The less you know going into The Lodge, the better. This psychological thriller is best enjoyed in a state-of-mind where the surprises can come swiftly. I’m not going to get into the details and nuances of the plot, but to say it has elements of heaven and hell, fire and brimstone, and explores death, the…

Les Misérables is set in a tense suburb of Paris, where anti-criminality police push against the violent gangs around and the young criminals in the making. And yet, the greatest problem the film faces is for all the grit it shows, we’ve seen this all before and we’ve seen it done better. This story of…

It’s the most adorable FIN film I’ve seen four days into the festival, and I need to say Jeune Juliette is a favourite of mine this year. This breezy — yet endlessly entertaining and topical — French coming-of-age comedy has some of the most wonderful characters I’ve seen on screen in a while. Juliette is…

The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open is a quiet, shining gem of a movie that thrives on the performances of the two female leads. Director-writer-lead Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is fantastic here as Aila, a young woman who encounters Indigenous Rosie crying and barefoot on a city street. After being abused by her boyfriend, Aila…

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up is a breathtaking portrayal of the senseless killing of young Cree man Colton Boushie. Winner of the Best Canadian Feature honour at Hot Docs 2019, it tells the story of injustice in a 100-year-old Saskatchewan justice system, systemic racism, and the difficulty of letting the courts decide. Boushie died from…

Have you ever been made fun of because you’re different? Ever been forced to hide your bright demeanour because others might not approve? Then this film is for you. Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, it’s a sparkling portrayal of the lives of four child drag superstars in the…

This film is one of the most intense, gorgeous portrayals of forbidden love to ever hit the screen. This French-language piece lands us in Brittany, on an isolated island during the 1800’s. A female painter has been commissioned to complete a wedding portrait of a young woman, who is totally unwilling to pose. Marianne begins…

This re-imagining of the post-Vietnam War kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst is inspired, but misses its mark by a longshot. Writer-director Semi Chellas was a writer on the episodic Mad Men, and yet, the tight-knit, introspective nature of that show is lost to a meandering plot in American Woman. It has too much going on…

What Pauline Kael thought of your movie could make or break it. Lauded and hated at the same time, directors either wished for her praise or totally ignored her. This polarizing film lover is the subject of this documentary, and the story of her life and work is nothing short of astounding. Kael was a…

Director Justin Oakey has been one to watch since his blood feud family drama Riverhead hit FIN two years ago. His pot-boiler slow-burn style is deeply effective, and he gives his actors room to breathe. The way Oakey tells a story is weaving and purposed. Much in the same way I enjoyed Riverhead, A Fire…