film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: BRWC

  • The Most Famous Canadian Celebrities

    The Most Famous Canadian Celebrities

    The Most Famous Canadian Celebrities

    Canada is famous for many things: maple syrup, ice hockey, Northern lights and moose are the first things that come to mind. However, this beautiful country is also home to many celebrities.

    We list the most famous celebrities below. You will be surprised to hear that some of them are actually Canadian.

    Jim Carrey

    We are sure that Jim Carrey starred in at least one of the comedy movies you have watched both in the 90s and in the last 10 years. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), The Mask (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994) were the films that made this actor known worldwide. In the 2000s, we watched him in motion pictures such as Bruce Almighty (2003), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) and Yes Man (2008). Carry has also appeared in dramas such as The Truman Show (1998), Man on the Moon (1999) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). According to The Guardian, he is the “best actor not nominated for an Oscar”. 

    Jim Carrey was born in Toronto in 1962 and began applying for TV shows when he was only 10 years old. Among them is the Carol Burnett Show, which was quite famous at that time in Canada. He appeared on stage at Yuk Yuk, one of the most famous comedy clubs in Toronto, and caught the attention of comedian Rodney Dangerfield. He moved to Hollywood in the early ’80s and joined the Saturday Night Live cast. You know the rest of this story: Carrey is known today as one of the best slapstick comedians in the world.

    Daniel Negreanu

    A person doesn’t have to be seen on TV or star in movies to be famous: sometimes, being good enough at gambling can also make you known around the world. In this respect, Daniel Negreanu is one of the most famous poker players in the world and is treated like a star, especially in the United States. Negreanu was born in Toronto in 1974 and lived in Canada until the age of 21. Even as a high school student, he played poker with adults and gained a certain reputation. At the age of 21, he decided to continue his career in Las Vegas. What follows is a success story: in 1997, he was selected as the best all-around player in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals. At the age of 23, he became the youngest player to win the World Series of Poker bracelet and became known as “kid poker”. 

    Negreanu is one of the rare gamblers who won 6 WSOP bracelets during his professional career and earned nearly $21 million just by playing poker. You’ve also seen him in the movie X-Men Origins Wolverine: he was the player who played poker against Gambit. If you too want to try your luck at poker, don’t forget to take advantage of Vulkan Vegas bonuses (or focus on having an enjoyable experience by playing online slots with bonus).

    Keanu Reeves

    We don’t know what is special about Toronto, but the third celebrity on our list also grew up there. Although Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut in 1964, his family immigrated to Canada when he was a baby. Truth be told, this was a troubled childhood: his parents got divorced, his mother was constantly moving to different cities, and Reeves was expelled almost from all schools. At the age of 15, he had to make a decision about his career: Reeves was an extremely successful ice hockey player at the time, and he might even be selected for the Canadian Olympic Team. However, he was also interested in acting and had long hesitated about what career to pursue. 

    He made his decision at the age of 17: he left his high school education and immigrated to America. He has appeared in a couple of NBC series and some low-budget TV movies. He became famous with the “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” series in 1991 and showed that he could be an action star with his role in the movie “Point Break”. After films such as Speed ​​(1994), Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Chain Reaction (1996), he starred in the “Matrix” in 1999. This role made him a world-famous AAA actor. The new generation may know him from the “John Wick” franchise: Keanu seems to be returning to being an action hero again.

    William Shatner

    If you’re excited to hear “beam me up Scotty”, you also know who William Shatner is. If you don’t know what these words mean, we invite you to watch the original Star Trek series right away: you will thank us later. William Shatner, who became one of the most iconic stars in TV history with his role as Captain Kirk, was born in 1931 in Montreal. He studied classical Shakespearean acting at the Canadian National Repertory Theater. In other words, he was preparing to become a theater actor. 

    However, a producer who saw him on stage asked him to star in The Brothers Karamazov (1958), starring Yul Brynner. Until 1966, he appeared in many TV series and movies but did not have a regular job. In 1966, he was cast as Captain Kirk for Star Trek. Contrary to popular belief, Star Trek did not earn him a lot of money, and the show was canceled after 3 years because of the lack of interest. But Shatner has managed to take part in the TV series “T.J. Hooker” after Star Trek, and it was this series that saved his career.

    Years later, Star Trek attracted attention as a result of the efforts of a group of dedicated fans, and the production company chose to make the sequel as a series of movies. Shatner became famous as Captain Kirk thanks to these movies, not the original show. Although he has appeared in countless movies and TV series, everyone knows him as Captain Kirk today. 

    The Most Famous Canadian Celebrities

  • The Lennox Report: Review

    The Lennox Report: Review

    The Lennox Report: Review. By Luke Foulder-Hughes.

    The Lennox Report is a really interesting romantic short film made during the pandemic. It follows Kayla, as she gets to work with her colleague Mark as they become acquainted with one another. It was nice to see these things that we are all doing in lockdown represented on screen in an unconventional way, through separate ‘Whoosh’ calls. As well as this, the film discusses the ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests that occurred during lockdown, and sheds light on the importance of the movement, whilst still staying playful and enjoyable.

    My favourite thing about this film was the writing by Amanda Bright, who also plays Kayla. In a film made like this, the writing has to be perfect or it wouldn’t work, as we saw with the ‘Unfriended’ horror films. The Lennox Report was hilarious and felt natural most of the time, with very few exceptions to this, as sometimes the humour didn’t necessarily land as it may have been intended. However, this minor nitpick in a near flawless script is likely personal to the comedy I enjoy, and most of the jokes landed perfectly and were really funny.

    It’s also impressive how seamless the transition between humour and serious topics was pulled off, which is a tough feat to accomplish. As well as the excellent writing, Amanda Bright acted brilliantly, as did most of the cast. It was obvious that she wrote the character for herself as her performance seemed so natural and real.  Amit Shah gave a great performance as Mark, he was written to have depth and we feel for his character. Mark and Kayla are both interesting characters with motivations that are established well, which is difficult to pull off in only 34 minutes.

    The chemistry between all the actors in The Lennox Report was great, you could tell that the cast had spent time together on Zoom and knew each other well before filming, the interactions between the characters felt natural and real. Another thing I thought was great in this short film was the pacing, it was perfectly paced and the 34 minute runtime absolutely flew by in comparison to some other similar length shorts.

    This was helped by the fact that this short film was in general just really enjoyable and a fun time, mainly enforced by the writing and chemistry. A very minor problem I have is that I felt it did lack some personality, there was nothing from the direction that makes it stand out too much from the influx of films being created in this style during the pandemic.

    Personally, I steer clear of films that are shot through video calls, as they don’t really appeal to me, however The Lennox Report has changed my view of this, showing that they can be really fun times.

    I’m glad to have watched this, as it has broadened my horizons and I may start seeking out to find films that are made in a similar style to this, as it was a really fun time!

    Watch it here:

  • David: The BRWC Review

    David: The BRWC Review

    David: The BRWC Review. By Alif Majeed.

    You got to hand it to Will Ferrell as from time to time, he does attempts to surprise you. He might not always succeed, but he gets you by his side when it does. 

    What makes movies like A Deadly Adoption and Casa de Mi Padre so interesting is how he plays it straight with no nudging or winking at the audience. The first shot of David that you get of Will Farell looking stressed and disheveled. You see him as a tired therapist rather than a guy trying to show off his dramatic chops. William Jackson Harper, the titular David, is having a therapy session with Will when the latter’s son, (the other titular David, played by Fred Hechinger), barges in angrily demanding that he come for his wrestling match that is about to start in half an hour.

    The 10 minutes short perfectly portrays the relationship between the absentee father and his stubborn son. He is all too aware that his son’s wrestling stint is just the latest fad he got into, causing him to dismiss his aspirations. He is just too involved with his patients (or so he thinks) to prioritize his son’s latest whim.

    What pulls a tiny wedge in his plan, though, is David, (the son, not the patient), who has not realized his own half-hearted seriousness about his aspirations, which are his mere whims. But to him, it is a life or death situation where not being present at the bout almost amounts to an act of treason from his dad. 

    Will Ferrell and Fred Hechinger play off each other rather too well, with Fred going toe to toe with Will. You could argue that Fred has the showier role as the stubborn brat, but Farrell knows when to pull back and allows Fred to take center stage.

    Caught between the dueling father-son is William Harper, playing the exasperated patient who is mostly reacting to the duo. But a perfectly placed glance here or a throwaway line there from him helps push Will and Fred further in their story. He also gets the defining moment of the short when he, the one guy among the three with a potentially life-threatening disease, resolves the conflict between the two in the most touching way possible.

    It was a pleasant surprise knowing Zach Woods, known for his role as Jared Dunn in Silicon Valley, the exasperated guy mostly reacting to the others in that show, directed David. I liked enough of what I saw in David to look forward to whatever Zach Woods comes up with next.

  • Synchronic: The BRWC Review

    Synchronic: The BRWC Review

    Synchronic: The BRWC Review. By Luke Foulder-Hughes.

    Synchronic was the first film from Moorhead & Benson that I have seen. Having heard great things about the directors, I was expecting more from this film. However, that’s not to say I didn’t think that the majority of the film was pretty good and explored some interesting concepts, as it was an experience that isn’t too similar to a lot of Sci-Fi/Horror films that are released nowadays. The movie is about two paramedics from New Orleans who discover a designer drug linked to deaths that are incredibly unusual and have other worldly effects.

    Firstly, I’ll mention my favourite thing about Synchronic, the score. It was nothing short of brilliant and fit its purpose in the film perfectly, as well as providing us with a sense of dread about what’s to come. Jimmy LaValle, the composer, is a frequent collaborator with Moorhead & Benson which is always great as he has a full idea of the directors’ vision and can orchestrate his music to perfection. Another thing I really love in Synchronic was the chemistry between Dorman and Mackie, they had a really believable friendship when on screen and you actually care about the characters and their motives through all the tough situations they endure.

    Their chemistry contributed to their good performances they both give, particularly Mackie, who is at the best I have seen him. Dorman was pretty good, however not on the level of Mackie. This being said, all the supporting actors’ performances were forgettable at best, some of the acting on show was just bad from some of the cast.

    The technical aspects in Synchronic are quite good, particularly considering the low budget that the directors had to work with. The cinematography is relatively decent, with some shots being excellent and nice to look at, particularly in the final scene. The writing is quite poor in my opinion, and doesn’t feel natural at all. The scenes with Dorman’s character, Dennis, and his family stood out to me as feeling very fake, as the writing did not feel real at all, as well as the actress playing his daughter poorly delivering her lines.

    Another technical thing I think was really well done was the injuries to the characters. They were incredibly graphic and looked so realistic, meaning that if you aren’t good with graphic injury detail Synchronic is not a movie for you. The charred body looked like it came out of ‘Se7en’, which I think does graphic and realistic injury the best of any film ever. 

    Synchronic takes on a difficult job as it introduces this concept unlike anything I’ve ever seen, it’s unusual for modern horror films to try something that is so ambitious and confusing to understand. What I like about the way the directors took this on was that they didn’t bog us down with exposition and made it so that we experience the film and don’t try to understand what’s happening, much like something by Stanley Kubrick. However, I feel this concept could’ve been done better with a bigger budget. The budget is one of the main restrictions of the film as I feel they could’ve expanded this and made a big blockbuster with a larger budget.

    Synchronic is definitely a film worth checking out when it officially releases to VOD or hopefully when it gets a proper theatrical release. The concept is really interesting and, despite the fact it wasn’t perfectly orchestrated, is done in a decent way by Moorhead & Benson. If you are a fan of Moorhead & Benson or the Sci-Fi/Horror genre you’ll likely enjoy this film.

  • Little Fish: Review

    Little Fish: Review

    Little Fish: Review. By Alif Majeed.

    Sci-fi movies, especially ones where something causes huge worldwide chaos, has become a mainstay of the genre. An unexplained disease or ailment is affecting everyone but stops short of going full post-apocalyptic mode. There have been many classics in the genre and some terrible ones. With covid rearing its ugly head, a crop of them has sprung out, which might be seen as timely but doesn’t say much.

    Probably a reason Contagion was met with a muted response when it was released, but now it is much discussed. Steven Soderbergh just made a sci-fi thriller set in current times without cashing in on any particular current situation. So when a new movie comes where the basic premise is that a memory loss virus is making people slowly forget each other, you view it with caution at first.

    But I was taken in by what the director, Chad Hartigan, has created in Little Fish. It might not be the most memorable of the recent spat of sci-fi movies with a similar world-ending bend to it, but that is because the makers were not even trying to go down that path. What struck a chord for me is a world where people were going to rot away, unable to function with their full memory.

    Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Jude (Jack O’Connell) are a married couple who have been together for a while when the movie starts. Though a coup out initially, the more the memory virus takes control of the world, the fragmented revelation of their relationship makes sense.

    When it becomes apparent that the virus has affected Jude, and he starts losing his memory, it strains their relationship. How the couple deals with the situation form the rest of the movie.

    Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell, playing the lead characters, are lovely here. They hit their stride after Jack gets the virus. They work together in tandem to create some pleasant relationship moments that make you want to continue the journey to see if they succeed or not.

    Think of every significant biopic, and the praise goes to the person dealing with the illness, and the other half ends as a prop there to support the other person. It is a testament to Olivia Cooke’s talent that she ends up going beyond the thankless supporting role. She shows the frustration and will to plow ahead even when things are falling to pieces, and Jack loses his ability to make it work.

    There is a lovely character moment when Jack walks away, when it looks like he has completely forgotten her, where you almost see relief in her face. In that scene, Olivia Cooke’s anguish makes you want to jump in and tell her it’s okay for giving up, at least for that split second. That she is not a terrible person, but just a tired one dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

    You still wonder why Jack O’Connell has not blown up yet, after Unbroken. He is playing a character who frustrates not because he was written that way but by watching how he deals with his illness. When he scoffs at the treatment that might involve addling with his brain, you understand his wariness and distrust of something he can’t understand yet. But the moment the reports of the cure show signs of success, his jealousy and frustration at his missed shot for the treatment is understandable.

    The direction is also tight when the premise could have lent itself to going full Roger Corman territory with movies like Gasss!!, and Death Race 2000. Though I would love to imagine the treatment and premise of getting the Corman B movie thriller treatment, it required the director and writer’s steady hand in making it.

    We can focus on some minuses of the movie. The beginning portions felt a lot like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, especially when the fragmented nature of how they get together is being revealed. Also, it doesn’t make its case in originality when they shot it in the same stylish way Steven Soderbergh (including Contagion) popularized with his movies. It may be an artistic choice, but the film comes off as a clone of the two mentioned movies.

    One thing that can tick some people off is the lack of actual science fiction in the movie. Apart from a few scenes depicting the chaos in some random locations, you don’t get an idea of how much the virus has spread. It could very well be a movie about two people dealing with an illness and nothing else. That was not a negative for me as I was glued and hooked, wondering if they would succeed not.

    Watch Little Fish for its stunning performances from the lead actors and the premise that does work wonders as the makers made a wonderfully even film that avoids the trap of its B-Movie premise.