by Jennifer Valencia Tim Burton‘s Big Eyes is based on the true story of Margaret (Amy Adams) and Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz). Walter Keane was one of the most successful painters in the 50’s and 60’s due to the popularity of his paintings of big eyed waifs. With natural charm and
And so we watched a lot of movies this year, but while a few them left a huge impression on us, some stuck with us more than others. Here are some of our picks in no particular order and in the format according to each sister’s tastes. ********************************************************* Jacqueline Valencia‘s
by Jennifer Valencia Shawn Levy brings together a vibrant and brilliant ensemble cast in This Is Where I Leave You, which screened at TIFF this year. I don’t know what it is about family dramas or comedies, but I have a soft spot for them. Family dynamics of all kinds
by Jennifer Valencia Happiness. Don’t we all need more happiness in our lives? If so, where do we find it? Hector and the Search For Happiness is a film that wants us to find out. Hector is a psychiatrist who finds that his humdrum unchanging life is missing something. This has made
by Jennifer Valencia I was very excited to see Jean-Marc Vallée‘s Wild. My excitement turned to sheer gratitude to Vallée for making exactly the movie I was hoping Wild would be. The film stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in her real-life journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trial, all 1,100 miles
by Jennifer Valencia I wasn’t sure what to make of Debbie Tucker Green‘s, Second Coming. The film is cryptic, fearful of committing to the concepts it puts forward, leaving the audience with more questions than answers by the end of it. It is the story of Jackie, wife of
by Jennifer Valencia In The Crosswind is the real life story of a family separated from each other during the Russian occupation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1941 where thousands of people were relocated to remote outposts in Siberia. Over 390,000 people were casualties of what some call the
by Jennifer Valencia It is that time of year again. As I finish writing TIFF is only hours away and I am so very excited about this year’s festival. For one reason, this year I get to see the festival from whole new perspective. This year I am a spectator
by Jennifer Valencia At 20 years old, Pulp Fiction (1994) is a classic to me. It came out as I was becoming a teenager (somehow I managed to see it), and it had a major influence on me. This film, along with Reservoir Dogs (1992), and films like The Usual Suspects (1995), introduced me to a
write up by Jennifer Valencia Everything is Cool by Matthew Williamson (2013, Video, 10 min, Canada) Matthew Williamson adopts a Bart Simpson type mask in his short Everything Is Cool as he reveals some of his observations on what first seems like just “things” from a Burger King parking lot.
Critical Focus 