Film Reviews – Page 4 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

TIFF: The Tragically Hip – No Dress Rehearsal

This was the World Premiere of a four part mini-series which will be available to watch on Amazon Prime starting September 20^th.

What can we say about The Tragically Hip…or as they’re often referred to, simply, as “The Hip” – a small-town five-piece band from Kingston, Ontario (that’s in Canada for those of you who do not know) who went on to make nine number one albums in Canada, over a mammoth 33 year career?

Photo courtesy of TIFF – playing to one of their numerous sold-out shows.

They’re unique, they’re lifelong friends, and their songs have come to unite Canada in a way no other band has ever achieved. They’ve make it cool to be Canadian.

The remaining group were all here for the premiere with one noticeably missing person. Very sadly, Gord Downie, the much loved lead singer and lyricist for the group, passed away from brain cancer in 2017. He was also an activist and an amazing live performer with his own indescribable unique style.

Director Mike Downie (Gord’s older brother) takes us on an emotional look at the origin, impact, and legacy of the band that defined Canada, to the world and to itself.

Their story is one truly amazing ride.

Remaining group members are guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay.

Admittedly, I was never a really huge Hip fan. Granted, I did like a lot of their songs…but I wanted to learn what the really big fuss was all about. And let me tell you; there was (still is) a big fuss. Dan Aykroyd (another huge fan) introduced them for countless shows as you’ll see by watching the mini-series. Now I understand. They’re awesome and so much more than just another rock group. But what makes them awesome for me, is much more than their music.

These guys are all from Kingston, Ontario. Friends since childhood, they have great family values and have managed to achieve enormous success through hard work and by doing exactly what they love best – making music. They’ve managed to keep their friendship all these years, and they work around any problems that may arise. That speaks volumes about how they were raised. I may be biased about men from Kingston as my late husband and also my former dance partner were both from there. They were the nicest, smartest, most down to earth and capable guys ever. Doesn’t mean all men from Kingston are that amazing, but it certainly did colour my opinion. Plus, there are scenes from there and other parts of Canada.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this docu series. It has heart. I think you’ll enjoy it too – especially if you’re a Canuck. And if you don’t know what a Canuck is; you’re not one of us!

I’m loving this festival! I now realize why it’s the most popular film festival in the world. One has only to come here to find out. If you love cinema and can make it out here next year it will be the 50th Anniversary.

Something more to celebrate!

Film Reviews

TIFF: THE LAST SHOWGIRL

Debbie & Elizabeth at the Movies

Here’s another one we wanted to see starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista in the World Premiere of THE LAST SHOWGIRL. Directed by Gia Coppola.

You got us at Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee. Sorry Dave! We knew that Anderson would do the movie justice and that Curtis would add some spunk; and we were right. A bold prediction is that Jamie Lee Curtis gets a Best Supporting Actress nomination (again) at the Oscars. You heard it here first. Curtis also claimed in an interview on the Red Carpet that the independant movie was shot in only 18 days – almost unheard of in the film business! A testament to the professionalism of the team.

As much as we love the movie title that depicts some showbiz sparkle, the film is much more than its title. In fact, it has girth and sadness. This story is more from behind the lights, than in front of them.

Out with the old; In with the new – a pattern arising in some films at TIFF and, the world in general.

As Vegas continues to change, the old seasoned performers must adapt to their new environs and change along with the times. Easy to say; difficult to do. Such is the case with Anderson’s character Shelley, when she learns that her bread and butter, a long-running traditional Vegas floor show must come to a close after 30 years .

Of course; who better to play this role than Pam Anderson? She plays it to an emotional Tee. However; Elizabeth thought that Anderson played the role a bit more ditzy than she needed to.

The stage manager Eddie (Bautista) is the bearer of bad news that the show will close permanently with only two weeks notice. All the dancers are devastated but none more than Shelley.

This is a real life dilemma that could be realized with not only this job, but any job. When you are 50 instead of 20, and your sole job skill has been dancing for 30 years; you’ve got to figure out a new life. You can become an emotional wreck.

Her brazen best friend Annette (Curtis) is a cocktail waitress who we believe secretly lost her dream of becoming something more. Something much bigger. One scene shows us that possibility. She’s incredible, as usual.

We really enjoyed this movie. It wasn’t spectacular but it was heartfelt and sometimes that’s enough. You really feel for Shelley’s situation of starting a new life.

And like the movie, cocktails seem to help, at least temporarily. There are so many choices of nice places to go for one (or more) in Toronto.

Only a few more days to go. For Tickets:

https://tiff.net/

Film Reviews

TIFF: “THE SUBSTANCE”

This is a new limited series entitled “Debbie & Elizabeth at the Movies.”Elizabeth is my cinema companion & collaborating cousin from Montreal who met me in Toronto to experience our first TIFF together– which is the abbreviated version of the Toronto International Film Festival. Which I’m certain most people are now very familiar with.

So let’s start with a movie that will be released in theatres on September 20^th. It’s called “THE SUBSTANCE” – starring Demi Moore in her much anticipated movie comeback role.

Moore portrays a fading Hollywood star named Elizabeth Sparkle alongside Margaret Qualley (from the TV series “Maid” where she starred with her mom, Andie MacDowell). Both Moore & Qualley are outstanding in their respective roles. Dennis Quaid; who’s having a movie moment, we can both agree, played a larger than life slimeball in this masterful horror-satire from writer-director Coralie Fargeat (Revenge).

A little bit of sad movie trivia is that Ray Liotta apparently was cast in the film in February 2022. He died in May that year before he could film his scenes. Dennis Quaid replaced him as a result. However sad that is, Quaid did a superb job.

There’s a lot to say about this movie and quite frankly, not sure where to start.

We could just leave it at one sentence “be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.” But that wouldn’t be enough.

We could say “if you were given an opportunity to become a younger (emphasis on “younger,” more perfect (but what does that really mean?) version of yourself, with let’s say a downside where you weren’t exactly sure what to expect because instructions were a bit vague – would you go for it?

This movie is mesmerizing and many call it a Masterpiece. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and TIFF was the North American Premiere, just few days ago.

It’s IN YOUR FACE. It’s OVER THE TOP. It’s INTENSE. But it’s also BRILLIANT.

It confirms that you make your choices and you live with the consequences – good and BAD.

We now know what the disclaimer at the start of the film *photo sensitive means.

This movie is a real symbol of substance abuse of a different nature. An over exaggeration of so many things. Starting with today’s obsession with looking youthful for as long as humanly possible. Not to mention what lengths we will go to in order to obtain it.

There are a lot of movies wrapped up in one very long package here. A few that comes to mind:

The Shining, The Matrix, The Terminator, Sunset Boulevard, Alien, Jane Fonda’s Workout and Batman (but really Gotham City in the Batman movies).

And lastly: remember; you are one person. You can’t escape yourself.

*Photosensitivity is any negative physical effect that is caused or aggravated by strobing, flashing or quickly changing patterns, luminance, or chrominance. It can lead to headaches, eyestrain or nausea.

Then what about the blood and gore?

The Festival is on until September 15th, 2024. For Tickets & Information:

https://tiff.net/

Film Reviews

Foodie Film: Le Pot-au-Feu

Another successful Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) comes to a close with THE POT-au-FEU – aptly described as an art house food porn flick. A movie you’re best not to watch on an empty stomach.

The English title is called “The Taste of Things” which is nicer sounding than the actual translation “Pot on the Fire.” The Pot-au-Feu was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 24 May 2023. It was chosen as the closing film for VIFF on 7th October, 2023.

The movie features former real-life couple Juliette Binoche (Chocolat, The English Patient) and Benoît Magimel (The Piano Teacher). Binoche plays Eugénie; the personal cook for one of France’s most renowned gourmet chefs, M. Dodin Bouffant (Magimel).

The pair star in “The Scent of Green Papaya’ writer-director Tràn Anh Hùng’s movie about a couple coming together both in and out of the kitchen. I suppose you can call it a love story – one mostly to do with food as it is depicted as a vehicle for pleasure (or possibly a substitute for sex, or maybe foreplay if you remember that scene from 9 1/2 weeks). This is not about food foreplay though – it’s the main event. No one will disagree that the cinematography is really outstanding with the French countryside serving as a backdrop to what’s cooking in the kitchen. Food wise, the film is phenomenal to the point where you can almost taste it!

The stars hold their own but the real star of this film is French chef Pierre Gagnaire who served as gastronomy director while also appearing in the film in the small role of a chef. He deserves an Oscar for his mouth watering epicurean creations alone.

The movie also takes in a young female apprentice which goes to prove that similar to learning ballet and piano lessons and being proficient at either; it’s best to teach them at a young age to achieve lasting results.

My takeaway: A relationship based purely on sexual desire is doomed to failure, but if there’s good food involved, it has a chance.

If anything, this movie will inspire you to want to better your culinary skills and create new ways to elevate ordinary everyday dishes.

A simple yet heartfelt line from the movie – “Happiness is continuing to desire what you already have.” – The best sounding advice I’ve ever heard.

Classic Pot-au-Feu

Pot-au-feu is the national dish of France. This essential version combines beef shank and rump roast with eight vegetables and a blend of herbs for an extra-comforting bowl.

Classic Recipe:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/classic-pot-au-feu

The movie is scheduled for release to theatres on November 8th. French with English subtitles.

Movie Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtQjrT1Qks

Film Reviews

Sofia Coppola’s “PRISCILLA”

From a German army base to Graceland, the true story of “PRISCILLA” is one of love, fantasy and fame.

On October 7th, the 42nd Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) held the Canadian premiere of “PRISCILLA” as a special presentation which I had the opportunity and pleasure of watching at the Vancouver Playhouse.

This is the third worldwide screening of this film, based on the 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me” written by Priscilla Presley. Presley served as Executive Producer on this biographical drama (set for release in November) which is written, directed and co-produced by Sofia Coppola. In my opinion, Coppola’s best work since 2003’s “LOST IN TRANSLATION.”

This film premiered last month at the 80th Venice International Film Festival where it received a seven-minute long standing ovation, and later screened as the Centerpiece Selection of the 2023 New York Film Festival on October 6th. Last night, October 7th, was the Canadian Premiere right here in Vancouver.

Some people cannot seem to get enough of Elvis even to this day; but this movie is all about Priscilla from her POV told through the lens from her first meeting with the superstar as a 14-year- old innocent girl while he was stationed at an army base in Germany, through a long courtship, to moving into Graceland with him at 17, a turbulent marriage (depicting news stories of alleged affairs with Elvis and stars like Nancy Sinatra & Ann-Margret), a baby, then divorce.

Many people think that they already know the story, but you will never know it quite so well as the eye opening way it’s told in this movie. Coppola did a wonderful job of portraying a coming-of-age true life docudrama. No wonder she got such a long standing ovation. There was one last night too but I didn’t count the minutes.

Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis did an amazingly convincing job of playing these iconic characters. The script was fluid and the story was both provocative and compelling. I would recommend this movie, especially if you love real life stories.

Side note:

I toured Graceland with my late husband when we were passing through Memphis about 20 years ago. There were very few people there at that time.

I spent a very enjoyable evening at a private party in Montreal with Priscilla’s after Elvis boyfriend Mike Stone (he was in town training another famous entertainer). There’s a scene in the movie with someone portraying him. I was not even 20 at the time, and Mike was a gentleman to make sure I got home okay.

If you want to know the backstory: Stone met Elvis and Priscilla Presley in 1968 at the Mainland vs. Hawaii Karate Championships promoted by Elvis’ longtime karate instructor Ed Parker. Stone had a young child and a pregnant wife, and working as a bodyguard for record producer Phil Spector.

After the show, Elvis invited Stone back to the couple’s penthouse suite where Elvis suggested that Priscilla train with Stone. Three weeks later Priscilla made the 45-minute drive to Stone’s school in Huntington Beach. Because of the distance Priscilla opted to train with Chuck Norris who had a school in West Los Angeles, which was closer to the Presley home. Stone would make occasional trips to Norris’s school to train Priscilla. The relationship soon turned romantic, contributing to Elvis and Priscilla’s split in February 1972 and divorce in 1973. Stone and Priscilla would eventually split up because he sold a story to the Globe tabloid entitled “How I Stole Elvis Presley’s Wife From Him“. Priscilla said she split with Stone then, “because he went to the press”.

Stone revealed in a 2020 podcast interview that he dated actress Michelle Pfeiffer when she took karate lessons from him to prepare for her role on the short-lived TV series B.A.D. Cats (1980).

While there were some scenes from Palm Springs, California; principal photography and filming took place in Toronto, Ontario – two places I’ve lived.

Filming Trivia:

The entity which owns the rights to Elvis’ music declined to give permission for any of his songs to be used in the film, so Coppola looked for creative alternatives in compiling the soundtrack, including the use of contemporary music by her husband Thomas Mars and his band Phoenix, in addition to cover versions of songs from the era in which the film is set.

According to an interview with The Guardian in March 2023, Sofia Coppola had to cut a week’s worth of scenes from the script after some of the film’s financing dropped out shortly before shooting was due to begin.

**Due out in Theatres on November 3rd.**

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxbZyvCJc6U

Film Reviews

Don’t Worry Darling

“Reality is an acquired taste” – a line from the movie

Florence Pugh (Alice) + Olivia Wilde (Bunny)

That’s a very simple but profound statement. When you think about it, most things in life including movies, are an acquired taste.

When I first heard about the movie “Don’t Worry Darling,” I couldn’t wait to see it. My connection to Palm Springs and knowing the movie was filmed in the surrounding area was what interested me most. I knew it would be a stylish film and didn’t expect very much other than nice scenery and interesting sets.

The film focuses on a young couple in the 1950s living a seemingly perfect life in the cloudless company town of Victory, California where some very shady business is taking place. A distorted view of reality best described as Stepford Wives meets The Matrix.

Florence Pugh (Alice) + Harry Styles (Jack)

Florence Pugh (Little Women) was outstanding as Alice in the lead role, as was musician Harry Styles who played her husband Jack in his debut role as a debonair loving husband in a controlling and regressive reality.

Chris Pine plays Frank, founder of a utopian 1950s desert community known as the “Victory Project.”

Bunny; Alice’s best friend, is played by Olivia Wilde who also directed the movie (excellent job Olivia). Bunny is revealed to be a willing participant in the Victory simulation as, having lost her children in the real world, she comes to Victory to unite with them again.

I loved this movie for the suspense, the actors, the backdrop and the mid-century modern style.

I think Olivia Wilde did a superb job as director. Didn’t look at the reviews until after. I know Rotten Tomatoes gave it a very low score but the audience gave it a relatively high one. It’s one of those things; you either love it or hate it. I know people who loved the new “Elvis” movie and others who hated it.

Like everything else; it’s an acquired taste.

Trailer:

Photos: taken from TV HBO on Demand with my Samsung.

Have you seen it? If so; let me know what you think.

Film Reviews

Whistler Film Festival

On the heels of the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) comes the Whistler Film Festival (WFF). Not that anyone needs an excuse to go to Whistler; but while you’re waiting for ski season to start (soon enough) film buffs might want to take in this unique little (but getting bigger) festival. Also; while there, make sure to check out the Audain Art Museum (housing the private art collection of Michael Audain) which is amazing in itself.

Art, Music, Movies, Documentaries….it’s all here!

Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the full lineup for its 22nd edition taking place in-person from November 30, to December 4 2022 in Whistler, BC, and online from December 5 to January 2, 2023.

Selected from over 2,000 submissions, the lineup includes 86 bold and inspiring films curated into nine program strands. There are 41 features and 45 shorts from 19 different countries, including award-season contenders, new breakthrough Canadian features, heart-stopping extreme adventure films, and previously unseen projects from around the globe.

”With a particular emphasis on Canadian content creators and distinct and emerging voices, Whistler Film Festival continues to fill a valuable niche within the film festival ecosystem,” says Paul Gratton, WFF’s Director of Programming. “WFF has evolved into a premium showcase for exciting new motion pictures not previously shown at other film festivals. With our strongest lineup ever of Canadian gems, coveted international festival titles, and an inspiring selection of award-hopefuls, our 22nd edition hums with the energy and creativity that result when new voices mix with established filmmakers in one of the most awe-inspiring settings for a film festival.”

WFF is pleased to present an exciting line-up of documentaries, with a strong focus on sports and music.

A little sneak preview:

Acclaimed actor and director Jason Priestley returns to WFF for the World Premiere of OFFSIDE: THE HAROLD BALLARD STORY. Big money, big headlines, and a long list of enemies – Harold Ballard made them all during the two decades he owned the crown jewel of Canadian sports – The Toronto Maple Leafs – down the road to ruin. This not-to-be-missed feature-length documentary explores one of the most controversial figures in Canadian sports history. Directed by Priestley, this world premiere marks the star’s return to the festival for the first time since the release of his critically-acclaimed film Cas and Dylan – the opening night selection at WFF in 2013.

Music has a large presence in the WFF doc mix this year. A special screening of BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: CARRY IT ON, with a live-streamed and in-theatre Zoom conversation with the iconic singer, songwriter, and activist, takes place on December 2. The documentary is directed by Madison Thomas, an alum of the Whistler Film Festival Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship (2017).

WFF will screen the too-crazy-to-be-believed behind-the-scenes concert doc REVIVAL ‘69: THE CONCERT THAT ROCKED THE WORLD. Coined “the second most important event in rock & roll history,” the Toronto Rock & Roll Revival was a one-day event held at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium.

It features John Lennon in his first post-Beatles appearance, as well as Yoko Ono, Klaus Voorman, Eric Clapton, Alice Cooper (and the infamous chicken incident that put him on the map), Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Doors, plus a couple of hundred bikers used to provide Lennon with a motorized escort from Pearson Airport to Varsity Stadium to make the concert in time. A must-see for any rock historian.

Music fans will love BOY CITY, a funny throwback to the era of boy bands and those who loved them, directed by Sean Cisterna and featuring Jonas Chernick. Chernick is also the co-lead in the comedy THE END OF SEX directed by Sean Garrity, a sort of spiritual successor to MY AWKWARD SEXUAL ADVENTURE which won the Audience Award at WFF in 2012.

This all sounds amazing!

For tickets + info:

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Film Reviews

VIFF: Bones of Crows

We cannot go back in time; we can only move forward and learn from our past for a brighter tomorrow.

After world premiering at TIFF earlier this month, Marie Clements’ poignant film “Bones of Crows” opened the Vancouver International Film Festival last night as the perfect lead-in for Truth and Reconciliation. The director and most of the cast and crew members were in attendance.

Grace Dove as Aline Spears in “Bones of Crows”

In Canada, every September 30th now marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Orange Shirt Day which also falls on September 30^th, is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

Bones of Crows

The message in this commanding film which was written, produced and directed by Marie Clements; a Canadian Métis playwright, performer, director, producer and screenwriter (founding artistic director of Urban Ink Productions) was powerful and not to be overlooked.

Inspired by true events, Bones of Crows tells the life story of a Cree woman named Aline Spears (strikingly performed by Canadian actor Grace Dove) through varying stages of her life. From a child taken from her parents to an 85 year of woman who confronts a former abuser from the church. A line that stuck with me from the film is “parents don’t always know what is best for their children – that’s why we should leave it up to the government and the church.” REALLY???

The film is intended to be disconcerting and that, it is. It is a must-see for all so that we may learn from the past so we can move forward mindfully.

Here is further description taken from the VIFF Programme:

VIFF 2022 Opening Film

In these troubled and lopsided times, we need our storytellers to help us understand our inheritance, be it pain or privilege, and to lay the intellectual and emotional groundwork not only for reconciliation, but for reparation and restoration. Vancouver-born Dene/Métis writer-director Marie Clements (whose previous films The Road Forward and Red Snow have been part of VIFF’s year-round and festival programming) squares up to the challenge with this bold, necessarily harrowing tale of oppression and resilience which spans the greater part of the 20th century.

Aline Spears (played at different ages by Grace Dove, Summer Testawich, and Carla Rae) is a happy, gifted child, until she and her siblings are removed to a residential school. The scars of that experience will run deep through the remainder of their days, though it will not be the only time that official government policy will act as an instrument of abuse and trauma. Despite this, Aline enlists in WWII, where, ironically, her fluency in Cree becomes a national asset. The reward for her service is yet more anguish and struggle.

This is a tough film, but it has epic ambition, deep-rooted conviction, anger, and urgency. Clements is not afraid to make provocative and important connections, and she marshals an outstanding cast of Indigenous actors with care and compassion.

This program contains scenes that may distress some viewers, especially those who have experienced harm, abuse, violence, and/or intergenerational trauma due to colonial practices.

Support is available 24 hours a day for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools and for those who may be triggered by content dealing with residential schools, child abuse, emotional trauma, and racism. The national Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419.

About VIFF | viff.org

Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at the VIFF Centre. VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen.

Film Reviews

HAPPY 40th to VIFF!

How convenient and nice of the Vancouver International Film Festival to let us stream most of the 2021 movies, documentaries, short films + animations from the comfort of home. But what was really wonderful after such a long hiatus, was to be able to view these amazing films in person “in-cinema.” Seems like a long time.

Highlights:

VIFF could not have been more excited to roll out the red carpet this year with Special Presentations that were a cause for celebration. The scope of work that was showcased was simply phenomenal, featuring auteurs like Terence Davies and Kenneth Branagh; stars such as Tilda Swinton and Benedict Cumberbatch; and a spectrum of stories ranging from intimate human dramas to towering historic narratives.

**Belfast** is a 2021 *British-Irish* black-and-white coming of age comedy-drama film written and directed by **Kenneth Branagh.**

Special Presentations included one world premiere, one Canadian premiere, and the latest addition to the VIFF lineup: The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion, which focuses on the charismatic rancher Phil Burbank who inspires fear and awe in those around him until his brother brings home a new wife and her son, tormenting them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love; starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Additional highlights included the world premiere of The Sanctity of Space by Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson, which follows the directors as they traverse Denali National Park and uncover the story of pioneering photographer and cartographer Bradford Washburn; the Canadian premiere of Red Rocket by Sean Baker (The Florida Project), a luminous, seriocomic fable about America’s underclass through the eyes of a washed-up porn star in Texas; and Memoria by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the director’s first film in English starring Tilda Swinton as an expat orchid grower in Colombia with a strange malady.

**Power of the Dog** – Jane Campion, Australia/New Zealand, 2021. In her strongest movie since The Piano, Jane Campion turns the machismo of the Western film on its head. **Benedict Cumberbatch** is the tyrannical cattle rancher at war with his own brother (Jesse Plemons) in this stark, revelatory drama.

The only animation I screened was Lamya’s Poem, the animated feature whose voice cast includes Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Millie Davis (Wonder) and Faran Tahir (Iron Man).

The film charts the story of a 12-year-old Syrian refugee who is given a book of poetry of classic 13th-century Persian poet, Rumi. As the perils of her journey mount, the book becomes a magical gateway. It was amazingly well executed.

I followed that with Disney blockbuster “Cruella” featuring the two “Emma’s” – Stone and Thompson – both outstanding if you haven’t already seen it. Reminded me of “The Devil Wears Prada.” This was not part of the VIFF lineup; but it made me ponder the notion of having watched an excellent animation that was based on a real person with historical fact followed by a movie acted out by real people that was based on animated fiction.

We hope you join us next year. In the meantime you might be able to catch “best of the fest” at https://viff.org/Online/default.asp

Film Reviews

I Care, A Lot

I’m just here to help… because movies are one of life’s little pleasures and if they include a message… all the better. This movie certainly does.

Rosamund Pike just won the Golden Globe for best actress in a Musical or Comedy. I Care, A Lot is a new black comedy (now showing on Netflix in the USA & Amazon Prime in Canada). The trailer piqued my interest. That and knowing that both Dianne Wiest and Peter Dinklage are supporting actors in this timely movie. In fact, just saw a news story last night about eerily reminiscent misconducts in care homes addressed in the film.

In light of a recent conversation between my boyfriend and my brother and the fact that so few people are making effort to question or think about what they are being told, sometimes the best way to get them to think is to talk about a film.

Films are often ways to reach people who are trying to “escape” their reality… which is to say, to be entertained without having to think. But whether we like it or not, films actually do make us think about topics we might not otherwise ever think about, whether it be the drug smuggling trade (Queen of the South, Narcos and El Chapo), the espionage world (e.g. James Bond and the Bourne trilogy of films), the world of grief and loss (Manchester by the Sea), or the fanciful world of royalty and privilege (The Queen, The Crown series, the Downtown Abbey series), or the world of high finance (e.g. the series Billions, and the films Wall Street, the Wolf of Wall Street, and the Big Short…)

What they all have in common is that they transport us into a world that allows us to better feel what it would be like to be in that world.

What the “I care a Lot” film is about is just how ruthless the “care” business can be. And this doesn’t just apply to vulnerable seniors. It also applies to doctors and the medical profession. That’s what the film Patch Adams with Robin Williams was about.

There are two types of people in this world. Predators and Prey!

This has implications for how our society is reacting to Covid. We tend not to question government because we think governments always have our best interests in mind. But if you don’t realize that the policy-making apparatus within so many government departments has been so captured by large corporate players, that it’s easy for them to pervert the science so they can make money. The end point are products unleashed into the market place that have been insufficiently scrutinized.

Peter Dinklage in I Care, A Lot – Neflix

This is what the back-story of “I care a Lot” is all about. It’s about trusting people and officials who are great at giving the impression that they really care, where in reality, their talking the talk is little more than marketing schmooze designed to get we the consumers to buy their questionably reliable products and/or services. This is what sets us up for maximum exploitation.

You can change the world if you care enough. But you can also change the world if you don’t care enough.

Here’s the Trailer:

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1114947865?playlistId=tt9893250&ref_=tt_ov_vi