TIFF #38, my actual final film this time
Bloody lovely. A warm, snappy, and ultimately moving documentary about Julia Childs' trailblazing life and career. Amazing food porn B-roll has given me the mad munchies.
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Snakehead 2021
TIFF #37 - also my final film of the fest!
This didn't quite work for me sadly. Not unentertaining to a point, but cliche-riddled with some really wooden dialogue/delivery and distracting ADR. Jade Wu was *great* as the villainous Dai Mah though - kinda wish the movie was her story instead.
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Icarus 2017
What begins as essentially Super Size Me for doping quickly transforms into a genuinely suspenseful examination of the Russian Olympic doping program.
Equal parts terrifying and fascinating, it's persuasively, damningly told, especially with Russia's FIFA World Cup just around the corner, and benefits from the weirdly likeable presence of doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov.
One of the better Netflix Originals recently; don't miss it.
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First They Killed My Father 2017
An impressive step up for Angelina Jolie as a director, this is a harrowing and affecting film, propelled by an INCREDIBLE performance from young actress Sareum Srey Moch and Anthony Dod Mantle's excellent cinematography. Unlike a lot of Netflix Originals, this actually looks like a proper FILM.
It's held back from being great by a few directorial missteps which perhaps show Jolie's inexperience, using cheesy lightbulb effects during flashbacks/memories which would look more comfortable in a Saw film, some digitally-treated slow-motion and some choppy editing.
Still, a very respectable effort and a fine prestige addition to Netflix's lineup.
