Three And Above

American Sniper  (2015) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Clint Eastwood Written by: Jason Hall, based on Chris Kyle's                    autobiography with help from Scott McEwen                   and James Defelice Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Rating: 14A Release Date: January 16th, 2015 Bradley Cooper and Kyle Gallner in American Sniper © Warner Bros. Pictures       Bradley Cooper is fast becoming the best American actor working today. First coming onto the scene as a comic actor as the highlight of Wedding Crashers and The Hangover franchise, he's slowly blossomed into an acting juggernaut. With three consecutive years of Oscar nominations for Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle  and this year's American Sniper , the man is on pace with the greats of yesteryear; Brando, DeNiro, Peck, et al. It's no wonder then, that in a film of questionable ethics, cooper raises the entire film to a transcendent level. As Chris Kyl

The Drop  (2014) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by:  Michaël R. Roskam Written by: Dennis Lehane Starring: Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini,               Noomi Rapace Rating: 14A Release Date: November 14, 2014 James Gandolfini & Tom Hardy in  The Drop Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.      Sometimes all it takes to make a great film is the right people working together at the right time. Tom Hardy, fresh off of his demented turn as the villainous Bane in The Dark Knight Rises , James Gandolfini, comfortably slipping into movie stardom after years of brilliant work in The Sopranos , and screenwriter Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River , Gone Baby Gone , and Shutter Island are all at the top of their game. Couple their willingness to explore the material with Michaël R. Roskam, a foreign director eager to cut his teeth on English-speaking North American cinema, and you have a brilliant piece of filmmaking.        The Drop  follows bartender Bo

Scream  (1997) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Wes Craven  Written by: Kevin Williamson Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox,                David Arquette, Henry Winkler Rating: 14A Release Date: May 2nd, 1997 Drew Barrymore in Scream © 1996 - Dimension Films      During the late 1970's and early 1980's there were two directors who reigned supreme over the horror genre, and gave credence to it as a valid cinematic art form. While John Carpenter has the honour of directing what is arguably the best horror film of all time, ( The Thing ), and a sampling of other genre classics, ( Halloween, Escape From New York, They Live ), his films have aged poorly, and his talent has started to decline with age. Wes Craven, director of the other classic 1970/80's horror flicks ( The Last House on the Left, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and The Rainbow ), has refined his talent in order to become more of an auteur.  As well, unlike Carpenter, he

Frank  (2014) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson Written by: Jon Ronson & Peter Straughan Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal,               Michael Fassbender Rating: 14A Release Date: August 15th, 2014 Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson in Frank © 2013 - Film4       Frank is an oddity. Both as a film and as a character. Ranging from ridiculous, to sentimental, to completely tragic, it's no wonder that such a bipolar character is based on the true story of the late Chris Sievey  - reality is always stranger than fiction . Our protagonist is Jon Burroughs, (Domhnall Gleeson), a twentysomething pencil pusher at a small town office in England. Wandering and wondering his way through life, the opening sequence of Burroughs waltzing through town trying to come up with song ideas is absolutely hilarious and completely relatable to anyone who has tried their hand at composing. Coming upon a fuss of eme

Get On Up  (2014) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Tate Taylor Written by: Jez & John Henry Butterworth                   and Steven Baigelman Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis                Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig                Robinson, Octavia Spencer Rating: PG Release Date: August 1st, 2014 Dan Aykroyd & Chadwick Boseman in  Get On Up © 2014 - Universal Pictures      Chadwick Boseman is quickly becoming one of the best actors in the business. Known only for his work in Draft Day and as Jackie Robinson in 42, he once again shines brilliantly in a difficult and complex role. As James Brown, Boseman exudes a manic persona, completely unlike the quietly strong Robinson, or the desperate football star in Draft Day. Like James Brown, the real star of Get On Up is Boseman, front and centre. Yet, without a band of characters to back him up, the performance would fall flat. Craig Robinson, a brilliant Dan Aykroyd and Tar

Selma  (2015) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Ava DuVernay Written by: Paul Webb Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson,                Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth,               Oprah Winfrey, Wendell Pierce Rating: PG Release Date: January 9th, 2015 Wendell Pierce & David Oyelowo talk to Trai Byers & Stephan James in Selma © 2014 Paramount Pictures    There are a plethora of films that immortalize and define the popular consensus of whom important leaders in the twentieth century really were, most of which have been helmed by seasoned directors. Gandhi, Che, and JFK are all superb films made by visionary directors, yet the most important figure of the twentieth century, (at least in North America, and in my book), hasn't yet found his way to the silver screen. Maybe it's because it's too soon a time to tell a story that left national and international wounds that have yet to heal. However, in the wake of the riots in Ferguson and p

The 2015 Academy Awards Poster for the  87th Oscar Ceremony - Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris     Every year, around mid January, the Oscar nominees are announced. As always, there's an inevitable backlash against the collection of nominees; over who deserved something but didn't get it, or vice versa. Usually, I can sympathize with the detractors, but, (aside from a few glaring exceptions), the nominees this year are pretty spot on. While you can find the nominee list in full here , below are my predictions and commentary on who will win what, as well as who should . Below the main categories, I've simply stated my choices for winners and should-be winners. Read on, let me know what you think, and what your predictions are!  BEST PICTURE      While the list of nominees is pretty solid, (each film is deserving of it's place), it's a wonder as to why Interstellar was left out, (what did Christopher Nolan do to piss off the Academy?). Visually transcend

Son of A Gun  (2014) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Julius Avery Written by: Julius Avery, John Collee Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Ewan McGregor Rating: R Release Date: December 11th, 2014 A masked Brenton Thwaites and Ewan McGregor in Son of a Gun © 2014 - Koch Media      There's something about Australia. I've never been there, but I imagine it's not all just surfing and Fosters . There seems to be a strong, dark current running underneath the outback. In the tradition of violent, cynical thrillers like the Mad Max trilogy , Rover, Sanctum, Animal Kingdom or Rabbit Proof Fence , Australian cinema seems to be exorcising it's demons, (internationally, at least), on the silver screen. The latest blood soaked export from Australia is Julius Avery's Son of A Gun. As far as brutality and carnage goes, Son of a Gun is a doozy.      Son of a Gun follows JR, (Brenton Thwaites), who arrives, at the age of 19, in a high security Australian

Boyhood  (2014) A Review by Grant Kanigan Directed by: Richard Linklater Written by: Richard Linklater Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette,               Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater Rating: PG Release Date: July 26th, 2014 Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater & Ethan Hawke in Boyhood © 2014 - IFC Film      If there's one thing that Richard Linklater is, it's that he's interesting. A Scanner Darkly, School of Rock, Before Sunrise , and Fast Food Nation all have their own idiosyncrasies, and their own unique perspective on certain aspects of life. Even his bad films, (I still loathe Dazed & Confused ), have a certain je ne sais quoi about them. While all of his films haven't been groundbreaking, (he's nowhere near the same league as someone like Martin Scorsese), it's still refreshing to see a director continue to take artistic risks this late in his career. What a risk Boyhood is.      Filmed over the course of twelve