AltWeeklies Wire
'Transit' Aims for High Intrigue on a Low Budget, With Mixed Resultsnew
Shot on video and with minimal lighting, the film has a cheap aesthetic that it struggles to overcome. The plot doesn’t break out of the genre’s clichés. It’s a common case of a filmmaker’s ambition being greater than his means.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
01-30-2009 |
Reviews
'Nobel Son' is Well Cast but Too Fastnew
It's the kind of film that you could praise for being a cut above the usual crap, but it ends up disappointing because it could have been so much better.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
12-05-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Randall Miller, Nobel Son
Old-fashioned Western 'Appaloosa' Moves Along in Fits and Startsnew
This film from Ed Harris is not nearly as good as either Open Range or Yuma, but despite the fact that it sometimes moves at a crawl, it's more or less a solidly entertaining throwback.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
10-06-2008 |
Reviews
Scott Hicks Documents a Composer's Life in 'Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts'new
At 71, composer Philip Glass is a comfortable member of the highbrow mainstream, as well as a renowned film composer with several scores under his belt. It wasn't always thus; his highly repetitive style made him the scourge of the classical establishment in the '70s.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
08-05-2008 |
Reviews
'Silent Light' is Long and Slow but Full of Moments of Beautynew
Reaching nearly two and a half hours at an unrelentingly glacial pace, this is most definitely not a film for the ADD set; comparatively, Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers feels like the latest Indiana Jones flick. But the peculiar setting keeps things interesting, the cast is compelling and the cinematography and editing are truly exceptional.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
06-27-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Carlos Reygadas, Silent Light
Argentina's 'XXY' is Surprising and Originalnew
Argentinean director Lucia Puenzo makes her feature debut with a thoughtful yet startling film that's part family drama, part coming-of-age tale, and wholly original.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
05-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Lucia Puenzo, XXY
David Mamet's Kung-Fu Comebacknew
He's back in shape with the martial-arts thriller Redbelt.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: David Mamet, Redbelt
'Then She Found Me' is a Well-Made, Bittersweet Motherhood Dramanew
Fertility, and its opposite, are suddenly a bit of a Hollywood hot topic. While Tina Fey's Baby Mama runs with the comic approach to the subject, Helen Hunt's Then She Found Me is a much more bittersweet dramatic take.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
05-02-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Helen Hunt, Then She Found Me
Keanu Sinks 'Street Kings'new
In the end, the cliches overshadow the craftsmanship, failing to elevate this above the police-drama-saturated landscape.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
04-11-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: David Ayer, Street Kings
'Charlie Bartlett' Makes the Gradenew
Strong writing and great performances make this more
than just another teen movie.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
02-22-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Charlie Bartlett, John Poll
Bleak Streetnew
British kitchen-sink realism meets crime drama in the atmospheric but underdeveloped London to Brighton.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
02-08-2008 |
Reviews
Most Valuable Playersnew
The captivating documentary Junior portrays a season in the life of a Baie-Comeau hockey team.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
01-31-2008 |
Reviews
Old Schoolnew
The Cemetery Club focuses on the colourful characters in an Israeli seniors' learning group
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
12-04-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Tali Shemesh, The Cemetery Club
'Mr. Magorium' is a Little Too Whimsicalnew
The film is cheesy and old-fashioned but not
entirely unsatisfying.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
11-16-2007 |
Reviews
Director Nicolas Roeg on the Ups and Downsnew
Whatever the reasons for his career's decline, Roeg is back in form with Puffball, his first theatrical feature since 1996's barely released Two Deaths.
Montreal Mirror |
Malcolm Fraser |
10-01-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Nicolas Roeg, Puffball
