Simon Baker | Film Festival Today

Film Review: “High Ground” Is Exquisite and Devastating

May 13, 2021

TIFF Interview: Anastasiia Bortuali and Dmitrii Novoseltsev of “Temporary Shelter”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 19, 2024
First-time filmmaker Anastasiia Bortuali just premiered her documentary Temporary Shelter at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—aka TIFF—where I reviewed it. The movie follows her journey out of Ukraine after Russia invaded her homeland in early 2022. She, along with family members and compatriots, chose the island nation of Iceland as their destination, finding a strange—but, overall, welcoming—shelter from the ravages of war. ... >>
“The Featherweight” Breaks No New Ground
By Adam Vaughn
September 19, 2024
The Featherweight (Robert Kolodny, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars Robert Kolodny’s The Featherweight delivers a mockumentary following one of the most accomplished featherweight boxing champions of our time. Starring James Madio (Boon) as that boxer, Willie Pep (a real-life figure), the story starts with him at the top, with a decorated career and about to retire. But as Willie’s life spirals thereafter, including relationship troubles with his wife, ... >>
TIFF Interview: Gabrielle Brady of “The Wolves Always Come at Night”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 17, 2024
Documentarian Gabrielle Brady (Island of the Hungry Ghosts) has a new film out, The Wolves Always Come at Night, which just premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—aka TIFF—where I reviewed it. The movie is made using hybrid fiction/non-fiction techniques, with the primary subjects, Davaasuren Dagvasuren (Davaa) and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg (Zaya), working with Brady to craft a narrative that explores the plight of displaced herders ... >>
TIFF Review: “The Wolves Always Come at Night”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 13, 2024
The Wolves Always Come at Night (Gabrielle Brady, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars There are many causes for concern on our 21st-century planet, foremost among them the increasing disruptions caused by climate change. Beyond the existential threats to the human race, there is the seemingly less consequential (on the surface, if not in reality) destruction of traditional ways of life. In The Wolves Always Come at Night, director Gabrielle Brady (Island of ... >>
TIFF Review: “Santosh”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 12, 2024
Santosh (Sandhya Suri, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Director Sandhya Suri (Around India with a Movie) moves into narrative filmmaking with Santosh, her fiction debut. The titular lead character is a woman forced to navigate the patriarchal demands of the workplace after her husband, a constable, is killed during a riot. At risk of losing the apartment they shared, Santosh (Shahana Goswami, Zwigato) has few options to remain independent from either ... >>

10 Films to See at TIFF 2024
September 3, 2024
The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (or TIFF) ...>>
That’s a Wrap at DC/DOX 2024
June 19, 2024
As advertised in my curtain raiser last week, I ...>>
Five Films to See at DC/DOX 2024
June 12, 2024
DC/DOX returns for Round 2, running June 13-16 in its ...>>
Five Films to See at Tribeca 2024
June 5, 2024
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will take place from ...>>
In Memoriam: Morgan Spurlock
May 27, 2024
When I heard about the passing of documentarian Morgan ...>>