Drew Taylor and Larry Weinstein’s Our Man in Tehran serves up a distinctly Canadian-flavoured ‘response to Argo’. Rather than providing a comprehensive exploration of both Western and Iranian perspectives, what it does best is illuminate the extraordinary contributions of Canadian officials to the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.
Faults
Faults, although a little too controlled, is a worthy addition into the modern canon of ‘cult’ movies and places Riley Stearn firmly into the ‘ones to watch’ category of modern independent cinema
I Origins
In attempting to craft a film that is broad in scope, Cahill seems to have suffered from tunnel vision and consequently left his script with several faults and weakness in plot and characterisation. There is not surer way to lose your audience than to attempt to force meaning than allow it to arise naturally, and that is what Cahill does throughout this film.
Miraculum
Like the plane crash at its epicenter, Daniel Grou’s Miraculum is an inexplicable tragedy, the kind of film you watch mouth agape, wondering how it was allowed to happen.
The Heart Machine
The Heart Machine is a surprisingly nuanced and effective look at the way modern relationships are mediated by technology, and is a great debut feature from film critic Zachary Wigon
1987
Ricardo Trogi’s Québécois offering from Possible Worlds Film Festival 2014 has little more substance than a personal anecdote of its director-writer, failing to achieve authenticity or tension.
The Grand Seduction
Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch star in a completely unnecessary English-language adaptation of a reasonably successful Quebecois comedy.
The Dirties
Matt Johnson’s THE DIRTIES, playing at both Possible Worlds Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, is an excellent film, riveting and thought-provoking and in parts very funny.
When Jews Were Funny
Zweig’s apparent exploration of the roots of Judeo-American humour unfortunately fails to hit the mark, opting to focus on the director’s personal internal struggle rather than pulling more interesting and universal content from the wide variety of talent onscreen.
Air Sex and The Real ‘Argo’: Possible Worlds Film Festival Announces 2014 Line-Up
This years Possible Worlds Film Festival showcases vibrant independent cinema from America and Canada, including a doco on ‘air sex’, Mike Cahill’s latest feature and Xavier Dolan’s Tom at the Farm.