Melting Your Heart: Peace by Chocolate Movie Review

Peace by Chocolate is a Canadian film from director, Jonathan Keijser that shows the impact of war and we are taken on a journey of the Hadhad’s who leave their home in Syria to start again, after a bombing destroys the family’s beloved chocolate factory.  

Arriving in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Tareq (Ayham Abou Ammar) is ready to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor, while his father Issam (Hatem Ali) is already dipping his fingers in chocolate, in hopes of reigniting passion again and making sure Tareq will be part of building their chocolate legacy. 

The challenges faced by Tareq become overwhelming, as he has to juggle sacrificing his own aspirations and identity with his family’s security. With the need now to hustle, there never seems to be enough time.

There are so many beautiful moments in this movie, especially a certain light-hearted snow-shovelling scene that paves way for a friendship between Issam and Frank (Mark Camacho), the family’s Canadian immigration sponsor, highlights the warm Maritime friendliness.

An uplifting film with hope, love and infinite possibilities, as well as a reminder that during times of struggle within our own family units, our lives can also be more enriched when we extend open arms for friends to become our family too.

💜Visit their website at: Peace by Chocolate

💜Shop local here in Windsor-Essex County: Whiskeyjack Boutique 

Par for the Course: The Phantom of the Open Movie Review

The Phantom of the Open, directed by Craig Roberts is based on the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a laid-off crane-driver, who willingly sacrifices everything for his family, only to be able now to realize his own newfound dream; competing in the 1976 British Open Golf Championship.  

Having never played a round of golf in his entire life, now he's up against the elite golfers. We are shown how powerful an underdog character like Maurice is, played by Mark Rylance.   His performance is cheeky, touching, and truly inspiring, alongside Sally Hawkins, who plays Jean, his loving and supportive wife and who I might add is just magical on-screen at any given time. 

Rhys Ifans who is also always a favourite to watch, plays a snobbish golf official, Keith Mackenzie. He wants Maurice arrested, banned, anything, just to have him stop being an embarrassment. No such luck there, as Maurice is fueled even more to keep putting on with a few tricks up his sleeve.

The first half of the film is filled with a lot of humour, but the story does go a little darker. We can relate to Maurice's feelings of not being appreciated or even seen by others, although he masks it quite well. His true nature of filling his life with optimism no matter the circumstances ultimately reflects on  his core belief of "Practice is the road to perfection."

In some ways, this film really gave me a lot of sentimental “Eddie the Eagle” vibes, except for being on a mountain top, we’re on a golf course.

Flippin’ heck what a good movie!

💜The Phantom of the Open

Get Lit: Hello, Bookstore Documentary Review

Hello, Bookstore is directed by A.B Zax and where you’ll find owner, Matt Tannenbaum, organizing books by colour, size, front cover, or whatever he feels like at any given time. “The Bookstore” is a little hidden gem in Lenox, Massachusetts and in this documentary, we are like flies on the wall in his shop.

From the works of Henry Miller to modern-day books like Harry Potter and everything in-between, you’ll find a huge selection here. It’s like a treasure hunt once you step inside, but Matt can be your guide, who is eager to share his wisdom, his stories, and has quite a knack for finding you the perfect book(s) that will have you coming back for more.

Then the pandemic hit... Hello, Bookstore becomes more like Hello Computer! Instead of enjoying the presence of his long-time customers, and the delight of meeting new faces that walk-by and enter into the bookstore, Matt makes the hard decision to not let anyone inside. The store is closed for browsing. Visit the website or talk to him through a glass door – this is now the protocol.  It’s impersonal and heart-breaking to experience after you feel the warmth with every interaction that Matt seems to make effortlessly, and that is captured delicately in this film with the simple static shots. 

Once a thriving bookstore, sales begin to plummet, as the joy of searching online for a book never has the same feel of taking it off a shelf.  Like many, we feel the distress of Matt being knee-high in bill payments. Answering the phone since the very beginning with “Hello, Bookstore” could very well be the last time.

"Fiction is the filter through which I see the world” Matt says, and we are all waiting on bated breath to find out the fate of The Bookstore.

A beautiful documentary, full of connection, story-telling and humanity that will be continued for many chapters to come. 

💜Hello, Bookstore

Nowhere Special: Movie Review

 

Nowhere Special is an international film, directed by, Uberto Pasolini. If that name sounds familiar, he is one of the brilliant minds who produced the British comedy, The Full Monty.

In this gentle story of fatherhood, John (played by James Norton) is a Belfast window cleaner and has dedicated his life to taking care of his young son, Michael, but is now on borrowed time. Knowing he will be leaving his son soon, John embarks on a journey to find Michael (Daniel Lamont) a new family, one that will give him all the love that a child needs to thrive in life, which proves to be more difficult than he ever thought. 

As we go through the movie, we see John grapple with his emotions, especially after every meeting with potential adoptive families, each with personal stories of grief and loss, but with a hope to start again. These might be tough to listen to, but it is a window into what reality can feel like for some who are unable to conceive biologically and choose to be a foster parent(s), or have lost a child in one form or another.

While trying to stay afloat in a sea of uncertainty, John’s performance is incredibly touching. Acceptance can be uplifting and teaches us that we do not have to leave with regrets, but in peace. 

The connection with his son is also endearing, and at such a young age, Lamont is a real star in motion here playing such a vulnerable role. With many scenes of only a few exchanged words, or even just silence, the mood is captured eloquently.

We can see as an audience that Michael slowly develops an understanding of life and death through not only a child’s eyes, but somewhat through his father’s as well.

💜Nowhere Special Trailer

 

DISPENSE-tion of Belief: The Pez Outlaw Doc Review

 

The Pez Outlaw feels like it could be an espionage story on its own, but instead of loading up weapons, collector-extraordinaire, Steve Glew and his rival “The Pezident” embark in a long battle of wits until the final pez-down.

Directed by Bryan Storkel and Amy Bandlien Storkel, the style and pace of this documentary is really engaging. There's plenty of laughs as Steve is quite an eccentric character, but the film does carry a lot of sadness too.

Underneath what some may consider nefarious activities, Steve Glew’s obsession with Pez had other personal layers that get explored in this documentary; his own mental health battles and the need to take care of his family.  This is something that is a constant struggle for many of us who still hold onto  the unrealistic societal expectations that we are told we must adhere to in order to feel worthy and loved by others.  

When you are showered with millions of dollars (clearly not all Pez collectors acquire this level of wealth - Steve was a lucky or unlucky duck depending on how you see it), life feels wonderful and you’re untouchable. But it doesn’t last forever, and we are sped through many of the highs and lows from Steve’s perspective, as well as hearing other views, including other Pez collectors from around the world (shout out to our friend, Becky Mathers from Windsor, Ontario who is a pez collector and appears in the doc!).

Steve’s rise and fall from being coined as "The Pez Outlaw" to spending years afterwards in isolation holds valuable lessons that will be personal to each of us and the stories we share.  While the art of collecting may fill your shelves or even an emotional and nostalgic void, with every purchase comes at a price so be cautious: handle with care. 

💜The Pez Outlaw Trailer

Get Ready To WIFF at the Windsor International Film Festival

October and into November is an exciting month to experience the sheer pleasure of viewing independent, passionate and visionary film makers at the 2022 Windsor International Film Festival. 

Let's be honest as well, not everything shown will be someone's cup of tea, but I know you'll still find many enjoyable ones from the lengthy list here. 

From the website: WIFF is a cultural, charitable organization that celebrates the art of cinema by showcasing Canadian and international film and filmmakers. Delivering exceptional experiences through film, WIFF strengthens and enriches community while promoting the creative economy.

DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMMING - Increasing the exposure of Canadian and international film to all audiences and offering programming which appeals to and is representative of people in our community.

INTEGRITY - Developing and nurturing respectful relationships with each other, our volunteers, audience, partners and the film industry.

EDUCATION -Being a vehicle to increase knowledge of film and the film industry.

QUALITY OF LIFE - Contributing to the quality of life for Windsor-Essex residents that comes from having a vibrant arts community

SUSTAINABILITY - Operating under the highest standards that will ensure the continuance of the festival for years to come

URBAN ARTS COMMUNITY - Being part of a cultural hub and vibrant arts community in the downtown core


Reviews coming soon and will be updated!

The Pez Outlaw

Nowhere Special

Hello, Bookstore

The Phantom of the Open