By Anne Brodie
Ok so we have all had bad neighbours. That uncomfortable truth drives Lauren Holly’s darkly funny Loathe Thy Neighbour, a sarcastic, absurd comedy shot in rural Hamilton, ON. Strangely two farms are tightly side by each, unusual, but there you have it. In one, the prickly, horrifically foul-mouthed Wanda (Holly) runs the place with her daughter; she has an apiary and sells honey, some of it laced with weed –very popular. A city lad fraught with anxiety and allergies, Will (Brendan Clost) shows up in the house next door, and I mean NEXT DOOR. They are feet away from one another; she loathes him on sight, calling him a Yuppie and going out of her way to make his Iife hard. Not much of a welcome and he’s already of two minds about staying. His late father left him the place but he must live there a year before he can take the title; his boss at a city marketing firm’s losing his patience with him working remotely. The voice of “reason” is the cornpone farm hand Joe (the gifted Shaun Benson) gifted with common sense but think’s everything is joke. Will’s currently working on copy for a red patio umbrella – Wanda orders him to take it down because red enrages her bulls. She fires shotguns in the night and sets off fireworks, oh and daughter Val (Brittany Raymond) is a klepto and while she’s interested in Will romantically, steals his sunglasses, tools and the epi pen he’s awaiting with some desperation. So, sleepless and in need of medication, he’s under attack. As extreme as it sounds, its also amusingly “out there” and worth a look. Directed by Sergio Navarretta and co-starring Brittany Raymond, Paloma Nuñez, Jessica Greco, & Luke Humphrey. In theatres now.
The unprovoked Russian war on Ukraine’s heartbreaking toll, cruel and unforgivable, has upended its people who suffer constant bombardment, destruction, starvation and death. And as we learn to our dismay, in Joshua Zeman’s documentary Checkpoint Zoo, Russian cruelty knows no limits. Feldman EkoPark Zoo, in Kharkiv, with its five thousand animals, rare species and predators has been under attack since 2020. Sitting right next to the Russian border, it is in a vulnerable place, but you’d be hard pressed to fid a reason for concern pre war. As the bombardment began around and then on the zoo, employees fled. Thankfully owner Ukrainian MP and philanthropist Oleksandr Feldman was able to round up volunteers who came in hesitantly, one at a time, to feed and water the distressed animals, while enduring further attacks themselves. When it became too much, Feldman temporarily evacuated them to his private property. The doc is filled with heartache, and there were many despicable outcomes, but animals’ lives and souls always pay the price when war surrounds them. This is without a doubt on of the most moving docs I’ve seen in a while. Bring tissues and learn about something its is crucial to know. In theaters now.
Georgia’s 2024 Oscar Submission, The Antique, on Film Movement Plus August 29th from Writer director Rusudan Glurjidze shows us life in that country, set in St. Petersburg’s historic district. Humble homes are dilapidated, some dating back to 1703. These places are usually off limits to us so its an eye opener. Madea (Salome Demuria), a young executive, knocks on Vadim’s (Vadim Vadimich) door in search of a place to live. She’s just broken up with her annoying boyfriend and Vadim, an elderly opera fan and good guy, lets her share the apartment he owns. Lado (Valdimir Daushvili) her ex is an antiques smuggler doesn’t make a living, and he won’t go away. And now he’s targeted for deportation as a Georgian; in 2006, Russia deported 6000 Georgians as “illegal immigrants” as payback for Georgia’s arrest of four Russian army officers on spying charges. The immigration crisis and the government’s pathetic response is central to the film. Its dangerous. Sound familiar? The film’s style is extraordinary– quiet, mostly wide shots, a rare closeup, with loving, extended views of the city from across the river. The ancient architecture that still functions today, contrasts the wealth and art of the past and today’s deep poverty. The film moves at its own pace, which may be slow for some, but its depiction of Russian life in 2006 is reason to watch. In a film that is heavier on images than words, Vadimich is astounding; his quiet performance is sheer beauty.
Comedienne Lorna Watson leads the fourth season of beloved “cozy crime” series Sister Boniface Mysteries now on BritBox. Watson’s character, a nun in the order of St Vincent’s Convent in the Cotswolds, has rare gifts and is an important arm of local law enforcement. She studied forensic science; has an encyclopedic knowledge of chemicals and is a keen student of human nature; she regularly solves cases before local police. Like other genre mystery series, the village of Great Slaughter has a high murder headcount; Local coppers Sam Gillespie (Max Brown), Felix Livingstone (Jerry Iwu) and rookie Ami Metcalf (Peggy Button) seek out her help. As cases pile up, Sister unwinds making wine and speeding around on her motorcycle wearing her habit. The series is a success because the stories from creator Jude Tindall are highly original, well developed and written. And Watson’s compelling. S4, Ep 2 Biff! Pow! Zap! Is surprising, the writers experiment with a Robin and Batman framework around a series shoot in the village. Identical sisters, Camilla, an entitled, vain actor and stand-in and her identical twin sister – is meek and feeling abused – have a weirdly tight, but negative bond. A stunt goes wrong resulting in death. Cue twists, identify theft and Sister in her lab solving the riddle. But – series worry – the convent may be sold! Good harmless fun. Streaming now.