If there is one piece of conventional wisdom challenged by the Toronto International Film Festival on a yearly basis, it is Hollywood’s reliance on traditional plot structure and repetitive themes. When a director brings their work to the festival, they can create something original based on a kernel of an idea that has formed in their head, exposing the audience to unique characters, surprising twists, and an entirely new experience. Essential Killing is one of those novel motion pictures. A Taliban soldier named Mohammed is captured and rendered to Poland after he is tortured by United States forces. On a …
Kurosawa Retrospective
Since 2010 is the centennial of Akira Kurosawa’s birth both Cinémathèque Ontario and the Bloor Cinema have organized screenings of some of the filmmaker’s most notable works. Watching Kurosawa’s films, especially those from his classic period during the 1950s and 1960s, one can appreciate his contributions as a director and screenwriter. The Seven Samurai: I’ve reviewed this film previously and can reaffirm that the film deserves its exalted place among cinema’s greatest achievements. The film introduces many storytelling techniques to cinema, such as introducing the protagonist via an unrelated caper that showcases their bravery, fighting skill, or sometimes ingenuity and …