2023

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot 🏒 

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal is a documentary that follows a group of Punjabi-Canadian hockey players, coaches, and pundits as they breakdown their passion-driven relationship with hockey.

Any Canadian knows that one of the defining traits of this country is the passion we all have (at one point, or another) for the game of hockey. 

This documentary breaks down what that passion feels like for people of colour, specifically Punjabi-Canadians, and how sometimes the game they love, doesn’t always feel like it loves them back - but that’s no excuse not to give it all you have. 

The players we meet are Arvin Atwal - who played professionally overseas, Ronin Sharma - a talented young prospect that tragically passed away at 17 years old, and Arshdeep Bains - who signed an entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks. We witness their hard-work and dedication through the eyes of coach and talent evaluator, Harbans Bains. His goal is to install the belief in these young men that they can do whatever they want in hockey, if they put their minds to it. 

The hard part for a lot of these guys is that they have no one that looks like them to follow. So until more Punjabi players break the mold of minor league, maybe a year in the NHL, followed by a stint in Europe or coaching - then it’ll always feel like an insurmountable goal to take on. 

Arshdeep discusses his choice to cut his hair instead of keeping his turban because he felt that it would hinder his chances of making it big. A part of that choice comes because of the alienating feeling of looking different from the players around him, and being reminded of it by other players and parents.
Being young and facing racism because of your differences isn’t easy, and it’s an indictment on a system that continues to perpetuate that behaviour. 

The thing is, you put up with a lot for the things that you love. 

A lot of the first generation of immigrants, across all cultures in Canada, faced financial hardships to create a foundation for their families but the amount that wish they could’ve played hockey, from what I know - is a lot. 

As we move into second and third generations, more and more families will have the chance to let their kids live out the Canadian dream of possibly making it to the NHL. Stereotypically most sports in North America aren’t that mixed racially, but as we continue to foster the future generations more doors will open. 

This reminded me a lot of Black Ice, another Canadian hockey documentary that follows a group of black hockey players and the obstacles they had to overcome at every level. 

This documentary wasn’t revolutionary by any means, but it’s a perspective we wouldn’t normally get, that teaches us a fundamental lesson in making the most of your opportunities. 

Enjoy! 

6.7/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr14mins 

Where: Vancouver International Film Festival

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Documentary #Movie #MovieReview #VIFF2023 #MareyaShotKeethaGoal

Bitten 🧛🏻 La Morsure

Bitten is set in 1967 and follows François, a student at an all girls Catholic school who is convinced that this will be the night she dies. This leads her to guilt trip her best friend Delphine, to accompany her and leave the gated school premise  - so she can live the night she’s always dreamed of. 

This is the epitome of girls just want to have fun - and what’s more fun than a moonlit night, a party in the middle of a dark forest, and a vampire overlooking the evening festivities?   

As a coming of age story Bitten works so well. We have a 17 year old boy-crazy girl who just wants to live a little, but instead feels suffocated under the confines of the overbearing school nuns who expect obedience at every turn. 

 She relies on her charm/necklace like a magic eight ball to see what her fate will be, and if she should move forward with whatever potentially regrettable decision she might make, which leads into the night we witness.

The night itself is cryptic in nature. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a young woman laying claim to a life she feels she has no ownership over, or a sexual awakening of sorts - where she allows herself the chance to physically express the teenage, hormonal-fueled urges she’s kept pent up. That’s part of the movies allure, what may come across as scatter brained is really the story unfolding as if the lens capturing the events was François herself. 

This definitely pulls from a hodgepodge of classic gothic tales, and that familiarity works in its favour and lends itself well to this young woman trying to live the life she’s heard so much about, as this internal battle between her innocence and the need to fast track her life to adulthood wages on. 

Part of the appeal for me was the gothic aesthetic, which provided a pleasantly haunting personality to what at times felt like an overly observant viewpoint, and had hollow/unengaging dynamics between characters. 

It did also help that I watched this during the Halloween season. 

It's an ominous coming of age tale of the night, where a girl who acts like a ghost in search for a graveyard, is just a teenager wanting to express free will - and break the invisible shackles placed on the young. 

Enjoy!

6.95/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr30mins 

Where: Vancouver International Film Festival

Bitten Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer
La Morsure Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#Movie #MovieReview #Vampires #LaMorsure #VIFF2023  #Bitten

The Boy and the Heron 🦢 君たちはどう生きるか 

The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito, a 12 year old boy who while grieving the loss of his mother is forced to relocate to a small town in the countryside, so that his father can aid Japans military efforts during the Second World War. 

Mahito struggles to fit in with the locals and isolates himself from the world at large, but when a creature begins to berate him about his late mother - Mahito takes it upon himself to journey out to the forbidden tower where this Heron resides - where he gets transported to a world far beyond his wildest dreams. 

There’s just something about the richness of the worlds Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki create, and the escapism they provide, that has been dearly missed in the world of cinema. 

This creation is one of Miyazakis most reflective pieces of work yet. 

In its own unique way it captures the mind of a man stuck between two realms of thought. The childlike wonder that continues to run through his veins, and the legacy one leaves behind. 

You’ll notice hints, winks, and nods to a lot of Ghibli films like Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howls Moving Castle, and My Neighbour Totoro - which was done with clear intention. 

I felt like the idea of legacy being played out in this was a way for him to come to terms with his son not being able to live up to his expectations, and him acknowledging that his son should probably carve out his own path in life.

I’ll admit I may be way off on all of this, but when I think about all the moments in this movie and that potentially being the meaning behind everything, it makes the whole story more impactful.
The average viewer may not know the strained relationship between Miyazaki and his son Goro so I’m not sure if the surface level, beautifully hand drawn animation, and mystical world we get to explore will be enough. 

Even though I was unsure of how I felt leaving the theatre, giving myself the time to ponder the deeper meaning of the movie made me appreciate it in ways I didn’t initially. 

I’m still playing catch up on Studio Ghibli movies, but this is definitely near the top of my list. 

This is a wonder-filled, inspiringly crafted tale of the eternal battle one has with Father Time, the legacy we leave behind, and coming to the realization that you may have no control over how much time you have left - but what you can control is how you use that time. 

Enjoy!

7.9/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 2hrs05mins

Where: In Theatres December 8, 2023.

The Boy and the Heron Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
君たちはどう生きるか  Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Movie #MovieReview #Anime #Manga #Ghibli #HayaoMiyazaki #StudioGhibli #VIFF2023 #TheBoyandtheHeron

Pianoforte 🎹 

Pianoforte is a documentary that follows contestants of the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition, that takes place every five years in Warsaw, Poland. 

This in-depth look gives viewers behind the scenes access into the personal lives of these talented performers, providing personality to names through footage leading up to and during, a competition that will spawn the next generation of great pianists. 

Anything rooted in competition immediately has my attention, and this was no different. 

Imagine your favourite sports docu-series (i.e. Hard Knocks, Drive to Survive), now substitute in Piano players and you have Pianoforte.

These pianists have been groomed from an early age to be in the position they’re in today, with vigorous training, relentless hours spent on the keys, and lost childhoods. It seems this is the only life a lot of these performers know, which at times will make you feel bad for them, but these are the sacrifices that need to be made on the road to potential greatness. 

The performances we get to hear are absolutely enchanting, and I loved how the players humbly convey that they have to express emotions they’ve never felt, or might be too young to have ever experienced, but when they play its like they’ve lived that life a million times over. That’s the beauty of art, the emotional connection you make with the right person, which leads into struggle of competition in art - it doesn’t make much sense. 

To the untrained ear it’s hard to separate the mistakes from the perfection because all the pieces sound almost identical, yet when they leave the stage they’re able to instantaneously decipher where they went wrong and how much better it could’ve been. 

If I could change one thing about the documentary that would be it. 

I wish they dove more into the technical side, and less the pageantry because someone like myself who’s only experience with an instrument was being forced into getting a clarinet - the competitive aspect gets lost when I can’t partake in the judgement. That’s a minor gripe from what was an overall excellent observational guide into the lives of those that put in the work, but may not get the star treatment they deserve. 

I found this to be an absolute delight, and a worthy capturing of the trials and tribulations of piano prodigies willing to take the road less travelled - for a chance at greatness. 

Enjoy! 

8.1/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr31mins

Where: Vancouver International Film Festival

Pianoforte Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Documentary #MovieReview #Movie #VIFF2023 #Pianoforte

The Royal Hotel 🏨 

The Royal Hotel follows best friends Hanna and Liv, who find themselves running low on cash during their backpacking trip through Australia, and must work at a rundown hotel bar, in a remote Outback mining town - before continuing their travels. 

This movie perfectly captures the exhaustion females experience having to deal with men who have motives that are not as innocent as they are led to believe, and how much more difficult that becomes while traveling abroad. What seems like playful banter quickly turns into oddly aggressive behaviour, as the regular patrons of the bar begin to act more and more unruly, leaving the girls to fend for themselves - to a disturbing degree. 

To me, Royal Hotel is a more digestible version of what Alex Garland was trying to achieve with his A24 movie Men (2022). They handle the same themes in completely different ways, one feeling more like a true to life pull from a memory, and the other playing out like your worst nightmare. 

The plot does take its sweet time to get going but when you think of how the events would naturally occur if this were real life, then you begin to appreciate the slow build, especially with how unnerving things become towards the end. 

This story is about true intentions, friendship, and realizing things aren’t as bad as they can be. 

The Royal Hotel will grip you with anticipation, while filling you with anxiety, in a paranoia inducing worst case vacation. 

Enjoy! 

7.3/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr31mins 

Where: Vancouver International Film Festival & In Theatres October 6th.

The Royal Hotel Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#MovieReview #Movie #VIFF2023  #RoyalHotel #ElevationPictures

Anatomy of a Fall 🏕️ Anatomie d’une chute

The 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall is about a woman who becomes the main suspect in the mysterious death of her husband, and the key to this case is her partially blind son - who is the only witness. 

This movie starting off with the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Bands cover of 50 Cents P.I.M.P. threw me off but also ended up being the perfect hook to sink my teeth into this wildly engaging family drama. 

As the case unfolds you begin to gain intimate details of what this family was like behind closed doors, and it’s easy to judge what may be true - but what you begin to see is the years of context that are lost to those only observing through the trial. 

The more that’s uncovered the more suspicious everything becomes, and as the potential motives begin to unravel you as the viewer have a harder time remaining neutral against the undeniably damning evidence. 

It is a deconstruction of the nuclear family in a way I’ve never seen on screen. 

I appreciated the honest way in which the story distorts the framework of a seemingly content family and is able to depict the individual components for what they truly are, people who willingly come together for good intentions but are not just mother/father/son or writer/teacher/student - they are much more complex than the boxes we want to put them in. 

The core of this story is about resenting the life you’ve lived, longing for the life you had, and enduring the life you’re living. 

This is the first Palme d’Or film I’ve enjoyed since 2019s Parasite, catapulted by a remarkably emotional performance by Milo Machado Graner. 

No stoned is left unturned in this profoundly captivating procedural drama about a family at a cross roads, leading you one way, convincing you of another - all while keeping you guessing until the very end.

Enjoy! 

8.3/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 2hrs32mins

Where: Vancouver International Film Festival & In Theatres October 20th.

Anatomy of a Fall Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer
Anatomie d’une chute Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#Movie #MovieReview #VIFF2023 #AnatomyofaFall

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person 🩸 

Humanist Vampire follows Sasha, a 48 year old teenage vampire who is being pressured by her family to hunt humans, but her inability to grow fangs is holding her back - along with the fact she doesn’t want to kill. 

This is one of the best surprises of the year. 

Not only is it a wonderful coming of age story, it’s probably the most refreshing take on vampires since god knows when. 

It subverts expectations by going against the grain, having a vampire be pro-human and try to ethically source the blood they consume. 

Then there’s the whole being a teenager but getting treated like a child, while being expected to be as responsible as an adult. An obvious culture clash ensues when Sasha is forced into taking part in family tradition, even though it goes against her personal values - so it’s met with understandable pushback. 

Luckily for her she meets someone who is contemplating their own existence, which allows her the opportunity to see things from an entirely different perspective. 

What this does best is it uses the classic coming of age archetype but creatively twists it into this Adams Family-esque horror-comedy, giving us a uniquely stylized take on teen angst. 

It’s going to be a damn shame if people don’t catch this movie. The title doesn’t do it any favours (could definitely shorten it) but my biggest worry is that it’ll go under the radar and become a hidden gem - when it should be seen by the masses. 

Humanist Vampire is an instant cult classic, about a rebellious teenager who is dead set on forging her own path - a path to respectfully paint the town red. 

Enjoy!

7.9/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr31mins

Where: Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, & In Theatres October 13th. 

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

Vampire Humaniste Cherche Suicidaire Consentant Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#Movie #MovieReview #Vampire #TIFF2023 #HumanistVampire

Seven Winters in Tehran ⚖️

Guilty until proven innocent.

Seven Winters in Tehran is a documentary that follows a case in Iran where 19 year old Reyhaneh Jabbari, was convicted of murdering the man that had tried to assault her. As the case unfolds, we witness a woman who is forced into jail due to an unethical investigation process, that has higher ups in authority overly invested in making an example out of Reyhaneh - even if her claims happen to be true.

This was the most demoralizing case of injustice, that as a watch, frustrates to no end. 

It demonstrates a sort of gender-based class system, where control through fear mongering allows this oppressive regime to hold its core values - even if it’s people demand change. 

The family of Reyhaneh tries to navigate all of that, and at times seem to make progress just to find that with every step forward, the system pushes them two-steps back. 

There’s a heartbreaking moment where you see the father show an inkling of regret, second-guessing if the freedom he allowed his daughter to live with wasn’t the way to raise her, knowing the world he was bringing her into. 

But that’s why, and how the cycle continues. 

In the last 6 months I’ve watched Holy Spider, Zip, and now this - and the artistic expression coming out of Iran in regards to the oppression these women face, through this patriarchal system - I hope will begin to spark the change these people deserve. 

This documentary is an exhausting, disheartening, blatant disregard for a woman’s truth. It overwhelms in its inability to get to the ending you hope for, but provides a some much needed perspective for issues plaguing the voiceless. 

Enjoy! 

7.5/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 1hr36mins

Where: www.hotdocs.ca

Seven Winters in Tehran Documentary Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Documentary #HotDocs #Iran #Movie #MovieReview #TrueCrime 

Aitamako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun 🐎

If you need something done, do it yourself.

Before the Sun is a documentary that follows a young Siksika woman named Logan Red Crow, who hopes to break new ground in Indian Relay horse racing while simultaneously navigating her fathers plead for her to finish school, the constantly evolving relationship she has with her horses - and a playing field built for men. 

At first I was thinking “okay small town folks trying to make it big, I’ve see this before.” but this was so much more than that. 

Logan is the ultimate competitor who’s drive to compete and ability to will her goals into existence is nothing short of inspirational. 

She’s always playing from behind but instead of just talking about the issues and lack of opportunities in the womens side of racing, she acknowledges it - and like a wrecking ball, begins to break down every barrier in her path.

The other side of this story is a father who, with love - tries to convince his daughter to shift her focus back to school. 

He knows what the sport can do to a person who becomes obsessed with it, and though he aids her with advice and lends her his team - you can tell he’d rather she move on and make the most of her potential. 

That’s what I admired about her the most though. Her dads words only hold so much weight because she’s her own toughest critic. She’s brutally honest with herself and her shortcomings, but still finds a way to exceed her own expectations - which are higher than what anyone else could have set for her.

This motivational sports story captures the heart of the tomboys out there who’ve been put down, or cast aside for the boys. 

It’s about the heart of a competitor ready to carve out her own path, a true trailblazing pioneer who is as resilient as they come - and the gruelling road to the get to the top. 

A great surprise out of hot docs that has me ready to sign up for the Logan Red Crow fan club. 

Enjoy! 

7.5/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 1hr28mins 

Where: Where: www.hotdocs.ca

 Aitamako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun Documentary Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#OldSun #Horse #HorseRacing #Racing #Movie #MovieReview #Documentary #HotDocs23 

White Plastic Sky ☁️

White Plastic Sky is set in the “not to distant future” where in a a post-apocalyptic Budapest a man steps outside of the city biodome, to save his wife from making a life altering decision. 

Though the story is grounded in the desire to care for those you love, the intrigue of a world where humans are only allowed to live until the age of 50 will be the spark that cements your curiosity in the roots of the why of it all.

he way this world navigates the value of life will be a great conversation starter. It’s an interesting debate about the greater good versus the singular life, and how the nutrients that can be derived from humans may supersede the need to have a prolonged life that has diminishing returns. That creates more questions about the ethics behind managing overpopulation, and how much trust can be given to biotech oligarchies.

The tough part for me was that at times a lot of what was going on felt hollow. The world building is so ambitious and rich with information, that it begins to overshadow the human element of the story. It also takes a few minutes to get used to the uncanny valley that comes with the combination of rotoscope and CG animation, that ends up creating a unique sense of realism. 

This world is either Mother natures attempt at sense of humour showing humans how fickle their lives really are, or her understandable revenge, as earth reaches a decaying point of no return. 

As romantic and inspiring as it is to watch a man move mountains to save the love of this life from doing something irreversible, the world this couple resides in, how it functions, and what got it to this point - is what will keep you curious until the bitter end. 

Enjoy! 

7.1/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr50mins

Where: Annecy International Animated Film Festival & Vancouver International Film Festival.

White Plastic Sky Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Animated #Animation #Budapest #Hungary #AnnecyFilmFestival #Annecy2023  #WhitePlasticSky

Seagrass 🌊 

Seagrass follows Judith, a Canadian born - Japanese woman who takes her husband and two daughters to a self-development retreat, to find a way to cope with the passing of her mother, and hopefully receive some guidance for her struggling marriage. 

This story tests the inner workings of this mixed race family in the most subtle of ways, capturing how the micro fractures that develop overtime, can have ripple effects when you least expect it. 

As a child of divorce, I found myself resonating with the different dynamics between the children and their parents, each other as siblings, and the evolving social relationships that played out between the different kids on the island. 

You can see the damage it does having to observe a toxic environment, especially one that steams from a relationship that continues well passed it’s expiration date - and how those observations trickle into other parts of a child’s life. 

A main building block for any family is stability, but when the glue of the family begins to reevaluate their role as a mother, wife, and woman - it becomes tough to hold it all together. 

Judith’s dilemma is one of being cast in a role that she only now realizes has forced her to quietly endure the hurt and pain from being with an ungrateful husband, and now resenting the fact she never gave her Japanese heritage the time she wish had, especially knowing what her parents went through because of it. 

I was a fan of how the movie used dialogue to sway you one way, but the body language and energy would sway you another - it’s as if you’re riding the waves of the high tide that calmly roared throughout the story.  

Admittedly the buildup was a bit too slow for my liking, it lingered and drifted into a worthy ending but by the time I got there I felt checked out of the emotional elements of the film.

Even if it didn’t work for me as a whole, this is still a quality showing for Canadian filmmaking. 

Seagrass is a tragic portrait of a family being held together by a phantom thread, in a story that stresses that the sacrifices our ancestors made were so we live a better life - and not resent the lives we live. 

Enjoy!

6.3/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 1hr55mins

Where: Toronto International Film Festival

Seagrass Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#Movie #MovieReview #TIFF #TIFF2023 #Seagrass

My 10 Most Anticipated Films from the 42nd Vancouver International Film Festival 🍿 

From a 48 year old teenage Vampire trying to ethically source their blood, to a documentary following one of pianos most prestigious competitions, and a welcomed return to the magical world of Ghibli - this years Vancouver International Film Festival looks to explore the "themes that are most pressing in our daily lives today".

Stay tuned for my coverage over the next two weeks.

Now time for the list!