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Velvet Buzzsaw
Byline Houston
James Clay
The film finds its identity in being a shrewd look at blending the world of high art with the low brow aesthetic of a Lifetime made for TV movie.
B
long_letter
null
null
false
13
18
1
1,170
Milk
CBC Infoculture
Katherine Monk
Penn seems to disappear behind the upright shoulders and coquettish grin of his alter ego. He not only launches into each close-up screen kiss with co-star James Franco with palpable zeal, he makes Milk a lovable hero despite all his flaws and unflagging
4/5
5
4
5
false
3
5
1
1,171
Allied
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Despite the star power, glossy look and interesting premise, Allied feels like a missed opportunity from director Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Steven Knight.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Avengers: Endgame
CBC News
Eli Glasner
In the end, the focus is on the heart of the team that started it all. Tears will be shed. I may have felt something welling up myself.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Baby Driver
CBC News
Eli Glasner
With Elgort channeling a pouty James Dean and mean Kevin Spacey at his very best, Baby Driver delivers the creativity this summer's films have been lacking.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
CBC News
Eli Glasner
The results are shocking, at times borderline sadistic but effective. Like the musical score, which resembles a chorus of anvils, Batman v Superman pummels the audience into submission.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Black Panther
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Black Panther isn't a film about battling a giant robot or chasing magic stones. Instead, it explores issues of power and privilege, taking us inside a country torn apart by questions about whether to share its riches.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Blade Runner 2049
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Blade Runner 2049 is an intelligent iteration, 35 years in the making.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Captain America: Civil War
CBC News
Eli Glasner
At the heart of Captain America: Civil War is an amazing shape-shifting ability. It is a film that confronts the consequences of super-heroic intervention, while also providing a popcorn-worthy bang-pow experience.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Deadpool
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Something incredible has happened. Ryan Reynolds has finally found a vehicle worth his talents: bringing Deadpool to life and giving the superhero genre just the right smack it needs.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Doctor Strange
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Doctor Strange's magical battles turn Manhattan into a concrete kaleidoscope - worth watching on the biggest screen you can find.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Dunkirk
CBC News
Eli Glasner
The most remarkable aspect might be that this is a war film that celebrates the simple act of surviving
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Fantastic Beasts feels like a missed opportunity for Rowling...While there are flashes of wonder and whimsy, there seems little in these characters that would support an ambitious, five-part franchise.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Finding Dory
CBC News
Eli Glasner
What sets Pixar's films apart is the studio's ability to embrace the darkness, dread and possibility of failure Dory faces. That's what brings Finding Dory close to the heights of Finding Nemo.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Furious 7
CBC News
Eli Glasner
[Paul] Walker bows out with a fitting send off.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Ghostbusters
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Part of the problem is that Ghostbusters is so busy going through a karaoke-style re-enactment of the original that these new paranormal exterminators have little time to stand on their own.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Into The Forest
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Into the Forest has its share of dramatic scenes, but Rozema is more focused on the emotional effects of the crisis...the result is a stark, emotional story about survival and sisterhood - depicting not dystopia per se, but a new beginning.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Collaborators always talk about how hard Cruise works to nail the moment or perfect that fight scene. But where's the vulnerability? Where's the heart? It's time for the superstar to get human again
2/5
5
2
5
false
2
9
2
1,172
Jason Bourne
CBC News
Eli Glasner
It's right there in the title: we've gone from The Bourne Ultimatum to simply Jason Bourne. He's not fighting for some greater good, he's just a reason to keep us watching. And after a while, it gets exhausting.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Keanu
CBC News
Eli Glasner
[Key & Peele] stay true to form: spoofing stereotypes, changing attitudes and generally keeping the audience off-balance with unexpected references.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Maleficent
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Though promising the audience an alternative tale of a world we thought we knew, Maleficent coddles rather than challenges us.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Manchester by the Sea
CBC News
Eli Glasner
What makes the film stand apart isn't its authentic flavours or visceral performances, but the story's integrity - a rare commitment to truth that deserves to be seen.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Me Before You
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Leaving aside the complex issue of assisted dying, one of the film's biggest problems is how much Me Before You shields the audience. For a supposed romance, it's surprisingly prudish.
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,172
Money Monster
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Money Monster is a flaccid farce masquerading as an issue film. The tepid hostage drama turns out to be a manipulative whodunit that lets the real bad guys off the hook.
1.5/5
5
1.5
5
false
1
9
2
1,172
Moonlight
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Part of what makes Moonlight such a revelation is Jenkins' delicate treatment of the inner lives of black men. There's a tenderness we rarely see as the film shines a light on a subculture where too often vulnerability is seen as weakness.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Okja
CBC News
Eli Glasner
These are broad, screen-chewing performances, but the two real stars are 13-year-old Seo-Hyun Ahn as Mija and Okja the super pig with bottomless brown eyes.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Race
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Race feels like a lustrous after-school special, suffering from an uninspired treatment that favours a cozy, glossy look over gritty authenticity.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
CBC News
Eli Glasner
While we don't have the same nostalgic attachment to Cassian, Bodhi and Jyn, that's what unburdens Rogue One, giving it a freedom to tell a story on its own terms.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Sing Street
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Sing Street captures the happy/sad state of adolescence. It's a cinematic ear-worm you won't want to shake.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Spider-Man: Homecoming
CBC News
Eli Glasner
[Homecoming] is an inventive effort that makes the joke-cracking wall crawler relevant again.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,172
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Watching The Last Jedi is a conversation with your younger self.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
CBC News
Eli Glasner
This is the result of a fan culture that puts the past on a pedestal. The best we can hope for are echoes of our original experience.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Storks
CBC News
Eli Glasner
From Toady's silly schemes to the movie's hilarious silent-penguin battle, Storks is filled with a refreshing weirdness that makes it a demented delight.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Suburbicon
CBC News
Eli Glasner
By keeping the spotlight on the Lodge family, Clooney puts the Mayers at the back of bus, squandering a story about intolerance in favour of this mirthless murder comedy
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,172
The Beguiled
CBC News
Eli Glasner
What starts as a gushing gothic comedy takes a turn as the ladies realize how the soldier played them. This is a crowd pleaser with a lesson about crossing southern belles.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
The Big Sick
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Nanjiani expertly underplays the comedy but the true MVPs are the parents on all sides: Bollywood legend Anupam Kher as Nanjiani's taciturn father and Holly Hunter as Emily's mother.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,172
The Boss
CBC News
Eli Glasner
McCarthy had been on an upswing with her films, like last year's Spy, but as disgraced business mogul Darnell, she's surprisingly unfunny.
2/5
5
2
5
false
2
9
2
1,172
The Jungle Book
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Once the distracting songs have faded away, The Jungle Book becomes its own beast. Rather than the zaniness of the original, Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks reach for moments of majesty.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
The Revenant
CBC News
Eli Glasner
The Revenant is visually stunning, but the story is simplistic...all that agony makes the movie something to endure rather than inspire.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
The Shallows
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Where Open Water embraced the inescapable dread of the situation, The Shallows intercuts action with weepy monologues and blatant product placement, complete with jarring screenshots that clash with the elemental nature of the story.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Transformers: The Last Knight
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Like a frat boy given 260 million dollars to play with, Bay strives to make the military men mighty, and the women foxy, while he mocks the scientists with their foolish facts and figures.
1/5
5
1
5
false
0
9
2
1,172
Warcraft
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Warcraft is meant to be the beginning of a new movie franchise. Here's hoping the next installment finds a better balance between overwhelming action and satisfying storytelling.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,172
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
CBC News
Eli Glasner
Though initially sold as The Hangover set in Afghanistan, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is not an outright wacky comedy, but instead tells a much more subtle, dramatic story.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
Zootopia
CBC News
Eli Glasner
It's surprisingly sophisticated, finding new ways to get us to look past stereotypes.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,172
A Quiet Place
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Part of what makes A Quiet Place special is the devilish simplicity of the family's dilemma.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
A Star Is Born
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
A Star is Born is a musical but without the hokiness. Each performance moves the story forward, with Cooper focused on capturing authentic moments.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
Alita: Battle Angel
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
If you're 10 years old and this is your first movie, you'll love it. For the rest of us who like some ambiguity and subtext in our storytelling, this is one battle not worth waging.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Apollo 11
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
It's a time capsule of an era when a country reached for greatness bigger than borders.
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
Avengers: Infinity War
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
This is an epic tale sheathed in spandex, a super heroic soap opera. The Russos know how to deliver the bang, but also when to lay back.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
Bohemian Rhapsody
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
This is the karaoke version of Queen. All the notes are there, but not the soul.
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
Captain Marvel
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Besides fighting the Skrull conspiracy, she's also fighting a convoluted script. The writers do Captain Marvel no favours by tossing her origin story in the identity crisis movie blender.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Child's Play
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Sure there are disposable roles, like the creepy janitor and Mom's jerk of a boyfriend. But without them, how would Chuckie learn? And really the biggest upgrade is Chuckie himself ...voiced by everyone's favourite space farm boy, Mark Hamill
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Cold Pursuit
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
like Fargo meets Pulp Fiction, nowhere near as good as either but at least it has ambition
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Colette
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Collette is a woman who refused to be defined by her husband or what the world expected of women
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
Creed II
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
What saves it is Michael B. Jordon. Sure, the first thing you notice is the power, the arm cocked, ready to fire. But his real strength is his openness...the way he allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Dumbo
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
It's like one of those Disney theme park automatons - a lifelike simulation that's hollow inside.
2/5
5
2
5
false
2
9
2
1,173
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
As opposed to the Harry Potter films where the friends gain confidence and abilities as they mature, Fantastic Beasts is a world where magic is omnipresent and effortless.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Part of the pleasure is watching Johnson rile Statham up and then enjoying the slow swimmer.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
First Man
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Chazelle rarely lets us escape, We're trapped, trying to read the sky and the stars using only math and a ruler etched on a window
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
Frozen II
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
A sequel that's entertaining but doesn't capture the clear purpose and power of the original.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Glass
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Shyamalan is going to do what he always does, erecting the scaffolding of the story around one tenuous idea until it comes crashing down because of the...THE TWIST.
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
Halloween
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Curtis does a great job of playing a woman who has spent her life waiting for the worst. She's more than a badass, she's a survivor and we get a sense of the cost.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Hustlers
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
A film that starts like the female Magic Mike, edges closer to something like Goodfellas.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
Isn't It Romantic
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
There's some nice self-awareness about this woman trapped in the mushy movie love land. But in the end, Isn't is Romantic wants to have its heart-shaped cake and eat it too.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Joker
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
There's a moment when he crystalizes into the character, we see it coming, but it arrives with a monstrous sort of grace.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Judy
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
When Judy sings you hear the hurt, the aches and pains she pours into every song. On stage is where Judy shines, offstage is where it stumbles.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Justice League
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Justice League is just... good enough. Prepare yourself for tonal whiplash as the two directing styles battle it out.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
a masterwork of mediocrity
1.5/5
5
1.5
5
false
1
9
2
1,173
Miss Bala
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
what makes this adaptation fascinating is how it erases what made the original stand out
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
Mortal Engines
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
...then we're introduced to the most fearsome mechanism of all, the groaning monstrosity known as The Script
1/5
5
1
5
false
0
9
2
1,173
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Instead of the snap crack pop dialogue of Tarantino's best efforts, we have this shambolic, rambling tale, with a run time of 2 hours and 45 minutes.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,173
Paddington 2
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
It can be easy to forget there is good in the world and sometimes it comes in the form of a furry brown bear in a hat
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
Parasite (Gisaengchung)
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
a savage and spectacular social satire
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
Ralph Breaks the Internet
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
There's an insecurity to Ralph, accentuated by the fact Vanellope doesn't need Ralph's help anymore. The way they visualize that with a massive metaphor is both brilliant and heartbreaking.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
Ready or Not
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
It wouldn't work as well as it does if not for Samara Weaving as Grace. She the kind of face you look for in a scream queen, but also that unkillable spirit, which is put to the test.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Roma
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Roma isn't just a film, it's a tidal wave of empathy with an undeniable sense of momentum, worth watching on the biggest screen you can find.
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
Serenity
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
the story needs a better foundation than the waterlogged half-baked clichés that pass for character
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
Spider-Man: Far From Home
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Spider-Man: Far From Home feels like super hero movie on autopilot.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Thanks to a manic pop-art animation style, this is a version of Spider-man that both honours his comic-books origins while giving us a hero for today.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
The technique embeds us with these two women. The Body Remembers is about poverty, privilege and two very different experiences of being Indigenous in Canada.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
The Farewell
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
But behind the forced smiles, this is a family grieving in advance. The director Lulu Wang doesn't resolve every moment but rather lets it breathe as we watch the family working through their feelings.
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
The Hate U Give
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
The brilliance of the construction of the is how it forces us to see everything through Starr's eyes
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,173
The Irishman
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
In the final half hour the movie transmutes from a crime story to a requiem of sorts. This is a man of violence, looking back at the wreckage, looking ahead into the abyss and attempting some kind of reckoning.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,173
The Kitchen
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
Not only does the Kitchen romanticize the good old days when paying mobsters used to mean something, but it makes McCarthy and her friends' rise to power it all too easy.
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
The Lion King
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
One minute you're looking at an image that looks like it ripped out of National Geographic, then...it TALKS and it seems like Hammy Hampster
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
The Upside
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
This is a movie filled with a painfully obvious story and manufactured mawkish moments. It's doesn't just pluck our heartstrings, it thrashes a power cord
2.5/5
5
2.5
5
false
3
9
2
1,173
Waves
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
An intense, visceral experience that builds up into a crescendo of consequences.
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
What Men Want
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
What Men Want is refreshingly frank about the workplace dynamics Sure the end has a predictable rom-com twist and some momentum issues. But great tunes and great scenes make this the Girls Trip of 2019
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,173
Widows
CBC News Network
Eli Glasner
By giving Rodriguez, Davis, Debicki and Erivo characters worthy of their talents, McQueen has made one of the most vital films of the year.
5/5
5
5
5
false
8
9
2
1,173
At Eternity's Gate
CBC Radio
Eli Glasner
This is a point of view experience. Often we're looking out of Van Gogh's eyes or gazing at Dafoe's face. That amazing canvas of pain, anguish, and ecstasy.
4.5/5
5
4.5
5
false
7
9
2
1,174
Venom
CBC Radio
Eli Glasner
Imagine if Rick Moranis had an alien in his head that sounded like Freddy Krueger and you start to see where the movie is going.
3/5
5
3
5
false
4
9
2
1,174
Blair Witch
CBR
Kristy Puchko
"Blair Witch" is a pale imitation, lacking wit, tension or anything resembling scares.
1/5
5
1
5
false
0
5
1
1,175
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
CBS 5 (SF Bay Area)
James Rocchi
I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry isn't just unfunny; it's racist, sexist and homophobic -- and truly unpleasant to watch. ... I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry practices exactly the kind of intolerance it preaches against.
0/4
4
0
4
true
0
5
1
1,176
The Devil Wears Prada
CBS 5 (SF Bay Area)
James Rocchi
... a glossy good-time movie ...
3/4
4
3
4
true
3
5
1
1,176
Trust the Man
CBS 5 (SF Bay Area)
James Rocchi
... A lot of big, dumb romantic comedies from name actors and major studios coast by on charm and charisma; why can't a small, dumb romantic comedy from lesser-known talents and micro-studios get the chance to do the same thing?
3/4
4
3
4
true
3
5
1
1,176
Assassination Nation
CC2K
Adriana Gomez-Weston
In his latest film Assassination Nation, director and writer Sam Levinson taps into the nightmares of the Instagram and Snapchat generation. As the film opens, audiences are greeted with a trigger warning, which prefaces an hour and a half of pure chaos.
9/10
10
9
10
false
8
10
1
1,177
Body at Brighton Rock
CC2K
Fiona Underhill
If you're going to write a film in which the audience is alone with the protagonist for the majority of the run-time, you have give us a reason to invest that time and unfortunately, it's just not here.
1.5/5
5
1.5
5
false
1
9
2
1,178
Charlie Says
CC2K
Fiona Underhill
Offers a different perspective on what has become a well-worn topic from a fascinating filmmaker.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,178
Eighth Grade
CC2K
Kimberly Pierce
Elsie Fisher deserves significant praise for her take on Kayla. The young actress puts forward an incredibly layered and realistic performance in a challenging role.
4/5
5
4
5
false
6
9
2
1,178
If the Dancer Dances
CC2K
Fiona Underhill
A rare privilege - to have this level of access to the creation of new work which is attempting to honor the legacy of such a legendary choreographer. An important document of an artistic process.
3.5/5
5
3.5
5
false
5
9
2
1,178