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Joaquin Phoenix

Smile with the Joker, at VIFF grieve along with Daughter and protect our coast for the whales

Also: explore Niagara Falls for its reputation and catch a couple of notable German films

A Star is Born, a triumph, The Sisters Brothers, Canadian-American, and new VIFF picks like The Happy Prince

Also Marvel’s newest and VIFF’s looking back at the disco and jazz eras, thinking about democracy and watching youth in two countries get into trouble

Big sequels to Mamma Mia and The Equalizer plus Joaquin Phoenix and Gus Van Sant’s return with Don’t Worry …

More? How about Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein, Arrhythmia, the real Russia, Prodigals, a BC look eastward, and memories of horror with The Accountant of Auschwitz

Joaquin’s raging revenge, Amy’s fight against body shaming and a different boy-and-horse yarn

Also surveillance in a love story, a speculation on a Canadian indigenous mystery, Supertroopers making jokes about Canada and a mistep into the spy genre by Wim Wenders

Selma, Inherent Vice plus Canada’s 10 Best and a festival of Italian films

A civil rights campaign led by Martin Luther King is recreated in the most prominent of the week’s new films.

Her, August Osage County and Lone Survivor: reviews

Joaquin, Meryl and Mark face stress, each in their own way, in the week’s new films.

The Master, Argo and Lincoln are in my top 10 movies of the year

Philip Seymour Hoffman is The Master and Joaquin Phoenix his newest disciple in my choice for best film of the year. There's also a definite worst movie of 2012.

The Master, Looper, Pitch Perfect, Hotel Transylvania, Vulgaria, Won’t Back Down

The Master, with Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman may be the movie of the year.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Scientology film back on track

Scientology is getting big-screen attention. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, The Master, is inspired by the controversial  religious movement, which counts big Hollywood actors like Tom Cruise...

The Social Network, Fubar II, Let Me In, StreetDance 3D and Woody Allen’s latest

Jesse Eisenberg may just have the movie of the year. It shows the rocky beginnings of Facebook. (read more)