Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

Death Wish: A man's (still) gotta kill who a man's gotta kill

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 1, 2018Vigilante violence, Bruce Willis, Death Wish, Eli Roth, Annapurna Productions, Elisabeth Shue, Movie remakes

Red Sparrow: We know why this caged bird stinks

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 1, 2018Spy thrillers, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlotte Rampling, Violence, Seduction, CIA

Nostalgia: a daisy-chain narrative about the power of objects

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekMarch 1, 2018Drama, Jon Hamm, Bruce Dern, Catherine Keener, Mortality and loss, The power of objects, Mark Pellington, Alex Ross Perry

Boost: A Canadian youth crime story with fast cars and an achingly believable friendship

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 28, 2018Canadian movies, Canadian screen awards, Montreal, African-Canadians, crime, car theft, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Darren Curtis

Romeo and Juliet: Stratford Production Finds Sweet Spot in Oft-Told Tale

By Liam Lacey

ReviewFebruary 28, 2018Stratford, Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, theatre, drama

The Party: The Night They Drove Each Other Down…

By Kim Hughes

ReviewFebruary 28, 2018Black comedy, British, Sally Potter, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Kristen Scott Thomas, Cillian Murphy

The Chi and Boost's bad guy Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine: 'Not African enough?'

By Jim Slotek

InterviewJim SlotekFebruary 26, 2018Street crime drama, Youth crime, African-Canadians, African actors, The Chi, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Treme, Heroes, Queen of Katwe

Mom and Dad: Nic Cage in high-concept/low-taste mock-horror about killing your kids

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 22, 2018Dark horror, School shootings, Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Child murders

Game Night: Sloppy farce, good laughs and Jason Bateman's emoji-worthy face

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 22, 2018Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Game playing, Comedy, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Kyle Chandler, Antic comedy

Annihilation: High-Concept Sci-Fi Rewrites Weird Playbook (with Women!)

By Kim Hughes

ReviewFebruary 22, 2018Sci-fi, Alex Garland, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Adaptation

Every Day: Teen Drama Turns on Timely Themes of Tolerance

By Kim Hughes

ReviewFebruary 22, 2018young adult, romance, teen, Toronto films, Maria Bello

Loveless: Bleak Russian Drama Mirrors Vanity, Hate, Neglect of Setting

By Liam Lacey

ReviewFebruary 22, 2018Foreign language Oscar, Russian, TIFF 2017, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Leviathan

Porcupine Lake a sweetly told gem about a summer tween BFF crush

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 20, 2018Canadian movies, Coming-of-age stories, Tweens, Cottage country, female relationships, Ingrid Veninger, Port Severn

Original-Cin Q&A: Ex Machina/Annihilation director Alex Garland writes his own career arc

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekFebruary 19, 2018Ex Machina, Alex Garland, Natalie Portman, Science fiction, Jeff VanderMeer, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Kyoshi Kurosawa's Before We Vanish: When aliens attack very slowly

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 15, 2018Japanese films, Sci-fi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Alien invasion, Existentialism

Poop Talk: 78 minutes of comics talking sh-- is funny and revealing for the non-squeamish

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 15, 2018Documentaries, Standup comedy, Kumail Nanjiani, Excrement, Scatology

Toronto Black Film Festival: Essential Viewing With Serious Highlights

By Liam Lacey

ReviewFebruary 14, 2018Toronto Black Film Festival, film festival, Rape of Recy Taylor

Nick Park's Early Man spoofs soccer with proto-puns and a nod to The Flintstones

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 14, 2018Animation, Nick Park, Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne, Soccer movies

Whatta Wakanda!: A self-contained, all-African Black Panther powers up

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 14, 2018Marvel, Superheroes, Africa, Black Panther, African-American actors, Vibranium, Wakanda

Original-Cin Q&A: Director Jeff Malmberg on the Convergence of Trauma, Ritual and Art

By Liam Lacey

InterviewFebruary 9, 2018documentaries, Italy, Marwencol, Chris Sellen, Jeff Malmberg