Reviews

I want

Who are/were our parents? This is the question that’s trying to be answered in three different ways in director Jim Jarmusch’s character dramedy FATHER MOTHER BROTHER SISTER. This movie features three different stories with similar themes of family. First, we have the Father (Tom Waits), who has his son (Adam Driver) and daughter (Mayim Bialik) for a very rare visit in New Jersey. This was my favorite of the three. Waits is hilarious. The second story is pretty similar. A mother (Charlotte Rampling) has her two daughters Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps) over for their annual tea visit in Dublin. The final story has fraternal twins Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) go through their recently deceased parents in Paris. I enjoyed this movie. It’s very artistic, the highlight being the cinematography. It felt pretty special hearing Frederick Elmes, the co-cinematographer himself talk about this movie before it began. Anthology movies are hard to make, usually there’s one segment that’s weaker than the others. This is the case with this movie, but I’m not saying it’s bad. The quality is just uneven. I enjoyed the writing, especially the awkward dry humour and the specific similarities between the stories. It’s a pretty quiet movie, I don’t even think there’s a score. There are no dramatic moments or action. I can tell Jarmusch enjoys filming from inside cars. This might not be for everybody, but I definitely liked the unique triptych that is FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER.

Ok

It is good

Quickly realized watching a Brazilian film at VIFF is like watching an MCU movie opening weekend having never read a comic book, except I’m actually more inclined to research the subject to help contextualize those massive audience reactions because the film itself is extremely well made.

What was that bizarre scope projection about though?! The 2.39:1 anamorphic frame was quite literally projected like 2.2:1 5-perf (in layman’s terms, the left 10% of the frame was completely cut off)!! The experience of realizing the problematic projection was an interesting experience though. At first, I noticed all the centre subtitles looked left-heavy, which I initially chocked up to my angle of view. Next, it was the opening titles where it became abundantly clear that the safe areas were set to 5% at most because the ones pushed to edge of frame had parts of or entire letters chopped off; at this point I was worried, but I thought maybe it was just a timed text DCP issue. But no, over the course of the film, it became extremely obvious that the authorial intent was to correctly use the entire scope (haha) of the frame, but that meant any subject at the left edge was compromised, and to a lesser extent the anamorphic rack focuses looked off. Did no one say anything in the first screening earlier in the fest?! Is it just this film or have other scope films also been projected like this?!

The award-nominated writers of SING SING, Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley, have now upped their game even more with TRAIN DREAMS, this time with Bentley directing. It has a similar theme of the beauty and unpredictability of humanity and the world itself. Based on a novella by Denis Johnson, this is a character study of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger working on a railroad in 1917. He’s stoic, a hard-working man with a wife (Felicity Jones) and daughter to take care of. He’s a man of few words, but he’s thoughtful, looking for purpose in life. Usually, having a narrator could be seen as a crutch, but it’s done so well here, voiced by a smooth but powerful Will Patton. He gives us more insight into Robert and the world around him. The movie touches on discrimination during the “Great War”, but its main focus is Robert and how the world changes around him. The process of building a railroad represents both destruction and progress. Chopping down trees, then making the world smaller by building railroads. It also focuses on Robert’s workmates, one played by William H. Macy. His role is very small, but this might be the best he’s ever been. Speaking of “best he’s ever been”, freakin Joel Edgerton. This man does so much, with little dialogue. It’s an award-worthy performance on top of an already awesome career. Humanity’s complicated relationship with nature is another theme here. Overall, this is a poetic meditation of America, about the ups and downs of one life among many. I had the privilege of seeing TRAIN DREAMS in a sold-out theatre, and I can’t wait for you to see it when it comes to Netflix on November 21. I know this review is early, I just had to put something out there about it. Put it on a list, make a reminder, don’t pass this one by when it finally releases!

Highly recommended even though it wasn't very acclaimed by people.

For me this movie was one of the best in plot, cinematography, script, references to the past, everything.

Moving film, somewhat predictable but still convincing. The camera stays close to the main character throughout the film.
Watched in the VIFF Shorts program "The Scary One."
--VIFF 2025 film No. 11---

A decent, slightly implausible, interesting drama by Christian Petzold. Excellent actors. Some of the plot points were forseeable.
--VIFF 2025 film No. 9--

Me encanta la serie

The best

Wow, man. The Return of the King. Okay, so, here's the deal: this movie is absolutely, ridiculously huge. I'm talking epic, capital-E.
When I first saw it in the theater, it was just... a total experience. Peter Jackson managed to take one of the biggest, most beloved fantasy books ever and actually stick the landing. It’s the culmination of everything. The stakes couldn't be higher, right? Frodo and Sam's hike to Mount Doom is pure, brutal agony, and their friendship is seriously the heart of the whole thing. Sean Astin as Sam is just fantastic—the unsung hero, for real.
Then you have all the giant, sweeping battles. The Siege of Gondor? Are you kidding me? The scale of it is insane, and it's so well choreographed. You’re literally on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's got those big, "HELL YEAH!" moments that give you chills, you know? Aragorn stepping up, Éowyn being a total boss... it’s all there.
And yeah, the ending is long. Really long. Some people joke about the "multiple endings," but honestly, after investing nine hours (or more, if you watched the extended editions) in these characters over three movies, I didn't mind having a proper goodbye for everyone. It felt earned, even if I was starting to think I might need to pee halfway through the final farewells.
It’s an emotional roller coaster, man. Triumph, heartbreak, exhaustion, and then that bittersweet relief. It's a landmark in filmmaking. A masterpiece of scale and heart. Seriously one of the best fantasy movies ever made, maybe even one of the best movies ever made, period.
Valuation: 💫💫💫💫💫 (Five out of Five stars. It’s perfect.)

The beautiful, melancholic ache of "Lost in Translation" is the kind of movie that sneaks up on you, not with big, dramatic moments, but in the quiet spaces between heartbeats. It's a film about being truly, profoundly alone even when surrounded by millions of people, a feeling that anyone who has ever traveled or simply drifted through life can instantly recognize.
The movie drops us into neon-drenched Tokyo with Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a faded movie star there to film a whiskey commercial, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young Yale graduate tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband. They're both jet-lagged, adrift, and utterly disconnected from their own lives. Bob is dealing with a stale marriage and a low-grade mid-life crisis; Charlotte is wrestling with the vast, terrifying question of "what now?"
When their paths cross in the sleek, impersonal quiet of the hotel bar, the connection they forge is less a typical Hollywood romance and more a lifeline. It’s an intimate, platonic companionship born of shared solitude. They don't need to shout their feelings; the power is in the glances exchanged across a crowded room, the comfortable silence on a late-night excursion, the simple relief of being truly seen by another human being.
Sofia Coppola has crafted a mood piece, a gentle exploration of fleeting connection. It has a natural, almost documentary-like pace. Bill Murray gives a performance for the ages, all weary deadpan humor masking a deep vulnerability. Johansson is the perfect counterpart, embodying a beautiful, confused listlessness.
The film's magic lies in its ambiguity and its respect for the small, human moments—the funny awkwardness of the cultural barrier, the shared laughter at a terrible karaoke session, the final, whispered secret that remains just between them. It doesn't tie things up neatly, and that's precisely why it resonates. It captures a moment in time, a necessary detour for two people who help each other find their footing before they have to let go.
This one stays with you. It’s a gentle reminder that sometimes, the deepest understanding isn't spoken at all.
Valuation: 💫💫💫💫💫 (5 out of 5 stars)

Man, look, there are movies that hit you, and then there’s City of God. This isn't just some crime flick, you know? It's like being dropped right into the Cidade de Deus favela in Rio, and you can practically smell the heat and the fear and the tiny, desperate flickers of hope.
It follows Rocket, a kid who’s trying to survive by staying on the outside, a photographer with an eye for everything that's going on. But the real gut punch is seeing how the neighborhood morphs over two decades, from the late 60s to the 80s, turning from a place with petty crime into a brutal battlefield ruled by guys like Li’l Zé.
What gets you is the cast. A lot of the kids weren't even professional actors, they were from the actual favelas, and you feel that authenticity deep in your bones. It doesn't romanticize the violence, but it also doesn't forget that these are all human beings. We see the kids who are forced to choose a side, the ones who get sucked in, and the ones—like Rocket—who are just trying to find a way out without getting their spirit, or their body, broken.
It’s shot with this dizzying, electric energy, like you’re running through the alleys right alongside them. The way they tell the story—jumping around, flashing back—it keeps you on edge, completely immersed in this cycle of poverty and brutality where even the little kids are packing heat.
It's a tough watch, no doubt. The violence is shocking because it feels so real, not Hollywood-fake. But it’s also a powerful, necessary story about the cost of social inequality and the resilience of the human spirit. It asks you, the viewer, to look at a reality most people would rather ignore.
Absolute masterpiece.
Rating: 💫💫💫💫💫

It is rare that an animated film manages to reach into the most intimate parts of the human experience and touch them with such genuine tenderness, but Up does it. This is more than a children's movie with pretty visuals; it's a profound meditation on love, loss, and the true meaning of adventure.
The opening sequence, detailing the life of Carl and Ellie, is a masterpiece of silent, emotional storytelling. It captures the sheer joy of finding your soulmate, the quiet comfort of building a life together, the shared dreams, the heartbreaks, and the inevitable, crushing finality of loss. If you don't find yourself with a lump in your throat and a tear threatening to fall, you might not be paying attention to the beautiful, terrible reality of being human. That part alone grounds the entire fantastical journey that follows.
Carl Fredricksen's journey—floating his house to Paradise Falls—is not a whimsical escape; it’s a desperate act of grief, an attempt to honor a promise to the woman he loved more than life itself. When the young, earnest wilderness explorer Russell is thrust into his life, it's the perfect clash of an old man clinging to the past and a boy looking for the future, or really, just looking for a dad.
The film has its grand, fun moments—talking dogs, a giant, colorful bird, and spectacular chases in the Venezuelan tepuis—but these elements never overshadow the emotional core. The true "adventure" Carl discovers is not the destination, but the messy, unpredictable, and ultimately restorative process of moving forward and creating new bonds. It's about realizing that the small, everyday moments spent with the people you love are the great adventure.
Up is a deeply moving story that doesn't shy away from the pain of aging or the weight of regret, but ultimately celebrates the capacity of the human heart to open again, to heal, and to find family in unexpected places. It’s a hug when you need one, and a reminder that it's never too late to start a new chapter.
Star Rating: 5/5 Stars - A genuine masterpiece of feeling and narrative.

An AI couldn't possibly capture the raw, aching sincerity of a film like Dead Poets Society. It's a movie that hits you right in the gut, a necessary punch of life and sorrow.
It’s set in the stifling, traditional world of Welton Academy in 1959, an environment obsessed with "Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence." The air itself feels starched and formal until John Keating, played by the irreplaceable Robin Williams, arrives to teach English. He's not just a teacher; he's a hurricane of humanism wrapped in a tweed jacket.
Keating doesn't just teach poetry; he uses it to teach the boys how to live. Standing on desks, tearing pages out of textbooks, whispering "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day) into their fearful, ambitious, and confused young minds. He doesn't just want them to succeed in the cold, corporate world their fathers demand; he wants them to find their own authentic roar.
The film's true heart lies in the students, particularly Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) and Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke). Neil is the charismatic leader crushed under the weight of an iron-fisted father. Todd is the shy, stuttering soul haunted by his older brother's legacy. Keating gives them permission to dream, to be vulnerable, and to challenge the suffocating norms. Watching Neil finally pursue his passion for acting, and Todd finally find his voice in a moment of sheer, improvised brilliance, is intensely moving.
The film is not a simple feel-good tale. It deals with the brutal reality of what happens when a spirit—any spirit—is crushed by conformity and fear. The inevitable conflict between Keating's radical freedom and the school's rigid authoritarianism leads to a gut-wrenching tragedy that forces the boys to face the real cost of being extraordinary.
The final, iconic scene is less a triumph and more an act of defiant, desperate love. It's a moment that asserts that some ideas—the belief in self, the power of a single voice, the call to truly live—can't be signed away or expelled.
It’s messy, perhaps a bit sentimental at times, but it is unapologetically human. It will make you question your own complacency, your own deferred dreams. It is a stirring, necessary story about the fire a great teacher can light in the hearts of the young.
Star Value: \star \star \star \star (4 out of 5 stars)

Película muy interesante y emocionante la recomiendo

It's another beautiful film by Zacharias Kunuk, taking place in the North thousands of years before contact.
Though I like his style in general, this time there could have been a bit more humour to my liking, and less of the ghosts but I get that it's based on a true story as told by Elders and this needs to be respected.
The VFX and practical effects were strong, as were the actors and costumes.
The landscape was less mezmerizing than in previous films, perhaps because it seemed almost eternally overcast, creating an overall grey colour of the sky, water and landscape.
Seen at the Vancouver Int'l Film Festival with the director in attendance for a Q&A, which was a good experience. He said he lives in in a community where they all speak Inuktitut as a first language. Therefore, it wasn't a problem to cast Inuktitut-speaking actors.
--VIFF 2025 film No. 8--