Kevan Funk’s Hello Destroyer is a hockey movie where the drama is not in the game, but in how its violence has consequences that ripple off the ice.
Gender and Sexuality
Explore depictions of masculinity, femininity, and sexual identity.
Unlearning toxic masculinity in the Dardennes’ La Promesse
Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s 1996 film, La Promesse (The Promise), examines how a teenage boy unlearns patriarchal values through his relationship with an undocumented Burkinabé immigrant.
Manchester by the Sea embraces conventional stereotypes
Despite its obvious Oscar-bait trappings, Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea is plagued by outdated ideas about masculinity and weak supporting characters.
Andrew Neel’s Goat lacks psychological insight
Andrew Neel’s Goat is an excellent showcase for up-and-coming star Ben Schnetzer, whose strong performance hints at the better film it could have been had Neel been less focussed on brutality and more focussed on psychological insight.
TIFF16: Below Her Mouth is cringeworthy
Below Her Mouth attempts provocation and frank depictions of lesbian sex, but it forgets the emotion in its love story.
San Francisco’s Frameline Festival expands understandings of queer cinema
Frameline Festival, San Francisco’s annual LGBTQ film festival showcasing new LGBTQ talent and stories about the LGBTQ community, features much lauded films from the festival circuit.