mv-at-last Reviews

My Old Lady (2014)

Movie is ill-served by its marketing

[4/10 · 4 November 2014]

Trailers for My Old Lady - and even the film title itself - lead one to believe this is a comedy. It's not. Instead, it's a claustrophobic film about the wide-reaching effects an affair can have on families. The lead actors - Maggie Smith, Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott-Thomas - are not well served by the script. They seem to have their motivations yanked about willy- nilly with no regard for what happened just a few scenes before. The same person wrote the stage play, the screenplay, AND directed the film. It might have been better to have had a different director who could have addressed the astonishing leaps of credibility the audience keeps having to make. Even after all the revelatory speeches, I just didn't care what happened to these two-dimensional people. Not recommended.

Dr. Cabbie (2014)

Cliché fest with a few laughs

[3/10 · 29 October 2014]

This film has a predictable plot and the stereotypes are all alive and well here: Indian, white, Italian, the Canadian medical system, and, oh yes, let's all laugh at the fat girl who seeks love. There are a few laughs but not enough of them. The pluses? Vinay Virmani's 'Deepak Chopra' is likable and charming. Kunal Nayyar has some good moments as Tony, a fellow cabbie. The love interest Adrianne Palicki is, well, tall. The rest of the cast seems a bit overwrought although Mircea Monroe has one of the few genuinely funny turns as Deepak's Ghandi-spouting, exotic dancing, yoga-infused white 'auntie'. The film includes some Bollywood-style music sequences. And his fans may be surprised that Kunal Nayyar is a pretty good rapper. But the few funny moments in this film can't carry the rest of the cliché fest.

Tim's Vermeer (2013)

Interesting "home movie" about a man's obsession

[8/10 · 3 April 2014]

This is a fascinating, laid-back look at one man's obsession in figuring out how Vermeer painted so realistically. Whether his conclusion is accurate or not is irrelevant: the film is worth watching to trace his obsessive journey to find "the truth". There is humour in this film and a wonderful cameo from English painter David Hockney. The film has a bit of a home movie feel to it: producer and director Penn & Teller obviously knew Tim Jenison, the movie's subject, and decided his quirky story was worth telling. The film is enhanced by a charming yet unobtrusive musical score, primarily flute and piano.

You know when people tell you to 'follow your dream'? This guy did and entertained us along the way.