By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) An engaging character study that affectively explores the fine line between genius and madness, Pawn Sacrifice is simply a solidly crafted biopic and historical drama. Back in 1972, Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) was on top of the world, a young prodigy from Brooklyn who rose to fame to become one… Read More Review: Pawn Sacrifice

By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Perhaps the most interesting thing that could be said about Before We Go, the directorial debut of Chris Evans, is that nobody would have expected the actor behind Captain America to make such a corny and predictable romance. After Brooke (Alice Eve) misses the last train of the… Read More Review: Before We Go

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) When it comes to pointing out the foibles of this generation, and poking holes in the carefully manicured personas that people build for themselves, there are few more vital voices in filmmaking right now than that of writer-director Noah Baumbach, the modern master of heartfelt social satire. Having… Read More Review: Mistress America

By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Jason Bourne on drugs was probably the original log line that screenwriter Max Landis sent to the studio for American Ultra, and what little plot this late summer action comedy does have is pretty basic and also kind of stupid. Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is a well meaning but… Read More Review: American Ultra

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) The title of The Gift, a psychological thriller that ratchets up a considerable amount of suspense as the intentions of its characters are slowly revealed, takes on different meaning throughout.  It’s these constantly evolving mind games that keep us gripped to this thematically rich and surprisingly smart film, a nail biter… Read More Review: The Gift

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, the fifth and latest entry into the long running series, follows all the check points of the previous franchise entries.  We’ve got a tangled web of a plot that involves lots of double crossings and surprise twists, witty banter between the characters, and… Read More Review: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Who knew that one of the best “protecting the American president” films would come from Finland?  But Big Game is a lot of fun, and more than able to hold its own alongside many of the summer blockbusters being released.  After premiering during Midnight Madness at TIFF last… Read More Review: Big Game

By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) Among the best films from last year’s festival circuit was Infinitely Polar Bear, an excellent independent dramedy that did the rounds of Sundance and TIFF, but is only being released now.  This is one of the most honest and bighearted portraits of an unique family that I have ever seen,… Read More Review: Infinitely Polar Bear

By John Corrado ★★ (out of 4) Probably the best scene in Ted 2 comes right near the beginning of this raunchy comedy sequel.  The plushy title star (Seth MacFarlane) has just gotten married to his girlfriend Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), giving way to a perfectly choreographed musical number that is equal parts Busby Berkeley and Easter… Read More Review: Ted 2

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) The original Jurassic Park is one of those films that rewired me as a kid.  I must have been about eight years old when I first saw Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic, and even just watching it on a small television screen in the middle of a summer afternoon,… Read More Review: Jurassic World

By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) Leaving the screening of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I declared that this is already one of my favourite movies, something that the publicists seemed delighted to hear.  I was literally feeling abuzz from the film, and I’m sure my excitement was palpable. Now that might… Read More Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

By John Corrado ★★★½ (out of 4) Through outstanding performances from Paul Dano and John Cusack, who both portray Brian Wilson at two crucial moments in his career, Love & Mercy offers an excellent biopic of the legendary musical genius and Beach Boys frontman.  After premiering at TIFF, the film opens in limited release this weekend. The film… Read More Review: Love & Mercy

By John Corrado ★★★★ (out of 4) George Miller is seventy years old, but Mad Max: Fury Road feels like the work of a director half that age.  The Australian filmmaker has raised the bar so high with this exhilarating continuation of his now legendary original trilogy, that that he’s created a whole new level… Read More Review: Mad Max: Fury Road

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) Maybe it’s just that I have a soft spot for movies about film critics, or can admittedly somewhat relate to the title character, but I really enjoyed Ben’s At Home, a micro budget picture that offers big rewards.  After winning the award for Best Feature at the Canadian Film… Read More Review: Ben’s At Home

By John Corrado ★★★ (out of 4) What exactly constitutes a “good kill?”  And is there even such a thing as one, or are these two fundamentally different words just put together to try and justify war and conflict?  With drone warfare becoming an increasingly more common tactic in the arsenal of tools used by… Read More Review: Good Kill