CUFF 2016: The Lure Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

CUFF 2016: The Lure

The Lure... Wow, where do I even begin with this one? The Lure is the directorial debut of Agnieszka Smoczynska (I hope I'm spelling that right), and it stars Michalina Olszanska and Marta Mazurek in the lead roles. The film caught some attention at Sundance for being nominated for the Grand Jury Award, and winning the Special Jury Award. The film is a musical/horror film following two mermaids (not Disney mermaids, these are people eating mermaids) who become singers at a nightclub in the 80s. Yep.

Starting off, with any musical feature, the musical aspect of it should be addressed, as usually most of the audience will be the kind of people who are like me and love musicals. And at first I thought the musical aspect of this film was just going to be the concerts in the Nightclub, but no, this violent and very mature film has really catchy music and really well choreographed dance numbers, and normally that kind of blend would be extremely jarring to the point where the movie isn't enjoyable to watch, but it totally works to the Lures benefit. In fact, the musical segments integrate really well into the more mature and graphic parts of the movie in a way I hadn't seen before.

The Lure is one of those movies that only comes out around once a year, like Under the Skin or Ex Machina. These kinds of movies always end up being some of my favorites in that given year, because they show that the director isn't afraid to do something insanely graphic, the kind of thing that just doesn't happen in Hollywood because most big producers are too scared to let it happen. The kind of movies that are about self-discovery and the human experience - despite their protagonist not being a human, and the film uses its mature content to its absolute benefit to create an incredibly surreal experience.

Now, all that might make The Lure sound like a bore, as Under the Skin and Ex Machina while great films, aren't the most entertaining - and that's fine. But what puts the Lure a step above is that it is entertaining, very entertaining in fact. Like I said, this is a musical, and with that, the tone in this movie is really uncommon. Unlike a lot of films with mostly artistic and more philosophical elements, this movie also managed to have fun, it's characters have a lot of personality. In the age when even Superhero movies can't be artistic and deep without being boring and dull, this movie feels like it's coming out at just the right time with a perfect blend of fun entertainment and thought provoking art.

Final Rating
The Lure is one of those movies that I don't know if everyone will enjoy, it's a bit odd and may be too graphic for some. However it's a film that I will say that just about everyone should watch, because I guarantee you this film will deliver something you've never seen before in your entire life, either through it's unique concept or it's brilliant delivery of said concept. The Lure is one of the best movies of the year, it's right up there with Midnight Special and Hush, so you can bet that I'm going for my highest rating.

CUFF 2016: High-Rise Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

CUFF 2016: High-Rise

High-Rise is the recent book to film adaptation of JG Ballards classic look into societal classes and isolationism. Ben Wheatley directed this film, and it's the first I've seen of his work as a director. The story follows a doctor who moves into a massive High-Rise apartment building, but his life is thrown into chaos when the tenants of the bottom and top floor basically go to war with each other, isolated in the confines of this one building. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, and Elizabeth Moss.

Right out the gate, much like the book, this movie is weird. There's no real way to avoid it, this movie is really strange, and a lot of the characters are intentionally awkward, the society they live in is really odd and confusing. So when the war between classes starts to happen, it's made all the more stranger by these odd contemporary characters committing these acts of violence and insanity right before your eyes. In a lot of ways, this movie is like Snowpiercer meets Brave New World. So... Make of that what you will. I personally liked it, but I know a lot of people who didn't enjoy Snowpiercer or Brave New World, so if you're not one of those people, this movie may not be your thing.

However, much like Snowpiercer, this is a visually stunning movie. Not only are the shots and the angles in this film beautiful, but the colours in this film light up before your eyes. This movie is one of the more cinematographically creative films I've seen all year, there's a lot of shots and tricks of editing that I hadn't even thought someone would use in a film, and they really work to the films benefit.

Now, I'm gonna say something that's usually really controversial, and it usually leads to angry mobs of avid readers, but I need to say it anyway because I am not one to lie in a review. I enjoyed this movie more so than the book. Not exactly because I thought this was a great film, it has it's flaws, but more because I wasn't into the book. The book was kind of hard to follow, the protagonist did basically nothing, and in the last act of the book it started to feel like JG Ballard wrote the book as some sick misogynist fantasy. And this movie managed to take out all that stuff I didn't like about the book, keep all the stuff I did like about the book, and remain respectful to the source material. I've seen movies based on very recent books that don't even manage to accomplish that.

Final Rating

High-Rise is absolutely not for everyone. If you're a huge fan of the book, you won't like it. If you don't like strange movies, you won't like it. If you don't like films that are very style over substance, you won't like it. What I'm saying is that this movie has a very limited audience, I enjoyed it, but honestly I could see why most wouldn't. However, if all this sounds appealing, then by all means check out High-Rise.

CUFF 2016: Everybody Wants Some!! Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

CUFF 2016: Everybody Wants Some!!

Everybody Wants Some is the latest film from director Richard Linklater, and it's a spiritual sequel to Linklaters film Dazed and Confused. Where D&C followed a group of jocks and stoners during high school in the late 70s on their last day before college, EWS follows a freshman in a group of jocks and stoners, during the three days leading up to his first day of college, and it's set in the early 80s. 

Now if there's one thing Linklater is known for capturing really well with both his writing and directing is that he's good at capturing a very real sense of people connecting to one another, we've seen this in Boyhood, and we've seen this in Dazed and Confused. However, I honestly feel like Everybody Wants Some shows his best talents with it, because this movie is really a combination of what both of those movies did really well, this film mainly follows one protagonist instead of a group of people (like Boyhood), but it also shows his relationship with one group instead of several (like Dazed and Confused). And overall, it works into what I can honestly say is Linklaters best stuff yet.

These characters very much feel very similar to Dazed and Confused in the way their characters are written and the way they are acted, this film gives you a genuine sense of a group mentality. Right away, like we're talking immediately as this movie starts, you get a very real sense of a camaraderie between these guys. It's one of Linklaters greatest talents as a writer, I honestly have no idea how he does it, but he does it brilliantly.

Another talent of Linklater that I feel he shares with very few directors is how real his films feel, much like his normal films, this movie doesn't real have a plot. It's just three days of these guys hanging out, but it feels incredibly real to watch it, and you can just get easily engrossed into this movie. It's the exact same thing that made Dazed and Confused so great, and along with that it also has D&C's amazing sense of humor, leading to this also being one of the funniest films I've seen in a while.

Final Rating
I adored Everybody Wants Some, and I was especially surprised by it as well. The trailers made it out to be this very summer party bro type of movie, but it wasn't that at all, this is a very real and very engrossing film, it's filled to the brim with memorable lines and moments, and it's one of the best movies of the year. I wanted to see EWS again the moment after it ended, which is why I'm so glad that it actually comes out tomorrow because I can totally see it again tomorrow. I'm gonna go for my highest rating on this one, the third time now this year.

CUFF 2016: Hunt for the Wilderpeople Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews
CUFF 2016: Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a coming of age style movie from director Taika Waititi, who also directed What We Do in the Shadows, one of my favorite movies from last year. The film follows a kid named Ricky who is a bit of a trouble child, and his foster Uncle, Hector (played hilariously by Sam Neill). The two go on an excursion into the New Zealand bush following child services deciding Hektor no longer has guardianship over Ricky, a decision Ricky isn't exactly a fan of.

First off, I gotta talk about Taika Waititi, the director. After this, What We Do in the Shadows, and Eagle vs. Shark, I have to say that Waititi is one of the best comedic directors working today, and while Hunt for the Wilderpeople isn't exactly the same level of total comedic gold that WWWDS was, it's still a hilarious film with Waititi's fingerprints all over it, in terms of both the style and the writing.

The writing in this movie is fantastic, and it's also surprisingly different for Waititi. Sure, the movie still has his signature quirkiness, but overall the movie is mostly about the father-son bond between Hector and Ricky, and it's surprisingly heartfelt at times. While it never got me to tear up like I thought it would, there's some pretty effective moments in an otherwise lighthearted but very mature (content-wise) coming of age comedy.

The two leads are outstanding in this movie, Sam Neill is always a welcome sight as he's just a really good actor, and the kid playing Ricky is hilarious, I think this is the start of a really good career for him. The supporting cast in this movie shines as well, from some hunters to some funny cops, to a surprisingly funny and actually not annoying stoner character, the supporting cast is great. If there was one worry I had, it was the social security worker, who I thought was just going to be cartoonishly evil, and she was, but Rachel House totally plays it up to the most hilarious extreme possible, and it ends up being one of the best parts of the film.

Final Rating
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a really good, really heartfelt, but not at all for kids coming of age film. Once again, Sam Neill is always a welcome sight, and the cast in this movie is fantastic. Taika Waititi has proven he's one of the best directors working today, and I'm very excited to see what he does with Thor: Ragnarok (no seriously, he's directing Thor 3. I know, right?)

April 2016 Watchlist

Article by Gabe Zia
Alright, another month, another watchlist. It's that time once again to take a look at some of the coolest or most interesting movies coming out this month. As usual, I may not see all of these, but these are the movies I'm looking forward to this month as of right now.

April 1st

Kill Your Friends (limited)

You know me, I love black comedies, and Kill Your Friends looks like exactly my kind of movie. British humor, a dark sense of humor, and it even has some of the same kind of morbid humor I've come to love ever since I saw American Psycho. A even heard someone call it this generations American Psycho, so yeah I'm pretty pumped for this one.

April 8th

Before I Wake

If you've been following this page for long enough, you know that this movie was originally supposed to come out in September 2015. However, due to delays, it's coming out in April, but I'm still pretty excited for it, as I love this director and it has a pretty original concept for a horror movie. Almost like a reverse Nightmare on Elm Street. Originality in horror is always a welcome sight.

Hush (Netflix)

This and Before I Wake are both directed by Mike Flanagan, who as some of you may know is one of my favorite new directors, he's absolutely the best horror director in years. And both Hush and Before I Wake look like great horror movies, with really genius concepts, much like Oculus. Also much like Oculus, this seems to be a horror favorite form SXSW. All good signs to me!

Hardcore Henry

I love creativity, and I love experimental films. Hardcore Henry is a pretty standard action movie, guy has to save his wife from the evil villain, standard stuff. What makes HH so special is that it's all filmed in first person, essentially the camera was strapped to the lead actors head. It could cause motion sickness, sure, but I think that's a small price to pay.

The Invitation

I haven't honestly heard much about this movie, but based on the reviews I've heard so-far, it sounds fairly similar to one of my favorite movies from last year, The Gift. I haven't seen any trailers for this one yet, so this is going to be an interesting experience for me going into a movie totally blind.

April 11th-17th: Calgary Underground Film Festival 2016

I've already said a lot about the films playing at this years festival, and I'd rather not just repeat myself, so here's a link to my post from before: http://lazyfilmcritic.blogspot.ca/2016/03/cuff-2016-top-5-most-interesting-films.html

April 15th

The Jungle Book

This movie looks... Odd. The CGI on the animals looks really good, but at the same time it looks kind of jarring to have really realistic and convincing CGI animals with human voices, a friend of mine recently said that it looks like "the uncanny valley but for animals", and that kind of nails it on the head. That being said, as a movie, it looks good.

April 29th

Keanu

I swear to god, this is one of the official posters on IMDB.

Key & Peele are two of the funniest comedians working today, their sense of humor is absolutely genius. They're always finding really clever yet simple ways to tell a joke, and it's never the kind of offensive/gross-out humor we see in a lot of comedies, so all in all I'm really looking forward to this one.

Best of March 2016: Midnight Special

In Midnight Special, Jeff Nichols has created a film that is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's an incredibly creative movie, it's refreshing to see a science fiction movie that is it's own thing. It's a truly original film with some of the best filmmaking I've ever seen. The cinematography is gorgeous, the soundtrack is haunting yet beautiful. As a sci-fi fan, and just as a movie fan in general, this movie is a breath of fresh air, and it's one of the best movies of the year.

CUFF 2016: Top 5 Most Interesting Films This Year

Article by Gabe Zia
So for those who don't know, CUFF 2016 (or the Calgary Underground Film Festival) is probably my favorite film festival every year, as there's always no shortage of fascinating movies made by interesting people. These rarely become very popular even within the indie film community (with a few exceptions, mainly last years Ex Machina), which makes this time all the more special. And much like last year, this years lineup is full of interesting and creative movies. So, I picked out 5 films that were either interesting, creative, original, or just all around look like the kind of thing I'd enjoy. Granted, these aren't the only movies that I thought were fascinating, just the ones I'm the most interested in.

5. Lace Crater
April 16th

Of the films this year, this one certainly falls under the "original" section. The plot of this film is odd to say the least, it follows a woman who has a one-night-stand with a ghost. As one does. She then has a lot of supernatural side effects, so in that sense it's kind of similar to last years "It Follows", however it seems like this one is taking a bit more of a humorous approach. So... Points for creativity?

4. Everybody Wants Some!
April 13th

Incase anyone remembers my Top 20 favorite films of all-time, Dazed and Confused was right up there in the top 10. And now, finally Richard Linklater has made a spiritual successor to Dazed and Confused, in the form of Everybody Wants Some! Instead of being a high-school movie in the 70s, this is a college movie in the 80s, so yeah this feels like it's a sequel in spirit to Dazed and Confused, which is simply outstanding.

3. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
April 11th

Anyone remember What We Do in the Shadows? It was on my Top 15 Favorites from last year, and it was well-deserved. It was without a doubt one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, in fact it still is today. So the director of WWDITS is doing this movie in-between both a Werewolf movie and Thor: Ragnarok (which is an odd choice but I'll accept it), and after Flight of the Conchords I'll basically watch everything by this guy.

2. High-Rise
April 15th

I don't know what about this movie is specifically getting me pumped for it, but there's a lot to be excited about. You've got a great cast, an interesting story, it's based on a classic sci-fi book, and the style and cinematography look awesome in this movie. I'm still reading the book and hope to be finished before this comes out, but goddamn this movie has a lot going on for it.

1. Zoom
April 16th

This movie is half live action half animation, and not in the Roger Rabbit way, as in half of this movie is a live action film, the other half is an animated movie. It's also about comics and movies, so it looks to have a similar pop culture theme "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" had last year. That sounds like a dream come true for someone like me, and that's why it's my most anticipated movie of this years film festival!

There are a bunch of other films showing at this years festival. Here's a link for the CUFF Official Website: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/