Tom at the Farm (C+)
As I have said time and again, I love Xavier Dolan‘s work and while the “C+” review may suggest this isn’t a very good film, I would just as soon watch Tom at the Farm again as I would many of the film’s I give B’s and higher. Hence, why I always tell people to pay as little attention to the grade as possible. I don’t write 800-1,000-word reviews for my health.
Tom at the Farm is a departure from the kind of films we’ve come to expect from Xavier Dolan and while I’m prepared to watch anything he makes, this isn’t his best effort.
Parkland (D)
Parkland was a pretty big disappointment as I thought the idea of focusing on the peripheral players surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a good idea, but this just seemed like a wacky ensemble piece that didn’t know what it was trying to do.
Parkland misses its target by a wide margin as it attempts to tell the story of the Kennedy assassination from a variety of vantage points, none of which are given enough room to breathe in a world where the director is entirely out of his league.
Prisoners (B+)
I walked out of Prisoners comparing it, in my mind, to David Fincher’s Zodiac and Se7en. In my review I only used the Zodiac comparison because I felt to include both would be a little misleading. Even the Zodiac comparison is a little misleading, but it definitely has that dark, procedural feeling of Fincher’s film along with some great performances and striking photography.
Prisoners is likely to be one of the darkest films you’ll see all year as a kidnapping narrative is taken to some unexpected places and done so with powerful performances, masterful directing and talent from all corners.
Dallas Buyers Club (A)
I really, really liked this movie and think my statement saying it “sells compassion over fear” is the best overall descriptor. It doesn’t turn AIDS into a villain as much as it focuses on the story’s heroes. I have a lot of respect for such an approach as focusing on people dying in hospital beds is a far easier way to go.
Dallas Buyers Club is an absolute knockout with a pair of fantastic performances as director Jean-Marc Vallée sells compassion over fear and succeeds in most every way.
The Railway Man (B)
The Railway Man is something of an older sibling to Fiennes’ The Invisible Woman, both are told in rather traditional ways, but Railway Man just ends up being a slightly better film. Those looking for a strong Kidman performance here should know her character is only a minor portion of the story with Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine (playing the younger version of Firth’s character) dominate the story with Tanroh Ishida and Hiroyuki Sanada also playing strong contributors.
The Railway Man is another traditionally told period piece, but the elegant nature in which it’s told and performed elevates this story of revenge, retribution and reconciliation to heightened levels.
The Double (D+)
I’m not sure there is much middle ground for this one. Richard Ayoade has made a film that will draw comparisons to Terry Gilliam and Michel Gondry, neither of which (as of late), have done much of anything to interest me. It also feels a little one note and repetitive. I can respect an aesthetic approach to a film, but make it about something more than the aesthetic please.
Richard Ayoade’s The Double is a very Gilliam-esque paranoid drama, relentless in its tiresome approach to the story of a man suffering an identity crisis. Many are going to like it… I didn’t.
Gravity (B+)
It’s funny, I got into a conversation on the street in Toronto about Gravity, which I quite enjoyed and have been telling people to go see, but I’m not all that interested in speaking about movies and trading back-and-forth feelings about “Wow” moments so I offered up a few things I didn’t particularly care for. The person I was talking to was looking at me all cross-eyed and bewildered until I said I actually liked the movie, to which they said, “Oh!” and moved on. Ugh, I guess we can only try and agree on everything and it’s only worth discussing what makes a film great and not challenging filmmakers to make something even better.
There’s no denying Gravity is a towering achievement and technological marvel with some of the most impressive filmmaking we’ve seen in some time, but some of the flaws stand out a little too much upon reflection.
