Cinephilia
CINEPHILIA: An off-the-leash look at man’s best friend
July 11, 2016The Secret Life of Pets is easily distracted and prone to tangents, like a dog that suddenly chases after a ball. Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, The Secret Life of Pets imagines what your domesticated critters are doing while you’re away. The story centers on Max, an only pet whose owner rescues a stray dog, forcing the pampered terrier to share his space. When Max and his new roommate Duke get lost and picked up by an underground group of stray animals, they have to find their way back home before their owner returns from work. What makes…
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CINEPHILIA: Wiener-Dog is trapped in its own matter-of-factness
July 4, 2016Todd Solondz, the director of cringe-comedies like Happiness and Storytelling, observes the world without corrective lenses. Movies can project idealized images, but Solondz sees things as they are. His films are about the messy pieces in life and how they…
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CINEPHILIA: The Nice Guys ultimate dumb buddy cop film
June 13, 2016Ryan Gosling, as famous for his abs as for his acting, can mount character-driven indies on his ripped shoulders like a nouveau Brando. He can be charming like Clooney or evoke an existential crisis with the mere words “I drive,”…
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CINEPHILIA: Sing Street is nostalgic and clichéd but doesn’t give a damn about it
May 9, 2016You can feel the endorphins rushing to your brain watching Sing Street. It’s like the sweet-spot of a run when you only feel the euphoria, a drug trip right before the freefall, or an orgasm that lasts nearly two hours.…
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CINEPHILIA: Chi-Raq’s vignettes are filled with human worth
April 4, 2016In the opening minutes of Chi-Raq, a title card informs us that since 2001, more Americans have died on Chicago streets than in the Iraq War, the results of gang violence perpetuated by poverty and a government that has neglected…
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CINEPHILIA: Terrence Malick is a divisive visionary
March 29, 2016If you’ve ever seen a film by Terrence Malick, director of elusive films such as The Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line, and Days of Heaven, you know about his ‘Twirling Women.’ Malick’s fragmented female characters are often depicted…
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CINEPHILIA: Zootopia and London Has Fallen highlight America’s ideological divide
March 14, 2016While Republicans and Democrats debated for Super Tuesday votes, another battle was about to be fought at the multiplex. Few weeks at the cinema have reflected America’s ideological divide more than March 4, which saw the release of Zootopia and…
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The Wave redefines the disaster movie
March 8, 2016On any given year, Hollywood pumps out a dozen or so disaster movies. Terrorist attacks, alien invasions, or natural disasters loom, all of which are only visible to a select few people who have to save the world. Strained logic,…
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CINEPHILIA: The Little Prince goes beyond the standard adaptation
March 7, 2016When I read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince in grade seven, it had no impact on me at the time. The book isn’t really for children. It’s an adult story told with the boisterous spirit of a child, meant…
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CINEPHILIA: Triple 9 is unconventionally stunning
February 29, 2016Grimy, dark movies don’t get enough credit. Examining this year’s best cinematography nominations, including Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, and Sicario, there seems to be a widespread misconception that traditional beauty defines the worth of…
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