can catch Footnotes in theaters today!

Have a Spotify Account?

Listen to the official Footnotes soundtrack with original songs written by Olivia Ruiz, Clarika, and many more!

FOOTNOTES ON SPOTIFY

Review: ‘Love At First Child(Ange et Gabrielle) is a charming familial rom com.

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Opening on VOD Nationwide on Tuesday, July 11 on all major platforms includingiTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Microsoft, Vudu, Comcast, Charter, Cox, Vimeo, and various other cable operators.

Gabrielle (Isabelle Carré) is a single mother, her 17-year-old daughter Claire is pregnant, however the child’s father Simon has no desire to be involved with his future baby. When Gabrielle takes matters into her own hands and asks Simon’s father Ange (Patrick Bruel) for help, an unexpected relationship begins.

Oozing with charm, Love At First Child is heartwarming and funny. The story of a hypochondriac womanizing architect and a down to earth pharmacist coming together over a grandchild couldn’t be more interesting. It’s a story of familial redemption. it’s another chance at living the life these characters always wanted deep down. Isabelle Carré as Gabrielle is a lovely foil for Patrick Bruel‘s stubborn Ange. Revealing much more about the plot would spoil the film. For me, it harkens back to Three Men and a Baby in the best way possible.This script could easily find itself in a position for an American remake with a similar audience as the upcoming Toni Erdmann. Though, trying to recreate the chemistry for both films again doesn’t seem possible. Delightfully scored and beautifully shot, you simply cannot go wrong with this little gem.

 

91mins / Comedy /France /Color / Distributor: Under The Milky Way

DIRECTED BY: ANNE GIAFFERI

In French with English Subtitles

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ALSO RELEASED BY UNDER THE MILKY WAY ON ALL MAJOR VOD PLATFORMS ON JULY 11 AS A PART OF THIER “COMEDIES À LA CARTE” COLLECTION:

– DYKE HARD (Directed by: Bitte Anderson, Comedy, Sweden, 90 mins)

– NOT MY DAY (Directed by:Peter Thorwarth, Comedy, Germany, 110mins)

– ONE MAN AND HIS COW (Directed by: Mohamed Hamidi, Comedy, France, 91 mins)

– WINWIN (Directed by: Daniel Hoesl, Comedy, Austria, 84 mins)

Tribeca Film Festival Review 2017: ‘NOVEMBER’ is a striking folklore fantasy.

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Immerse yourself in 19th century Estonian folklore – feel the mud and cold, the fear and joy of the peasants living side-by-side with cows, werewolves and kratts, the farmers’ helpers, created out of old tools, hay, and animal bones, and brought to life by the devil himself. Director Rainer Sarnet elevates his film above mere period drama, sprinkling the fable of peasant girl Liina’s doomed romance with Hans with generous amounts of humor, and enriching its earthy fairytale milieu with beautiful black and white cinematography. Sarnet’s attention to detail, in particular in capturing the farmers’ dynamic and expressive faces, humanizes and adds a warm depth to the environment as Liina and Hans ponder the great mysteries of life, love, and the existence of the soul, looking for meaning and explanations anywhere they can.

 

November is everything a non-cinephile might think of when it the phrase “foreign film” is haphazardly thrown about. That is exactly what makes this film so intriguing. With its stunning black and white cinematography and its unapologetic folklore elements, the story delves into the question of living a life with or without a soul. The wonderfully weird characters and themes, including death, witchcraft,  and the devil himself, all make November one completely engrossing cinematic experience. Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired North American rights to Sarnet‘s film ahead of its world premiere in the international narrative category. Below you can find the trailer, and while it does not yet contain English subtitles, you quickly grasp the tone of the film. We will, of course, keep you updated on release dates for this unique selection.

FILM INFO
CAST & CREDITS
  • Director:
    Rainer Sarnet
  • Screenwriter:
    Rainer Sarnet
  • Cinematographer:
    Mart Taniel
  • Editor:
    Jaroslaw Kaminski
  • Composer:
    Jacaszek
  • Producer:
    Katrin Kissa
  • Co-Producer:
    Ellen Havenith, Lukasz Dzieciol
  • Cast:
    Rea Lest, Jörgen Liik, Arvo Kukumägi, Katariina Unt, Taavi Eelmaa, Dieter Laser

Interview: Petra Volpe – writer/director of Tribeca Film Festival Selection ‘The Divine Order’ about Swiss women’s right to vote in 1971

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The Divine Order is a Swiss film from writer/director Petra Volpe produced with Reto Schaerli and Lukas Hobi. I got the opportunity to speak with Petra Volpe this week as her film screens at the Tribeca Film Festival.

1971: Nora is a young housewife and mother living with her husband and their two sons in a quaint little village in the Swiss countryside, which is so far untouched by the major social upheavals the movement of 1968 has brought about. Protests for Civil Rights, the Sexual Revolution, and the Youth and Counter Culture Movements are barely on the radar in Nora’s village. Nora’s life has not been affected either; she is a quiet person who is liked by everybody – but everything changes when she starts to publicly fight for Swiss women’s right to vote, which Swiss men are due to vote on in a ballot on February 7, 1971.

How does one go about telling a story so vast as this? Volpe did extensive research for the film, and a crucial place for information was the Gosteli Archive – the archive on the history of women in Switzerland, founded by Marthe Gosteli, who recently passed away in her 100th year.

Speaking with Gosteli, Volpe was inspired but realized that the character in her story must not be an “intellectual” but someone “like my mother. Not an actively political person, but then finds out she’s actually affected by politics.” Volpe describes how there was a lot of propaganda sent out against women’s suffrage. She goes on to say, “I found a note in this archive, that really touched me. It was from a young housewife, a mother.” She had sent back one of the pamphlets and wrote, “how dare you prevent women from voting! I was never a political person but this now makes me want to be a fighter.” How awesome is that? Volpe knew then that the main character shouldn’t be someone that was already involved in the movement.

This was my favorite part of the story. Nora is married, with a child and doesn’t really understand the point of women voting. Then when she wants to do something on her own, she realizes that she cannot do what she wants without the permission of her husband. This ignites a light in her to question why. Questioning drives her to learn more and seek out others.

Those others are the women of the village where she lives. Volpe says that she didn’t base the characters on any one person, but was inspired by the women in the village where they were shooting. “They were very charismatic, powerful women, in these pubs, who everybody trusts, they know every village secret. Everyone came to them with their worries and were the Queens of the village. Usually, they didn’t own their businesses, their husbands owned them, so they were completely dependent, financially on their husbands.”

Absurd as it seems now, not only were women not granted the right to vote until 1971, but women “were not allowed to open a bank account until 1988. They couldn’t sign contracts for an apartment. That’s one of the first things that women took on after the right to vote, they really said, we need to change marital law.”

Volpe is no stranger to women’s issues. “All my films are about women who liberate themselves.” However, the idea came from one of her producers and it upset her that she didn’t think of it. “I was so pissed! Why didn’t I have this idea? It’s so shameful!” We forgive you, Petra.

Since this is based on an actual event, I asked Volpe about her approach to the storytelling and its challenges. “There’s different challenges. One the challenge of tone. Humor is very important. Humor is a very important means to seduce people to look at things that they don’t like to look at.

I think humor is a way of opening up people’s hearts from more painful aspects of stories.”

“It’s so horrible, that you have to laugh. So, for me, it’s very important to have a humorous approach and not to make it too heavy, but to also show the absurdity of it. Humor is an anarchy and coping mechanism. We all know how much we need Saturday Night Live at the moment, for survival. So humor is very important to find a tone for the movie.”

Volpe also had a challenge with depicting the time period without losing the audience’s interest. “When I looked at the archives, people were talking so extremely slowly and they were moving so extremely slowly, the people were much slower. It was so interesting, as they were not so agile and everything was more stiff. I thought it adds a lot to this atmosphere of oppression. And yet, you have to tell a movie that people don’t fall asleep. [LAUGH] That is also a balance to find. How to keep that pace, to recreate this atmosphere like a visceral experience, for people to really feel how these women were in corsets, constrained in this world and to tell a movie that has a pace for a modern audience.”

A bit of propaganda at the time had a poster with “Women in politics is against the divine order.” Volpe felt this was a perfect title for the film. “It’s really crazy when you read these propaganda pamphlets, they really argue that God has created a world of men and women and they have their roles, and if you mess with these roles, it will be apocalypse.” Sound familiar? Scarily, it does.

The look of the movie is also very rich with color. Volpe says she spent a great deal of time getting the colors right before and after filming. She shot digitally and spent two weeks grading the color in post-production.

I also asked Volpe about her experience as a female filmmaker in an industry dominated by men. She talks about how it was hard in the beginning because so often she was told that she should be grateful for her opportunities. She was very grateful, but eventually, she developed the confidence to say, “no, they can be grateful that I work for them.”

“They can be grateful that I come up with stories they can sell and make money.”

“That took a little while for me to realize, that no, it’s me they should be grateful to, and not the other way around.” Bravo!

When asked about the timing of the film, Volpe laments, “good for the film, but unfortunate for society.” I couldn’t agree more.

You still have a chance to get RUSH tickets for 3 more showings – check here.

Tribeca Film Festival 2017 review: ‘The Divine Order’ is gloriously relevant.

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SYNOPSIS: Switzerland, 1971: Nora is a young housewife and mother who lives with her husband, their two sons and her father-in-law in a little village. Here, in the Swiss countryside, little or nothing is felt of the huge social upheavals that the movement of May 1968 has caused. Nora’s life, too, has been unaffected; she is a retiring, quiet person, well liked by everyone – until she begins to campaign publicly and pugnaciously for women’s right to vote, an issue that will be put before the male voters on February 7th, 1971.

Impeccably acted and stunningly shot, The Divine Order is a film very much relevant in today’s political climate. In the continued fight against the patriarchy, we must first educate ourselves on how far we’ve come. This film demonstrates the power of women as a collective entity fueled by passion in pursuit of equality. With fully fleshed out female characters that are nuanced and honest, writer/director Petra Volpe has given us a true cinematic gift.

Tribeca Film Festival 2017

Won
Audience Award		 Narrative
Petra Biondina Volpe
Won
Jury Award		 Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature
Marie Leuenberger

“For a performance that is patient, intelligent and graceful, that captured the liberation of a … More
Won
Nora Ephron Prize		 Petra Biondina Volpe

“For its intrepid and compassionate storytelling, beautiful cinematography (DP-ed by a woman), … More
Nominated
Jury Award		 Best International Narrative Feature
Petra Biondina Volpe

Official Sites:

Official Site | Zodiac Pictures

Country:

Switzerland

Language:

German | English | Italian | Swiss German

Release Date:

27 October 2017 (USA)

Review: In ‘MY NAME IS EMILY’ Evanna Lynch leaves Hogwarts behind.

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Monument Releasing

Presents

 MY NAME IS EMILY

 A Film By

Simon Fitzmaurice

Opening Theatrically In US Cities On February 17

VOD To Release On February 24

MY NAME IS EMILY, the debut-feature written and directed by the amazing Simon Fitzmaurice, is a life-enhancing story starring Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter), Michael Smiley (The Lobster, Kill List) and newcomer George Webster (City of Dreamers, Blood Moon).

After her mother dies and her visionary writer father is institutionalized, Emily is placed in a foster home and a new school where she is ostracized. On her 16th birthday, when her father’s annual card fails to arrive, Emily knows something’s wrong. Enlisting Arden, her only friend at school, she sets off on a road trip adventure across Ireland to find her missing Dad and break him out of the psych ward. They are an odd couple, this pale girl and the boy in the velvet suit, and along the way, they both come to realize important truths about the nature of relationships, both to their parents and to each other. MY NAME IS EMILY is a story of madness, sadness and love.

In  2008, director Simon Fitzmaurice was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS). Now completely paralyzed, Fitzmaurice typed the script for the film, through the movement of his eyes and iris recognition software, Eye Gaze. This is also how he communicated with cast and crew during the film’s six-week shoot. Given four years to live, Simon credits writing and filmmaking with having saved his life.My Name is Emily is a stunning coming of age film. Evanna Lynch shines in this complex role of a sad and brilliant young lady. The layers of this character come from the outstanding script from writer/director Fitzmaurice. Infusing philosophy, literature, poetry, loss and teenaged angst all intertwined into a story of finding oneself through letting go and letting people in. Michael Smiley is as wonderful as he’s ever been, touching the cornerstone of every possible emotion. George Webster, in particular, is one hell of a find. His natural ability to draw you in is reminiscent of the late Anton Yelchin. He will seduce you with his awkwardness and charm the pants off you all in the same scene. The honest chemistry between Lynch and Webster makes this film what it is. Another high note (pun not intended) is the glorious soundtrack. Each song evokes a familiarity that seems to fit perfectly into the moment. With a cool mix of voiceover moments and flashbacks, My Name is Emily is a true delight.

 

Review: ‘Trespass Against Us’ makes Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson family.

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TRESPASS AGAINST US is set across three generations of the Cutler family who live as outlaws in their own anarchic corner of Britain’s richest countryside. Chad Cutler (Michael Fassbender) is heir apparent to his bruising criminal father, Colby (Brendan Gleeson) and has been groomed to spend his life hunting, thieving and tormenting the police. But with his own son, Tyson (Georgie Smith) coming of age, Chad soon finds himself locked in a battle with his father for the future of his young family. When Colby learns of Chad’s dreams for another life he sets out to tie his son and grandson into the archaic order that has bound the Cutler family for generations. He engineers a spectacular piece of criminal business involving a heist, a high-speed car chase and a manhunt, which leaves Chad bruised and bloodied and with his very freedom at stake. With the law cracking down and his father tightening his grip, Chad is forced into increasingly desperate measures. Featuring incredible performances – and an astonishing score by The Chemical Brothers – TRESPASS AGAINST US is at once an exhilarating crime thriller and a profoundly moving story about love and family.

There is no doubting the abilities of both Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson in this family crime drama. The two could very easily be related based on their spectacular on-screen chemistry. The action (predominantly in car chase form) is plenty and should be seen on the biggest screen possible for maximum clarity and impact. Gleeson does a brilliant job in making you squirm. Think about the most awful, offensive relative that shows up on holidays and multiply that feeling by 10. You are quickly sympathetic to Fassbender’s rock and a hard place persona. The little bit of mischievous joy he gets by rattling the cops is nothing in comparison to his brooding desire to be a better man for his wife and two kids. The last thing he wants is for history to repeat itself. He desperately tries to break the cycle, much to the chagrin of his father hence moving the plot along. Though even with the talent, there is a slowness and lack of back story that would have been nice to hear or see. The choice to make The Cutler’s a traveler family is cool in concept but I wish there had been a better explanation as to how our patriarch became so anti-establishment. One is left to assume. Ultimately, Trespass Against Us is a film about the line between family loyalty and self-preservation. The film is available on Direct TV and in theaters beginning today.

Check out a clip and the trailer below.

Directed by:                                          Adam Smith

Written by:                                             Alastair Siddons

Produced by:                                       Andrea Calderwood, Gail Egan, Alastair Siddons

Executive Produced by:                     Joshua Astrachan, Rose Garnett, Frederick W. Green, Peter Hampden, Phil Hunt, Norman Merry, Compton Ross

Starring:                                                  Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Lyndsey Marshal, Killian Scott   

In Theaters January 20th, 2017

Running Time:                                       1hr 39min

Rating:                                                   R

Review: Don’t get trapped in ‘The Snare’

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C.A. Cooper’s first feature length film debut, The Snare, is the story of Alice (Eaoifa Forward) who heads out to a vacant vacation complex for a drunken weekend, with her friend Lizzy (Rachel Warren) and her boyfriend Carl (Dan Paton). Despite the fact that they were knowingly trespassing, they didn’t expect the hell that they would soon be trapped in. This is the story of those who have fallen into a trap, and I want to make sure you don’t follow in their foot steps.

This is a film that had great ideas however, they were poorly executed. There were scenes within the film that were great, and scenes that were terrible, and in all honestly just needed to be cleaned up. The film didn’t appear to have a huge budget and it showed in different places through out, for example there was plastic patio furniture in the kitchen, and it didn’t make sense considering the overall quality of the apartment. There are many independent horror films out there with small budgets that are still great due to their creativity; The Snare just didn’t quite reach that mark. For someone who loves the horror genre, this film at times can feel rather frustrating, because you see the shell of an unnerving film, however the meat within it just wasn’t good.

[Spoilers Ahead]

The film clearly had a deeper meaning behind what was occurring within Alice’s mind. We see that her father in the beginning of the story has no boundaries like a father normally would around his own daughter, which purposefully makes the audience uneasy. We are then introduce to Lizzy, who is supposedly her friend, and Lizzy’s boyfriend Carl, who shows clear parallels to Alice’s father’s perversions. Alice seems like a quiet and together girl, and her friend Lizzy does not share those same characteristics; in a lot of ways their friendship doesn’t make that much sense, such as Lizzy stealing keys to a vacation apartment that isn’t hers and Alice just kind of goes along with it. Once they realize they are stuck on one of the upper floors of the building with no practical escape, the story became slightly more interesting. When we begin to see what’s occurring in Alice’s mind, there wasn’t a natural build of suspense, but instead the film relied heavily on the jump scares, which is kind of a disappointment. The best moments of the film happen closer to the end, but even the ending it’s self didn’t finish very strong.

The film overall was underwhelming. The acting did hugely improve as the film went on, however I believe it really could of been better if select parts of the story had been done differently. The overall theme that I think C.A. Cooper was aiming for, was interesting; I did like the dark parallels between Alice’s home life and their entrapment within the apartment, as well as the eerie music. For some the good may out weigh the bad, however it is not a horror film that I would recommend.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Uncork’d Entertainment’s British horror flick, The Snare will be release in theaters and VOD on January 6th, 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB89ifUSrwA

Review: ‘THE SIMILARS’ (LOS PARECIDOS) is one effed up Twilight Zone tribute.

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the-similars-poster04The Twilight Zone is still one of my favorite shows in television history. Each episode has an unpredictable storyline and a twist ending. The new film THE SIMILARS (LOS PARECIDOS) might be using the beloved series as a blueprint for its overwhelmingly creepy premise. Director Isaac Ezban gives us a glorious gift is shock and awe in this homage to one of the greats. the-similars-irene-old-woman-bus-interior-still The film opens with a visual precision that is truly impressive. It is set in 1968, in a bus station, 5 hours outside of Mexico City. A massive rain storm has stranded an eclectic group of strangers. No buses are arriving at the station and vague messages are streaming from a radio connected to the speaker system. The singular phone is connecting sporadically and everyone is on edge. The mood gets more tense when the group begins experiencing odd symptoms, one by one. Why is this happening? Can it be stopped? the-similars-martin-stillFrom the lighting to the costumes and the superb writing, the story zooms into action from opening to end credits. Constantly making you guess and jaw drop, The Similars is one hell of a ride into the unbelievable. The cast is a director’s dream and their chemistry and delivery is both period appropriate and fantastic. There is not one single moment in its entire run that bored me or lost my attention. I was impressed at the level of weird and wanted desperately to know how it would all end. Writer/Director Isaac Ezban has given us a real gift with this film and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

XLrator Media will be releasing THE SIMILARS (“Los Parecidos”) on Cable VOD on Nov. 15, 2016 and on iTunes and Digital on Nov. 22, 2016.  It will also have one-night screenings in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

THE SIMILARS (“LOS PARECIDOS”) – XLrator Media
DIRECTED BY: Isaac Ezban
CAST: Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Fernando Becerril, Humberto Busto
SYNOPSIS: On the rainy night of October 2, 1968, eight people waiting in a remote bus station for a bus heading to Mexico City start experiencing a strange phenomenon. Threatened by paranoia and fear, the strangers show the best and worst of themselves as they try to unravel the mysterious condition that is invading each of them like a virus.
GENRE: Sci-Fi
DISTRIBUTOR: XLrator Media