Lindsay McCarney

Broken EnglishDirected by: Directed by Zoe R. Cassavetes MagnoliaWhen I told my boyfriend I was reviewing a film called Broken English, he used his savvy know-how about lame movie titles to predict that the film would be about miscommunication. And so it is—both metaphorically (single Nora has difficulty speaking the language of love) and literally […]

Christmas Time in South ParkDirected by: Trey Parker and Matt StoneParamount Home VideoIf your diet’s fibre-friendly, and you like your holidays treacle-free, it’s time to get your George-Bailey-weary mitts on the new South Park collection, Christmas Time in South Park. The compilation brings together seven of South Park’s stellar Christmas episodes—five of them featuring everyone’s […]

This Is EnglandDirected by: Shane MeadowsAllianceThis is England is set in 1980s Thatcher-era Britain—most of its characters are skinheads. For some, like kind Woody (Joseph Gilgun), being a skinhead is a style choice. Woody shaves his head, wears combat boots, and is best friends with Milky (Andrew Shim), who’s black. Other skinheads, like angry racist […]

WordplayDirected by: Patrick Creadon (IFC Films) One montage in Wordplay shows various celebrities—including the Indigo Girls, Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton and documentarian Ken Burns—hunkered down over the New York Times crossword. Burns breaks into a delighted smile as he notices a hidden pun. “They’re playing with us here,” he says. “That’s wonderful.” That delight’s really […]

Who Loves the SunDirected by: Matt BissonetteChristal FilmsThe following riveting exchange occurs in the film Who Loves the Sun, shortly after childhood friends Will (Lukas Haas) and Daniel (Adam Scott) are reunited for the first time since Daniel slept with Will’s wife, years earlier: “Fuck you, you tried,” declares Will, dismissing Daniel’s insincere attempt to […]

ShortbusDirected by: John Cameron Mitchell(THINKFilm)Within the first five minutes of writer-director John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, a man performs autofellatio and Sook-Yin Lee has sex in a variety of positions. The titular Shortbus is a club that encourages sexual self-expression. The film follows several lonely New Yorkers who frequent Shortbus and documents the connections they attempt […]

WaitressDirected by: Adrienne Shelly20th Century FoxMany of the lines characters in Waitress spout at each other are tiny pieces of only-in-movies poetry. Crusty diner patron/owner Old Joe (Andy Griffith) describes pregnant waitress Jenna (Keri Russell)’s pie passionately, “Then you’re flooded with chocolate, dark and bittersweet, like an old love affair… strawberry: the way strawberry was […]

Wedding WarsDirected by: Jim Fall(Sony Pictures)Attention, John Stamos-loving Haligonians: Wedding Wars was filmed last year in our fair city. The made-for-TV movie is now available to rent, so those who didn’t see it on A&E last December can catch up. (Phew.) In the film, gay wedding planner Shel (Stamos) agrees to help his semi-estranged brother […]

A Scanner DarklyDirected by: Richard Linklater (Warner Independent)In A Scanner Darkly, a patch of flowers, a swirling glass of Merlot and Keanu Reeves’ shoe all become captivating. The film’s shots draw the eye to background objects. If the movie were your typical conspiracy thriller/drug addiction saga, this would be surprising. But A Scanner Darkly is […]

The HoaxDirected by: Lasse HallströmMiramaxBack in the ’70s, author/biographer Clifford Irving broke the cardinal rule of biography writing: After promising his publishers an all-access portrait of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, Irving proceeded to make the whole thing up. Irving’s weird, hubristic story is a great one, and director Lasse Hallström’s Irving biopic, The Hoax, does […]

Manufactured LandscapesDirected by: Jennifer Baichwal(Zeitgeist Films)In his renowned portraits of industrial sites, Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky highlights how profoundly human action and industrialization have altered the natural landscape. Today’s world, Burtynsky points out, is largely man-made. In her Genie-winning documentary Manufactured Landscapes, Jennifer Baichwal set out to translate Burtynsky’s photographs into a new medium. The […]

Away from HerDirected by: Sarah PolleyMongrelSarah Polley’s lovely directorial debut is a movie made up of quiet moments—like Grant’s (Gordon Pinsent) embarrassed zipping of his fly at the Alzheimer’s hospital, after he makes love with ailing wife Fiona (Julie Christie) for the last time. The film takes a warts-and-all approach to the couple’s marriage, portraying […]