[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Special Actors’ is a sweet-hearted but predictable comedy

The movie delivers a series of slapstick scenes with increasingly frantic stakes, and it’s a lot of fun to watch the fictional acting troupe carrying out their plans. But despite how often the film focuses on Kazuto and his condition, the bare sketch of its origins makes it hard to sympathize with him.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowOctober 5, 2020special actors, shin'ichirô ueda, one cut of the dead, 2020, comedy, viff, viff 2020, reviewComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: Hands up for 'Another Round'

Thankfully, there’s no hammer-over-the-head moment that blasts what the four buddies have done, but their overindulgence does extract a fairly heavy cost. Credit goes to Vinterberg, who finds the right balance in showing how drinking can reduce barriers and bring people together, but also how much destruction it can cause.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 4, 2020another round, mads mikkelsen, thomas vinterberg, magnus millang, drinking, alcoholism, comedy, review, viff 2020, viff, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'Falling' sends you into the abyss but never quite pulls you back out

Even though John and Willis have a big cathartic fight that leads to an emotional embrace, it doesn’t feel like there’s a higher level of understanding between the two characters to be attained. Mortensen the director is reaching for this one moment where a strained father-son relationship could be understood, but that moment never quite comes.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 3, 2020falling, viggo mortensen, lance henriksen, laura linney, terry chen, drama, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'My Salinger Year' thankfully doesn't last that long

There are various moments throughout the film where I was left scratching my head, to the point where I wasn’t quite sure how to tie everything together for this review. But I kept coming back to these five main points where the film either missed the mark or left me absolutely bewildered.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenOctober 1, 2020my salinger year, j.d. salinger, margaret qualley, sigourney weaver, drama, literature, viff 2020, viff, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Tales of the Lockdown’ won’t outlast the pandemic

Some credit has to be given to the filmmakers for the constraints they worked under: tight spaces, entry-level equipment, stringent health and safety protocols. But most of the stories still feel overly rushed, with unconvincing characters and scenarios that don’t rise beyond what’s been posted on platforms like TikTok or Twitter during this time.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowSeptember 30, 2020tales of the lockdown, spain, 2020, viff 2020, viff, short film, film, movies, review, comedy, thrillerComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness' should deliver a lot more

Director Massoud Bakhshi felt it necessary to introduce several twists to the story, and it’s debatable if it added any more tension or identity to the characters. Did we really need further explanation why Mona had such a vested interest in her father’s empire? Did we really need that twist to further root for Maryam?

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 29, 2020yalda, a night for forgiveness, sadaf asgari, behnaz jafari, massoud bakhshi, drama, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, film, legalComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'My Prince Edward' is no fairy tale, but it's still a good one

It’s clear that Fong is unhappy with Edward, and Edward is similarly unmotivated in making any changes to their lives, but there’s little recourse either way because they have little financial and political means to drastically change their futures. Rather than watching the characters meander around the streets of Hong Kong, Edward and Fong’s cramped apartment forces them to confront their problems.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 27, 2020my prince edward, stephy tang, chu pak-hong, norris wong, film, movies, review, viff 2020, viff, dramaComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘The Reason I Jump’, a sensory-immersion documentary on autism

It’s the movie’s sound design and editing that makes you take notice; to try to replicate how autistic people process the world, amplifying and fixating on certain details, the filmmakers use extreme close-ups and precise, overwhelming sound mixing. The real experience of autism may well remain beyond what movies can convey, but this is the closest I’ve seen any project come.

Film, New ReleasesRobert SnowSeptember 26, 2020the reason I jump, autism, jerry rothwell, documentary, naoki higashida, viff, viff 2020, review, movies, filmComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: ‘Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game’ probably happened on a Tuesday

There’s some genuinely funny moments that’s part Napoleon Dynamite and part The Breakfast Club, but there’s a lack of an overarching arc to tie it altogether. I guess ETBDAHSBG’s supposed to be a slice of life and represent an awkward yet normal day of high school, but perhaps that’s why it’s not very engaging. It feels like a bunch of forgettable SNL skits cobbled together, and there are times where it just drags.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 25, 2020high school basketball game, events transpiring, calgary, 1999, 2020, canadian, ted stenson, andrew phung, paul cowling, viff, viff 2020, reviewComment

[VIFF 2020] REVIEW: 'A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad's an Alcoholic' provides laughs and tears

A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is a funny and touching look at what happens when self-destruction pulls everyone down. Based on a semi-autobiographical web comic by Mariko Kikuchi, director Kenji Katagiri’s sensitive touch and ability to mix humour with the dark depths of human emotion elevates this film above your usual melodramatic fare.

Film, New ReleasesJason ChenSeptember 24, 2020a life turned upside down, kenji katagiri, comedy, manga, alcoholism, tragedy, japan, viff, viff 2020, Mariko KikuchiComment

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