While Backcountry, Pro Patrol, Mountain Men and Snowman cover aspects
of mountain culture, plenty of other films at this year’s Whistler Film
Festival don’t have anything to do with bears, snow or skiing. Here are
some of the other movies that have filmgoers buzzing.
The Imitation Game
The
opening night film, The Imitation Game has Benedict Cumberbatch playing
Second World War mathematician-turned-cryptographer Alan Turing, to
great acclaim.
A Most Violent Year
Oscar
Isaac and Jessica Chastain star as a businessman and his wife in 1981
New York. The 2014 crime thriller has been praised for, among other
things, its “detailed character work” (Hollywood Reporter).
After the Ball
A
Cinderella story set in the world of high fashion, After the Ball is in
the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. Producer Don Carmody
is also one of the festival’s special guests.
Bad City
Whistler
Film Festival fave Carl Bessai returns with Bad City, described on the
WFF website as “a parody of blaxploitation and canucksploitation films
from the 70s.” Appropriately, it’s filed under the Late Night category.
Bang Bang Baby
A
“Canadian musical science fiction film”? Sign us up! Bang Bang Baby
also won the award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2014
Toronto International Film Festival.
Elsa & Fred
Love comes later in life for New Orleans retiree Shirley MacLaine and her neighbour, played by Christopher Plummer.
Merchants of Doubt
Robert
Kenner’s followup to his 2009 documentary Food, Inc., looks at the
pseudo-scientists and scientific debunkers that are hired by the tobacco
and oil companies to try to undermine scientific research.
Peter Sellers Hector Dimwittie Trilogy
Fans
of the British comedic actor will want to see these three half-hour
comedies, produced for theatrical release in the ’50s but just recently
discovered.
Stay Awhile
This documentary tells the
story of The Bells, a group formed by three Canadian musicians and two
South African women. If you’re at all curious about the late ‘60s/early
‘70s Canadian music scene, this one is a must-see.
What We Do in the Shadows
Flight
of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement co-directed and co-wrote this
mockumentary about vampires in New Zealand. It won the Audience Award at
this year’s TIFF Midnight Madness.