Dancin’ Dan on Film

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Marty Mauser may be a little shit, but MARTY SUPREME and Timothée Chalamet are irresistible - an ‘80s-styled, 50s-set sports movie with an electric score by Daniel Lopatin and an ensemble firing on all cylinders. A bit too long, but the ending makes it worth it. A huge crowdpleaser. We have a race?

SAME!

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There was a moment in THE LONG WALK where I thought, “Philip Seymour Hoffman would be SO PROUD of Cooper’s performance,” and then a moment later that absolutely broke me because of that thought. He and David Jonsson are the best onscreen duo of the year. Absolutely incredible.

Chloe Zhao’s brutal, intimate masterpiece HAMMET cracked me wide open. A gorgeous tribute to the art that comes out of grief and how it can heal us. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s emotionally raw performances rank with the best ever. That finale. ALL the tears. #TIFF50

I had a lot of fun with EXIT 8! Gets a bit ridiculous with the “why are you not turning around and running from the VERY OBVIOUS anomaly right in front of you” bits, but it’s clever, well-crafted, and a smart adaptation of the game. Kazunari Ninomiya is an endearing lead. #TIFF50

Anders Thomas Jensen is fast becoming a new favorite. THE LAST VIKING is full of his signature off-the-wall humor from its cast of eccentrics, and it’s a genuinely emotional family drama to boot! Didn’t know how much I needed Mads Mikkelsen singing “Chiquitita”. #TIFF50

Edward Berger directs the ever-loving hell out of BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, a basic gambling flick elevated by a blast of lurid style and a sweatily committed Colin Farrell. Interesting spin on the eat-the-rich narrative, in which eating the rich just makes you sick. #TIFF50

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Guillermo Del Toro’s gothically grand FRANKENSTEIN is as much of a visual feast as all his films. Isaac’s mad genius is a hoot but Elordi’s physicality as the (too?) sensitive creature is a revelation. GDT’s love for his creatures gets the better of him? #TIFF50

The Professional meets Imaginary in Bryan Fuller’s DUST BUNNY. His signature blend of whimsy and macabre transfers seamlessly to the big screen, with delightfully florid camerawork and music. The CGI doesn’t always convince, but the premise and execution are so fun! #TIFF50

Tessa Thompson makes for a feisty, dynamic HEDDA in Nia DaCosta’s handsomely designed Ibsen adaptation. The change of setting and sexuality works wonderfully well, but changes to the last act leave the ending less impactful than the play. #TIFF50

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Derek Cianfrance’s ROOFMAN is a perfectly entertaining mainstream crowdpleaser. This is Channing Tatum’s best role in years and he delivers his best performance as a man fighting for his better nature but desperate for connection. Dunst, as always, is sublime. #TIFF50

Just got flattened by Hikari’s RENTAL FAMILY. It wears its heart on its sleeve and is so generically heartwarming that I suspect a lot of people will not care for it, but I found its sense of empathy irresistible, and Brendan Fraser is the perfect vessel for it. #TIFF50

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PRAISE BE! WAKE UP DEAD MAN sees Rian Johnson put a stake thru the heart of those who approach religion from a place of hate rather than love. Another flawlessly cast, cleverly written, socially relevant, supremely entertaining mystery from the new master of the genre. #TIFF50

Kyle Gallner and Samara Weaving have combustible chemistry in CAROLINA CAROLINE, a tremendously entertaining Bonnie & Clyde update that hit the gas early on and never lets up. As a bonus, the questions of destiny and self-determination feel incredibly relevant. #TIFF50

I’m looking forward to it!

Haven’t seen it yet! I was away and mostly off the grid last weekend so wasn’t able to catch it before TIFF.

Byun Sung-hyun’s super-entertaining ‘70s airport thriller GOOD NEWS is incredibly exciting for its first half before becoming a bit exhausting in its second. The political satire is hilarious, but the plot machinations get so complex that it can be hard to keep up. #TIFF50

Sydney Sweeney shines in CHRISTY, bobbing and weaving her way through a generic boxing flick that shines most when it lets her dig deep into the character. Pulls no punches about its subject’s not-so-savory side, and the emotion hits hard, but it’s prestige filmmaking at its blandest. #TIFF50

The dialogue-free element of MOTOR CITY never rises above the level of a gimmick and the soundtrack choices may be obvious, but the action is incredibly badass. An artsy exploitation flick in search of a Grindhouse-style double feature. Alan Ritchson is a fucking beast. #TIFF50

I can’t believe NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE exists. A genuine how-the-fuck-did-they-pull-this-off masterpiece of wacky comic hijinks with two best friends. I don’t think any Midnight Madness film will ever top this. #TIFF50

John Early’s MADDIE’S SECRET had me in stitches - a dead-on parody of Lifetime-esque after school special movies with genuine dramatic heft courtesy of Early’s fabulous gender-bending performance, which is so much more than a piece of stunt casting. #TIFF50

Aneil Karia’s bold, brutal modern-dress HAMLET makes some brilliant staging choices, most of which work, but Riz Ahmed’s livewire performance as a man so wracked by grief that he drags everyone around down with him is on another level. Great ensemble and score. #TIFF50

Grace Kelly kisses Cary Grant as fireworks explode in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief

Happy Fireworks Day, all!

YES.

It worked much better for other people here than it did for me. Very much a “your mileage may vary” situation.

I’m not ready to really talk about SENTIMENTAL VALUE in depth because it’s a touch too personal, but it is Trier’s best film, Reinsve’s best performance, and Skarsgard’s crowning achievement. An intimate metacinematic epic that goes places I was not expecting. #Cannes2025

THE HISTORY OF SOUND tests the limits of stereotypically British restraint as it works through its story of love and folk music. Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal build a palpably deep connection but the clichéd second half is so restrained it loses its pulse. Handsome but uninspired. #Cannes2025

Scarlett Johansson’s feature debut ELEANOR THE GREAT is a conventional but sensitive portrayal of the many ways grief freezes us in place. June Squibb is at her hilarious and heartbreaking best as a woman whose grief-based white lie has unintended ripple effects. #Cannes2025

Julia Ducournau throws enough ideas for a hundred movies at ALPHA to try to make something stick, but it’s too much for anything to cohere. The emotional strength of the performances keeps it watchable, but this is a raw as fuck mess of titanic proportions. #Cannes2025

EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC is my first Competition dud at #Cannes2025 - not funny enough to be a great comedy, too surface-level to be a great drama, and not exciting enough to be a great thriller… until everything snaps into place for a killer final sequence. Too little, too late.