Ethan Vestby

[TIFF Review] 88:88

“The only place I feel comfortable is the skatepark and the library.” What has set cinema back -- both from the perspective of those who make, and those who ...

[TIFF Review] Office

It’s worth noting that there’s probably a certain expectation when hearing the following words “a Johnnie To musical." One thinking his classical formal talents...

[TIFF Review] Journey to the Shore

A 40-year-old Japanese woman, Mizuki (Eri Fukatsu), begins to cook by herself, the audience assuming she’s a single career woman stuck in the middle of her dail...

[TIFF Review] No Home Movie

The presence of a mother is quite clear in Chantal Akerman’s best-known work, whether it be the one communicated back and forth to in News From Home or the titu...

[TIFF Review] Hardcore Henry

As a modern cinephile, there’s the common feeling of being overwhelmed by just how much you have to watch, that even when narrowing the entire history of cinema...

[TIFF Review] Chevalier

Six (well-off, by implication) men and their dutiful cabin boy (regrettably not played by Chris Elliott) vacation on the Greek coast aboard a yacht. Needing to ...

[TIFF Review] How Heavy This Hammer

At only two feature films, Toronto-based writer-director Kazik Radwanski has already formed a clear thematic through line. His previous picture, Tower, was abou...

[TIFF Review] Yakuza Apocalypse

Something is off within the opening minutes of our Yakuza tale as heavy doses of computer-generated bloodshed elevate the proceedings to, in perhaps an understa...

[TIFF Review] Mia Madre

The opening credits of Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre, with portentous music set against a black background, set off a few warning bells. Has the weight of the human...

[TIFF Review] Hitchcock/Truffaut

We’ve heard it many times before: back in the '50s and '60s, Alfred Hitchcock was considered just a vulgar entertainer, making box-office hits for the unwashed ...

Ethan Vestby

Canadian, for better or worse.