The Vancouver International Film Festival Movie Reviews- Call Jane, Unarchived, Heartbeat Of A Nation, When Time Got Louder

 

2022 Drama/Comedy 2 hr 1 min

In theaters on October 28, check local listings

A timely movie in the time of Roe Vs Wade was overturned that we would have a film based on the story of how it all started.

Elizabeth Banks is fantastic here, we really care about Joy, a mother who is pregnant and is told by a physician that if she decides to carry the child to birth, she could die from it. They are told that a committee of men would have to decide whether or not she can abort the pregnancy for her safety, and they unanimously vote no. The battle begins for her.

Sigourney Weaver is also good here, not really a surprise there for me, she's good in anything she does. Virginia(Weaver) has formed a group named Call Jane for women who need to get an abortion, which was illegal then, jump ahead to 2022 and they have lost that right again.

This is more than just what is wrong or right don't do that here, this is more a story of what this did to the women who had to make those choices and still do. Supporting each other when they weren't getting it from home, their spouses, or friends. The performances really help the film have believability. I shed some tears for Joy in her moment of what she had to do to stay alive. 

2022 | 1 h 24 m Documentary

Heart-wrenching and very informative Unarchived tells the real lives of people who, for whatever reason are forgotten.

This is not a piece of fiction, but sadly the truth. 

Ask yourself without having to dig into an archive, do you know your family history or those within your community?

 Most of us would be able to say yes.

Hayley Gray & Elad Tzadok {co-directors}, explore with big hearts and show us the people who are trying to document these parts of history that a lot of us often take for granted.

Being able to go to the closet and get the family photo albums, or have them on our computers, etc

Sandra Marion, Director of Culture and Heritage, Tahltan Central Government. 

Image from the film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada, 2022.

When Sandra Marion & another young woman go to the Vancouver Archives and are shown a photo album of their native band --there are no names just numbers -no heritage or note of who they might be.

That piece of the film will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. They weren't respected enough to be given a name or anything of relevance to others that may be family or friends.

They take time to really speak to many who are trying to play catch up(of sorts)for what has not been archived.

Below is my interview with Hayley Gray & Elad Tzadok

2022 Drama 1 h 54 m

This film has some very strong performances throughout the film.

The relationship between brother and sister is one of the strongest I remember in recent years, it's been a long while since I have seen a really strong bond and mutual love that is portrayed by these young actors.

Above--Abbie Peterson(Willow Shields) Kayden Peterson(Jonathan Simao)

Ever since she was a young girl, Abbie Peterson(Willow Shields) told her mother that she would look over and protect her baby brother who has autism. He's nonverbal so they have to decipher his sounds, moods, etc to try to best help him. She is there consistently, without fail and they have such a strong bond, believable throughout the film.

When Abbie is leaving for university it really starts to alter the mood of the family dynamics and we can see what impact she has had on her brother Kayden Peterson(Jonathan Simao).

Lochlyn Munro(Mark Peterson, Elizabeth Mitchell(Tish Peterson)

If there is one performance that stands out for me is Elizabeth Mitchell as Tish Peterson, surely one of the best performances I have seen this year, solid throughout.

Her ability to be so distraught, and compassionate, without going into too many details something happens, and the family is asked to speak with a social worker in regard to what might/should happen with Kayden.

2022 | 10 min

Stop-motion animation

No dialogue

Ever have one of those days where you are just going about your day, cleaning up-neighbors throw out their trash in front of your basement window. Then as you are relaxing and having a coffee and reading a book a spider sneaks in down its web right in front of you.

(Zeb reading Photo credit: Image from the film - Courtesy of National Film Board of Canada.)

She tries to avoid the spider and starts to use the old garbage as a feeding tool for the spider as she sees the use of the arachnoid.

I was really fascinated to see the animation, stop motion is such an unappreciated art, not everyone is good at it, and this, however, is where it is utilized very well.

2022 | 20 min 22 sec

Short documentary

This wonderful short documentary had initially been thought of as a feature, I was told by Eric Janvier-writer/director of the film. Things that happened over the past few years changed that. 

What we have here is a look at the history of the Dene drum, the most interesting aspect of the film is the rebuilding of the older drums that they strip and recover with new Cariboo hide.

Brant Janvier and his child

Eric's aunt is there as well shucking some medicine that he tells me it works but it tastes horrible like Buckley's cough syrup was the comparison I came up with.

I had the opportunity to speak with Eric prior to the showing of his short, I have included it below.

Agnes Duke and Brant Janvier's child