By John H. Foote (****) Eli Cross, as portrayed by the astonishing Peter O’Toole, never seems to touch the earth. The first time we encounter him he is shooting a scene for his film in a helicopter, his intense blue eyes locked on the escaped convict who has just ruined his shot. Even when walking…
By Alan Hurst Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2018) is currently streaming on Netflix. It’s an entertaining and speculative look at the real-life Christie’s 11-day disappearance in 1926 that sparked one of the largest manhunts in British history and became a tabloid sensation. When Christie was found she had no recollection of the previous…
By Alan Hurst Women directors in Hollywood are increasing in number, power and acclaim but that wasn’t always the case. If you take the Academy Awards as a bellwether, only five women have made the final five list of nominees over the last 90+ years – and only one of those women has won (Kathryn…
By Clarisse Tenreiro Twenty two years ago, the world saw director Anthony Minghella release what would become a monumental piece of cinematic artistry : the romantic war drama The English Patient (1996). Adapted from Michael Ondaatje’s novel, the film starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Kristin Scott Thomas, amongst other exceptional actors, experienced an incredibly…
By John H. Foote (**) Let me be clear, this film does not, in my world, exist. I am writing this at the request of a few loyal readers curious as to why I loathe the film entirely and have chosen to erase it from existence in my world. Michael Corelone’s fate is what we…
By Alan Hurst It’s never listed near the top of Bette Davis’ film achievements but The Star (1952) is nonetheless one of the unsung (albeit campy) gems from a period when Hollywood was really starting to turn the focus on itself with a series of films showing the highs and lows of the movie business.…
By John H. Foote (****) On film, by 1986 Vietnam had become a comic book war won single-handedly by action heroes John Rambo or Chuck Norris. The searing truth seen in Coming Home (1978) and Apocalypse Now (1979) had given way to the macho swaggering of Rambo: First Blood II (1985), Missing in Action – Part 1and 2 (1986-87) and…
By John H. Foote Am I intentionally a contrarian? I have never believed so, but I do have my own mind and I have chosen to use it rather than follow behind like a lemming. When my friends at school were rabid Maple Leafs fans I was a Boston Bruins fan, my favourite goalies was…
By John H. Foote (****) Tootsie is, to me, the greatest American comedy ever made, a farce brimming with intelligence and sharp writing, brilliant direction and performances as well as insight into one of the most mysterious art forms known to man. Directed by Sydney Pollack, so much more gifted than he was ever given credit…
By John H. Foote Bruno Ganz, a brilliant actor died last Saturday. In honour of this fine artist, we celebrate his finest performance in DOWNFALL (2005). (****) Is it possible to humanize Adolf Hitler? Is it remotely possible to make human one of the greatest mass murderers in the history of mankind? A man who set a…