Given the subject matter, The Apprentice has been a lightning rod for controversy. But how is it as a movie? PLOT: A depiction of the early days of Donald Trump’s (Sebastian Stan) business empire and how his friendship with Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) paved the way for his rise to power. REVIEW: The Apprentice is … Read more
A year ago, I wrote about the real challenges the Toronto International Film Festival has faced in trying to reclaim its spot at the top of the fall festival events. With the ascendance of both Venice and Telluride over the last decade, as well as the one-two punch of the COVID lockdown and the WGA/SAG strikes that … Read more
I didn’t do much in the way of Midnight Madness writing this year. Not only am I going to get my fill of genre stuff at Fantastic Fest this week, but we had the great Monica Castillo on “The Substance” and Zachary Lee hit a few other scary flicks with mostly positive reviews. However, I … Read more
The end of my movie road in Toronto this year resulted in a mixed bag of three films that can’t really be connected thematically, so consider this a randomly assembled trio of films that you should watch for if they ever appear on your cinematic radar. The best of the three is Karen Graham’s tender … Read more
Last week, in the center of the Toronto International Film Festival, an awards show unfolded that was among the most prestigious and star-studded of the year. Oscar winners took the stage with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time. All of the presenters and award winners arrived in Toronto with new works to … Read more
Three films that feel like they could be in the conversation come awards season comprise this Toronto International Film Festival dispatch of second takes on flicks we already hit at Karlovy Vary and Venice, led by further proof that Nicole Kidman is one of our best working actresses, a performer who has always been fearlessly … Read more
In the Toronto International Film Festival’s documentary section, stories about fighting for one’s beliefs, dreams, and survival sit side-by-side on the schedule. From near and afar, cameras give the audience an up close and personal view of issues and topics we may only skim across in headlines. The lens puts a face, a name, and … Read more
There’s something twisty in the air. There were a number of films at TIFF this year that were designed to keep viewers on their toes, turning in so many different directions that I heard all three of the films in this dispatch referred to as “silly” by at least one fellow critic. The funny thing … Read more
By nature of their logistics, film festivals always come with innate frights (accidentally going to the wrong theater for your screening, anything and everything related to Ticketmaster) but watching Midnight Madness films is a guaranteed way to be entertained even while being spooked. Even when the cinema genre is a known type, it’s exciting to … Read more
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night Live movie is frenzied and chaotic – just like the show itself. PLOT: In the ninety minutes before the live airing of the first episode of Saturday Night Live, a young Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) desperately tries to keep NBC from pulling the plug while dealing with a cast, writers and … Read more