January 12, 2024

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 1/12

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want to be captivated

three identical strangers

Vincent Georgie: You won’t believe your eyes. A fascinating true story, beyond its central conceit. A lot is going on here. I still remember our standing-room-only screening of this film back in the Summer of 2018.

Synopsis: Identical triplets become separated at birth and adopted by three different families. Years later, their amazing reunion becomes a global sensation, but it also unearths an unimaginable secret that has radical repercussions.

Available on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

if you want a thriller

perfume: the story of a murderer

Vincent Georgie: Stylish and well-acted, the strength of this film is really in the strong source material and subsequent screenplay that make for such an engrossing and entertaining story.

Synopsis: With his incredible talent for discerning scents, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) is one of 18th-century France’s finest perfumers. He becomes obsessed with capturing an elusive aroma: the scent of young womanhood. His search takes a deadly turn, and when the bodies of 12 young females are found, panic breaks out, with families rushing to lock up their daughters.

Available on iTunes, Amazon Prime and YouTube.

if you loved ryan o’neal

barry lyndon

Vincent Georgie: The iconic American actor passed before the holidays, but was always the charismatic, adept, handsome leading man that Hollywood built him up to be. Take a look at one of this finest performances in this lavish production.

Synopsis: Acclaimed adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel, in which a likeable young Irishman changes into a conniving, manipulative rogue. The protagonist finds himself homeless after taking part in a fake duel and is then captured by a Prussian highwayman, and meets up with a spy, but his fortunes change when he marries a wealthy titled woman in order to secure his future.

Available on iTunes, Crave, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

DOUBLE FEATURE

all hail belgium cinema

The husband and wife Belgian filmmaking team of Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch are unmatched in contemporary cinema for telling stories of significant emotional power, deeply humane films that leave you contemplating not only your own life but humanity at large. The first film was their Oscar-nominated hit from WIFF 2013, while the second film is their latest which was beautifully received by our WIFF 2023 audience.

the broken circle breakdown

The loss of their young daughter threatens to destroy the love and faith of two married musicians after a whirlwind romance brings them together.

Available on iTunes.

the eight mountains

Two young Italian boys spend their childhoods together in a secluded alpine village roaming the surrounding peaks and valleys before their paths diverge.