Film

Director M. Night Shyamalan built his career around twists. It’s really his calling card, and for his latest film, Old, he’s not being coy with the biggest twist; he’s just not embracing it, either.

As Canadians are forced into a reckoning of systemic racism with the discovery of thousands of indigenous children’s bodies in residential schools, the release of director Tracey Deer’s Beans couldn’t be more timely.

Anthony Bourdain had a big impact on me. He was a traveller who went out into the world and passionately talked about food, and along the way he found a way to talk about problems in the world. He was like an old school rock god; mercurial, fiery, and honest.

Scarlett Johansson is a sight for sore eyes. Marvel’s Black Widow is out in Canada on Disney+ Premier Access now, and the film finally brings Natasha Romanoff back to us for some big screen revenge, and it’s a helluva ride.

Vancouver filmmaker, director, and editor Lawrence Le Lam has had the idea for his upcoming movie, The Chinatown Diner, stewing in his head since childhood. The film is based on memories throughout his life, placed in the underground Chinatown hip hop scene and following a young beatmaker who, like him, has a parent who works in real estate.

The 46th Toronto International Film Festival returns this September, and the annual celebration of cinema will feature over 100 films, including Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Perhaps the biggest detail, however, was that in-person screenings and red carpets are also set for a comeback, and TIFF will also screen films across Canada.

The 10th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival kicks off on June 5, and runs until June 27 this year, with a lineup of 24 films, including North American and Canadian premieres. Among the major premieres at the 2021 TJFF Hiroki Kadokawa’s historical drama, Mio’s Cookbook, Keisuke Yoshida’s boxing epic, Blue, Katsuhide Motoki’s period dramedy, Angry Rice Wives, and Shuichi Okita’s Ora, Ora Be Goin’ Alone.

As part of an exclusive virtual event, I got a chance to watch the first 11 minutes of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Introducing the footage was director Michael Chaves, who takes over from James Wan. Wan created and directed the first two films in the franchise and produced this one.

What a night! The 2021 Oscars are a wrap, and Nomadland was one of the big winners, walking away with three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director for Chloé Zhao, and Best Actress for Frances McDormand.

The 93rd Academy Awards are live from Union Station in Los Angeles tonight, and the press room has gone virtual this year, so I’m tuned in from Toronto, getting ready for the winners to answer questions backstage.