Tag Archives: Sarah Gadon

Cosmopolis: Cronenberg’s lost it!

Robert Pattinson and a host of other actors star in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis. Courtesy of eOne Films


Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Oscar winning writer/director David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises, Crash, The Fly) has delivered numerous critically acclaimed films making fellow Canadians proud…until now. His latest film, will undoubtedly have most people asking “Has he lost his mind?”

In Cosmopolis, we follow a 28-year-old billionaire as he ventures through a large city meeting with a plethora of unusual people, in the comfort of his high-tech limousine.

It is simply baffling that Cronenberg could deliver such a load of mindless trash to the viewing public. The adapted screenplay of Don DeLillo’s novel is completely void of any kind of cohesion. The character’s motivations and actions are senseless, but does it really matter when we are unable to relate to them anyway? Any fan of his past work will most likely be staring at the screen thinking this is a convoluted mess, that is, if they haven’t already decided to walk out of the theatre.

Every line of dialogue read by the vast cast sounds as if they’re reciting a cheap philosophical novel. Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Remember Me) looks as if he’s constipated throughout most of the film. The only performance that felt worth watching is Paul Giamatti’s (Rock of Ages, Cinderella Man) – Even if the above mentioned scene is a total disaster.

From a technical or artistic standpoint, there are absolutely no redeemable aspects to this movie.

Bottom Line: David Cronenberg should be paying people a handsome fee to sit through this drivel.

Grade F

Runtime: 108 minutes
IMAX: No
3D: No


The Moth Diaries: Made for TV, not the cinema

Sarah Bolger stars in The Moth Diaries. Courtesy of Alliance Films


Are movies that premiere at a film festival automatically given a higher stature over films that do not? The answer is a resounding no, and The Moth Diaries, which premiered at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) last year, is a perfect example of this.

In this movie, a teenage boarding school student is losing her best friend to a new girl suspected of having supernatural abilities.

It’s hard to believe that filmmakers and studios automatically feel the need to lower the standards of their work depending on their target audience. Most every aspect of this movie is mediocre at best.

The cast of adult actors playing teenagers, including Sarah Bolger, Lily Cole, Sarah Gadon, Valerie Tian, and Melissa Farman either received poor direction or they simply can’t act. Either way, there is no connecting with the characters or their dilemmas.

Mary Harron (American Psycho), who wrote and directed the movie, could have done a much better job adapting Rachel Klein’s novel. More or less, the entire story is a “paint by numbers” portrait of teenage drama with a weak horror twist.

In the end, this film would find a better home in the made for television genre rather than a feature film.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a higher dose of entertainment from a superior film, check out The Craft (1996) and keep your distance from this movie.

Grade D-

Runtime: 82 minutes
IMAX: No
3D: No


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