Seriously Single: Movie Review

A legitimately crazy ex-fling.

The South African (English language) rom-com Seriously Single is basically 4 movies in one. If it was four different short films, a couple of them would be entertaining and really good. As one movie, it’s better than it had any right to be, but there are still pacing issues and character issues as Dineo (Fulu Mogovhani) goes through many highs and lows in her love life.		2020 Directed by: Katleho and Rethabile Ramaphakela Screenplay by: Lwazi Mvusi Starring: Fulu Mogovhani and Tumi Morake

aTypical Wednesday: Movie Review

A smart, funny and clever comedy.

Not quite a directorial debut, aTypical Wednesday is, however, the first feature-length fictional film written and directed by J. Lee. It’s a funny and clever comedy that both subverts expectations and gives audiences what they want. The themes are common comedy-drama fodder, namely: relationship issues, bullying and race relations. All three play into one another really well with a lot of laughs along the way.		2020 Directed by: J. Lee Screenplay by: J. Lee Starring: J. Lee, Cooper J. Friedman

The Kissing Booth 2: Movie Review

More kissing booth: more of everything.

I was all prepared to hate this. Two-and-a-quarter hour sequels to mediocre teen rom coms don’t exist for good reasons. But it wasn’t all bad. The Kissing Booth 2 took a number of the same qualities to the first, added a few new characters (kept all the same important ones), and then attempted to improve on the common criticisms. Too much was squeezed into this one and the result is a slightly over-done teen flick.		2020 Directed by: Vince Marcello Screenplay by: Vince Marcello, Jay S. Arnold Based on the book written by Beth Reekles Starring: Joey King, Jacob Elordi

The Sunlit Night: Movie Review

A mixed bag of sullenness.

On the surface, The Sunlit Night offers comedian Jenny Slate the chance to stretch her dramatic chops, but in reality it’s a mashup of three different film ideas with no clear theme or substance. In the first 10 minutes we’re treated to a quirky comedy. Frances (Slate) is a struggling New York artist living in a tiny apartment with her deranged parents and sister. The sister might be normal, but she gets left behind.		2019 Directed by: David Wnendt Screenplay by: Rebecca Knight Dinerstein Starring: Jenny Slate

A Simple Wedding: Movie Review

Fresh, joyful romantic comedy, consistently funny and heartwarming.

Movies that start with a break-up that look (at least to the audience if not some of the characters) like their relationship is turning a corner and moving onwards and upwards, always hook me in, especially if the humour catches you off-guard. It’s a good sign when romantic comedies are this funny from the opening scene. That’s how A Simple Wedding won me over, and it never lets up. I was laughing, laughing, crying, crying-laughing through the entire film. Let me back up and hopefully you’ll appreciate this film as much I do.		2018 Directed by: Sara Zandieh Screenplay by: Sara Zandieh Starring: Tara Grammy, Christopher O'Shea

Blow the Man Down: Movie Review

Thriller of crime and family - funny, captivating, beguiling.

From the opening scene and deep-voiced men singing melancholic sea shanties, Blow the Man Down summons you into their grit-filled world -- familiar to some, fictional to others – and takes you on a journey of crime and family. The two are intricately connected, of course, especially when directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy present us with such an atmospheric, tightly-woven thriller where every beat matters. The backdrop is Easter Cove, Maine, a small fishing village where nothing is as it seems.		2019 Directed by: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy Screenplay by: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy Starring: Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor

Mr. Jones: Movie Review

A poetic and supremely told story in the pursuit of truth.

London, 1933: Mr. Jones, a young accomplished Welsh journalist has the attention of some of the most powerful men in British politics. He just had the opportunity to interview Hitler and Goebbels and believes an intention to invade Poland. The old, white men laughed. One of them said, “Hitler will soon realize the difference between holding a rally and running a country.” They’re not taking this seriously. It’s even more chilling watching this in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic and an American president who would rather hold rallies than run a country.		2019 Directed by: Agnieszka Holland Screenplay by: Andrea Chalupa Starring: James Norton, Peter Sarsgaard

Athlete A: Documentary Review

I'm angry and you should be too

I don’t watch a lot of documentaries because often it results in me being really pissed off and feeling like there’s nothing I can do. Athlete A grabbed my attention though, maybe it was the simplicity and artfulness of the poster, maybe it was because of the high profile names involved, or maybe it was because Larry Nassar’s in prison so I knew going in there was a sense of justice being served. Unsurprisingly, I was angry throughout the film, but that’s also pretty much the point.		2020 Directed by: Bonnie Cohen, Jon Shenk Starring: Maggie Nichols, Jennifer Sey Available on: Netflix
Photo credit: Melissa J. Perenson for AP / Netflix

Hamilton: Movie Review

A work of art.

Hamilton is finally available for the masses. And even though it is just a taping of a stage musical, it doesn’t feel like an event that I missed out on (but of course it was; the last four or so years of pop culture discussion made sure of that, but not any more). This is a cinematic wonder where we have the best seats in the house for, especially since the multi-camera taping allowed for multiple angles which we wouldn’t get otherwise.		2020 Directed by: Thomas Kail Screenplay by: Lin-Manuel Miranda Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr.