St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF) officially commenced this year’s festival with Opening Night on Wednesday, October 19. The event was held at Cineplex, St. John’s and included a red carpet affair to welcome all attendees before the screening. Attendees were ushered in by the festival’s Box Office at the entrance, allowing them to purchase tickets on the spot too.
Student discounts and passes were generously offered and remain available online for the remainder of the festival’s screenings.
The dazzling red carpet awaited us as we made our way through the concessions area and headed toward the auditoriums. The local theatre we are used to was glamorized to the nines, and the festival served delectable hors d’oeuvres and mini desserts with red wine under iridescent lighting. Attendees ranged from industry bigwigs to regular moviegoers and left the carpet buzzing. The director-writer and producer of the selected feature film, I Like Movies, were also present amongst other filmmakers from the festival. We had the opportunity to mingle with them and learn exclusive tidbits about this year’s selections until the screening at 7 pm.
The audience’s excitement was infectious as we got comfortable in the auditorium. After having virtual opening nights for the last two years, the Festival’s first film in-person this year was highly anticipated. As grateful as everyone continues to be for the virtual option, the viewing pleasure in a theatre with other moviegoers is hard to match. Chair of the Board Vicki Murphy reiterates her sentiments from the press conference by recognizing the Festival’s determination that led to the grand comeback to local theatres – “Nothing can stop us, not even a pandemic!”
The film I Like Movies is briefly introduced to us by director-writer Chandler Levack and one of the producers Lindsay Blair Goeldner. Levack expresses gratitude for having their film open for SJIWFF, as making a film that plays at festivals has always been her dream. Goeldner describes their film as one “… by film lovers for film lovers,” and expresses her hope that anyone who “likes movies” will appreciate it.
I Like Movies (2022) Film Review
After years of aspiration in the Canadian film industry, film critic and music video producer Chandler Levack brings us her debut feature film. I Like Movies is a film about a peculiar teenage boy set in the suburbs of Toronto in 2003. It is a comedy with tones of drama in the form of a coming-of-age story. It stars Isaiah Lehtinen as the main protagonist and Romina D’Ugo as a deuteragonist. Krista Bridges and Newfoundland descendant Percy Hynes White star as supporting actors, while Eden Cupid (of The Umbrella Academy fame) plays a noteworthy role. Andy Mcqueen, Gwynne Phillips, and Anand Rajaram also appear in the film. I Like Movies explores the themes of ambition, friendship, mental distress, and family with consistent regard to cinephilia.
Lawrence Kweller (Lehtinen) is a socially challenged high school senior who lives with his single mom Terri (Bridges), in Burlington, Ontario. He is quite particular about his tastes ranging from the content he consumes to the people he associates with, the tribulations of which his mom and best friend Matt (White) frequently deal with. A significant movie buff who considers his own ideas superior, Lawrence starts working at a local video store called Sequels to start saving up to study filmmaking at NYU. He forms a complicated relationship with the store manager Alana (D’Ugo). As he faces various anxiety-inducing hurdles in accomplishing his dream, he lashes out at the people who care about him – his mom, Matt, and Alana. As they start distancing themselves from him, Lawrence begins reflecting on himself and how he might be a bit of a snob with a deficit of empathy. He faces confusion regarding how to proceed with his priorities upon this discovery.
As someone who rolls her eyes at coming-of-age movies with typical male protagonists, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It probably has a lot to do with the film not being typical, irrespective of the main character’s traits. It realistically depicts how a teenage North American boy in Lawrence’s shoes may progress toward a different stage in his life. I found myself engaged in how the film avoided tropes from the beginning regarding the main character’s dynamics with other characters, its portrayal of its female characters, and the overall management of conflict.
A film full of strong women
When we are introduced to Lawrence’s mom Terri, it is evident they have a complicated relationship but still care about each other. I liked that this was shown without making their dynamic cheesy or over the top by constant expressions of love, even when things are rocky. Given their challenging circumstances, I expected Terri to give in to her son’s unrealistic expectations initially, but she does not allow herself to get guilted into anything. Even when Lawrence lashes out, Terri holds her own instead of playing into the trope of the emotional mother who would do anything to please her only child. Krista Bridges is exceptional in the role, and I enjoyed seeing a loving mother with solid boundaries for a change.
I also loved how the movie steers clear of the oh-so-beloved manic pixie dream girl trope that we often see in coming-of-age movies. The two female characters in the movie (besides Terri) are classically attractive, but they are their own characters and not simply present to serve a purpose to Lawrence.
Alana is a strong and self-sufficient woman who does not hesitate to give Lawrence reality checks when needed. Romina D’Ugo does a phenomenal job at playing a woman in charge who empathizes with her employees within limits. It was a fresh perspective from the black-and-white portrayals of the female boss who’s either too authoritative or too friendly.
The other female character, Lauren P (Cupid), is in the same class as Lawrence and is a skilled video editor. Lauren does not shy away from telling Lawrence off whenever he pushes her limits and lets her talent speak for itself, which makes him doubt his own capabilities as an editor. Although it is a minor character, Eden Cupid leaves a lasting impression in the role. Here’s hoping that the manic pixie dream girl trope is on its way to extinction with the changing times!
I was impressed with how naturally conflict was dealt with in the film. It did not feed into the trope of all being forgiven with a mere apology. This was consistent with every character Lawrence had an issue with, but the one with Matt stood out the most to me. It is common to see the male best friend forgiving the male protagonist for past discrepancies without much thought, simply due to their bromantic history or familiarity, especially in coming-of-age movies. I liked that the film challenged that trope and that Matt expected a level of accountability from Lawrence. It was a welcome change from seeing everything go back to normal for the male protagonist in the blink of an eye simply because the movie must lead to a happy ending.
Percy Hynes White plays Matt very well, and I cannot wait to watch him on Netflix’s new show Wednesday next month.
“I feel like I know that kid”
I Like Movies is a heartfelt comedy that captures the essence of coming-of-age at the crucial stage of transitioning from high school to post-secondary school. It is hilarious no matter your age and whether it is situational or in the form of jokes; laughing throughout the movie was unanimous amongst the audience.
The dramatic moments in the film felt natural and not at all exaggerated. Levack does a marvellous job with the story, given its lack of predictability. I have yet to watch a coming-of-age film with a male protagonist that is depicted so realistically. I cherished the experience of not feeling the need to roll my eyes for a change. I also loved the important roles the women in the protagonist’s life played in terms of his self-realization. The film’s first half does a great job of keeping you interested and engaged. The second half builds up to the climax very well, and the ending leaves you curious about the many possibilities in terms of the next turn of events.
The actors in the movie are exceptional, especially Isaiah Lehtinen as the protagonist. He plays Lawrence so nuanced that you feel empathy for a character who lacks it. He convinces you to believe in Lawrence despite his flaws and gives you hope that redemption may be possible. As the film ended, I overheard an audience member say, “I feel like I know that kid,” and it is hard not to resonate with that sentiment.
Levack writes the character and portrays his perspective so well that we get to know the inner machinations of his mind. I would have enjoyed the viewing experience more if we had more background on the pivotal characters. I felt like I knew who the characters are in the current timeline, but I would’ve also liked to know how they became the people they are, what shaped them, and their motivations.
The cinematography is very well-done in terms of both lighting and framing. There are moments when you can feel Lawrence’s emotions expressed via how the scene is framed and where the depth of focus is. The colours in the film portray a vibrancy that still looks real. The background score matches the lighthearted theme and lifts your spirits to immerse you in the story. The costumes also match that theme and do not take away from the plot.
Overall, I would highly recommend checking out I Like Movies. It is a fresh and exciting new take on the coming-of-age genre and an extraordinary addition to the comedy genre. Despite having a male protagonist, the film sheds light on important issues that gravely impact women and educates you through the said protagonist’s lens. It was an excellent selection for the festival’s Opening Night and upheld SJIWFF’s values with a female writer/director, mostly female producers, and a female editor. I am certainly looking forward to watching it again.
The Reception
After the screening, there was an Opening Night Reception at The Rec Room next door.
Attendees had the chance to indulge in more snacks, chats, and wine. Meanwhile, I had the privilege of speaking to the director and writer Chandler Levack about the well-received film. She was visibly gleeful regarding its success. Levack confessed that some inspiration for the film is taken from her own life, while the rest is fiction. “Sometimes… unconsciously the character would just speak to me and sort of reveal things,” she shares more about how she was inspired. Her goal has always been to portray things in the film authentically, which the actors helped bring to life!
As mentioned in my review, Lawrence is a snobby teen with a deficit of empathy. Levack says she was much more like him in her teenage years than she would care to admit. She thinks, “…Lawrence has a lot of toxic qualities, but of course when men have misogynistic behavior, it’s masking a lot of inner pain and inferiority complexes due to sort of learned behaviours as part of a really messed up society,” which I think is such a great point as our first instinct is to steer clear of such men, instead of trying to understand what caused their behaviours.
She addresses his self-obsessive tendencies and says that his real growth as a character comes when he realizes that other people are interesting too. She further elaborates that she “really wanted to write a coming-of-age story about a young man where the moral of the lesson is actually just stop talking so much! Ask people questions… Listen… Just be quiet.” I think that is an excellent lesson, and I hope everyone who watches the movie also picks up on that.
I asked her what message she wanted to convey with the film, to which she said, “I think the pleasure of like, making something is that it doesn’t belong to you anymore, right? And that other people get to watch it and come up with their own idea of what the movie is… It was sad at first, but now it’s kind of liberating that it doesn’t belong to me anymore… it’s like a child that goes off to college… It’s kind of nice to just hear everybody else’s different interpretations of what it means,” which I think is a great perspective to have as a creator.
How I Like Movies started
Levack started writing the script for I Like Movies 4 years ago. The shooting began last year, and the production finished in August. The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September. It also played at Calgary International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, POP Montreal, FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, and, as we all know, our very own local SJIWFF. Additionally, it is playing in Taiwan next month. It is safe to say that Levack has made her dream of having a film at a festival come true and is definitely living it.
If your thought pattern is similar to mine before I watched the film, you may question why SJIWFF’s Opening Night feature was a film with a male and Caucasian protagonist. Levack addresses that first impression of the character as a “mediocre white guy” by reiterating that “…at least he’s learning things this time.”
Lastly, I asked Levack how she would describe the film, to which she said, “It’s about a young boy who works at a video store and slowly realizes that women are people.” I am glad she went forward with making this film, which I am sure will resonate with everyone who has watched or will watch the movie.
More of SJIWFF
SJIWFF 33 is in full swing and ongoing until Sunday, October 23rd.
Do not miss out on their Closing Night screenings on Sunday, October 23rd, 7-9 pm at Cineplex again. Catch the film Something You Said Last Night by director/writer Luis De Filippis. The film is about a trans woman in her mid-twenties navigating the hardships that come with her identity, especially with her family. The film also explores the struggles of being a millennial. Please get your tickets via the Box Office on their website!
If you prefer not to attend in person, the festival also has several films available virtually until Sunday night. You can get your virtual passes via the Box Office as well.
If you are a student getting sick of Netflix, you can watch one of SJIWFF’s movies for only $8. Even better, if you spot one of their flyers around the city, you may find a code for 50% off, and you can pay as little as $4. Get your tickets on their website now, and do not miss out on this culturally enhancing yet cost-effective experience!
