Going into this movie, my first thought was “is this sequel really necessary?” I mean, the original Babysitter ended up being one of my favorite films of the year, along with having an insanely awesome ending! The cast delivered in all areas and we were introduced to the incredibly charming and badass Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Hollywood). So again, was this necessary? The answer is no. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t welcomed.
I first heard of Luca Guadagnino with 2016’s A Bigger Splash, a film that has been on my radar but still sadly hasn’t seen (will fix soon). His next two films hit me like bricks – Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria (the remake is the superior version, and I will die on this hill). Since Call Me By Your Name, Luca’s name has been everywhere including a Lord of The Flies adaptation, and also the Scarface film that the Coen Bros wrote. On top of that, he also co-wrote and directed 8 episodes for HBO. I’ve seen four of the eight episodes, and I am absolutely head over heels for his latest project.
To assume that our outlet is the only place anticipating a new Denis Villeneuve film would be a bald-faced lie. If one thing is for sure, Denis has been proving himself time and time again. He can handle the small and intimate incredibly well, but even on larger scale films like Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, he also makes absolute masterpieces. So, when it was announced he would be tackling Frank Herbert’s Dune, some people were unsure, but not us, not me.
Romantic comedies aren’t always my cup of tea. Too often they follow the same idea or story and it feels like they are just the same. But once a year, a little gem appears and takes me by storm. Last year, to me, that was the Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron lead Long Shot. This year, I am pretty sure that it will be The Broken Hearts Gallery. Is it perfect? No, but it just had so much heart and was hilarious. There’s something when you find a film that you go in thinking it will nothing more than a nice little comedy that will take your mind off your life but it becomes more and all of a sudden you find yourself dying of laughter one second and the next you are crying like a baby. That was The Broken Hearts Gallery for me.
Road trip movies are fun because it allows the filmmakers to explore their characters in situations that often we don’t find ourselves in. But they need to have interesting characters and relationships but also a premise that can be sustained. Summerland had potential and the acting and relationships are enough to make it something more, the problem is that Summerland can’t hit all the marks it needs too. It finds itself muddled into a story that never finds it’s footing and, quietly frankly, becomes boring when it should be entertaining.
I got to talk to the director of one of my favourite films coming out of Fantasia, Clapboard Jungle. A great inspiring documentary about the hardships of making a film. You can read my review here. And read our conversation now!
Maybe it says something to me that it felt like I very much needed a film that felt as brutal as this one (and that’s a discussion I should probably have with a therapist or something). But this was a film that I felt like I needed.
I’ve told a few people and I included this film in one of the films I was most looking forward to, and I’m so excited to say that it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. This may be one of my new favourites of the year.
In 2018, I reviewed Our House and I fell in love. Not during my first watch, but it welcomed me back again and again. It was a film based in real fears and emotions and in my review, I stated that while it wasn’t filled with scares, I was scared of some of the things in it. Also, it was clear that Anthony Scott Burns was fascinated with science in regards to his films. And the same can very much be said about his latest, Come True.
This happens with every festival really, you watch too many, you lose sleep, and then you almost lose excitement as the films bleed into one another. But, hopefully, if you’re lucky, you’ll find a movie that will energize and be reminded why you were once excited for this festival in the first place. And friends, that movie is Bao Tran’s The Paper Tigers.
Another film that I was super excited for, but also, a film that seemed to miss the mark, not by much, but just a bit.
