On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: There are good reasons to remember ‘Finding Dory’ (Includes first-hand account)

    Disney•Pixar has taken audiences to other worlds and times, existent and non-, habitually ignoring the constraints of reality to create memorable movies that are truly enjoyable for all ages. Anthropomorphizing animals has been the parent company’s bread-and-butter since the first appearance of Mickey Mouse nearly a century ago and animators have taken the trick to incredible new heights (and depths) in recent years. While there’s obviously an economic advantage to producing loveable characters, they’re still some of the most skilled at creating personalities viewers will adore for years to come. Finding Dory revisits some of these creatures in a new (but similar) adventure.

  • Review: ‘The Conjuring 2’ is a master class in horror filmmaking (Includes first-hand account)

    The supernatural has always been a rich source of inspiration for horror movies. Regardless of whether it’s based on real, recorded accounts or if audiences believe in its existence, there is an inescapable creep factor related to an unknown plane of existence that can interact with our own; even more disturbing is the idea that many of these entities mean to inflict harm. There are enough exorcism and haunting pictures to comprise their own subgenre, but the best demonstrate a particular talent for portraying evil. The Conjuring 2 is an example of such skill.

  • Review: ‘It’s So Easy and Other Lies’ is a reserved rock doc (Includes first-hand account)

    The old saying goes, “Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.” The third part paved the way for the first and made the second nearly inescapable. Although there can certainly be consequences for indulging one’s libido, they often pale in comparison to the effects of drugs and alcohol on every aspect of someone’s existence as they gradually blot out everything unrelated to the addiction. It also becomes a very public problem with countless celebrities making headlines for their habits and many openly discussing their chemical dependencies in hindsight, while others never get the chance. It’s So Easy and Other Lies is Duff McKagan’s tale of survival.

  • Review: ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ is going diamond for comedy (Includes first-hand account)

    It takes a distinct level of comedic competence to create an effective mockumentary. Many popular TV shows have dedicated an episode to the craft, while certain feature-length films made their mark by doing it right. The subjects must be captivating, which generally means over-the-top but still engaging; you want to entertain audiences, not annoy them. There needs to be a lot of other personalities that can provide interviews; getting real-life public figures who are willing to contribute to the illusion is even better. On that note, the narrative should be grounded in some identifiable version of reality; audiences ought to believe these characters could exist, even though they shouldn’t for the sake of humanity. The creators of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping have a clear understanding of the formula and execute it to a tee.

  • Review: ‘Into the Forest’ advocates a more natural existence (Includes first-hand account)

    When asked who they’d like to spend the end of the world with, the most common response is family and friends. But the end of modern civilization doesn’t automatically equal the end of the world and those closest to you may have different priorities. Running water, electricity and grocery stores are relatively recent luxuries that certainly simplified life, but they’re not necessarily essential to survival. A lot of factors are involved and it definitely helps to have achieved some level of self-sufficiency prior to any disaster. Into the Forest demonstrates given the right tools, it’s trying but not impossible to return to the Stone Age.

  • Review: ‘Mr. Right’ is definitely a winner (Includes first-hand account)

    The dating scene is probably saddled with the greatest number of clichés. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea.” “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince.” “Love like you’ve never been hurt.” “Love is blind.” But the one that probably motivates people most is the idea that there’s someone for everyone… that you’re “one” is out there. Mr. Right is an incredibly entertaining take on this concept that fatefully pairs an assassin with a would-be professor.

  • Review: ‘Forever Plaid’ is a fun blast from the past (Includes first-hand account)

    When compared to cinema, one of the stage’s greatest advantages is its acceptance of minimalism. There are countless narratives that unfold in a single location with nominal set decorations, few to no costume changes and visible musical accompaniment. In addition to just being logistically simpler, it also demonstrates a confidence in the talent and quality of the work. Forever Plaid features four guys on a stage with a three-piece band and a few props … and that’s it.

  • Review: ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ is still an actor’s playground (Includes first-hand account)

    When certain fiction properties are already well-known, it can seem limiting to stay too close to the source material when reviving them on the screen. Instead, while remaining as true as possible to the original characters, creators can hope to be forgiven – or even commended – for applying some ingenuity and adding their own angle to a classic narrative. Lewis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland wasn’t nearly as adventurous as the cinematic follow-up, having revolved around a unique game of chess; however, filmmakers have opted to spice up Alice Through the Looking Glass with some time travel and a clock that threatens to tick its last tock.

  • Review: ‘The Nice Guys’ have a lot of charm (Includes first-hand account)

    Contemporary attempts to revive or incorporate slapstick comedy into modern movies generally fail to capture the nuances of the classic genre that had its heyday more than half a century ago. Back then, they never felt the need to be crass – the humour was inherent in the script or dialogue and didn’t require any additional gimmicks. These narratives respected the intelligence of the audience enough not to pander to the lowest common denominator and trust they’d still be entertained. The Nice Guys demonstrates a magnificent understanding of this concept.

  • Review: ‘Dark Horse’ is a heartwarming tale of underdogs with 2 to 4 legs (Includes first-hand account)

    It likely comes as no surprise that participating in certain sports is often also a sign of class. The more expensive the equipment, ample the accessories and demanding the time commitment, the equally less likely it is for a lower class person to partake. Greyhounds have long been referred to as “the poor man’s racehorse” because actual ponies are so costly. However in Dark Horse, a small Welsh community bands together to prove a working-class horse can make its mark in the world of competitive racing.

  • Review: ‘High-Rise’ is a spectacular failed social experiment (Includes first-hand account)

    When one looks back at particular eras or segments of history, they can often give the impression of one big social experiment conducted by a great unknown. The questions that seem to be asked most frequently are, “How far can we take this?” and relatedly, “How long will people allow this to continue?” The answers are often frightening and may cause the observer to doubt humanity’s ability or will to survive, and yet the past appears to be treated as a how-to guide rather than a reminder of earlier mistakes. In High-Rise, a mini-society forms in the confines of a London building; but its social hierarchy invites a chaotic repetition of days gone by.

  • Review: ‘Sunset Song’ waxes poetic about female hardships on the farm (Includes first-hand account)

    There are countless stories that depict rural life in the first half of the 20th century, often in America, illustrating the hardships of living off the land before farming was mechanized. They tend to be very similar and exclude specific difficulties faced by women as they are generally told from the perspective of the family unit or the “head of the household.” Conversely, Sunset Song is conveyed by a young woman who transitions from daughter and sister to wife and mother.