On Screen

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

  • Review: ‘The Finest Hours’ is a tale of bravery in many circumstances (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s fair to say even the dangerous jobs were more hazardous 50 years ago. New safety measures and equipment improvements have decreased the mortality rates of most risky positions. But in some cases there are just certain threats and vulnerabilities that can’t be extinguished with Mother Nature topping the list of unmanageables. Whether those employed in these industries do it for the money, sense of duty or lack of other opportunities, the risk is the same. In The Finest Hours, a U.S. Coast Guard team heads out into a horrendous storm to rescue the crew of a sinking oil tanker.

  • Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ continues to inspire with its relatable hero (Includes first-hand account)

    Animated films are often built around concepts to help viewers understand, accept and cope with things they may encounter in their lives. Fittingly, the movies about a seemingly clumsy bear have generally offered messages about self-confidence and achieving one’s potential via the protagonist, while encouraging tolerance and not judging anyone based on their appearance through the other characters. But once a picture has endeared audiences to its personalities, it has the opportunity to expand its sphere. In the sequel, they must conquer their fears and work together to face overwhelming odds. Now, in Kung Fu Panda 3, the characters tackle the more complex idea of nature vs. nurture and what constitutes family.

  • Review: ‘One Floor Below’ plays with audience expectations (Includes first-hand account)

    Voyeurism would appear to be a part of human beings’ genetic makeup. When passing an accident or emergency vehicle, people can’t help but glance or even stare — it’s called “rubbernecking.” “People watching” is considered a pastime by some, while leaning in to better hear a neighbour’s latest quarrel is just another form of eavesdropping that is a widely practiced amusement on public transit and in restaurants. But what if you inadvertently overhear something felonious or worse, you’re caught? One Floor Below faces this dilemma, but it doesn’t have the gangster results typically depicted.

  • Review: ‘Boy and the World’ is a sad, wondrous and vivid journey (Includes first-hand account)

    To a child, the world is both full of wonder and anxiety; unknowns are both exciting and frightening; the wide open space outside their front door both calls for exploration and holds the terrifying possibility of becoming lost. The desire to understand is often overwhelming, even though the answer may exist beyond their grasp. In the Oscar-nominated animated film, Boy and the World, a child sets out alone to find out why his father has not returned home.

  • Review: ’45 Years’ is a slow burn that leaves an indelible mark (Includes first-hand account)

    People always marvel at couples whose relationships have lasted several decades, let alone a half-century or more. The subjects of their admiration often admit it hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been good enough that they still want to be together. The less inspirational response asks, “Who wants to start again after x number of years?” After so long, it’s easy to assume you know everything there is to know about your partner and there couldn’t possibly be any surprises left… at least certainly not anything earth-shattering. Unfortunately that theory is proven false in 45 Years.

  • Review: ‘The Revenant’ earns accolades by expertly traumatizing audiences (Includes first-hand account)

    Man vs. nature and man vs. man are two of the oldest tales to be told by the campfire as nothing seems to be more pleasing than people’s ability to dominate something or someone else. The root of evil – and most quests – is said to lie in money, sex and power, though the latter is often the most motivating since it can initiate the other two. Vengeance, however, can make one blind to anything else but its fulfillment. Someone truly bent on revenge will stop at nothing to get it, which both gives them strength and makes them weak. In The Revenant, a man returns from near-death to get retribution from his betrayer.

  • Review: ‘Mustang’ gains deserved recognition for spirited portrait (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a girl or a woman remains a challenging prospect, but it’s even more difficult in certain parts of the world and in cultures where gender prescribes specific expectations and dictates your position in society. Double standards are far more prevalent in these areas as males are basically free to behave as they wish and any responsibility of wrongdoing is immediately thrust upon the females who are demanded to exhibit more control. But the irony of these situations are increasingly less accepted as borders become less finite and more liberal thinking is able to pass through. Mustang is the story of five young women trapped in the purgatory between evolution and deep-rooted tradition in Turkey.

  • Review: ‘Norm of the North’ is fittingly outshined by lemming companions (Includes first-hand account)

    Animated films about talking animals are a staple of the genre and probably one of the most appropriate applications since instructing real creatures to perform to script can be difficult. However this symbiosis does not immediately generate a good film or engaging storytelling; that requires a capable creative team to develop the characters and plot that utilize rather than rely on this relationship. Cute animals can’t just depend on their looks — they require substance to earn the audience’s attention. Norm of the North is based on an interesting concept, but it feels a little sloppy.

  • Review: ‘The Forest’ lacks horror movie know-how (Includes first-hand account)

    Not all of a country’s famous landmarks are places they want to actively promote. At the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan lies Aokigahara, a.k.a. the Sea of Trees since it looks like a green body of water from above; however it’s better known by its less charming nickname, Suicide Forest, as it’s a notoriously common site for people to end their lives. In addition, local myths suggest the area is haunted by the ghosts of those who died. The Forest follows a woman’s journey into the eerie landscape in search of her missing twin sister.

  • Review: ‘The Hateful Eight’ takes its unique Western on the road (Includes first-hand account)

    Before brick and mortar cinemas became popular, movies and their projectionists used to travel from town to town like the circus. Going to see a film was a special event rather than something to do when you’re bored. This tradition of distinction was renewed with the creation of large-scale productions and the allure of movie stars. Moreover, people didn’t sit in the dark for three-plus hours without a bathroom, snack or cigarette break so they were built into the screening. These are the experiences writer/director Quentin Tarantino is attempting to replicate with the 70 mm roadshow version of The Hateful Eight.

  • Review: Even Gina Carano can’t rescue ‘Extraction’ (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s impossible to know what levels and types of espionage are undertaken to ensure the safety of a population from various internal and external threats. But if you were to believe the movies, it’s a lot and is generally unsanctioned or carried out by unauthorized operatives. These fantastical missions require exceptional skill, a tolerance for violence, an ironic distrust of authority and a foreseeable personal stake in the outcome. For better or worse, Extraction follows this formula to a tee.

  • Review: ‘Sisters’ not only seducing cops with their charm (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s at a snail’s pace, but things in Hollywood are gradually shifting in favour of female performers, characters and creators. Women directors are taking the helm and movies with all-female leads are appearing on the marquee more often. Statistics show films with these attributes perform well at the box office so hopefully studio-thinking will catch up with feminism sooner rather than later and start giving these projects the green light. In the meantime, it’s up to a select few to lead the charge. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler‘s Sisters is one of these pictures.