Beans Review: An Immensely Powerful Coming-of-Age Story Set Against Oka Crisis of 1990 | TIFF 2020

Working as both a necessary history lesson as well as standing alone as a startling work of storytelling, Beans, directed by Tracey Deer, is a film that will stick to you like glue. Immersive and painful to watch without ever…

Wolfwalkers Review: A Visually Stunning Tale | TIFF 2020

The latest from Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells director Tomm Moore, along with Ross Stewart sharing directing duties, is a visual feast. Wolfwalkers may not hit at the same level of emotional poignancy as Moore’s previous…

Shiva Baby Review: A Hilarious but Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Story | TIFF 2020

There’s an intense amount of anxiety that comes along with any type of large family function, from holidays to birthdays or even funerals – I myself tend to break out in hives. That heightened anxiety is caught with clarity and…

Under the Open Sky Review: Miwa Nishikawa’s Latest is an Empathetic Study on the Ability to Grow | TIFF 2020

At first glance, Mikami is an unassuming protagonist. Played by Koji Yakusho, his face is lined with age and perpetually downtrodden, his shoulders hunched in a way that shrinks the man instantly. An ex-yakuza member (though he’d rather label himself…

One Night in Miami Review: Kingsley Ben-Adir is Superb in Regina King’s Powerful Film About Legends | TIFF 2020

Regina King makes waves. Between her Oscar winning role in If Beale Street Could Talk to her powerful play in the HBO series Watchmen, her choices are growing increasingly iconic. What better story to pick then as her feature film…

The Way I See It Review: A Flawed but Timely Portrait of the Man Who Documented the Obama Administration | TIFF 2020

There’s no denying the impact of Dawn Porter’s documentary about photographer Pete Souza, The Way I See It. Most famous for his work as the chief photographer of the Obama administration, Souza stands a fine, dignified figure as the centerpiece…

‘Burning’ Review: Lee Chang-dong’s Newest Masterpiece is Haunting and Magnificent | TIFF 2018

How complacent are we in our ability, or lack thereof, to retain memory in the fashion in which it is materialized? How complicit are we when inability to see past our own desires, our own justifications and belief systems leads…