By John Corrado

New releases for the week of January 20th, 2023.

Theatrical Releases:

Living (Limited Release): A remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 classic Ikiru starring Bill Nighy and written by novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, Living is a really lovely and beautifully crafted old school drama that works to compliment the original. It’s a tender and deeply emotional film that is especially worth seeing for the wonderful, remarkably poignant work of Nighy, who seems poised to receive his first ever Oscar nomination for it next week. (Full Review)

The Son (Limited Release): Writer-director Florian Zeller’s much anticipated follow up to his Oscar-winning 2020 film The Father, The Son was sadly one of the most disappointing films to come out of last year’s TIFF. Hugh Jackman (whose early Oscar buzz has precipitously faded into oblivion) stars as a New York businessman who agrees to take in his troubled son (Zen McGrath). The result is a melodrama about teenage depression that falls surprisingly flat with its bland, soapy execution, and is a major step down from Zeller’s absolutely stellar The Father. (TIFF 2022 Review)

Saint Omer (TIFF Bell Lightbox): Documentary filmmaker Alice Diop’s narrative debut Saint Omer, a French legal drama and France’s official International Feature Oscar submission, didn’t really work for me despite the acclaim it has largely received. The film, which was inspired by a real 2016 court case, centres around a novelist (Kayije Kagame) who is watching the trial of a young mother (Guslagie Malanda) accused of killing her own daughter. Diop’s direction feels far too sterile and detached for a true story about a mother on trial for infanticide, and the performances are understated to the point of feeling flat. (Full Review)

More Releases: Missing (Wide), You People (Limited), Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (Limited), Ever Deadly (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema), Make Me Famous (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)

Streaming Releases:

Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? (Disney+): This documentary from director Anne McCabe follows singer, Tony Award-winning Broadway performer and Frozen star Idina Menzel as she goes on a sixteen show national tour, and prepares to realize her dream of performing at New York’s Madison Square Garden. A good choice on Disney Plus.

More Releases: Mission Majnu (Netflix)