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Film Reviews
Film Review – Now You See Me 2
***Warning: The following contains spoilers for Now You See Me (2013)*** One of things I hate – and I mean really hate – about movies featuring magicians, con artists, or master thieves, is that the chosen profession of the characters automatically creates an easy out…
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Film Review – The Conjuring 2
Imagine my disappointment walking out of The Conjuring 2 (2016) realizing how mediocre it is. Perhaps expectations were a little too high. The Conjuring (2013) was a surprise for mainstream horror, telling a spooky tale with effective craftsmanship from director James Wan and strong performances…
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SIFF Film Review – Alone
As the title of the Korean psychodrama Alone suggests, its protagonist is one isolated man – emotionally distant, physically by himself, and probably insane.
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SIFF Film Review – Vanity
If you’re going to die – and who isn’t? – Switzerland sounds like a pretty good final stop. In addition to the alpine landscape, chocolate and high standard of living (*that you’d be leaving behind), the famously neutral nation has one of the world’s most…
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SIFF Film Review – Dawn
If life is often absurd, life in the Eastern Bloc must have had exceptionally absurd particularities. These details are warped even further in Dawn (original language title: Ausma), a hilariously grotesque parade of everyday life in a Latvian farming collective: through denunciations and bowl haircuts;…
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SIFF Film Review – The Final Master
In writer/director Haofeng Xu’s The Final Master (2015), a Wing Chun practitioner (Fan Liao) attempts to open a school in the city of Tianjin. The master wants to preserve the martial art for future generations, as was the dying wish of his master. However, due…
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Film Review – Me Before You
The sappiness runs deep with Me Before You (2016). In the pantheon of schmaltzy romances, this one fits the requirements completely. It panders to the common tropes: The Lonely Outcast Protagonist? Check. The Romantic Interest With A Tough Shell But A Heart Of Gold? Double…
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Film Review – Alice Through the Looking Glass
Therapist: So Allen, what brings you to my office? Allen: I need help, doc. Therapist: What seems to be the problem? Allen: I just saw a terrible movie. T: What movie was that? A: Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) T: Oh yes, I think…
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