Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over might not break new ground but the film is a revealing documentary about the singer/songwriter. “What the World Needs Now,” “Say A Little Prayer,” and “Don’t Make Me Over” are among a number of songs in Warwick’s discography. You might know the songs but do you know who Dionne Warwick is as a person. Do you know how she has used her voice in the name of humanitarian causes?…
"Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over – Toronto 2021"Tag: Toronto International Film Festival
The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne) is a subtle drama that explores the emotions that come when a roommate moves out. Lisa (Liliane Amuat) is finally moving out of the apartment and leaving roommate Mara (Henriette Confurius) behind. There’s a whirlwind of emotions that come with Lisa packing up her stuff. It’s a new start for Lisa, who lived there for years with Mara and Markus (Ivan Georgiev). As this era…
"The Girl and the Spider – Toronto 2021"
Olivia Munn delivers a a career-best performance in Justine Bateman’s directorial debut, Violet, making its Canadian premiere during TIFF. Let me tell you right off the bat that you need to be in the right mindset for the film. If you don’t have the right headspace, this film could prove to be problematic. Take it from me: I had major depression hit just before SXSW this year. Because of this, I didn’t review Violet during…
"Violet – Toronto 2021"
Three Minutes – A Lengthening draws on 16mm color film shot in 1938 by David Kurtz before Nazis invaded Nasielsk’s Jewish community in Poland. The short documentary (69 minutes) is based on Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film by Glenn Kurtz. Throw in the remastering and all the fun that comes along but the footage is truly impressive. We see it so many times throughout the film to…
"Three Minutes – A Lengthening – Venice/Telluride 2021"
Documentary filmmakers Julie Cohen and Betsy West are back at it again with the story of unlikely television star Julia Child in Julia. Julia Child was a legend but she reached this point late in her life. She is proof that if you don’t find fame in your 20s or 30s, you could possibly find it in your 50s. This is exactly what she did when she called into a Boston public television statement about…
"Julia – Telluride 2021"
Dear Evan Hansen was selected to open up this year’s Toronto International Film Festival as TIFF named their Gala and Special Presentations. The Opening Night Gala Presentation at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival and will screen Thursday, September 9 at Roy Thomson Hall. Additional screenings of Dear Evan Hansen will take place at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place, and digitally on the digital…
"Toronto 2021: TIFF Galas, Special Presentations"
Zach Woods spoke with Solzy at the Movies last week about his new short film, David, which was the only US short film selected for Cannes. David marks Zach Woods’s directorial debut and stars Will Ferrell, William Jackson Harper, and Fred Hechinger. The film recently screened during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. It was just announced to screen during the upcoming Chicago International Film Festival. Your directorial debut, David, started screening during Toronto after…
"Zach Woods talks David, Improv, and More"
A Good Man is yet another example of transface casting gunning for awards with cisgender actress Noémie Merlant in a transgender role. It would be one thing for a cisgender filmmaker to bring a trans story to the screen if they actually had a transgender actor in the trans role. However, this certainly isn’t the case here. Not by a long shot. What’s even more insulting is that the film’s co-writer, Christian Sonderegger, has a…
"Toronto 2020: A Good Man Is Another Transface Film"
While 76 Days certainly takes a look at Wuhan during the 76-day lockdown, it isn’t really explosive in terms of what we see on camera. As most of the film industry spent the last weekend of January attending the Sundance Film Festival and kicking off a new year for film, something else was happening in China. On January 23, 2020, China made the decision to lock down Wuhan. This city has some 11 million residents. …
"Toronto 2020: 76 Days"
Writer-director Emma Seligman spoke with Solzy at the Movies during the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival about Shiva Baby. Shiva Baby is holding the Canadian premiere during TIFF right after acquiring a distributor in Utopia. What were the some of the things you were looking for in terms of a distributor? Emma Seligman: I think that was the main focus was always wanting someone that had a track record of supporting independent film and films…
"Toronto 2020: Emma Seligman talks Shiva Baby"