Megalopolis TIFF 2024

Megalopolis – TIFF 2024

An architect uses a powerful building material to create a Utopian city in Megalopolis. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is the head of the design authority in the city of New Rome, who won a Nobel Prize for developing the infinitely malleable and miraculously strong building material megalon, which he has been using to reshape sections…

Black Bear

Black Bear

A filmmaker confronts her demons at a rural retreat in Black Bear. Alison (Aubrey Plaza) is a filmmaker suffering from writer’s block, who rents a room at an isolated cabin owned by Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and his pregnant girlfriend Blair (Sarah Gadon). While hoping to find inspiration for her next film, Alison gets to know her…

Ned Rifle

Ned Rifle

Filmmaker Hal Hartley concludes his trilogy of films about the Grim family with Ned Rifle.  Labelled a terrorist by the media, Fay Grim (Parker Posey) is sentenced to life in prison.  Shortly afterwards, her son Ned Rifle (Liam Aiken), who has been living under witness protection with a reverend and his family, decides to search…

The To Do List

The To Do List

Ever since films like Porky’s topped the box office charts more than 30 years ago, teen sex comedies have been spreading the message that there must be something inherently wrong with a person, who is not sexually active by the time they finish high school.  Of course, a belief like this wrong, and perhaps a…

Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed can be seen as a further example of how the Mumblecore independent film movement, namely those that involve the Duplass brothers, have been steadily moving into the mainstream (the Duplass’ have come a long way since The Puffy Chair). Produced by the Duplass Brothers, and co-starring Mark Duplass, Safety Not Guaranteed tells the story of a…

Funny People

Funny People

It would be unfair to compare this film to Judd Apatow‘s previous directorial efforts, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, since those were different types of movies. Funny People is definitely a comedy-drama and even though there were scenes with plenty of laughs, there were also serious scenes within the film, and I thought that…