A collection of movie reviews - from short and sweet to borderline rambling. Happy reading!

Latest List
I Care A Lot (2020)
The World to Come (2021)
Identifying Features (2020)
Little Fish (2021)
Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020)
The Mauritanian (2021) 
White Lie (2020)
One Night in Miami (2020)
Love Sarah (2020)
Minari (2020)
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Herself (2020)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Nomadland (2020)
Sylvie's Love (2020)
The Prom (2020)
I'm Your Woman (2020)
Wander Darkly (2020)
Black Bear (2020)
Ammonite (2020)
On the Rocks (2020)
Happiest Season (2020)
Nocturne (2020)
Kindred (2020)
Come Away (2020)
His House (2020)
The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
Pressure Play (2020)
Watson (2020)
The Life Ahead (2020)
Host (2020)
The Witches (2020)
Rebecca (2020)
Definition Please (2020)
Save Yourselves! (2020)
Evil Eye (2020)
She Dies Tomorrow (2020)
The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)
Over the Moon (2020)
The Glorias (2020)
Kajillionaire (2020)
Residue (2020)
Enola Holmes (2020)
​The Surrogate (2020)
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
The Assistant (2020)

Podcasts
Hereditary (2018)

TIFF Coverage
Another Round (2020)
Beans (2020)
Inconvenient Indian (2020)
Lift Like a Girl (2020)
No Ordinary Man (2020)
Nomadland (2020)
One Night in Miami (2020)
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
​Shiva Baby (2020)
The Water Walker (2020)
Wolfwalkers (2020)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
First Man (2018)
mid90s (2018)
Vox Lux (2018)
The Shape of Water (2017)
The Dressmaker (2015)
Legend (2015)
Room (2015)
Laggies (2014)
Nightcrawler (2014)
The Riot Club (2014)
Two Days, One Night (2014)
Gravity (2013)

Archives
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Hail, Caesar! (2016)
The Jungle Book (2016)
Midnight Special (2016)
Sing Street (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Amy (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)
The Big Short (2015)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Brooklyn (2015)
Carol (2015)
Creed (2015)
Dope (2015)
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Inside Out (2015)
Joy (2015)
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
The Revenant (2015)
Ricki and the Flash (2015)
Sicario (2015)
Spotlight (2015)
Spy (2015)
Steve Jobs (2015)
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Trainwreck (2015)
The Witch (2015)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Gone Girl (2014)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
A Little Chaos (2014)
St. Vincent (2014)
Whiplash (2014)
Before Midnight (2013)
Before Midnight #2 (2013)
Begin Again (2013)
Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
Before Sunset (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

My introduction to film festivals began with TIFF, a festival I've been going to since 2011. I remember the first movie I saw there: Shame (directed by Steve McQueen). Since then, year after year, my TIFF movie schedule grew. I remember running from one screening to the next. I saw as much as I could. This year, the online experience of festivals will miss a few simple pleasures: meeting new people in lineups that go on for blocks, sitting in a crowded theatre with a very excited audience,  rushing to a last-minute packed screening finishing coffee in hand, listening to insightful Q&As, and unexpectedly meeting some great actors, to name a few.

Given that many festivals around the world have now gone virtual, I had the opportunity to learn about some great organizations beyond Canada dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in media. Here are some festival spotlights: 

​Vision Maker Media's First Indigenous Online Film Festival
"45 years of empowering the Native narrative"

"Vision Maker Media (@visionmakermedia) amplifies and empowers the works of Native people through storytelling. Since 1976, Vision Maker has showcased Native programming on film, VHS, DVD, and now through online streaming. For the first time, they will be hosting a free online celebration of American Indian, Alaska Native and worldwide Indigenous film.

The festival promotes understanding Indigenous communities and creating a space for learning. Native representation in media not only matters, it is essential. 

The First Indigenous Online Film Festival runs from August 31 to October 5. Visit https://visionmakermedia.org/ for information on festival passes and registration. 

August 31, 2020"

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival
"Inspired by women storytellers and filmmakers"

"Based in Brooklyn, Imagine This Women's Film Fest (@imagineprods) amplifies the works of independent and aspiring female filmmakers from around the world. The festival also provides helpful resources for equal opportunities, funding, production, and diversity programming. This year's virtual lineup includes over 70 films (all made by women) from 20 countries.

So inspired by just how many great film festivals there are in the world. Representation in media is essential, and with festivals such as ITWIFF, more stories are being heard. 

The 5th annual Imagine This Women's Film Festival runs from September 25 to October 4. Visit https://www.imaginethisprods.com/ for more information on tickets and festival passes. Looking forward to checking this out for the first time!

August 20, 2020"

Bentonville Film Festival
"If they can see it, they can be it."

"Co-founded by Geena Davis, the Bentonville Film Festival (@bfffestival) is on a mission to promote underrepresented storytellers in media and entertainment. The festival, held annually in Bentonville, Arkansas, launched in 2015 and has emphasized inclusive programming over the last six years. This year's largely virtual lineup includes more than 80% of features directed by women.

As the Bentonville Film Festival runs from August 10-16, movie screenings will end tomorrow at 11:59pm CDT! Visit https://bentonvillefilm.org/ to check out a movie or two. Already can't wait for next year's lineup! 

August 15, 2020"