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 Cobbler’ isn’t the only one having an identity crisis (Includes first-hand account)

    The proverb says, “Don’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” This is of course a metaphor about not making assumptions about people and not a word-for-word prescription to walk in someone else’s footwear. “You can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their shoes,” is another saying that draws a correlation between style, maintenance and personality. The Cobbler takes a more literal approach to these adages as he’s magically transformed into the shoes’ owner when he mends their soles.

  • Review: Jack O’Connell continues trend of skillful silence in ‘71’ (Includes first-hand account)

    The chaos and confusion experienced in a mob causes people to make ill-advised decisions that can result in harm to themselves or others. Getting carried away in the situation or restricting one’s focus to a single detail can have equally damaging consequences. But some of these responses often seem uncontrollable in the heat of the moment. In ’71, a soldier performing crowd control becomes lost in enemy territory.

  • Review: ‘Cinderella’ recreates magic of animated classic (Includes first-hand account)

    Disney has a long history of adapting classic fairy tales and popular legends for the screen, though their versions usually exclude the bloody elements previously woven into these narratives. Still, these animated renderings are the fundamental editions of these stories for many children. Now the studio is branching out, reimagining these tales for a live-action format that retains the original magic that endeared people for a lifetime. The latest retelling of Cinderella captures all the enchantment of the animated film while making the fantasy more real for audiences.

  • Review: ‘The Price We Pay’ fails to uncomplicate costs of tax avoidance (Includes first-hand account)

    Globalization and the state of the economy continues to be a hot topic of analysis, accusations, recommendations and predictions. Recovery after the recent worldwide financial crisis has looked different in most countries as governments sought appropriate ways to bolster their markets and support their citizens; expectedly, some have been more successful than others. But most democratic nations are built around the concept of a welfare state in which taxes are used to support publicly funded programs and infrastructure that protect and promote the well-being of its citizens. The Price We Pay provides an in-depth exploration of how companies are avoiding their “fair” contribution to this system and the consequences of their actions, particularly on the middle class.

  • Review: ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ learns from the past (Includes first-hand account)

    Older characters in movies are generally seen in supporting roles, restricted to the sidelines as their younger counterparts have all the fun. But as some of cinema’s greatest and most likable actors age, filmmakers are seizing the opportunity to tell stories that appeal to a more mature demographic. In recent years, there have been a number of films featuring aged actors who are not afraid to call attention to their years of experience. However The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sets itself apart by centring on a somewhat more realistic though still entertaining view of retirement that doesn’t involve guns or espionage.

  • Review: Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Chappie’ still has some major glitches (Includes first-hand account)

    Artificial intelligence in its current and imagined states is a rich system in which to speculate and postulate the future of technological advancement via science fiction narratives. In most cases the proposal includes world domination and/or destruction, reflecting an inherent human fear of mechanization. But fewer storytellers attempt to guess what integration might look like. In Chappie, writer/director Neill Blomkamp tells the tale of a robot who can learn to be human.

  • Review: ‘The Intruders’ left something behind (Includes first-hand account)

    Uprooting one’s life to move to a new home, or especially a new town, can be distressing. The unfamiliar can easily become frightening and/or appear threatening. Anxieties are amplified and everything appears alien or suspect. Compound that with existing mental health issues and you get the terror experienced by the young woman at the centre of The Intruders.

  • Review: Retrospective shows Barbara Stanwyck was force to reckon with (Includes first-hand account)

    In the early days, Hollywood was an interesting and complex playground. Under long studio contracts and the watchful eye of Will H. Hays at the Motion Picture Production Code, it could be difficult to build a career with much variety or risk. Yet it’s clear some actors and filmmakers were determined to push the envelope and not succumb to accepted practices. Actresses like Barbara Stanwyck were excited to push the limits of perceived decency; but more importantly, she chose big screen roles that challenged the notions of acceptable behaviour for women. TIFF Bell Lightbox’s Hollywood Classics retrospective, “Ball of Fire: The Films of Barbara Stanwyck,” is an excellent sampling of her career that brought a series of strong, competent and uncompromising female characters to the screen.

  • Review: ‘Big News from Grand Rock’ has funny consequences (Includes first-hand account)

    Journalistic integrity is a serious issue. Fact-checking is a customary expectation for quality control; but in the fast-paced world of social media, organizations and editors may feel they don’t always have the time to obtain confirmation without losing ground to a competitor on breaking news. However instances of outright lies are considered the worst offense, both within the industry and by media consumers. In Big News from Grand Rock, a reporter manufactures attention-grabbing headlines in an attempt to save his small town’s publication.

  • Review: Rom com narrator does opposite of ‘Playing it Cool’ (Includes first-hand account)

    Finding “the one” is a complex quest with no sure fire directives. For most people it’s a matter of trial and error, and even then it may not live up to expectations or be everything you pictured. Unfortunately love is not an exact science, though learning from those experiences is part of the journey. In Playing it Cool, a man whose shunned love most of his life is surprised to find his ideal match is unavailable.

  • Review: ‘Siddharth’ explores the darker corners of India (Includes first-hand account)

    Seeing an Amber Alert for a missing child generates a lot of emotions, regardless of whether you have any connection to the family. It’s easy to sympathize with the concerned relatives as your mind wanders to the worst case scenario with equal lack of effort. Both of these reactions are a part of human nature as empathy strengthens our sense of community and the other attempts to prepare us for bad news. It’s troublesome to see an unsupervised child in a crowded mall; how much easier it must be for predators when the kid is alone in a teeming a city. Siddharth is the name of a missing 12-year-old from Delhi.

  • Review: ‘The Wrecking Crew’ reveals the musicians behind the curtain (Includes first-hand account)

    When attending a live show, it’s usually rare to hear the performers replicate the studio or radio versions of their songs. The current and general consensus is that the music is polished during recording so it sounds its best possible, making improvements that are not necessarily natural to the musician or singer. But several decades ago, there was a good possibility that a group sounded different live because another ensemble of instrumentalists played on the album. The Wrecking Crew was the nickname of a collection of professional musicians that could be heard on many of the albums and hit singles produced in the ‘50s, ‘60s and early ‘70s.