Farming Canada style

The Back-breaking Leaf (1959)

Directed by Terence Macartney-Filgate this film is narrated by Stanley Jackson. We see the life of the seasonal workers who farm tobacco in Ontario.

Fairly simple on the surface level this is a decent look at the back breaking work involved in harvesting a crop. The film shows the daily life of people well but I am not sure it connects it to anything larger. Certainly of some interest but not something that will stick in the memory.

3/5

George of the jungle on space roids

Rampage (2018)

Directed by Brad Peyton this film based on the arcade game of the same name stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman and Jeffery Dean Morgan. Animals get infected by a super growth and aggression virus leading to them going on a, well, rampage.

No one is going to accuse this film of being smart so best check your brain out before you start watching this one. As big dumb action movies go this one is not too bad and it does have a little heart to it. Some of the action sequences could have done with having a bit more scale to them but in general this is not a terrible genre piece.

3/5

Not your daddy's Beatrix Potter

Peter Rabbit (2018)

Directed by Will Gluck this film stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and the voice of James Corden. A rabbit and his friends get into scrapes when a new owner moves into the house they steal vegetables from.

This is no the Beatrix Potter any of us are familiar with and to be honest I'm not sure the level of humour fits the age group of children a film like this would appeal to. There is a bit of a cruel tone to a lot of the jokes and to be honest this is an uncomfortable marriage of elements on nearly all levels. If you can take the film for what it is then it is not too bad but it is a bit of a head scratcher on how it ended up this way.

2/5

The woman they don't like to talk about

Mary Magdalene (2018)

Directed by Garth Davis this biblical drama stars Rooney Mara, Joaquin Pheonix and Chiwetel Ejiofor. In 33AD a woman decides to follow Jesus against her family's wishes.

Taking it's cue from gnosticism and feminism this is a rather slow moving religious film. While there is some fantastic scenery and settings used ultimately that is really the only impressive part of the film. I am not sure that the film really has much to wow or entertain the casual viewer with.

3/5

The sound of nature

Anima Mundi (1992)

Directed by Godfrey Reggio this film is scored by Philip Glass. We see various clips of the natural world set to music.

Combining some fantastic photography with music this film is certainly a visual feast. While the film may not be driving to an obvious, larger point it is still a fascinating watch. Maybe a little on the long side for some this is a really good watch for nature lovers.

4/5

Laugh blockers

Blockers (2018)

Directed by Kay Cannon this film stars Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton, Grealdine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon. Three parents attempt to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night.

I think I laughed maybe twice during this comedy as the script is sorely lacking when it comes to jokes. The plot veers between being trying to have feminist views to not really seeming to being kind of mean about some of the characters. As sex comedies go this is neither smart or funny really.

2/5

Ready, willing but not able

Ready Player One (2018)

Directed by Steven Spielberg this film based on the novel of the same name stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn and Lena Waithe. In the future young people try to find an Easter egg in a VR world to save it from being taken over by an evil CEO.

On the superficial level there is plenty to enjoy here but oddly for a Spielberg project the film ends up lacking a true emotional core. I found the plot itself, especially towards the end, to be juvinille and predictable. There are too many unearned character moments hidden behind dazzling special effects and pop culture references.

3/5