Movie Review: An intergalactic, existential adventure about loneliness in Pixar's ‘Elio'

Elio is a lonely 11-year-old just looking for big answers about life.
He's recently lost his parents, the only people who understood him and wanted him, and the one thing that seems to give him comfort and hope is the idea that we're not alone in the universe. So, in Pixar's latest (in theaters Friday), he starts waging a campaign for aliens to abduct him. Mostly, this involves laying down on the beach and waiting, his sand notes getting ever more desperate. Then one day it works.
It's a solid premise that, viewed one way, has all the makings of a classic Pixar film. It's existential but cute. It might make you cry and also want to buy a cuddly Glordon toy. Glordon (Remy Edgerly) is the toothy, slug-like young alien with no eyes who befriends Elio (Yonas Kibreab).
From a more cynical vantage point, however, it also doesn't stray far from the formula. It's another kid realizing that the things that make him different might just be his secret power played out on a heightened, fantastical scale. It's safe and familiar, but also perhaps getting a little tired. 'Elio' might even be the film that will have you wishing that Pixar would tone down the self-help sessions. Dead parents and a kid with a single tear running down his face is a brutal way to start an intergalactic adventure movie for the whole family. We've cared about protagonists with far less immediate trauma.
Elio and his aunt Olga ( Zoe Saldaña ) are barely holding on when we meet them living on an army base. She's had to abandon her dreams of being an astronaut to be Elio's primary caregiver, and he is a tricky subject — consumed with grief that he can't quite verbalize and channeling all of his energies into a quest to communicate with extraterrestrials. Olga is trying but overwhelmed and Elio feels like a burden. On top of it all, he can't seem to stay out of trouble, whether it's his own making or in self-defense against a local bully. It's no wonder he wants to flee for a world of infinite knowledge, voice powered anti-gravity devices and spectacular colors.
But life in the cosmos is no walk in the park either. Elio gets immediately entangled in a web of lies, in which he convinces the (we're told) wise aliens of the Communiverse that he is the leader of Earth. Fake it until you make it, Pixar-style? He's sent to negotiate with Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), a warmongering leader who wants to lead the Communiverse, and learns techniques like 'start from a position of power' and to use a 'bargaining chip.' Like most Pixar movies, it's building towards a message of empathy. But for a good long while it we're also being taught something akin to the art of the deal.
'Elio' is the work of many people — there are three credited directors, Adrian Molina ( 'Coco' ), who left the project but retains the credit, Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi ('Turning Red'), and three credited screenwriters involved. And the story stretches in a lot of different directions, making the overall experience a little disjointed and strained. It's most fun when it lets its kid characters be kids — Elio and his new pal Glordon have a ball just playing around in the Communiverse. But the film just takes so long to get there. Dazzling visuals will only get you so far. And those are not without their pleasures and irreverent homages to film tropes in various genres. One of the more questionably intense sequences involves a bit of clone body horror, but perhaps that's an adult projecting a horror element onto something that a kid might just find funny.
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There's a nice overriding message about parental acceptance and unconditional love – there always is. But in playing it so safe and so familiar, 'Elio' is missing a bit of that Pixar wonder, and mischief.
'Elio,' a Walt Disney Company release in theaters Friday, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for 'thematic elements, some action and peril.' Running time. 99 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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Toronto Sun

3 hours ago

• Toronto Sun

Canadian Oscar-winning filmmaker draws from childhood for Elio, a tale about lonely boy's search for life in the universe

A scene from the film Elio. Courtesy, Pixar. Photo by Pixar / PIXAR Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Domee Shi may have signed on to co-direct the new Pixar Animation Studios movie, Elio, about halfway through its lengthy production schedule, but it didn't take her long to identify with the film's protagonist. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Shi, who currently lives in California but spent most of her life in Toronto, co-directed the animated film with Madeline Sharafian after original director Adrian Molina amicably left the production to work on Pixar's Coco 2. (Shi, Sharafian and Molina are all credited as co-directors.) As both a creative vice-president for Pixar and a fan of Molina's work, Shi had been following the production ever since it was first pitched in 2020. But it was well underway and the concept well-established by the time Shi officially signed on. Still, she felt a real kinship with the film's titular character, a young boy whose dream of being whisked away to another planet comes true, and he is introduced to the Communiverse, a benevolent interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'With every project I'm on, I try to connect with and identify with the main character in some way,' says Shi in a Zoom interview with Postmedia. 'I have to find my way into the main character. For Elio, it definitely was that loneliness and desperation to belong that I drew from my own childhood and teenhood, just feeling like the only kid in school who liked anime and people not understanding why I liked these Japanese cartoons with big eyes and wacky expressions. I was like, 'No, it's not just that! It's because they are very deep characters with rich stories and arcs.' 'Being obsessed with going to animation school, being obsessed with being accepted there, I think that obsession and need to find my people is what I infused into the character of Elio. When he gets abducted and witnesses the Communiverse for the first time, that was definitely my feeling when I first stepped foot into Sheridan College. I finally got into the animation program there and got to meet fellow nerds like myself. That was such an amazing feeling.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Filmmaker Domee Shi, co-director of Pixar's Elio. Courtesy, Pixar. Like all of Pixar's creations, Elio presents a wondrous, imaginative world full of offbeat characters and warm humour. But there is also a sadness underlying the film and its main character. Elio, voiced by 14-year-old actor Yonas Kibrea, is a lonely 11-year-old whose desperation to be abducted by aliens seems to be driven by a need to know he isn't alone in the universe. After his parents die, he is taken in by his Aunt Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldana), who becomes his loving but occasionally overwhelmed caregiver. A respected Air Force officer, Olga has to deal with her troubled nephew and his single-minded obsession with contacting aliens while reining in her career ambitions. Elio doesn't feel like he belongs in her world, and also has nagging guilt over the possibility that his unexpected arrival in her life has disrupted Olga's life plans. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Elio's interest in contacting life in outer space begins after he learns about the real-life Voyager satellite, which was launched in 1977, containing a 'Golden Record' from the children of Earth inviting aliens to come visit. The invitation works, and aliens contact Earth, which is intercepted and answered by Elio at his aunt's Air Force base. He is taken to the Communiverse after its colourful ambassadors mistake him for Earth's ruler. Elio doesn't correct the mistake, which eventually leads to him taking on a dangerous mission to negotiate peace with the hostile Lord Grigon (voiced by Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett), who wants to wage war on the Commuiverse after being rejected as a member. Along the way, Elio learns a lot of family-friendly lessons about friendship, belonging, the importance of family and home, and not to judge a book by its cover. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's not like we start our movies wanting to have a message,' Shi says. 'I think we start our movies with a really fun and unique what-if concept, and we start with the character. With the main character, how does he start in the movie, and how does he change? Where does he end up in the movie? What is driving him, and what is making the audience care about him and want to go on a journey with him? Then it's interesting, as you're working on a story or a movie, the theme starts to emerge slowly and naturally as you are working with the material. For us, yeah, the theme of loneliness and seeking connection just organically started to bubble up as we were talking in the room. We love this quirky kid who wants to be abducted by aliens, but we just kept asking ourselves, 'Why does he want to be abducted by aliens?' What is driving that need to go off the planet?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On top of that, Elio is essentially a sci-fi movie, a genre Shi has always wanted to explore. 'I was really excited to jump into this new sandbox that I've never been able to play in,' she says. 'I've never done sci-fi before, but I love sci-fi movies. I grew up watching E.T. I love Gravity. I love Alien. I love the use of space and aliens as metaphors and allegories of things the protagonist is going through internally.' A scene from the film Elio. Courtesy, Pixar. Photo by Pixar / PIXAR After graduating from Sheridan College, Shi was hired as a story intern at Pixar and quickly graduated to story artist, working on the Oscar-winning feature, 2015's Inside Out. She worked on The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. Initially, she was happy being a story artist and had no real ambitions to direct films for the company. But she did begin developing her own project, a short film called Bao. It told the story of a lonely Chinese-Canadian woman whose steamed bun comes to life. She initially intended to make it as a side project and had no intention of pitching it to Pixar. But she did show it to Pete Docter, a veteran director of the company's films and Pixar's current chief creative officer. He encouraged her to pitch it to Pixar. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It was way more quote, unquote adult,' she says of the original concept. 'It wasn't G-rated. There is a PG-13 version of Bao somewhere on my computer that I probably won't ever show anybody.' It was the first Pixar film to be directed by a female and ended up winning her an Oscar in 2018 for best animated short. Since then, Shi made her feature directorial debut with 2022's Turning Red, which was also nominated for an Academy Award. For those who watch the end credits of Elio, or any Pixar film for that matter, it's clear that it takes a sprawling team of animators and other craftspeople to create a movie. 'It takes a village,' Shi says. 'It's incredibly inspiring and also daunting to lead these projects because there are so many people involved. They kind of come on at different parts of production, so it's not like everyone comes on all at once, and you are suddenly this captain of this 2,000-person army. Because our movies take four or five years to make, people come on steadily and then they wrap and different people come on and they wrap. So not too bad, but then if you zoom out and look at the credits, it's like, 'Oh my God, that's a lot of people.' But that's what it takes to make animation. People don't understand that animation is blood, sweat and tears. Everything you see on screen takes a person, an artisan, to bring to life.' Elio opens June 20. Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA World

Style Blueprint

a day ago

• Style Blueprint

Where to Eat & Drink Near Nashville's Small Music Venues

Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit While arenas and stadiums may draw the biggest crowds, I've found that some of my most noteworthy concerts have taken place in more club-like venues. From intimate singer-songwriter sets to energetic rock shows, these small venues in Nashville offer up some serious talent. Here are some of the best places to grab food and drinks before or after a show. (Planning to hit a bigger venue instead? Check out more pre- and post-show spots for Nashville's larger music venues.) The Basement East Perhaps my favorite venue in all of Nashville, The Basement East is known for its more intimate shows that highlight both local and national touring acts. Conveniently located near a handful of East Nashville restaurants and bars, below are a few standouts. PRE-SHOW BITES Joyland: Located just down the street, Joyland is dubbed the 'home of the original crustburger.' Created by James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock, the nostalgia-inducing smashburger includes crispy, paper-thin potato buns and a thin patty topped with melted cheese and onions. Located just down the street, Joyland is dubbed the 'home of the original crustburger.' Created by James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock, the nostalgia-inducing smashburger includes crispy, paper-thin potato buns and a thin patty topped with melted cheese and onions. Five Points Pizza East Nashville: Whether you're in the mood for a classic slice or something more adventurous, Five Points offers New York-style pies alongside ice-cold brews. Whether you're in the mood for a classic slice or something more adventurous, Five Points offers New York-style pies alongside ice-cold brews. Honeytree Meadery: While the meadery doesn't offer food, Bad Luck Burger Club's food truck is parked outside the front doors. Place your burger order online, then head inside for a glass of mead while you wait. It's the perfect low-key, hyper-local pairing. While the meadery doesn't offer food, Bad Luck Burger Club's food truck is parked outside the front doors. Place your burger order online, then head inside for a glass of mead while you wait. It's the perfect low-key, hyper-local pairing. Butcher & Bee: With a focus on vegetable-forward small plates and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, my personal favorites at Butcher & Bee include the whipped feta and avocado crispy rice. Pin POST-SHOW VIBES Lowbar: Possibly your most convenient option, Lowbar is located right beneath Exit/In, with direct access to the venue both before and after your show. Along with a solid drink menu, the spot offers darts, billiards, and the occasional karaoke night for extra fun. Possibly your most convenient option, Lowbar is located right beneath Exit/In, with direct access to the venue both before and after your show. Along with a solid drink menu, the spot offers darts, billiards, and the occasional karaoke night for extra fun. Up-Down Arcade: Just steps away, Up-Down offers a collection of classic arcade games, pinball, and Skee-Ball. Or, if you're up for it, fire up a Nintendo 64. Bonus: They serve late-night pizza, too! Just steps away, Up-Down offers a collection of classic arcade games, pinball, and Skee-Ball. Or, if you're up for it, fire up a Nintendo 64. Bonus: They serve late-night pizza, too! Rosemary & Beauty Queen: This East Nashville favorite has gained major popularity thanks to TikTok and Instagram, so don't be surprised if it's a little crowded. That said, the colorful, eclectic atmosphere and solid cocktails make it well worth the stop. This East Nashville favorite has gained major popularity thanks to TikTok and Instagram, so don't be surprised if it's a little crowded. That said, the colorful, eclectic atmosphere and solid cocktails make it well worth the stop. The Red Door Saloon East: Just around the corner from Rosemary & Beauty Queen, this local, no-frills hangout is a go-to for affordable drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. It also offers a spacious patio that's great for people-watching. Pin Exit/In A Nashville staple since 1971, Exit/In has hosted a variety of legendary musicians, including The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, John Prine, and so many more. (Note: Compared to other parts of town, Midtown doesn't offer quite as many bars to choose from after the show; however, what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for with laid-back, welcoming vibes.) PRE-SHOW BITES Elliston Place Soda Shop: This Nashville institution has been serving Southern comfort food since 1951. Whether you're craving a classic meat-and-three plate or a hand-spun milkshake, it's sure to evoke some nostalgia. This Nashville institution has been serving Southern comfort food since 1951. Whether you're craving a classic meat-and-three plate or a hand-spun milkshake, it's sure to evoke some nostalgia. Henley: For something more upscale, Henley offers everything from shareable plates to inventive cocktails and standout entrées — including crab spaghetti and ruby trout. For something more upscale, Henley offers everything from shareable plates to inventive cocktails and standout entrées — including crab spaghetti and ruby trout. Amerigo: Another longtime local favorite, Amerigo is a great spot to enjoy rich pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, or a hearty salad. Another longtime local favorite, Amerigo is a great spot to enjoy rich pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, or a hearty salad. Jasper's: Right next door to Amerigo, this modern hangout offers an upscale sports bar feel. Be sure to also visit the game room that includes shuffleboard and arcade games. Pin POST-SHOW VIBES Midtown Bar Hop: If you have the energy to barhop after the show, Midtown is home to a handful of laid-back bars within walking distance of one another. Highlights include Losers, Riley Green's Duck Blind, Odie's, and The Red Door Saloon Midtown. Brooklyn Bowl Another one of my personal favorites, Brooklyn Bowl is part concert hall, part bowling alley, and all kinds of fun. While the venue serves its own lineup of food and drinks, here are some additional restaurants and bars to check out before or after the show. PRE-SHOW BITES TailGate Brewery Germantown: Steps from Brooklyn Bowl, TailGate Brewery is the perfect place to fuel up before the show. The Nashville favorite boasts an extensive craft beer selection alongside some fun, creative takes on pizza. Steps from Brooklyn Bowl, TailGate Brewery is the perfect place to fuel up before the show. The Nashville favorite boasts an extensive craft beer selection alongside some fun, creative takes on pizza. Geist Bar + Restaurant: Known for its stunning, Instagram-worthy champagne garden and seasonal menu, Geist has become a go-to for both foodies and photo ops. It's a great option if you're looking to elevate your pre-show dinner with stylish cocktails and upscale Southern fare. Known for its stunning, Instagram-worthy champagne garden and seasonal menu, Geist has become a go-to for both foodies and photo ops. It's a great option if you're looking to elevate your pre-show dinner with stylish cocktails and upscale Southern fare. Von Elrod's Beer Hall & Kitchen: A pre-show party just waiting to happen, Von Elrod's offers over 30 beers on tap and a buzzing atmosphere. With communal-style seating, it's the perfect place to catch up with your friends over house-made sausages and giant pretzels before heading to the venue. A pre-show party just waiting to happen, Von Elrod's offers over 30 beers on tap and a buzzing atmosphere. With communal-style seating, it's the perfect place to catch up with your friends over house-made sausages and giant pretzels before heading to the venue. Pelato: Serving elevated takes on Italian classics — think crispy artichokes, cacio e pepe, and meatballs in decadent gravy — Pelato is an ideal spot to kick off your night in Germantown. Pin POST-SHOW VIBES Neighbors of Germantown: This lively hangout usually buzzes with energy, especially on show nights. With plenty of TVs, local beers, and a menu chock-full of bar bites, it's a fun, no-fuss spot to keep the night going. This lively hangout usually buzzes with energy, especially on show nights. With plenty of TVs, local beers, and a menu chock-full of bar bites, it's a fun, no-fuss spot to keep the night going. Barrel Proof: If you're looking for a cozy, post-show cocktail, Barrel Proof is your place. Offering over 300 (yes, 300!) whiskeys, there's no shortage of options — whether you're sipping something neat or going for a creative cocktail. If you're looking for a cozy, post-show cocktail, Barrel Proof is your place. Offering over 300 (yes, 300!) whiskeys, there's no shortage of options — whether you're sipping something neat or going for a creative cocktail. Jack Brown's Beer + Burger Joint Germantown: A popular late-night spot, Jack Brown's serves creative burgers that will refuel you if you need a heartier post-show bite. Pair your burger with one of the restaurant's many beers, including plenty of local brews. A popular late-night spot, Jack Brown's serves creative burgers that will refuel you if you need a heartier post-show bite. Pair your burger with one of the restaurant's many beers, including plenty of local brews. Mother's Ruin: Known for its lively crowds and energetic vibe, Mother's Ruin is a cocktail bar where the drinks are as creative as the atmosphere. And, if you're hungry, the kitchen serves bites like waffle fries, queso, and a smashburger until 1:30 a.m. Pin ********** Looking for more of our favorite spots around Nashville? Sign up for our daily emails to stay in the know. About the Author Brianna Goebel Brianna is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Sponsored Content Manager. She is an avid fan of iced coffee and spends her free time reading romance novels.

National Observer

a day ago

• National Observer

MOVIES: Another big animated film for the summer plus a noxious Toronto mayor, Indigenous culture and more

Toronto is big in the movies that I review today. We recall Rob Ford, the scandal-plagued mayor, roaming the city with a prospective rapper, watching an immigrant family adjust and catch the major movie of the week, which was directed by a Torontonian. Yes, that's a more distant connection, but we also get to British Columbia, Japan and a wedding in Georgia. With these: Elio: 3 stars Trainwreck: 3 Boxcutter: 4 His Father's Song: 3 ½ The Salmon's Call: 4 Super Happy Forever: 3 Bride Hard: 2 ELIO: This one is perfect for a 10-year-old boy in your family (or within yourself) because it's full of wonder, questions about the universe and the urge to find your place within it. It's also a big next-step for Pixar. Can they possibly match their most recent success? Inside Out 2 was the highest-grossing film last year and, until it was topped by a Chinese film, the highest-grossing animated film ever. That's a lot to follow up on and extra daunting because this one is completely original, not a sequel or part of a series, and therefore harder to introduce. No worry. The Pixar name is an attraction itself and the film is glorious in its artwork and very engrossing in its story. Over-stuffed with ideas, though, some copying other space adventures, possibly to reflect the imagination of 11-year-old Elio (Yonas Kibreab). He's fascinated with outer space and imagines what it would be like for him out there. He gets to find out fast. At the space agency compound where (Zoe Saldana) his aunt and caretaker, works, he sends out a radio message asking space aliens to abduct him. He's beamed up to an interplanetary organization called the Communiverse where he's mistakenly thought to be the leader of earth, an impression he doesn't correct. He meets a couple of ambassadors (Jameela Jamil, Matthias Schweighöfer), a friendly slug-like creature with teeth named Glordon (voice of Remy Edgerly) and then its father, a bombastic warlord named Grigon (voice of Brad Garrett) who is trying to take over. Elio offers to help stop him. The story gets a bit complicated around there, involving, among other things, a clone of Elio sent back to earth. But stick with it, the energy and inventiveness will get you through. Note that Domee Shi is a co-writer and co-director. She's from Toronto and now a Pixar regular, having won an Oscar for a short film (Bao (2018) and a nomination for Turning Red (2022). (In theaters) 3 out of 5 TRAINWRECK MAYOR OF MAYHEM: This film looks back but will have you thinking of today as well. The story is about the turbulent reign of Rob Ford as mayor of Toronto back in 2013. He was tainted with scandal, allegations that he smoked crack cocaine (which he virulently denied but later admitted) and more. Loud yelling matches with opponents, attacks on the news media who he called liars but also video of drunkenness at a festival and him being unsteady and swearing at city hall. And all the while, rumors of a video that shows him smoking crack. All that made him a ready target for late-night TV hosts, whose clips are included among many others here. Reporters, ex-aides, even his driver tell his story. Not his brother though. Doug Ford is busy being the premier of Ontario. It's all entertaining to look back on until you think deeper. Ford was a cut-taxes, root-out-the-lefties type. He stirred up followers who come across like early MAGA folks. He railed against the media. Reporter Robyn Doolittle, who did much to investigate and expose him, is a major voice in the film. Ford didn't say "fake news" but is glimpsed in a photo with a man who does. At the same time, he's described as a man who always had time to talk to ordinary people, says his driver. So it's not just a negative picture. Shianne Brown, the director who is from England and originally watched this story from afar, gives some extra shades alongside the chaos. (Netflix, as part of a series on news events that became train wrecks) 3 out of 5 BOXCUTTER: Readers in Toronto will surely enjoy this. So will readers anywhere who are into stories about the struggles to make it in the music business. Principally in an alternate scene, rap in this case. "It's a big aspiration these days," says one character in the film, because of the success that Drake and The Weeknd have had. Rome (played convincingly by Ashton James) wants that too. He's currently working in a warehouse (cutting boxes open) but in his off-times recording in a friend's makeshift studio. All he needs is a chance to be heard. When he hears that a top producer is to hold an event at a club, he knows that's where he has to be. Problem: his laptop gets stolen. It's got his 'tracks' on it, and he needs to let the producer hear them. He starts a frantic search to find them or, as a fall-back, tries to get copies made. The film gradually builds up the pressure on him, starting with the prospect of eviction from his apartment because of gentrification in his Toronto neighborhood. Continuing with his insecurity, which makes finding those 'tracks' all important. Time is running out but a friend (Viphusan Vani) says don't rush it. There are smaller ways to build a career. He can't wait. A young woman (Zoe Lewis) does support his urgent need and has her own artistic quest. She paints murals illegally on construction fences. The film depicts the drive and the ways of artists, which the director, Reza Dahya, seems to know well. He's been a radio host, producer, engineer and artist manager. Toronto music people play small roles and the city itself and its neighborhoods feel alive in his film. (In theaters) 4 out of 5 HIS FATHER'S SON: Toronto is big in this film also, but quite differently. It's an immigrant view that we get. In part, there's the common story line: adjusting to the new society and listening to contradictory ideas from dad. There's more, though, and that makes this film fresh. The family is from Iran. Dad (Gus Tayari) works in a clothing store and Mitra Lohrasb plays his wife. Their son Amir (Alireza Shojaei) is a culinary instructor in a French restaurant, which makes dad wonder why he's not working with Persian food. 'I thought you wanted more than just OK,' he says. Initially, that's about it for a generational conflict because an intriguing problem arises and takes over. An uncle has died and left a large inheritance to a second brother. It's Iranian tradition, the dad says, to name only one to inherit, but it is really for both boys and, in fact, the whole family. Not so fast. We eventually learn there's a lot more to it than that. The film slowly tightens up the story line after what seems to be a fairly standard immigrant story with a familiar message. 'Mix what you do with where you're from,' says one character. The first son figures out the answer to a misunderstanding from the past (rather too quickly I'd say) and argues with dad. 'I'm not like you,' he says. 'I don't quit.' Writer/director Meelad Moaphi is an immigrant from Iran himself, now living in Toronto, and his film feels authentic. (In theaters: Toronto now, Vancouver next week, other cities later) 3 ½ out of 5 THE SALMON'S CALL: We hear it often said that salmon is an intricate part of the life of Indigenous people on the West Coast, throughout all of British Columbia, in fact. This documentary shows what that means, exactly and splendidly. It features beautiful imagery, and the Indigenous people interviewed articulate the profound significance behind the images. 'Salmon is my life,' at least one person says. It's more than just a food source; it's key to the culture, and the perseverance with which the salmon fight their way back from the ocean to where they were originally spawned parallels the people's efforts to re-connect with their culture. Stirring words well backed by elders, chiefs and activists in this film by Joy Haskell. She's from the Dakelh First Nation, better known as the Carrier people in central B.C. One fisherman cites the respect the people show the salmon. The first one they catch is always eaten right away or given away. That's to honor them and recognize how important they have been to Indigenous people forever. Several women talk about the methods they learned from their grandmothers for preparing and cooking them, or preserving them by drying them. Children eat dry salmon as if it is candy. Getting back to the old ways helps people to re-connect. Fish farms are a menace and, as a chief from Campbell River points out, the fish are 'no longer plentiful.' It's a good overview of the resource, the people who depend on it and the key role the salmon play not just for people, but also bears, whales, plant life, even trees. The film is a call to keep alive that knowledge and to take inspiration because, as one observer says, 'They fight so hard to be here.' (Available across Canada via streaming--and later broadcast-- from BC's Knowledge Network) 4 out of 5 SUPER HAPPY FOREVER: It's like an antidote to the overly noisy films that always come along in the summer. This one from Japan is delicate and quietly moving with touches of nostalgia, in the sense that the main character is trying to return to a happier time. That would be before his wife died. He returns to the resort where he met her five years before and searches for one symbol of that happier time: a red cap that he misplaced back then. Naturally, the hotel can't find it in its lost and found, not so many years later. But revisiting the resort may help him overcome his grief. He is Sano (played by Hiroki Sano). Yoshinori Miyata plays Miyata, the pal who came along with him and, in an extended flashback, Nairu Yamamoto plays Nagi, the woman he met there so long before, married and lost. He admits there were problems; that she had accused him of being distant and cowardly. No elaboration on that because the film concentrates on thinking back and hoping that reliving what he recalls about their first days together will overcome his grief. Bobby Darin's version of Beyond The Sea ('We'll kiss just as before') compliments the emotions the film is stirring up. Very well as a matter of fact, under the direction of Kohei Igarashi, who with this his fourth film is getting known in film festival circles. The title refers to the name of a new-age therapy group. Sano and pal meet two women from there but don't pick up any message from them, except possibly: cherish your memories. (In theaters, various dates: Montreal and Halifax already, Vancouver today, Charlottetown in two weeks) 3 out of 5 BRIDE HARD: Haven't we seen this story before? Yes, only three years ago in Shotgun Wedding. In both films, criminals hijack an opulent wedding celebration and get pay-back from some of the guests. Here, Rebel Wilson is the main resistor when mercenaries led by Stephen Dorf attack. Equal opportunities for women are great, but Rebel armed with a bazooka doesn't really convince. Nor does the film in general. Rebel is one of the bridesmaids for her long-time best friend Betsy (Anna Camp). The Maid of Honour in fact, until she's demoted. That's because, now get this, she's secretly a secret agent and wanders away at one point to look for a lost device. She gets a chance to redeem herself by fighting off the attackers. Their mission is quite muddled, something about a safe that holds a dossier that may prove that the father of one of the guests had been wrongly convicted of something. Why attack right now? To look good. The wedding is being held at a lavish estate in Georgia and that brings lush visuals, but only that. The humour is weak, the story is only as expected. It emulates, or is that spoofs, the Die Hard films, even with its title, and an actor who was in one of those movies. Simon West directed. Years ago he made one of my favorite action flicks, Con Air. This is a comedown for him. (In theaters) 2 out of 5