December 29, 2023

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 12/29

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want to see a real showstopper

saltburn

Vincent Georgie: This film has emerged as the most divisive film of 2023. And I don’t think that that’s necessarily a bad thing. The people who hate it can carry on with their day. But for the people who love it (myself firmly included in this camp) will marvel at the brazenness, the audacity, the riskiness and the moments of invigorating “I can’t believe they went there” moments. Sublimely designed and shot, the cast lead by a beyond-the-point-of-no-return Barry Keoghan is clearly having a ball. I dare you to love this film.

Synopsis: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell brings us a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

Available on Amazon Prime.

if you want something that will keep you glued to the screen

the imposter

Vincent Georgie: When people ask me to recommend a great film they have likely not seen before, I almost always recommend this film. It’s a stunner of a true crime mystery. A good one to watch if friends and relatives want to sit around and guess what happens next.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Bart Layton chronicles the tale of Frederic Bourdin, a con artist who seemingly tricked a Texas family into believing he was a relative who disappeared years earlier.

Available on iTunes and Plex.

if you love british dramas

brideshead revisited

Vincent Georgie: A cinematic adaptation of the famed BBC series, this forgotten film has all of the quality performances, emotional nuances and high-quality production values you would expect. Almost like the more well-behaved version of SALTBURN, this film will impress.

Synopsis: Befriended by aristocrat Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), Oxford student Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) finds that the power and privilege experienced by the family is seductive. On a visit to Brideshead, the ancestral home, he falls in love with his friend’s sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell). However, as Charles’ ties to Sebastian and family deepen, he finds himself at odds with their strong Roman Catholicism.

Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime.

DOUBLE FEATURE

outstanding directorial debuts

The first film was not only beloved by our WIFF audience at our recent festival, but director Anik Jean’s emotional and entertaining drama just won the top Audience Award in Quebec. She unfailingly knows how to connect with her audience. In the second film, surefire Oscar-nominee Celine Song has received enormous praise for her sensitive and impressive debut film that was a hit last Spring at a special WIFF screening.

my mother’s men

Young Elsie is surprised by her eccentric mother’s last wishes: find her five ex-husbands to scatter her ashes. Elsie is determined to honour her mother’s memory, but the trip profoundly changes her trajectory.

Available on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Prime.

past lives

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Decades later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront destiny, love and the choices that make a life.