“Everything I learned I learned from the movies.”
― Audrey Hepburn
The humble mini reviews of 50 films this one critic screened during SIFF 2015 -- so here is the bottom half of this overly comprehensive list, ranking the worst (#50) movie all the way to the some beautiful storytelling (#26).
Superbly acted and rich with subtext, this is a melancholic existential crisis and cynical meta-take on the nature of celebrity anchored by a pair of stellar performances.
An "Avengers" movie featuring HYDRA, Ultron (one of the great Marvel Comics villains of all time) and the Hulkbuster armor in full action should be better than "good."
The full slate of films that will screen during the 41st annual festival has been released and tickets go on sale today.
The focused, thought-provoking and compelling science fiction drama "Ex Machina" is arguably the best film released this spring, could end up the best sci-fi of the year and will absolutely be in the "best movies of 2015" discussion.
Just as the supernatural horror and "found footage" genres began to feel stale, then comes along the creative and unexpectedly refreshing "Unfriended," a movie that will surely rank among the best of the "found footage" sub-genre.
Director Noah Baumbach has tackled the coming-of-age teen years ("The Squid and the Whale") and the arrested development of modern twentysomethings ("Frances Ha") -- and his latest film takes on a full-on midlife and existential crisis.
The latest entry in the "Fast and Furious" series continues the franchise's unlikely trend of somehow improving with each new flick.
One of the most interesting exercises in cinematic storytelling, the trio of "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" feature films, tracks the wrong side of a romance from his and her perspectives.
This indie horror flick absolutely capitalizes on its refreshing premise - itself a meta-swipe against the countless dull slashers that stigmatized casual sex - and brilliantly executes a tense, innovative and piece of American cinema.
There are worse and more cloying young adult film adaptations out there, but "Insurgent" sets a new disappointing baseline for lazy YA movies.
"Chappie," the latest film from director Neill Blomkamp ("District 9"), is a frustrating, soulless and heavy-handed AI tale.
Shouldn't a movie whose core subject matter is the racy, brow-raising world of BDSM be more ... exciting ... on any level?
This is a rich tapestry of dreams, love, resentment and all the ups and downs of a doomed relationship.
Despite its over-the-top premise, "The Interview" is essentially a bromance between two buddies -- packed with a lot of poop and gay jokes.
The unnecessarily bloated "Hobbit" trilogy comes to a merciful - if mildly entertaining - conclusion
The fact this movie exists is pretty confusing -- there simply are not enough plot points in "Mockingjay - Part 1" or compelling set-up for the grand finale to justify this underwhelming penultimate sequel.
There's virtually no important plot -- at best, it's a slightly warmed-over version of the original "Dumb and Dumber" plot (road trip to find girl, return item to her).
"Interstellar" is a masterfully crafted film rooted in exciting scientific ideas and based in essentially a love story - but it suffers a number of structural weaknesses.
