Movies
The Hunter
A haunted, solitary mercenary (Willem Dafoe at his craggiest) is hired to track down the Tasmanian Tiger, a creature believed extinct for nearly a century. On the hunt, he rediscovers his own believed-extinct humanity, and the film grows from a simple tale of man versus beast to a complicated parable
The Hunger Games
Are the odds in favour of a good time if you come see the big-screen adaptation of The Hunger Games? The consensus is yes: It has epic spectacle, yearning romance, suspense that won’t quit and a shining star in Jennifer Lawrence, who gives us a female warrior worth cheering. (Rolling
Granito: How to Nail a Dictator
PRESENTED BY THE NOBEL WOMENS INITIATIVE | FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE Pamela Yates astonishing new film doesn’t just document history it makes history. Part political thriller, part memoir this riveting, haunting tale people determined to reveal a genocide and bring a malevolent dictator to justice will transport and change you.
God Bless America
OTTAWA PREMIERE | OFFICIAL SELECTION, SXSW 2012 The latest pitch-black comedy from director Goldthwait (Sleeping Dogs Lie) follows a terminally ill man who decides to better society by eliminating its most repellant citizens including American Idol contestants, double-parkers and (thank you!) people who text during movies. A violent and
Footnote
BEST SCREENPLAY, CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2011 An academic rivalry between a father and his son is at the centre of this story, which plays out as a series of digressions (or, if you like, footnotes). A complicated, and thus compelling [tale] of a relationship held sacred in most cultures [that]
The Deep Blue Sea
NOMINEE, BEST FILM, LONDON FILM FESTIVAL A judges young wife (Rachael Weisz) has an affair with a Royal Air Force pilot (Tom Hiddleston, most recently of The Avengers) amid the uncertainty of post-WWII Britain in this adaptation of Terrence Rattigans stage play. Crafted with patient elegance this is a mesmeric,
Chimpanzee
Disney returns with another stunningly-shot nature documentary this time following an orphaned baby chimp and its impressive stuff taming its beasts-in-the-wild raw material into a family-friendly (though not totally sugarcoated) heroes-and-villains adventure. (Village Voice)
Bully
The MPAA tried to push this film around by slapping it with an R rating that would preclude wide distribution. But it stood up for itself, attained a PG-13, and now everyone can see this moving and troubling (NY Times) doc about the brutal physical and psychological abuse many children
A Bullet for the General
SATURDAY NIGHT SINEMA | FREE FOR MEMBERS One of the earliest examples of the Zapata Western subgenre of Spaghetti Western, Damianis epic about loyalty and betrayal among a group of revolutionaries is not a ‘B-movie’ by any means, not even a ‘genre film’. Damiani has made a thoughtful, absorbing masterpiece
Writers Festival presents Canada with Richard Ford
Check writersfestival.org for the most up-to-date listings. Monday, June 18 7:00 PM: CANADA with Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford $15 general | $10 students or seniors | Free for festival members