Okay, this movie is straight up pretty much only going to appeal to art house movie buffs and REALLY big fans of either the vampire genre or Tilda Swinton: I got pulled in by the pull of that amazingly androgynous act[ress] and of course the lure of the eternal. Only Lovers Left Alive follows a coven of vampires who have lived what seems like millennia, making love and playing music along the way. Honestly, that’s about the entirety of the plot. Yes, to answer the burning question: they have some powers… but it seems mostly contained to extreme speed they rarely make use of and of course an ever-present aversion to the sun. In fact, it seems like death is a possible part of their existence and not just by a wooden stake: we’re talking natural causes.

So, what is the point of watching this one? Well, Tilda as per, delivers a haunting and stunning performance and does it with crazy bed hair the entire time. Apparent hottie (though I don’t see it) Tom Hiddleston of mythical Loki fame plays the brooding and ever-annoyed lover of Tilds quite well and there’s the little known Mia Wasikowska from one of my favourites: In Treatment, who nails it as the bratty vampiric younger sister. Really, this is a bohemian fantasy tale that follows a motley crew family of blood suckers that want nothing more than to have sex, play weird trance music and hide from humanity. It’s a weirdie- but good enough to through in on a suicide tuesday ;)

Click through to see the trailer and read the rest of my review

Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of action/spy movies. I love the James Bond series but that’s where my interest usually stops. That being said, my expectations were far surpassed by Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit this week.

The film, which is based on Tom Clancy’s character, but no particular book, follows a young Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) as he joins the U.S. Marines to support his country after 9/11, and incurs life-threatening injuries in a helicopter crash. While recuperating at an army rehab facility, he meets Dr. Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley). Ten years later, the two are dating and Ryan is working as an undercover analyst for the CIA. When he discovers what he believes to be evidence that the Russians are planning a massive attack on the U.S. that would severely cripple the economy as well as endanger the lives of thousands of people, he is sent to Moscow on a special assignment to investigate. Ryan’s investigation is short lived though, as soon after arriving in Moscow, there is an attempt to assassinate him. This forces Ryan to switch gears from analyst to full blown spy.

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Spike Jonze’s Her is easily one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. It is a beautifully stylized futuristic love story about a man who falls in love with the operating system of his computer. I use the term futuristic loosely as the film’s setting is not that far off from our own. There are some technological advances and some adorable fashion throwbacks, which include high-waisted pants (yes!), but this world is very much just around the corner from today.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the man, Theodore Twombly, who works for a company that makes handwritten letters for people, the first sign this society has a problem with communication and human connection. Scarlett Johansson voices the woman, Samantha, who is actually genderless but I will continue to use female pronouns for the sake of this review. Samantha is an AI based operating system with the ability to learn and grow and we see her do just that throughout the course of the film.

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Well thanks goes to Nic on this pick as he message me late one evening this week asking if I’d seen We Are What We Are. Instructing me I had to download rent it legally and watch it immediately, I was happy to report promptly back to him that this one was worth the watch. Focusing its terrifying tale around the maudlin lives of two sisters, their little brother and deranged father after the violent death of their mother, you really start to worry about just what does go on in the bible belt.

There are no big actor names to draw you into this, no “amazing CGI” of monsters or magic and even the setting is dust bowl depression… what there is is strong acting and an engrossing script and plot. Without giving too much away, you watch the tragic story of past tradition followed blindlessly and without consent by generations of a singular family as they attempt to maintain their bloodline and lives. Does that sound a bit dramatic? Well, the story kind of is. You will cringe and want to shake most of the characters on screen as they acquiesce to tyrannical and unjustified rule. Oh, and you’re gonna see some blood and peeps eating peeps… not like Zombieland worth of cannibalism but enough to make you squirm. It’s drama and terror at its best.

Click through to read the rest of my review and see the trailer

Back in October Dono did a post about the Geography Club movie trailer and it peaked my interest. Not only was it starring two very handsome men,  Cameron Deane Stewart (Pitch Perfect) and Justin Deeley (90210), but it also genuinely looked really good. I’m a bit of a gay movie junkie and love attending the VQFF every year so I’ve seen my fair share of tacky gay cinema. I’m happy to say that Geography Club was not your average cheesy bad gay movie.

Synopsis: At Goodkind High School, a group of students of varying sexual orientation form an after-school club as a discreet way to share their feelings and experiences.

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A new gay romantic comedy called John Apple Jack is making it’s world premiere tomorrow (Saturday, November 9) here in Vancouver at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF). John Apple Jack tells the story of a modern-day boy-meets-boy romantic comedy about finally finding love… after having slept with everyone else. I had the opportunity to watch the feature film ahead of time and I definitely recommend checking it out!

The film is written and produced by Vancouver’s Rick Tae, directed and co-produced by Monika Mitchell, and produced by Selena Paskalidis. Here’s a little more about the plot of the film: When a glamorous playboy realizes that his dream guy is about to get away, he turns his life upside down in a mad rush to confess his love. Tae’s semi-autobiographical tale unfolds around the escapades of John (Chris McNally), a handsome gay man and heir to a restaurant empire. John lives a lifestyle of extravagance – champagne, fast cars and fast men. But when he discovers his sister is about to marry his childhood crush, Jack (Kent S. Leung), John realizes that the wedding must be stopped. His life spirals out of control as he loses his job, his playboy reputation…and even his underwear.

“John and Jack were childhood friends whose lives have taken different paths. One is living a life of privilege but finds emptiness under its slick veneer. The other is earnest and lovable, but struggling to face his true desires. How do they bridge differences and find each other?” explains Tae. “At its heart, John Apple Jack is a universal love story of ‘opposites attract’ that will resonate with a wide audience. I’m excited to debut my first feature right here at home in Vancouver as it’s a tribute itself to the city’s culturally-diverse community.”

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After last month’s Getaway I was really looking forward to a good movie to review. Unfortunately for Runner, Runner, this isn’t it. The gambling themed thriller doesn’t even live up to the genre, has a boring hero, an equally boring plot and an ending as predictable as rain in Vancouver.

The film is about Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), who is a student and teaching assistant at Princeton University who gets all of his tuition money cheated from him by a poker website. Richie then heads to Costa Rica with proof that he was cheated to convince the site’s billionaire owner, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck) to give him his money back.

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This movie is not for everyone. First off, if you’re obsessed with Ryan Gosling (as I’m slowly finding out half the man-loving world is) then you’ll want to see him as severe and lean and sexy as ever in this. Second, if you love Asian revenge movies (plays really), then BAM this is up your alley. Third, if you liked the film Drive by director Nicolas Winding Refn then you’ll love this because it’s basically Drive 2, set in Bangkok… with an equally amazing and eerie sound track. Oh, fourth, if you like violence: watch this.

Set in modern day Thailand, this is a revenge film about family honour and drug lord crime. The two protagonists are both severely flawed as they attempt to restore peace to their respective homes. Ryan plays the brother of a murdered child rapist who is tasked by the incredible Kristin Scott Thomas (whom you will remember from Gosford Park Drop Dead Gorgeous but CERTAINLY not recognize) who acts as matriarch to this f-ed up family and who through horrendous guilt and near-incestual flirtation demands for retribution of her dead son. Ryan is pitted against a retired police officer who murders without shame the worst members of society in this vast asian city. There’s sword fights, massive gun shoot ups, beatings to death with bare hands and a lot of kinky sexy: if you’re into any of that, this movie is worth a look.

Click through to read the rest of my review and see the trailer