Seventh Row

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating Title/Year Author
The Lighthouse (2019) Elena Lazic The Lighthouse finds surprise and laughs in a sea of contrasts. Eggers and his brother, Max, the film's co-writer, do not miss any opportunities to exploit the comic potential of drink- and fatigue-induced madness. EDIT
Posted Jun 12, 2019
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Elena Lazic Defiantly progressive in its perception of love and creation that sees the two parties on an equal footing, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is as poignant as it is invigorating. EDIT
Posted Jun 12, 2019
() Elena Lazic Light on its feet, Atlantics ultimately packs a powerful punch. EDIT
Posted Jun 12, 2019
For Sama (2019) Elena Lazic The film is a breathtaking portrait of resilience and sacrifice; Waad and her husband Hamza could have left the city, but they chose to stay to help the many victims of the bombings perpetrated by the Syrian government. EDIT
Posted Jun 12, 2019
Conviction (Une intime conviction) (2019) Brett Pardy Conviction offers a complex portrayal of these women at both their best and their worst. What we do see is that even at their lowest, the women in prison are more of a danger to themselves than to society. EDIT
Posted Jun 4, 2019
Buddy (2019) Alex Heeney Honigmann approaches each of the dogs and their owners as people in a mutually beneficial relationship full of love and trust. EDIT
Posted Jun 4, 2019
Push (2018) Alex Heeney It's depressing to learn that, around the world, cities are becoming so expensive that the people who work in them are being priced out. Fortunately, someone like Farha is out there, trying to find solutions on a global scale. EDIT
Posted Jun 4, 2019
() Brett Pardy By weaving in a personal story, Hubbard elevates this documentary from a summary of the case to a poignant exploration of how to maintain Indigenous identity in a settler society. EDIT
Posted Jun 4, 2019
() Brett Pardy My Blood It Runs shows us that colonialism is not just a painful legacy to grapple with, but an ongoing process necessitating resistance. EDIT
Posted Jun 4, 2019
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019) Alex Heeney Birth of Cool does an excellent job contextualizing Davis' music as ever-evolving. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) Alex Heeney Morrison's boundless joie de vivre and miraculous way with words make her the ideal documentary subject. The film serves as a great primer on her fiction that leave you with an urgent reading list. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Sonja: The White Swan (2018) Alex Heeney Even though it's set in the 1930s-1950s, Sewitsky features contemporary music throughout - a reminder that Henie's sexual liberty, financial independence, and business acumen made her a very modern woman. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Midnight Traveler (2019) Brett Pardy Midnight Traveler offers a strong rebuke to the belief that countries are too accommodating to refugees. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Koko-di Koko-da (2019) Alex Heeney The film's psychological insights lack depth, but the craft is exceptional. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Bedlam (2019) Brett Pardy Bedlam provides valuable context about how prisons have largely replaced asylums as facilities to care for people with mental illnesses. But the film's real strength is in Rosenberg's connection with his subjects. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Advocate (2019) Alex Heeney Even when the courts prove brutally unjust, Tsemel's belief that things will eventually change is an inspiring one. She keeps fighting the good fight. EDIT
Posted Mar 11, 2019
Ray & Liz (2018) Elena Lazic Billingham's compositions are gorgeous -- some of them are close recreations of his published photographs. Yet there is more than superficial beauty at play. EDIT
Posted Oct 18, 2018
The Ranger (2018) Elena Lazic The Ranger follows the rules of the slasher film perfectly, but one wishes it had imbued them with more life. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2018
Microhabitat (So-gong-nyeo) (2017) Elena Lazic The unpredictable reactions from people that Miso hasn't seen in years allow for both biting humour and poignant moments, and Jeon handles these changes in tone admirably in this light, entertaining, and quietly rebellious feature debut. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2018
Amiko (2018) Elena Lazic Amiko's nonlinear association of thoughts and ideas, sign of a lively mind, determine the film's structure and its form... The film itself does not let its low budget stand in the way of visually daring and imaginative shots and sequences. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2018
People's Republic of Desire (2018) Elena Lazic The film does give us some insight into why its protagonists' outlook is so bleak, but one could have wished for more, if only to make the viewing experience slightly less maddening. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2018
Cam (2018) Elena Lazic Cam is fun but never at the expense of its heroine, a sex worker who just wants to be able to do her job safely. EDIT
Posted Sep 7, 2018
Searching (2018) Elena Lazic Among all of the films exclusively composed of images from the screens of computers and other such electronic devices, Searching stands out as the most earnest and the least silly - which doesn't mean it isn't also a lot of fun. EDIT
Posted Jul 20, 2018
Bodied (2017) Elena Lazic Bodied is a brilliant deconstruction of liberal hypocrisy and nothing short of a must-see. EDIT
Posted Jul 20, 2018
Skate Kitchen (2018) Elena Lazic As the film fully aligns with Camille and respects her emotions, her teenage problems feel like much more than superficial drama. EDIT
Posted Jul 20, 2018
Mandy (2018) Elena Lazic Panos Cosmatos' Mandy...featur[es] some of the best Cage-isms in years. EDIT
Posted Jul 20, 2018
First Stripes (Premières Armes) (2018) Brett Pardy It's a far cry from the optimistic peacekeeping image taught in Canadian schools and promoted internationally. EDIT
Posted Jul 3, 2018
Supa Modo (2018) Elena Lazic Wainaina's film never cuts narrative corners or cheaply pulls on our heartstrings; rather, it lets the spirit of its lead character permeate it and structure it in every way. EDIT
Posted Jun 21, 2018
The Tale (2018) Alex Heeney What makes Fox's film so remarkable is its ability to hold these contradictory ideas simultaneously without ever presenting their coexistence as a paradox. EDIT
Posted Jun 5, 2018
Under the Silver Lake (2018) Elena Lazic The film's brazen sexism is matched by the shameless unoriginality of the conspiracy theories and clues that take up most of its runtime. EDIT
Posted May 24, 2018
Journey's End (2017) Alex Heeney These performances dovetail nicely with Dibb's intention to keep us in the soldiers' headspace. EDIT
Posted Apr 18, 2018
The Party (2017) Alex Heeney Potter clearly takes inspiration from theatre, but The Party is specifically cinematic...it works on film because though these characters are three-dimensional, the precision with which Potter points out hypocrisies means we're already in satire. EDIT
Posted Mar 1, 2018
Inxeba (2017) Brett Pardy In The Wound, being a man isn't about being a naturally dominant person, but about learning to submit yourself to a patriarchal model that demands heterosexuality. EDIT
Posted Jan 31, 2018
The Florida Project (2017) Jake Pitre Sean Baker's latest avoids being an exploitative portrayal of poverty by empathetically portraying its characters' daily struggles, and giving time to a variety of perspectives. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2017
Thelma (2017) Orla Smith Thelma succeeds as a character driven story, depicting more complicated, recognisable relationship dynamics. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2017
Ava (2017) Orla Smith The playful, comedic tone in which Mysius directs the gun chase reflects Ava's subjective experience. It stands out as surreal in a film that otherwise takes Ava's experiences at face value. EDIT
Posted Oct 13, 2017
Indian Horse (2017) Brett Pardy In attempting to faithfully adapt the novel's plot, the filmmakers abandon one of Indian Horse's most affecting aspects, its storytelling methods. EDIT
Posted Oct 5, 2017
The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (2017) Jake Pitre Thanks to [Simon] Lavoie's confident direction, Matches builds hope for the continued strength and creativity of Québécois horror cinema, refreshed by the raw input of genre outsiders. EDIT
Posted Sep 28, 2017
Oh Lucy! (2017) Elena Lazic Atsuko Hirayanagi's directorial debut is the darkly comic story of a middle-aged Japanese woman in crisis. EDIT
Posted Sep 27, 2017
Luk'Luk'I (2017) Brett Pardy The one thread that tied the vignettes together is underbaked: the contrast between the privileged few who could participate in the Olympics' feel good Canadian patriotism with those who are systemically excluded is lost. EDIT
Posted Sep 21, 2017
Sergio and Sergei (2018) Alex Heeney It's a crowd-pleasing delight. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Sulayman too (2017) Elena Lazic A roller coaster ride that ends on a moving note of stillness. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Druga strana svega (2017) Elena Lazic It's a vivid and nuanced portrait of a country too often judged from the outside, still divided by what happened, and conscious of the fact that there can be no easy solutions. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Meditation Park (2017) Alex Heeney With warmth and humour, [Mina] Shum subtly addresses the trauma and isolation of the immigration experience, as well as the challenges faced by second generation immigrants because of their parents' lasting trauma. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Beast (2017) Alex Heeney A fascinating look at the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves, the parts we play for other people, and the mix of freedom and danger that comes from cutting loose. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Waru (2017) Alex Heeney These are important, emotionally impactful stories that are too rarely told. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
The Judge (2017) Elena Lazic Director Erika Cohn pragmatically and fairly addresses every side of the issue with inspiring assurance and clarity. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
I Am Not a Witch (2017) Elena Lazic A powerful blend of humour and anger. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
Lean on Pete (2017) Alex Heeney [Lean on Pete] leaves you almost unexpectedly gutted by the deck Charlie's been dealt, but inspired by his resilience. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017
The Seen and Unseen (2017) Elena Lazic A beguiling journey between the realms of the physical and the imagined. EDIT
Posted Sep 18, 2017