Reviews

This is Park Chan-wook at his most devilishly funny! The direction and editing are intricate and playful, the dissolves and transitions are mesmerizing, everything designed to keep you hooked and build on meaning and character relationships (even predictions for what will happen next?).

The moral dilemmas Park plays with are extremely relevant, questioning our relationship and insecurities with work and family. Feels like at some point we are another character in his film, considering or next thought or action. (Am I disposable too?)

VIFF2025 - What a blast to watch with a full theatre!

The opening scene hinted at an intense thriller with twists and turns. After that, we get a very slow mystery mostly driven by dialogue instead of action. The plot itself is not hard to follow, but the characters' motivations are a harder to understand. Also, the film plays around with some cool ideas and themes, but it never really ties them to the story. The acting by both leads was amazing, and that saved the film.

This movie is just as obsessed with cinema as I am. It was charming and funny, if a bit too long. If you love movies and the history of cinema, you will have an absolute blast. If you don't…. well, at least the performances are fantastic. Especially Aubry Dullin and Guillaume Marbeck.

I really liked how Sentimental Value tackled family scars. Lack of closure, a unique ability to get under one another's skin, and an undercurrent of old pain are impossible to ignore in this film, and in life. It's not beating the pretentious allegations, but if this hits for you, it's going to hit hard. For me, it hit.

I'm glad I got to watch this at VIFF. I was expecting a weird movie, but I never thought it would be so funny. The documentary plays around with visual gags, narration, editing, music, and the awkwardness of the non-professional actors to keep you laughing all the time. The main idea is simple: to recreate photographs of 1920s Rijeka/Fiume with modern inhabitants of the city, but there's so much creativity behind every decision. Great film, watch it.

Don't watch this if you have employment anxiety. Do watch this is you want to have a great time. This is by far the funniest movie I've seen at VIFF, even though it had some of the darkest subject matter. Everything was on point. Performances. Cinematography. EDITING. I have a new favourite from Park Chan-wook and it's not even close. This is what satire is supposed to do.

Quick post watch thoughts - - Great visuals, lots of familiar vancouver sights, soundtrack was fantastic (but does it live up to legacy?), fun movie. Plot was soso yet subverted my story expectations, and Jared Leto was not insufferable.

"Do you have any stronger pain medication? Advil? Okay. Dawn, would you like some? They're handing them out like candy." -- Emily Blunt was so good in this. Her outfits were on point. It's nice to see Playland featured in this film!

Ah, the joys and pains of friendship and love! 3670 is a wonderful debut for both the director, whose eye flows imperceptible & intimately through Cheol-jun's newly discovered world and emotions, AND for the lead actor, whose contained performance is as charming as it is heart-wrenching at times. The exploration of South Korea's hidden gay culture, and the difficult journey of young North Korean defectors, makes for a super interesting mix of themes to explore.


Watched at VIFF2025 with a surprise Q&A with the director and lead actors! It made our experience even better to hear how much care the team put into this wholesome film in a country where being gay may not be easy, but it can still be fun and beautiful when you get to be yourself.


PS. The growing chemistry between the two lead actors is BANANAS. I'm also still thinking of a certain close up with shoes on the floor. This film has so many beautiful and emotional details that stay with you!

There are so many reasons to love body varial. It's intimate, raw, and honest. It gently depicts the everydayness of a young adult after getting gender-affirming surgery; the small misfits here and there that an average trans person goes through; the confusion of navigating a newish body.
In 15 minutes, Body Varial challenges the prevalent existing discourse around gender affirming care: receiving top surgery is not the ultimate "happy ending" of being trans; it is an ongoing journey. It speaks to a general audience, whether you are trans or not.

“All this business of reality, poetry… Well, in truth what I’m doing is I’m just filming, not even filming, I’m taping, videotaping, moments of life around me… Friends, my own life, details that I have a need to tape for whatever reason. I do not know what makes me do it, but I have to do it. I just have to do it. […] The mystery remains: why I tape what I tape? Why I tape those 15 seconds or one minute or two minutes and why not the rest of the day? So that’s the beauty of life. That we keep going and no explanations are really needed. Explanations… it’s only part of the game.”

This film looks great, and the Afro-futuristic construction of the setting was supe interesting and immersive. I also really enjoyed Mallori Johnson's performance. Unfortunately, there's not much more that I liked about Steal Away. The story seems confused by itself, and I never really got a grasp on what exactly the idea behind it was. It see-saws between overly ambiguous and incredibly on the nose in a way that just wasn't for me. I do want to check out more of Clement Virgo's work because I've heard good things, but this wasn't the strongest starting point

Really enjoyed this. Loved the storyline and the cast. I’ve highly recommend it

It's hard to talk about The Exorcist without feeling like you're touching something truly raw, something that gets under your skin in a way most movies—especially horror—just don't. This isn't a simple "jump scare" movie; it's a profound, deeply unsettling look at a mother's helplessness, the crisis of faith, and the terrifying vulnerability of childhood.
What makes it so human is that at its core, it’s a story about a little girl, Regan, getting sick. A sickness that bafflingly, terrifyingly, has no medical name. Her mother, Chris MacNeil, an actress, is an intelligent, rational person, and she goes through the whole, grueling modern process: doctors, tests, clinics, all the way up to a disturbing and frankly invasive angiogram. The movie forces you to sit in that agonizing tension where science has failed, and as a parent, you have nowhere left to turn.
The true horror isn't just the pea soup or the head spinning (though that stuff is visually shocking, even now). It’s the utter violation of innocence. Seeing a sweet, happy 12-year-old girl turned into a vessel for pure, venomous obscenity—a demonic entity that weaponizes her most private fears and doubts against her mother and the priests—that’s the real gut punch.
The emotional anchor is Father Karras, a Jesuit priest wrestling with a shattering loss of faith and crippling guilt over his aging mother. He’s not a hero with a clear purpose; he’s a psychiatrist full of doubt, clinging to his skepticism until he simply can't anymore. The movie's genius is in building to the titular exorcism not as a moment of glory, but as a last, desperate act when all rational hope is gone, forcing Karras to confront whether the evil he's facing is theological or psychological.
It's a heavy, demanding film. It moves slowly in its first half, drawing you into the characters' desperation before unleashing hell. It's less a horror movie and more a drama about suffering and the price of salvation. It feels less like a piece of entertainment and more like an endurance test.
Valuation in Stars:
★★★★★ (5 out of 5 Stars)
A masterpiece of psychological and supernatural horror, unmatched in its emotional depth and visceral power.

Movie Review: CODA
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)
If there's one movie that is going to make you feel absolutely everything, it's CODA. It isn't just a remake of the French film La Famille Bélier; it's a story that takes that original heart and makes it even more palpable, more universal, and a lot more relatable.

The plot follows Ruby Rossi, the only hearing member of a Deaf family (Child of Deaf Adults – hence the acronym CODA). They live in a small fishing town in Massachusetts, and Ruby is essentially the bridge between her family and the world. She's the interpreter for her parents and brother in everything, from doctor's appointments to negotiating fishing prices. The movie starts by showing us this tricky balancing act: her loyalty to her family and the struggling fishing business clashes head-on with her newfound passion: singing.

What makes CODA so special isn't the premise, but the emotional delivery. The family dynamic is hilarious, raw, and profoundly moving. Troy Kotsur (who won a very well-deserved Oscar) and Marlee Matlin as Ruby's parents, Frank and Jackie, are absolutely brilliant. Their sign language is expressive, full of adult humor, and unconditional love. You're watching a real family, with their arguments, their slightly inappropriate jokes, and the deep affection that binds them. They aren't "Deaf characters"; they're simply people.

Ruby's struggle is incredibly easy to understand: how do you pursue a dream that, by its very nature (sound, music), separates you from the people you love the most and who depend on you? There are musical scenes that are a delight, and others that are pure, silent magic. The moment when Ruby's father asks her to sing just for him, so he can feel the vibration in her throat, is one of those scenes that just breaks your heart and then pieces it back together stronger.

CODA is a cinematic gem. It’s a movie about coming of age, family, sacrifice, and, above all, communication, not just through words or notes, but through love. You walk out of the theater with a smile on your face and, probably, slightly watery eyes. Totally recommend it—a movie that feels authentic and honest from start to finish.

It was such a joy and privilege to attend the world premiere of IN THE ROOM at VIFF 2025, in the presence of the filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed, two of the film's participants, Vida Samadzai and Mozhdah Jamalzadah, as well as the core film team, including producer Teri Snelgrove.

Full disclosure: I am the publicist of this film and I'm delighted about the media coverage so far.

Brishkay Ahmed, a feminist and activist, as well as a playwright and film director, is a force of nature, who gives fiery interviews ~ listen to recent podcast episodes on CBC On the Coat, Talking in the Rain, the YVR Screen Scene and Joseph Planta's The Commentary.

After VIFF, the film will play at Reelworld Toronto on Oct 19. The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will make the film available for free streaming later this winter.

I'll leave you with some recent media pull quotes:

“Visually stunning”-Serra Uncu, Talking in the Rain

“a celebration of Afghan resistance”-Sabrina Rani Furminger, YVR Screen Scene

“a timely, and necessary film about the heroism of Afghan women”-Joseph Planta, The Commentary

“"[Brishkay] Ahmed changes how we frame conversations about Afghanistan"-V.S. Wells, The Georgia Straight

“This film is a reminder to pay attention.”-Dana Gee, The Vancouver Sun

“a strong film”-Volkmar Richter, The National Observer

--VIFF 2025 film No. 7--

I went into the Vancouver premiere of this film without knowing anything more about it than the catalogue text. I adore most of Clement Virgo's work, including his wonderful film Brother and his top-notch TV series The Book of Negroes, and The Madness.

The afrofuturistic film Steal Away looks stunning, with high production value and great cast, particularly the two leading women.

I already thought the setting looked strangely un-Canadian and then I was shocked to see high-calibre Flemish actors like Koen De Bouw, Hilde Van Mieghem and Matteo Simoni pop up without much meaningful dialogue. Huh?

It turned to be a Belgian-Canadian co-production, hence the European setting of the village and buildings, and the Flemish faces in what was supposed to be a futuristic North American story (I assume).

No matter how great the film looked, I could not understand the story for the life of me. Was it another take on "Get Out?" or "Rosemary's Baby?" Or fairy tales?

The plot was so enigmatic, and some of the "feminist" scenes (including the erotic ones) so painful to watch, that I'd rather not rate this film.

A director of Clement Virgo's level does not deserve a low rating but this film does, alas.

I think Peliplat needs me to select a rating, which I will do, reluctantly.

At the Q&A, the director shared that it had been difficult to get funding and festival selections for this film... This means, I'm likely not the only one with doubts about the screenplay...

--VIFF 2025 film No. 6--

The film was fantistic. Technical perfection and a fascinating story about a B.C. painter I had never heard of before, E.J. Hughes.

I loved the time director Jenn Strom took to show the paintings to the audience. Great colours and animation, too. Loved the "goldilocks" pace. Not too slow, not too fast.

With a top-notch producer (Kevin Eastwood) and broadcaster (The Knowledge Network) behind this film, its excellence is no surprise.

In fact, I loved this film so much that I decided against a later film at #VIFF2025 that night, because I didn't want to spoil my good memories of this film.

--VIFF 2025 film No. 5--

Ok

This guy really can't do anything right. People are going to say that this is boring, and I won't lie, it's very slow. But the way that Reichardt makes you sit in the in between moments of one of the stupidest sequences of decisions I've ever seen was so funny to me. I also love the cozy, fall in the '70s in Massachussetts vibe. I should hate Josh O'Connor by the end, but his charm makes this despicable guy impossible to look away from. I did want more Alana Haim though.