By: Amanda Guarragi Ingmar Bergman is one of the best filmmakers of all time. The way he presented life with all it’s flaws, darkness, trauma, and horrors is something that he brought to the screen so well. Cinema served as a stage for hauntings of the soul and battles against psychological and spiritual demons for Bergman. So to have an entire island dedicated to his … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Bergman Island’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi Justine Bateman’s directorial feature debut has rich experimental elements and an internal dialogue that all women can relate to. Olivia Munn stars as Violet, a Los Angeles–based film executive, who has worked extremely hard to gain status in an industry still dominated by older white men. Nowhere is this more apparent than in her relationship to her boss (Dennis Boutsikaris), who exerts … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Violet’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi Director Eva Husson’s Mothering Sunday is a period piece that explores the meaning of love and friendship. Jane (Odessa Young) works as a maid for the Nivens (Olivia Colman and Colin Firth), an aging home counties couple who, like so many other families, lost their sons on the battlefields of the First World War. Jane is having a secret affair with Paul … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Mothering Sunday’ Review

By: Amanda Guarragi Julia Ducournau has done it again. Titane is such a bold entry in her filmography and it has left me speechless. The opening of this film sets the tone for familial relationships. The father/daughter relationship between young Alexia and her father was strained from the very beginning. An argument with her father in the car, eventually leads to a violent automobile accident … Continue reading TIFF ’21: ‘Titane’ Review