Author: Derrick Murray

Magic happens when a razor sharp script meets great performers under the helm of a confident director, and “Fair Play” has all three in spades.

“The Burial” is crowd pleasing comfort food, the kind of film that warms your soul even if you can telegraph every emotional beat and outcome beforehand.

Love him or hate him, Wes Anderson has managed to maintain his own auteurist vision his entire career. Never once has left his quirky, absurdist yet deeply personal and introspective post to attempt to direct a Marvel movie or big studio action film. No. Wes knows what Wes does best, and while that can lead to a sense of overindulgence at times, the integrity of his work and uniqueness of being able to tell the stories he wants to tell in the ways he wants to tell them is unmatched in filmmaking, particularly for this long and this often into…

“The Creator” is a craft film, one that excels in its visuals, landscapes, cinematography and even sound design to create a unique and boundary pushing sci-fi entry. But sadly there’s little else to hold onto once the visuals fade, and what’s left is a collection of unrealized ideas and scrambled ambitions that collide in a mush of theme-less storytelling.

“Flora and Son” has all the makings of the genuine crowd pleaser. Likable and charming characters, memorable tunes, and a heartwarming center that is sure to make you feel good in the end.

“Reptile” is a meandering, convoluted misfire. Bland and trope ridden, it can’t stay focused across its overly long runtime.

It’s been a long, long journey of film these last 10 days. Averaging 4 to 5 films a day can take its toll on you, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to not having to sit in a theater for a little while and sleep in my own my bed for once. But the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) experience has been one of a kind, a sort of dream come true for myself as a film lover and film critic. Sure, living in a hotel room for almost two weeks and living off of…

We’ve reached that part of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where we start to question our own humanity. Sleep deprived, overworked and starving for something that isn’t popcorn or ill advised hot dogs. The temperature of the Festival has changed as well. By day 8, most of the premieres are over and done with and most of the press and public have gone home. The theaters are noticeably quieter, the streets aren’t buzzing with anticipation, and the alluring nature of being surrounded by movie goers has transformed into a collection of holdovers still trucking along to get in a…

We may be sleep deprived, but we’re back with another slate of films to bring you live from the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 (TIFF)! We continue to overpack our schedule with screenings instead of actually taking care of our health, but ya know; suffer for you art and passion and all that! Anyway, here’s another round of films we’ve seen to put on your radar! “THE PROMISED LAND ” Mads Mikkelsen is back with a vengeance in “The Promised Land,” a film that centers around Mads as army captain who’s dream is to settle and cultivate land on the…

The first day of the Toronto International Film Festival has completed, but we are still on the ground in Day 2 catching as many possible films as we can to bring you up to date coverage of what we’ve seen. Some of these films will get full reviews closer to their release or after we return from the Festival and get some much needed sleep, something that is rather scarce amid the abundance of cinema on display. We can’t catch em all, but here is a quick recap of some films we were able to catch in our first few…