SIFF hot take May 23, 2017 at 06:59PM

Heal the Living
accidental bonus film! beautifully made French film about a heart transplant. not my usual, but another pass holder recommended it, and he was right. solid performances, beautiful. I cried.

SIFF hot take May 23, 2017 at 10:05PM

Handsome Devil
Irish coming-of-age film about the friendship of the lit nerd and the rugby star at a boys' boarding school. this had good reviews but I was wary because it was likened to Sing Street and I didn’t get very far with that one. (Sing Street had this kind of misery porn going on that I couldn't stand long enough to get to the music.) anyhoo, great framing device of an essay about "your most embarrassing moment" and a notable absence of romance. and women, really, but it's the one setting where that made perfect sense. delightfully funny, a light touch with the cringe, and a sweet message. it shows again, worth seeing.