Film

RIDM Celebrates Master Director Chantal Akerman

RIDM is back with its usual programming of eclectic and dynamic documentaries from all around the world. Celebrating its 26th edition, RIDM stands by its mission of creating a platform for underrepresented voices, authentic expression and coming together, hence the origin of their French name “rencontres” or meetings. With such a diverse lineup, every individual is able to curate an experience of their own. Whether it's selecting films that speak directly to their own lived experiences or discovering something completely new to them, RIDM allows attendees to thread their own stories through viewership. 


image+nation Closing Film: A Night of History and Opulence

November 25th was the premiere of Venus Envy: The House of Venus and the closing night of the Image+Nation film festival. Image+Nation is an 11-day festival that includes international short films, documentaries, and feature films about LGBTQ+ topics. The closing night event combined queer culture and history with visual culture. 

The night started with a drag performance. The performer was wearing a retro, 1960s-styled outfit with a bejewelled fascinator with feathers, shaped like a hand. 


The Holdovers: A Poignant Picture Of Personal Growth

This year has been interesting for films in the sense that it has been “the year of the epic” – without exception, the most critically and commercially successful films in 2023 have been grand in every sense of the word. The Holdovers is different. By contrast, it’s a tightly focused and tightly cast film that’s driven by the characters and the exploration of their emotional depths.


Wham! - Behind the Music

The new Netflix documentary Wham! explores every aspect of the pop music duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Whenever I think of the 80s, I think of the quirky, unconventional styles which a lot of people had, I think of the really cool movies that were released, and how can I not think of the great music that was available to us at the time? When of think of music from the 80s, I think of bands such as Hall and Oats, Tears for Fears and of course Wham! I recently stumbled upon the Wham! documentary which is now available on Netflix, and I could not resist taking the time to watch it.


Oppenheimer: A Mammoth Moment In History On 70MM Film

Traditionally, the summer is a season of escapism, blockbusters, and franchises in the movie industry. Oppenheimer, heavy in dialogue, tone, and subject matter is this summer’s exception to the rule. The father of the A-Bomb gets the big-screen treatment in this prestige film about one of the most important events in human history that has taken summer cinema by storm.


Review: Past Lives

Past Lives is the directorial debut feature of Celine Song, and one of the best films of the year. After making its premier at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and garnering positive reviews from critics  it’s now in theaters. Past Lives is a meditative, slow film about first love that has been lost, the immigration experience, and of the nature of relationships.


Beau is Afraid: Not A Mother's Day Movie

Cineplex recently posted some Mother's Day movie suggestions now in theaters, one of them being Beau is Afraid. I couldn't help but feel a certain dread at the idea of Ari Aster's latest film being recommended for mothers and sons. Don’t get me wrong, Beau is Afraid, is a vast spectacle of a film that succeeds as being one of Aster's most complex robust works as a director, almost hitting the three hour mark.


Filmmakers from the Indian Sub-continent Diaspora Shine Bright at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal

South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM) 2023, presented by Kabir Centre for Arts & Culture is back after a year of dormancy. The festival was screened with Bibliothèques de Saguenay and La Cinémathèque québécoise from April 28 to May 10. This year’s films were picked all the way from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, to Canada and the United States; aired in person and online.  Kabir Centre aims to unite communities through thought-provoking films from the Indian Sub-continent empowering the culture and the languages. 


ANDREW DOMINIK’S BLONDE: A CRITICAL REVIEW

CW: This article talks about sexual assault present in the film. 

Existing in the spotlight is very complicated and complex; even now, it is rare to come out unscathed—both in the public’s eye and in your own. This, if nothing else, is clear throughout Andrew Dominik’s Blonde (2022), the newly released Netflix film calling itself a fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe and “the price she paid for fame.” 


Fantasia Film Festival Week 3: The Final Lap

During the final week of the Fantasia Film Festival, I fortunately got the last two days of the festival off to get in some final film viewings. I also managed to make time to get to a screening of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and Nope (IMAX); two films that I highly recommend checking out in theaters for the best experience.


Fantasia Week 2: Mid-Festival Screenings

*Some of the films featured in this article are contain content such as trauma and sexual misconduct allegations* 

Remi's picks:


Fantasia Week 1: Welcoming Back the Audience

It’s been a good two years since the Fantasia Film Festival had the opportunity to showcase the premier genre film festival to an audience on the big screen, having a limited opportunity last year with the gradual reopening of the theaters. I had some time to catch some theater screenings that played well with the audience, which only proves that the audience is the heart and core of the festival. It was also great to see some familiar faces and audience members who haven’t seen each other in a while due to the pandemic.


Fantasia 2022: Remi & Danny's picks for the grand return to theatres for the premiere-genre film festival

It’s been a good two years since the full return to an in-person experience at the Fantasia Film Festival, with a few in-person events last year. Speaking from the past five years of experience, Fantasia with a full audience is the best possible way to enjoy the festival with everything that makes it special, including CJLO DJ’s and meowing cat noises.


Memoria Review

In an era of streaming infinite content on numerous platforms and being instantaneously entertained with a click of the finger, Memoria is one of those concrete in-movie-theater experiences.


The Lost City Film Review

Action, adventure, comedy, and a little bit of romance were mixed to create the movie The Lost City. Let’s not forget about the light presence of romance we could feel between the main characters, the novelist Loretta (Sandra Bullock) and her cover model Alan (Channing Tatum).


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