The World Needs Heroes

On this Good Friday, we should all take a moment and think about the choices we’ve made in our lives that have brought us to the point where there are eight Fast and Furious movies and only one Josie and the Pussycats.

What? It’s an important question. Also, is it weird that the new F&F movie is the only new opener that didn’t play TIFF last year? It feels weird.

Black Code: Nick de Pencier’s documentary examines the connected world and how state powers can abuse that connectivity. I think it overreaches a bit, but the individual stories are strong.

The Fate of the Furious: The producers of the increasingly ludicrous franchise have brought Charlize Theron aboard and yet somehow didn’t call this one The Fast and the Furiosa. Anyway, Rad liked it.

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki: If Rocky had been shot in black-and-white in 1960s Finland, it might have looked a little like Juho Kuosmanen’s charming sports picture. Although I’m not sure there would have been as much baking.

Maudie: Glenn is quite content with Aisling Walsh’s low-key biopic of Nova Scotia artist Maud Lewis, thanks to the performances of Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.

My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea: Dash Shaw’s animated comedy plays like a kid mashing up Rushmore and The Poseidon Adventure in a homemade comic book, which is kind of what it is. But it has its charms.

A Quiet Passion: Terence Davies makes a small, still film about the sad, lonely life of Emily Dickinson, and though Cynthia Nixon is really good in the role (and Jennifer Ehle is just swell as Emily’s sister Vinnie), Davies’ choices smother the material rather than illuminate it.

Their Finest: Lone Scherfig’s latest is a frightfully clever wartime dramedy with a top-flight cast, including Gemma Arterton,  Bill Nighy and Richard E. Grant. Even that Hunger Games guy is good.

And that’s everything! Enjoy the long weekend, and catch The Void if it’s still playing in your neighborhood. You can also watch it on iTunes, but it’s just not the same.

One thought on “The World Needs Heroes”

  1. You’re right on the title. I wish they had kept it as Their Finest Hour and a Half. It’s not quite as bad a title change as Edge of Tomorrow, which should have either kept the source material’s title of All You Need Is Kill or, even better, the title it was released on video with, Live, Die, Repeat.

    (And Captain Kirk saved the hell out of those fisherman!)

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