Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

Mike Wallace Is Here: Doc on Legendarily Tough TV Newsman Especially Timely

By Liam Lacey

ReviewAugust 8, 2019documentary, Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes, Morley Safer, Hot DocsComment

Luce: Race, privilege, high school and suspicion make for a provocative brew in this worthy stage adaption

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 7, 2019Luce, Race and privilege, Mixed race adoptions, Third World adoptees, J.C. Lee, Plays adapted as films, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth, Norbert Leo ButzComment

The Art of Racing in the Rain: Adaptation of best-selling dog novel full of awww, if not wonder

By Jim Slotek

Your Weekend Preview: What To See (And What To Skip) In The Theatres

Review, PreviewAugust 2, 2019Honeyland, Weekly Roundup, Tel Aviv on Fire, David Crosby: Remember My Name., Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw., Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason StathamComment

David Crosby: Remember My Name - A folk-rock lion in winter unflinchingly faces himself and his past

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 2, 2019David Crosby, David Crosby: Remember My Name., Rock documentaries, The Byrds, Crosby, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, A.J. Eaton, Cameron Crowe, Joni Mitchell, Laurel Canyon rock scene, The Grateful DeadComment

Honeyland: Doc about a bee-keeping Macedonian peasant achieves real-life fable status

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 1, 2019Honeyland, Hatidze Muratova, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov, Traditional European beekeeping, Macedonia, Skopje, Hussein Sam, documentary, Fejmi Daut, Samir Ljuma, Ecological allegoryComment

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw - The Rock lightens the overlong, same-old heavy-handed formula

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 1, 2019Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw., Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason Statham, Fast & Furious franchise, David Leitch, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Idiocracy, Idris Elba, MI6, Vanessa Kirby, Samoa, Chase scenes, Action movies, Fight scenes Comment

Tel Aviv on Fire: Savvy Satire Skews Middle East Politics… and Soap Operas

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 31, 2019Tel Aviv on Fire, Satire, Middle East, Sameh Zoabi, TIFF 2018, Lubna Azabal, Kais Nashef, Yaniv Biton, Maïsa Abd ElhadComment

Free Trip to Egypt: A light-hearted experiment in curing contempt with familiarity

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 31, 2019Free Trip to Egypt, documentaries, Islamophobia, Tarek Mounib, MAGA, Religious fundamentalism, Prankish documentaries, Egypt, Ahmed Hassan, Salma Salem, Mohamed RagabComment

Your weekend preview: What to see (and what to skip) in the theatres

Killing Patient Zero: An unjustly accused 'villain' of the AIDS epidemic is finally vindicated

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 26, 2019Killing Patient Zero, Laurie Lynd, '80s AIDS epidemic, Patient Zero theory, Gaetan Dugas, Centres for Disease Control, Randy Shilts, Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson, And The Band Played OnComment

PODCAST! Ep. 32: Intense agreement about Tarantino's latest, Cats nightmares and TIFF talk

By Jim Slotek, Bonnie Laufer, Karen Gordon and Liam Lacey

Astronaut: Too slow for lift-off, but a touching character piece about the undying dream to soar

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 25, 2019Astronaut, Space tourism, Richard Dreyfuss, Shelagh McLeod, Graham Greene, Canadian movies, Lyriq Bent, Colm Feore, Art Hindle, Colin Mochrie, Mimi Kuzyk, Seniors relationshipsComment

Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood: Tarantino's audacious pop-cultural gift basket has a warm core

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 25, 2019Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Manson Murders, '60s Hollywood, Margot Robbie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Kurt Russell, Julia Butters, Damian Lewis, Steve McQueen, Margaret Qualley, Pop culture references, '60s soundtracksComment

Your Weekend Preview: What To See (And What To Skip) In The Theatres This Week

By Original-Cin Staff

Review, Preview, ViewsJuly 19, 2019The Farewell, The Lion King, The Art of Self-Defense, Push, Weekly Roundup, Liam Lacey, Karen GordonComment

The Farewell: Tender Drama Spotlights the Quirks (And Perks) of Families

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJuly 19, 2019The Farewell, Lulu Wang, Akwafina, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma, Family comedies, Family drama, Asian Americans, Female filmmakers Comments

The Art of Self-Defense: Strange Dramedy Connects Dots between Bros and Blows

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 19, 2019The Art of Self-Defense, Riley Stearns, Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Toxic Masculinity, Comedy, Drama, Dramedy, Cult FilmComment

The Lion King: Latest Disney CGI Makeover of Classic Title Lacks Emotional Heft

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJuly 17, 2019The Lion King, Disney, Jon Favreau, Beyonce, John Oliver, Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Seth Rogen, Realist Disney remakes, Live-action, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, The Jungle BookComment

Push: Timely Doc Probes Why Housing Across the Globe Is So Damn Expensive

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 17, 2019Push, documentary, Hot Docs 2019, Leilani Farha, Fredrik Gertten, Saskia Sassen, Joseph Stiglitz, Robert Saviano, Housing, IssueComment

Your Weekend Preview: What To See (And What To Skip) In The Theatres This Week

By Original-Cin Staff

Views, Preview, PodcastJuly 12, 2019The Lion King, Stuber, Melody Makers Should've Been There, Marianne Ihlen, Maiden, Unplanned, Weekly RoundupComment