IF YOU want a heartfelt drama

the quiet girl

Vincent Georgie: Singularly moving and simple in its aims, this Irish drama deservedly received an Oscar nomination this past year. While the story focuses on a young girl in a fable-like setting, the real emotional payoff will be for adult viewers. Highly recommended. 

Synopsis: A nine-year-old girl from a dysfunctional family goes to live with distant relatives for the summer. Living with a middle-aged farm couple, she discovers a new way of living.

Available on iTunes and Amazon Prime.

if you appreciate great character actors

barton fink

Vincent Georgie: Michael Lerner never became a household name before he passed away last week. However, it was his scene-stealing work of hilarious perfection in this film that brought him an Oscar nomination. This Coen Bros Palme d’Or Winner boasts a who’s who of character actors from John Turturro to John Goodman to Judy Davis, and all are in memorable form, though none more than Lerner. 

Synopsis: Set in 1941, an intellectual New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) accepts an offer to write movie scripts in L.A. He finds himself with writer’s block when required to do a B-movie script. His neighbour tries to help, but he continues to struggle as a bizarre sequence of events distracts him.

Available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Crave and YouTube.

if you value learning from the lives of others

from this day forward

Vincent Georgie: The strength of this film is the central premise that compels all viewers to try to anticipate their own reactions if placed in any of the positions of the family at the heart of this film. We had the pleasure of welcoming Trisha Shattuck to WIFF 2015, and the generosity of her sharing is still remembered today by our audience. 

Synopsis: When director Sharon Shattuck’s father came out as transgender, Sharon was in the awkward throes of middle school. As the Shattucks reunite to plan Sharon’s wedding, she seeks a deeper understanding of how her parent’s marriage, and their family, survived intact.

Available on iTunes and YouTube. 

DOUBLE FEATURE

the wide-ranging talents of brian cox

While “Succession” fans certainly have Brian Cox on the brain thanks to that shocker of an episode last Sunday, let’s look at how astoundingly versatile Cox is. In the first film, he originates the role of none other than Hannibal Lecter years before Anthony Hopkins was anywhere near the role. The second film allows us to see Cox’s cantankerousness warmed up in a romantic drama opposite Rosanna Arquette. 

manhunter

FBI criminal profiler Will Graham is called out of early retirement to assist on a serial murder case involving a killer known as the “Tooth Fairy”. Graham enlists the help of imprisoned serial killer — and cannibal — Dr. Hannibal Lecktor, who is the reason Graham took an early retirement. Soon, Graham and the FBI are entangled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game between the Tooth Fairy, Lecktor and an interfering journalist.

Available on iTunes.

the etruscan smile

Rory, a rugged Scotsman, reluctantly leaves his beloved Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newly found bond with his grandson.

Available on iTunes. 

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