By John Corrado In her heartwarming and heartfelt dramedy Rental Family, director Hikari explores the Japanese industry of “rental families;” actors that can be hired to play the roles of family members and friends for lonely people. It’s a concept perhaps foreign to Western audiences, but one that, in her film at least, is an… Read More #TIFF50 Review: Rental Family (Special Presentations)
By John Corrado In her narrative debut Meadowlarks, Canadian filmmaker Tasha Hubbard adapts her 2017 documentary Birth of a Family into a deeply moving family drama. The film follows four Cree siblings – brother Anthony (Michael Greyeyes, delivering one of his finest performances) and his three sisters Connie (Carmen Moore), Gwen (Michelle Thrush), and Marianne… Read More #TIFF50 Review: Meadowlarks (Special Presentations)
By John Corrado A companion piece to the cinematic spectacle of his excellent 2022 biopic Elvis, Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert answers the question of what a Luhrmann-directed documentary looks like. We get the flurry of flashy images, editing, and title cards, with Luhrmann delivering all the visual razzle-dazzle we expect.… Read More #TIFF50 Review: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Special Presentations)
By John Corrado I Swear is an enjoyable biographical drama based on the life story of John Davidson, a man living with Tourette’s syndrome, who became an early pioneer in helping bring awareness to the neurological disorder. The film opens with John (played by Robert Aramayo) receiving an award from the Queen in recognition of… Read More #TIFF50 Review: I Swear (Centrepiece)
By John Corrado In his film Bad Apples, Swedish director Jonatan Etzler fully commits to a tricky tonal tightrope walk between drama, thriller, darkest of dark comedies, and barn-burner of a satire. It will polarize viewers, but is also completely engaging if you are able to get on its wavelength. Saoirse Ronan stars in the… Read More #TIFF50 Review: Bad Apples (Special Presentations)
The Joy of Movies 