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film review: Aquarela
Directed by Victor KossakovskyChinoKino score: BReview by Allan TongAquarela is Portuguese for "watercolour" and an apt title for a 90-minute visual essay about the power of water. Think of the...
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French cinema graces the Unifrance red carpet at TIFF 2019
Story & photos by Allan TongUnifrance hosted its annual TIFF party last Saturday. Stars and filmmakers of Pompeii, The Two of Us, La Belle Epoque and many others graced the red carpet at the Fifth...
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film review: Frankie
Directed by Ira SachsWritten by Ira Sachs & Mauricio ZachariasChinoKino score: DReview by Allan TongFrankie is a French drama that is supposed to center on a movie star, Frankie (Isabelle Huppert),...
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TIFF celebrates 2019 Top Ten Canadian films
Story by Allan Tong / Photos by Sally Warburton Last week, TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) announced its annual Top Ten Canadian features and shorts at a public panel held at the Samsung...
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IDS opens strong, celebrating all things design
Story and photos by Allan Tong The 22nd annual Interior Design Show (IDS) launched last night with its annual bash in the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. Frigid temperatures didn't keep away 5,500...
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film review: The Jesus Rolls
Directed by John TurturroWritten by John TurturroChinoKino score: DReview by Allan TongDie-hard fans of the cult comedy, The Big Lebowski, have been salivating for a sequel for over 20 years. Sadly,...
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film review: Hope Gap
Directed by William NicholsonWritten by William NicholsonChinoKino score: B-Review by Allan TongHope Gap captures the end of a 29-year marriage of an English couple, well-played by Annette Benning and...
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film review: The Assistant
Directed by Kitty GreenWritten by Kitty GreenChinoKino score: B-Review by Allan TongThe Assistant hit theatres in February just as Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape. The release date was as...
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film review: Les Misérables
Directed by Ladj LyWritten by Ladj Ly & Giordano Gederlini ChinoKino score: A-Review by Allan TongThe great French novelist Victor Hugo set Les Misérables in the Parisian suburb of Montfermeil,...
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film review: Military Wives
Directed by Peter CattaneoWritten by Rosanne Flynn & Rachel Tunnard ChinoKino score: CReview by Allan TongMilitary Wives has all the ingredients to add up to a rousing feel-good comedy. A group of...
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VOD film review: Irresistible
Directed & written by Jon Stewart ChinoKino score: C-Review by Allan TongOne of America's finest political satirists unleashes his take on the U.S. election machine months before the presidential...
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The Burnt Orange Heresy
Directed by Giuseppe CapotondiWritten by Scott B. Smith & Charles Willeford (from his novel)ChinoKino score: DReview by Allan TongMick Jagger returns to the screen in a cameo in this neo-noir...
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film review Lucky Grandma
Directed by Sasie Sealy Written by Sasie Sealy & Angela ChengChinoKino score: AReview by Allan TongEach summer, one movie comes out of nowhere and surprises audiences. In 2020, it's Lucky...
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film review: Summerland
Directed by Jessica SwaleWritten by Jessica SwaleChinoKino score: BReview by Allan TongSummerland is the imaginary, pagan heaven envisioned by reclusive writer Alice (Gemma Arterton) in the idyllic...
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film review: My Days of Mercy
Directed by Tali Shalom-EzerWritten by Joe BartonChinoKino score: C+Review by Allan TongMy Days of Mercy dramatizes the death penalty debate through an unlikely relationship between activists on...
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film review: The Glorias
Directed by Julie TaymorWritten by Julie Taymor and Sarah Ruhl, based on My Life on the Road by Gloria SteinemChinoKino score: B- Review by Allan TongFeminist pioneer, Gloria Steinem, receives the...
View Articlefilm review: Save Yourselves!
Directed & written by Alex H. Fischer & Eleanor WilsonChinoKino score: B- Review by Allan TongA tongue-in-cheek comedy about social media, Save Yourselves! is a fun, likable film centering on...
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film review: Zappa
Directed by Alex WinterChinoKino score: A- Review by Allan TongHow to sum up the career of the one of music's most provocative, ornery, diverse and contrary talents in two hours? Alex Winter does a...
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film review: Another Round
Directed by Thomas VinterbergWritten by Tobias Lindholm & Thomas VinterbergChinoKino score: AReview by Allan Tong Suppose you went through daily life drunk?This is the question that four jaded,...
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film review: Falling
Directed by Viggo MortensenWritten by Viggo MortensenChinoKino score: CReview by Allan TongFalling marks the directorial debut of Canadian award-winning actor Viggo Mortensen. The death of Mortensen's...
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