film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Category: REVIEWS

Here is where you would find our film reviews on BRWC.  We look at on trailers, shorts, indies and mainstream.  We love movies!

  • The Walrus And The Whistleblower: Review

    The Walrus And The Whistleblower: Review

    The Walrus And The Whistleblower: Review. By Trent Neely.

    We live in an age of social change and activism. People are constantly looking to see how our understanding of the world and those in it can grow and evolve. One movement that seems to have gained a lot of attraction and attention in recent years is that of freeing animals from captivity. There have been numerous articles written and documentaries made on the issue such as the 2013 documentary Blackfish.

    Often these pieces seek to “pull back the curtain”on aquatic-based theme parks and show the audience the abusive and corrupt practices of some of these parks, as well as the legal and political powers that protect them, and the activists and others who seek to free the animals and hold these powers that be accountable. Nathalie Bibeau’s documentary The Whistleblower and The Walrus covers all of these facets but also focuses on a deeper issue. What happens to someone on the inside who decides to speak out?

    Bibeau’s film primarily follows Phil Demers, a former trainer for the theme park MarineLand located in Niagara Falls. Phil started working as a trainer for the park in his early twenties despite having very little training and quickly formed bonds with many of the park’s animals. Specifically, a walrus named Smooshi who imprinted on Phil, meaning she viewed him as a parental figure. While enjoying his work for the park initially, Phil began to question the ethicacy of the park’s training methods, some of which he himself conducted and participated in.

    These practices include withholding food and medicating the animals in order to improve their performance during shows. Finally, after an incident where the animals tanks became unsanitary and led to illness in some of the animals, and a lack of action from the higher-ups at MarineLand. Phil decided to quit and dedicate himself to freeing animals in captivity, particularly Smooshi due to their deep bond and his love for her.

    The remainder of the film concentrates on Phil’s work as an activist, posting updates on animal deaths and MarineLand practices on Twitter, attending protests with others activists, giving lectures, and urging Canadian legislators to pass laws banning animal captivity, all the while combating lawsuits from Marineland. Here is where Bibeau’s approach differs from other filmmakers on the subject. Where other documentaries on similar subjects focus on educating and revealing to audiences the existence of the abuse and serve as an expose. Bibeau instead shifts the focus on what Phil’s fight means to him and costs him personally.

    We see footage of him working multiple jobs while he talks to the filmmakers about the burden of debt brought on by lawsuits, we see and hear his exasperation when he converses with his lawyer about the reality of settlement as opposed to going to court and seeing judgement passed. We also hear about MarineLand’s efforts to lobby against any sort of legislative change and dissuade other former employees like Phil from speaking out using settlements, or simply the financial burden of never-ending litigation.

    With regards to the filmmaking on display, Bibeau and her crew do a lot to immerse the audience into this world and this story. At the start of the film most of Phil’s interviews take place mostly against a grey backdrop, in a semi-formal staging. As the film continues, we see and hear from Phil in his home, at his work, as he converses with friends, politicians, and others about what he saw and participated in at MarineLand. Not only does this speak to Bibeau and the crew’s ability to make the subjects comfortable, but it allows the audience to more personally invest in Phil’s journey.

    Bibeau, director of photography Christian Bielz and editor Vincent Guignard do an excellent job crafting montages of images with great audio. For instance at one point former training staff talk about an animal bleeding and thrashing while receiving an injection while footage of animals seemingly smiling while interacting with visitors at a park is played. The juxtaposition of image and audio really affords the testimony to have its full impact.

    If you are looking for a documentary that not only talks about corruption and abuse, and the impact on victims, but those who seek to speak out, watch this film if given the chance.       

  • The War With Grandpa: Review

    The War With Grandpa: Review

    Few subgenres manifest film critics with painstaking dread like slapstick family films. Whether they’re led by a high-profile star (John Cena’s Playing with Fire) or haphazardly following-up a so-so predecessor (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul), these formulaic offerings often reek of cash-grab studio mandates. The latest entry in the much-maligned subgenre The War with Grandpa boasts an awards-caliber cast. However, this eclectic mix of talent spends most of their time mugging at cameras in another trite misfire.

    Based on Robert Kimmel Smith’s children’s book, The War with Grandpa follows Ed (Robert DeNiro), a retired widow who is forced to move in with his daughter Sally (Uma Thurman) and her lively family. When Sally’s son Peter (Oakes Fegley) loses his room in the move, he rages an all-out war to get his turf back.

    Films of this ilk have an easy target on their back, lacking the innovation or complexity to accomplish anything of note. That being said, I can’t say War with Grandpa is entirely terrible. Director Tim Hill crafts his film in the image of boisterous Saturday morning cartoons, pushing a relentlessly zany comedic energy with his gag-a-minute approach. There’s a shameless appeal to some of the hard-hitting pratfalls, especially when seeing Oscar nominees like Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, and Uma Thurman go through the wringer. Even when he’s operating on auto-pilot, DeNiro still has a magnetic presence on screen, while Walken continues to draw laughs from his eccentric persona (Rob Riggle also has a blast as Sally’s straight-laced husband).

    While not entirely dreadful, there’s very little War with Grandpa thrives at. Hill’s admirable attempts to create an unhinged kineticism lack visual flair, relying upon over-saturated lighting and flat camera work that only permeates a cheap veneer (I knew I was in trouble once the blue clip art appeared in the opening credits). There are only so many times you can witness someone getting hit in the groin before it becomes tiresome, with Hill’s busyness eventually numbing his audience to the point of apathy.

    War with Grandpa also boasts many of the subgenre’s tired cliches. Characters fighting over something that could be solved with a simple conversation? Check. Empty side characters that stand as mere vessels to the lead characters? Check. A forced sense of sentimentality that lacks any humanity or reliability? You guessed it! It’s a film that achieves the bare minimum while solely playing to the interest of its young audience.

    Tolerable, yet rarely compelling, The War with Grandpa will likely serve as a forgettable bargain bin staple in the years to come.

  • Saint Frances: The BRWC Review

    Saint Frances: The BRWC Review

    Saint Frances: The BRWC Review. By Alif Majeed.

    I was recently reading an old interview of Kristen Wiig’s where she said what studios need is, “to see women acting like guys.” Growing up, watching TV was very limited as we often had to fight with our sister for our time on the television. Due to the constant fighting, our parents had assigned designated timings for watching TV for us. So we were inevitably forced to watch whatever caught the other person’s fancy at any given time.

    One of the more delightedly asides of hers when watching her movies and shows during her time, especially the ones where the protagonist was a well written female character, was when she would say, “That could only have come from a woman’s mind.” And it was not just a protagonist who is successful and brilliant in name but also a fully rounded female who can also be a failure and average. And it turns out while checking out the credits, she was mostly right. So while watching Saint Frances, I couldn’t help but remember my sisters’ words.

    Saint Frances is a showcase for Kelly O’Sullivan, who both wrote and stars in the movie. As the movie starts, you find the main character Bridgette as a perennial underachiever and an overall average person. One can almost get wary about her character and think it is like countless other indie movies about underachievers. (I was immediately reminded of Obvious Child and Short Term 12 right off the top of my head.) Especially when she starts a job as the caretaker for a six-year-old Frances (an adorable Ramona Edith Williams).

    When Bridgette’s unwanted pregnancy drives a further wedge in her life she has to choose between the pregnancy, and how it affects her life is what the movie is about.

    Watch out for her reaction in the very first scene of the movie. As the man trying to flirt with her has unwittingly put her down, she realizes in horror that what he is describing, is her own life. Anybody who looks way younger than their actual age and had been to a date or an interview where they were very patronizingly told that they have so much to achieve as they are still young, only to be blown off when their actual age is revealed will know where that scene came from. That reaction when she tells her age to the guy who flirted with her, who promptly walks away, not wanting to waste his perfect made-to-impress story on an underachieving over-the-hill server sets up the rest of the hopefully star-making performance in the movie.

    Equally good is the reactions of Jace played by Max Lipchitz to the same revelation of her age. His sweet acknowledgment of her age AND her blood all over the sheets and their faces after the first night they had sex shows just how accepting this guy can be. The matter of fact way in which it is dealt with along with many other bodily changes a woman goes through shows how intuitively Kelly has written the movie. Or like my sister says, “Yup, that came from a woman.”

    It is interesting to see how Frances’ parents Maya and Annie have polar opposite reactions to the new nanny. Annie, the working mother being more business-like and wary of Bridgette, and Maya, who is going through postpartum depression after the birth of their second child. They initially come across as a typical same-sex movie couple (again, the indie version, not the dialed up hammy version). Especially Annie, who is the strict uptight working mom. But Lily Mojekwu’s outburst in front of Brigette about the pressures of having to do all the heavy lifting does a lot to help us to root for her. Charin Alvarez is also great as Maya, who is going through her changes as a result of her childbirth.

    But you have to reserve your praise for Ramona Edith Williams as the titular Saint Frances. When she makes an innocent and sweet pact with Bridgette at the end of the movie, it is such a lovely moment that you root for them to make it happen.

    Outwardly, the story sounds like it came straight from a studio comedy with the nanny slowly changing the lives of the family in hilarious ways. Thankfully, Kelly and first-time director Alex Thompson does more than enough to inject the tale with much needed honestly and freshness.

  • Matt’s New Release Breakdown: November 13th

    Matt’s New Release Breakdown: November 13th

    With the awards and holiday seasons coming to a collision course, there is a bounty of new releases hitting theaters and VOD platforms. Don’t get me wrong, I love having a vast amount of content to sift through, especially given the relative dearth of content 2020 has brought on the big screen. However, this weekend’s sizable output gives me little time to cover each release, which is why I am embracing this abridged format to catch you up to speed. Let’s get to it!

    AMMONITE – Directed by Francis Lee

    Synopsis: 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.

    Given all the turmoil going on in the film industry/world at large, there’s something oddly comforting about the latest awards-hopeful Ammonite. Even in a truncated year, studios are still here to greet audiences with flat, Oscar-bait offerings that can’t hide their simplistic intentions.

    Ammonite’s middling results are befuddling considering the immense talent behind it. Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan are compelling as always, unearthing subdued dimensions from the character’s internal struggles. Their longing and displeasure simmer through each frame, with the two combating the societal standards that keep them an arms distance from personal freedoms.

    While the two actresses are great as individuals, Ammonite never allows the duo to grow onscreen. There’s no spark to draw from their insular performances, with director Francis Lee struggling to generate emotion from his mannered craftsmanship. Even for a subdued effort like this, the lacking chemistry consistently keeps viewers away from the character’s painful (and exceedingly relevant) struggles. Ammonite rarely makes a major misstep, but the project never resonates the way it intends to.

    Ammonite is Now Playing in Theaters

    MONSOON – Directed by Hong Khaou

    Synopsis: Kit, a British Vietnamese man, returns to Saigon for the first time in over 30 years, after fleeing during the Vietnam-American War.

    Have you ever returned to an old stomping ground only to be met with a lingering sense of melancholy? While you can revisit the sites you once traversed, those once-beloved locations now leave a foreboding malaise. That raw sentiment renders throughout Monsoon, a meditative drama that never loses its humanistic drive.

    Don’t get me wrong, this is set-up has been portrayed in a countless array of festival films. Some of these efforts have thrived (The Farewell and Garden State), while others have joined a long list of forgotten festival failures (The Only Living Boy in New York). Director Hong Khaou thankfully makes this premise his own though, favoring a quiet atmosphere that subverts the mawkish sentimentality that typically derives from films of this elk.

    Khaou’s visceral craftsmanship registers poetic potency, with patiently-constructed long-takes allowing viewers to breathe in the setting alongside Kit. It also provides star Henry Golding ample opportunities to display his acting chops. The Last Christmas star possesses a natural gravitas onscreen, peeling at Kit’s protective layers through his effectively insular delivery. This film rests solely on Khaou and Golding’s abilities, but the well-matched duo certainly proves they are up for the task. Monsoon unearths its quaint observations with an equal measure of emotion and craft.

    Monsoon is now available on VOD Platforms

    DREAMLAND – Directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

    Synopsis: Amid the dust storms and economic depression of Dustbowl Era Oklahoma, Eugene Evans finds his family farm on the brink of foreclosure. His last bet to save the farm is the bounty on the head of fugitive bank robber Allison Wells. Once he stumbles upon Allison, Eugene begins to fall for her as he searches for a more profound life.

    Dreamland’s set-up reads like a Bonnie and Clyde rip-off, a fact which director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte seems well-aware of. Along with his exquisite visual eye (he takes the empty Dusk Bowl setting and infuses it with a visceral poeticism), Joris-Peyrafitte approaches this familiar narrative ground with a reflective sensibility.

    Dreamland operates at its best when uncorking the purpose behind its pulpy plot dynamics. Screenwriter Nicolaas Zwart uses his set-up to observe the respective allures of a grandiose lifestyle, with Eugene willingly embracing a deadly mission after years of being brainwashed by adventure stories. This conceit cleverly comments on our own relationship with high-stakes storytelling, a wistfulness that Zwart and Joris-Peyrafitte aptly juxtapose in the film’s melancholic final third. Credit to stars Margot Robbie and Finn Cole breathing assured performances from the character’s makeshift relationship.

    The promising thematic conceits can only take Dreamland so far though. Zwart’s script utilizes a novel-esque approach that lands with an awkward thud, lacking the dramatic grace to completely reinvent its well-trudged devices. That being said, I do think Zwart and Joris-Peyrafitte craft a thoughtful film that lingers with audiences past its runtime.

    Dreamland is now available in theaters and on VOD

  • Wrath: Review

    Wrath: Review

    By Hugues Porquier.

    “Wrath” is a short movie, conceived, written and photographed in two months during the quarantine in Michigan, USA in March 2020. Co-directed by Meg Case and her partner Brad Porter, this movie takes us into the intimacy of Emily (played by Meg Case), a young woman who spends her quarantine alone in her apartment.

    Throughout the film, we witness to the deterioration of Emily’s mental state as the days go by.  We follow her in her daily life, in her habits, as close as possible to her intimacy. 

    We bathe in a warm apartment, full of green plants and very sunny. A place that may seem quite suitable for living in quarantine. But this daily life will gradually be upset by the appearance of hallucinations and anxiety attacks due to a growing paranoia. 

    A paranoia fed by loneliness, fear of the outside world and Covid-19. Through this fear of the virus, we find, more globally, the fear of death. This fear will be fed by the successive appearance of several dead animals but also by the presence of worms, often product of hallucinations, which can symbolise decomposition.

    These feelings of loneliness, anguish and paranoia will be very rightly interpreted by Meg Case who will allow us to fully live the movie. Throughout the film, the different music and sound editing perfectly suits these feelings, especially the anguish. One reproach can be made, it’s a slight lack of rhythm, which can easily be explained by the near absence of dialogue. Fortunately, a dynamic editing allows to keep some rhythm.

    The photographs and shots are very aesthetic. The shades of color, ranging from a simple natural light to the dewy light from the LED used for the plants allow us to immerse ourselves in this story of a disturbing realism but also quite magical. A few years ago, a situation like this one, including a global virus and a global quarantine, could have seemed imagined by an overly imaginative mind. 

    https://vimeo.com/476261101

    Today, it’s this promiscuity with reality which is one of the greatest strengths of the movie.  All over the world, a majority of the population has experienced this situation of quarantine. A situation that is often strongly linked with a feeling of loneliness, confinement and anxiety about a new situation that is not yet well understood and whose outcome is still uncertain. 

    It’s a very strange short movie that can create the desire to be more creative and active during this second wave of quarantine.