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Di Golding
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Promising Young Woman (2020) |
Much like Cassie herself, Promising Young Woman doesn't care if you like it or not, because the point is to not be neutral. It's time to pick a side. If this film makes you feel attacked, it probably says more about you than it does about the film. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Jan 18, 2021
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Richard Jewell (2019) |
Paul Walter Hauser is the only reason to see this film. What we are witnessing with Hauser is the emergence of a riveting actor who dominates every scene he's in, not with force, but with sheer, unadulterated talent. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Jan 07, 2020
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The Two Popes (2019) |
Meirelles takes what could have been a dry, exhaustive tale of Papal politics, and instead gives us a spirited and contemplative take on recent history disguised as a platonic romance, complete with a meet-cute set to ABBA's Dancing Queen - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 07, 2019
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The Irishman (2019) |
Scorsese's opus glides effortlessly through recent history, contextualizing an era in which criminal and political enterprise were woven together by selfish men for whom violence was a practical means to an end, and consequences were an afterthought. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Nov 16, 2019
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Judy (2019) |
It's a period in her career that few are aware of, and a poignant coda to a life which has since become the quintessential cautionary tale of a former child star. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Nov 10, 2019
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The Goldfinch (2019) |
There was not one moment in this whole lethargic exercise - no line of dialogue, or performance, or visual - which resonated even one mote. This film lacked heart, and even worse, it lacked brevity. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Sep 16, 2019
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Ready or Not (2019) |
There is not a weak link to be had here, with a cast that completely understands what Ready or Not wants to be, and builds it brick by outrageous brick. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Sep 05, 2019
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Blinded by the Light (2019) |
Blinded by the Light has a delightfully 80s DIY vibe to its musical numbers. Nothing feels too polished, and that's points in its favour. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Aug 26, 2019
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Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) |
Stuffed between the monster fights is a finger-wagging ecological conundrum, a globe-spanning chase, and a kitchen sink family drama, all of which are as tedious as they sound. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Jun 05, 2019
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Aladdin (2019) |
Instead of using the live-action format to elevate or expand on the original, this version of Aladdin constantly reminds us why it worked better in animated form. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted May 29, 2019
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Wine Country (2019) |
Wine Country hums along just fine. Not the fist-pumping banger I'd hoped for, but a charming toe-tapper that left a wine-stained smile on my face. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted May 19, 2019
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Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) |
I hate to rain on Pikachu's parade, but an obvious plot and lazy fan service aren't Detective Pikachu's only problems. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted May 15, 2019
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Captain Marvel (2019) |
Beyond the 90s aesthetic Captain Marvel harkens back to an age in action cinema when not every single minute of film needed to be filled with exposition or seizure-inducing CGI spectacles to engage an audience. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Mar 10, 2019
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Vice (2018) |
It isn't until his daughter Mary comes out... that Cheney is given an opportunity to feel human emotion, but by this point, McKay's snarky, jokey narrative has spent so much time reinforcing Cheney's evil, that pathos feels like a punchline. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Jan 31, 2019
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If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) |
If Beale Street Could Talk is set in the mid-70s, but it is ageless in its depiction of a love that is beaten and battered but can never be destroyed, despite systemic attempts to deny it. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Jan 11, 2019
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The Last Hangover (2018) |
The Last Hangover, much like Python's Life of Brian ... will not be suitable for those who are offended by anything that pokes fun at religion. For the rest of us, though, this film is an irreverent, warped, good time. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 31, 2018
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Aquaman (2018) |
Any excitement audiences expected from director James Wan, who has helped reinvigorate the horror genre with The Conjuring series, will wonder if perhaps his success is limited to blood baths and jump scares. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 26, 2018
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At Eternity's Gate (2018) |
But to strip the myth from the man, to understand his motivations, recognize his limitations, and attempt to show us what he saw is something perhaps only another painter could do. Or, as in the case with At Eternity's Gate, two painters. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 20, 2018
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Grudge Match (2013) |
I don't want to sound like some butthurt feminist here, but if a Mike Tyson cameo is the least misogynistic part of your movie, you have a problem. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Nebraska (2013) |
No splashy, sentimental performances. No outrageous plot twists. No CGI. Just regular folks reckoning with their circumstances, quietly, with dignity, and suffused with director Alexander Payne's signature dry wit. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) |
Trying to appeal to both kids and adults is not an easy feat, one side usually benefits more than the other, and in this case, it's the over 30 crowd that wins. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Pompeii (2014) |
As the film begins, the camera pans slowly over what appear to be statues, but which turn our to be the petrified remains of the citizens of Pompeii. These are the most multi-dimensional people we see on screen. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Noah (2014) |
Once the film has blown it's CGI load, it turns into a kitchen sink drama, an episode of Eastenders as directed by Mike Leigh. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Canyons (2013) |
It would be too easy to blame the leads for the film's flatness, but I'm not sure that better actors could have roused such listless dialogue. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Divergent (2014) |
Woodley plays her part so believably you can't help but root for her despite the juvenile, it's-okay-to-be-different, people-aren't-just-one-thing thematic undertones so simply expressed for the training bra set. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Book Thief (2013) |
Opening with a sweeping shot of a train racing on snow-covered tracks, a title card reads 'Germany, February 1938'. This kind of vagueness sets up a film that brushes past details in favour of a broad-strokes Nazi movie for the whole family. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Blackfish (2013) |
With extensive interviews and an impressive amount of footage, Cowperthwaite stops just short of exploitation. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Touchy Feely (2013) |
I kept waiting for something bigger to happen here, but wasn't necessarily disappointed when it didn't. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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20 Feet From Stardom (2013) |
20 Feet has fingers in a lot of narrative pies, but it's most interesting when it focuses on the singers' struggles in a historical context. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Vampire Academy (2014) |
The gothic sets and oxblood colour palette are ripped straight from a Heart video. The frenetic pacing, more appropriate, perhaps, for a first-person video game, had me craving a Ritalin Latte. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Veronica Mars (2014) |
But part of what made our hero so endearing was that she was a kid playing dress-up in a grown-up world. Now an adult, Veronica's schtick is reminiscent of putting your favourite song on repeat: sure, it's fun for awhile, but it gets old fast. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Winter's Tale (2014) |
In this world, some people can be reincarnated and those in heaven have the choice to come back and walk the earth as mortals. Now, I'm not religious, but I did find myself praying for this movie to redeem itself. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Algonquin (2013) |
Watching Algonquin, I felt like a petulant child forced into a canoe trip; bored for a long stretch, annoyed by the company, relieved when it was over, yet impressed by the stunning scenery. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Secret Trial 5 (2014) |
Most Canadians were aware of these suspected terrorists being detained, ostensibly to protect our security. But Wala shows how our collective attitudes towards the detainees changed since the peak of our anxiety immediately following September 11, 2001. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Railway Man (2013) |
The first two thirds of the film seem to be building towards a satisfying resolution, but it gets there only after taking an improbable twist, and that left a sour taste in my mouth. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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It's a Disaster (2012) |
It's the hell of couples brunch fully realized. I was amused as much as galled by the unapologetic narcissism and stunning lack of empathy exhibited by the characters of It's A Disaster. These are people who shouldn't survive the apocalypse. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Spinning Plates (2012) |
The flavours, though lovingly prepared, don't always compliment one another. Perhaps it's because when we get to the 'and then the unthinkable happened' portion of the documentary, the lack of balance left an odd aftertaste. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Filth (2013) |
There is a grotesque whimsy in Filth that calls to mind the delicious dark humour of American Psycho and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Blended (2014) |
If you've seen the trailer, you've seen it all. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story (2014) |
What saves this film from being another gimmicky Super Size Me or No Impact Man is Grant and Jennifer's modestly charming Canadian-ness. They present some pretty frightening statistics, but they also offer some helpful solutions - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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If I Stay (2014) |
The story's naïveté is matched only by its dullness. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) |
Instead of being restricted to the confines of being just another franchise potboiler, those hairy primates elevate Dawn to the type of storytelling that transcends genre. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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What If (2013) |
The 'com' is fresh, even if the 'rom' feels a little stale. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Hercules (2014) |
Hercules isn't awful, it's just not good enough. At least not as good as its individual parts: the intricately choreographed action sequences, the roster of respectable British thespians, the $100 million price tag. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Earth to Echo (2014) |
There are so many, well, I'll be charitable and call them 'homages' to 80s movies that I stopped counting. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, except for the fact that once referenced, it was hard not to compare those movies to yours - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Zero Theorem (2013) |
This film struggles tonally to find equilibrium between broad satire and intimate revelation. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013) |
Myers gives us the cinematic equivalent of a tabloid; it's fun, gossipy and light, but in the end is only supermeh. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Giver (2014) |
Despite the fact that I'm an adult who has never read the book, I still felt like I was being pandered to. It didn't need to be that way. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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St. Vincent (2014) |
Bill Murray is that rare actor whose very presence is enough to convince the audience that what they're about to see is a cut above the rest. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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The Maze Runner (2014) |
Without backstory it's impossible to care about these boys, so, instead of characters we can root for, we get archetypes. - Dear Cast and Crew
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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