An illuminative discussion with one of Osgoode’s finest In the inaugural piece of what I hope is to become a recurring feature with different instructors, I sit down with Professor Berger for a chat about his career and what he likes to do to unwind. Tomi Milos (TM): I know a little bit about your decorated path through school, but I’m curious as to when you developed a taste for academia. Did...
In vearing away from her normal documentary fare, Kitty Green presents a vital distillation of the troubles that have plagued #MeToo Kitty Green’s latest feature-length, following 2017’s Casting JonBenet, is a slow burn that will certainly find its detractors, but its fans might outvoice them. The message is a much needed one in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, bringing attention to the...
A few of the albums that defined 2019, in a non-exhaustive, unranked list Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride Having completed a trilogy of sorts with the release of Modern Vampires of the City in 2013, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig confessed to needing a break from music. Amongst other things, Koenig wrote an animated show for Netflix called Neo Yokio that starred Jaden Smith and Jude Law...
A few great pieces of cinema from a year full of them 2019 was a wondrous year for film. The following list is meant to highlight a few of my favourites rather than be an exhaustive one. Uncut Gems is obviously one of the best of the year, but a review will come in the following issue. Little Women Fresh off the success of Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig continues her burgeoning directorial career...
Jesus Is King — Kanye West One could say that Kanye West is now working with the largest backing cohort he’s ever had as the newfound leader of his Sunday Service gospel group congregation. With this weekly concert series, West has taken pains to distance himself from the troubled figure he cut on the promotional cycle for his last solo full-length album, ye. What ye signalled with its rushed...
We Conclude our Series from Last Issue Jetfuel Free of the pretension normally associated with cafes, Jetfuel thrives in its cozy Cabbagetown alcove. As soothing as minimalist decor is, it’s nice to appreciate a space with a lived-in feel and Jetfuel has that in boatloads. It’s one of Toronto’s oldest coffee shops, but also one that has a multi-faceted feel due to its deep roots in the cycling...
Jesse Eisenber’s Latest Act as a Leading Man Challenges Conventional Notions of Masculinity Writer/director Riley Stearn’s The Art of Self-Defense opens in hilarious fashion, with Casey Davies (Jesse Eisenberg) getting eviscerated by a pair of French tourists stopping for food at a nondescript diner somewhere in what is probably a flyover state. In a conversation that they think Eisenberg...
A Two Part Series Living in a major city like Toronto has many perks, one of which is that coffee is never far away. If simply getting caffeinated is your jam, then there’s a plenitude of Tim Hortons or Starbucks on almost every street corner to scratch that particular itch. But if you’re a coffee aficionado who seeks out third-wave cafés that offer something other than the scorched, chocolatey...
One of my favourite throwaway bits from The Sopranos is the Michael Corleone impression that Tony enlists from Silvio to cheer him up during a card game. Ever the showman and always eager to please the boss, Silvio rises to the occasion and proclaims, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” with noticeably more gusto in both his delivery and hand gestures than Al Pacino mustered in...
All the must-see films from this year’s festival It’s a pity that most of us are already in the throes of readings and thus chained to desks for the foreseeable future, because TIFF 2019 promises to be a belter. While you most likely won’t be able to attend any of the screenings, do take note of these gems and make a point of catching them upon their wider release. Pain and Glory (dir. Pedro...