#TIFF19 Review: The Obituary of Tunde Johnson (Discovery)

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) On the night that he finally comes out to his parents, high schooler Tunde Johnson (Steven Silver) is driving to his boyfriend Soren’s (Spencer Neville) birthday party, when he is shot and killed by police during a traffic stop. Then he wakes up in his own bed, and… Read More #TIFF19 Review: The Obituary of Tunde Johnson (Discovery)

#TIFF19 Review: Ford v Ferrari (Gala Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Directed by James Mangold, following up his dark and brilliant X-Men spinoff Logan, Ford v Ferrari is a solid piece of entertainment that feels muscular in its construction. The film is based on the true story of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a race car driver whose career got cut… Read More #TIFF19 Review: Ford v Ferrari (Gala Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: Jojo Rabbit (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Satire is a tricky thing to properly pull off, but New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi succeeds in his latest film Jojo Rabbit, an original and daring World War II satire that is equal parts funny and moving. The main character is Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis),… Read More #TIFF19 Review: Jojo Rabbit (Special Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: The Aeronauts (Gala Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) Set in London of 1862, The Aeronauts tells the story of James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne), a pioneering meteorologist who believes he will be able to use changes in sky temperatures to predict the weather, making him the laughing stock of the scientific community at the time. Determined to… Read More #TIFF19 Review: The Aeronauts (Gala Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: Frankie (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) Françoise Crémont (Isabelle Huppert), affectionately referred to as Frankie, is an aging French actress who invites her family and friends to a sprawling villa in Sintra, Portugal for a vacation together that could end up being their last. There’s her son Paul (Jérémie Renier), current husband Jimmy (Brendan… Read More #TIFF19 Review: Frankie (Special Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Gala Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is a cynical journalist who is assigned to write a short magazine profile of Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), the star of the TV show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. While Lloyd initially scoffs at having to interview a children’s entertainer, he forms a bond with Mr.… Read More #TIFF19 Review: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Gala Presentations)

Blu-ray Review: Aladdin: The Signature Collection

By John Corrado Timed to coincide with the home entertainment release of their new live action remake, Disney is rereleasing their 1992 animated classic Aladdin on Blu-ray as part of the Signature Collection this week. Featuring Robin Williams in one of his most iconic roles as the voice of the Genie, a staggeringly brilliant and… Read More Blu-ray Review: Aladdin: The Signature Collection

#TIFF19 Review: The Friend (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) The title of The Friend refers to Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel), the longtime best friend of journalist Matthew Teague (Casey Affleck) and his wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson). Dane first met Nicole when they were working together at a small theatre, and despite him initially asking her out, Dane… Read More #TIFF19 Review: The Friend (Special Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: The Truth (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) The first film that director Hirokazu Kore-eda has made outside of his native Japan, The Truth follows Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve), a veteran French actress who has just published an autobiography. The release of this book prompts Fabienne’s screenwriter daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche) to visit her in Paris, travelling… Read More #TIFF19 Review: The Truth (Special Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: Hope Gap (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★½ (out of 4) Grace (Annette Bening) and Edward (Bill Nighy) are an old married couple who bicker constantly, but have stayed together for over thirty years. Edward is very quiet, and Grace is neurotic by nature, which makes their relationship somewhat volatile. In her attempts to elicit the sort of emotional… Read More #TIFF19 Review: Hope Gap (Special Presentations)

#TIFF19 Review: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is an 18th century artist who is commissioned to paint a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), ahead of her arranged marriage to a Milanese businessman. Héloïse is resisting the marriage, and doesn’t want to be painted, so her mother (Valeria Golino) has hired Marianne to… Read More #TIFF19 Review: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Special Presentations)