Film Fan Fridays for Friday February 5, 2010

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday Friday February 5, 2010! Before we get to our regularly scheduled releases it's only prudent to ponder of the Oscar nominations which were announced previously this week. The Hurt Locker and Avatar are going head to head with 9 nominations each, and I think I've finally realized I can't get away with not seeing Avatar. For those who haven't seen The Hurt Locker yet, get out there and see it! It's on DVD and Blu-Ray. In traditional fashion I've assembled the nominations in detail, by film title with each nominations detailed and a straight up film list for easy viewing. I know I have about 6-10 more films I'm going to try to see before the awards on March 7, 2010 - how about you?

Now onto this weeks releases, and we are in a perfect split of 3 to 3 for limited vs wide release this week. First up we have the sensational Canadian film by Xavier Dolan, J'ai tué ma mère / I Killed My Mother which kicked up a storm at Cannes, and it truly deserves all the accolades it's been getting as it's a fantastic film. Keeping it to home tuff we also have Invisible City, a documentary centred in Toronto's own Regent Park area. Last up is the comedy Saint John of Vegas starring Steve Buscemi as a gambler turned insurance investigator that may get lured back into the shady world.

First up for wide releases is Frozen, which has all the ear marks of a little horror film that could, it's coming straight out of Sundance, has a small cast and simple yet horrifying premise. Next up we have Dear John, novel by Nicholas Sparks and directed by Lasse Hallström (An Unfinished Life, Chocolat) it stars Amanda Seyfried stars as a college girl who falls for a soldier on leave played by Channing Tatum. Our last wide release is From Paris with Love, is 'from the team', and feels straight up created from the success of, Taken but this time starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Travolta as resistant partners against crime that seem to blow a lot of stuff up along the way.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Caribbean Tales Youth Film Festival
Continues until February 25, 2010 at the William Doo Auditorium, 45 Willcocks Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

3rd Annual Toronto-Romanian Film Festival
February 4 - 7, 2010 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Great Digital Film Festival 2010
A selection of classic, cult and popular film shown in digital or High Definition
February 5 - 11, 2010 at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday February 5, 2010 Releases

Dear John
Dir: Lasse Hallström (An Unfinished Life, Chocolat)
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

From Paris with Love
Dir: Pierre Morel (District B13 / Banlieue B13, Taken)
Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Travolta, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden
France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Frozen
Writer/Dir: Adam Green (Hatchet)
Cast: Emma Bell, Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Invisible City
Dir: Hubert Davis - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

J'ai tué ma mère / I Killed My Mother
Writer/Dir: Xavier Dolan - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, François Arnaud, Suzanne Clément, Patricia Tulasne, Niels Schneider, Monique Spaziani
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer (French)

Saint John of Vegas
Dir: Hue Rhodes - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Peter Dinklage, Sarah Silverman, Romany Malco, Emmanuelle Chriqui
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of February 5, 2010**