Jack O’Connell

  • Review: TIFF 2019: ‘Jungleland’ is neither road trip nor boxing movie (Includes first-hand account)

    Love is a tricky emotion because even though you love something or someone, you don’t necessarily have to like them too — at least not all of the time. But it’s in those moments of dislike that love is most important because it keeps you tethered, for better or worse. This happens often between family members and on a similar level, professional athletes. The time to worry is when the scales are weighing more heavily on the negative side. In Jungleland, adult siblings cling to their love for each other and boxing, but the ties that bind them aren’t as strong as they used to be.

  • Review: The real villain in ‘Money Monster’ is capitalism (Includes first-hand account)

    Whether you have it or not, money is always a concern; there never seems to be enough of it, regardless of how much you actually possess. Capitalism revolves around the need to make more and spend more, trapping consumers in an endless cycle of wanting. But no one can just suddenly raise their worth — except in the stock market (and, I guess, the lottery). No matter what anyone says, there are no guarantees; it’s as much of a gamble as any Vegas bet and the losses can be equally devastating. Money Monster as an extreme illustration of the latter.

  • 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.