Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Sandra Bullock, left, and Channing Tatum in a scene from "The Lost City." (Kimberley French/Paramount Pictures via AP)
"The Lost City," a new action adventure now playing in theatres, pairs goofy, good looking actors Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in a movie about a romance writer, a kidnapping and a secret treasure in a satire of romance stories that actually is a romance.
Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a burned-out author of 20 romance novels featuring a Fabio-esque hero named Dash McMahon. Still grieving the loss of her husband, she took years to deliver the manuscript for "The Lost City of D," an epic adventure that mixes her true loves: archeology and history, with an exploitive romance angle that she has come to hate.
On the front of all the novels, Dash is "played" by the world's sexiest cover model, Alan Caprison (Tatum), a sweet-natured hunk with flowing hair and a sculpted torso, who will accompany Loretta on an upcoming promotional tour. He's dumb-as-a-stump, more Chippendales than Chaucer, but under the long, blonde flowing wig, is a good guy.
When the author is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail ("It's a gender-neutral name," he says.) Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes Loretta’s books contain real-life clues as to the existence of the legendary Crown of Fire, Alan springs into action. "I'm going to rescue her," he says. "I want her to think of me as more than just a cover model."
He enlists the help of Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), a mercenary with a special set of skills, to breach Fairfax's secret island compound. "Why are you so handsome," Loretta asks him. "My dad was a weatherman." Jack is the real deal, the kind of hero Loretta always imagined Dash would be, but this isn't the Loretta and Jack story, it's all about the author and her goofy cover model. "This is so much better than your books," says Alan about their real-life adventure.
Not funny enough to be a comedy with some action, and not action-packed enough to be an action comedy, "The Lost City" is somewhere in the mushy middle. The likeable cast is game, and we get the rare chance to see Radcliffe in villain mode, but the movie never quite gels. Too many jokes go south, and, other than the leads, no character really makes much of an impression.
The romance angle is slightly more successful. Big hearted lug Alan loves Loretta. The chemistry between Bullock and Tatum is warm, witty and welcoming, but it's not enough to rescue a movie that tries hard, but feels slipshod.
Brad Pitt slips in for an extended cameo that contains some actual action adventure and a few laughs, but this isn't his movie. He's just an added bonus.
"The Lost City" doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. It aims to entertain, but, despite a few laughs, just misses the mark.
A still from "Run Woman Run." (Facebook)
On the surface "Run Woman Run," a new dramedy starring Dakota Ray Hebert and now playing in theatres, is about running, but it succeeds because of larger themes examining dissatisfaction, respect, ambition and family.
Hebert stars as Beck, an Indigenous single mom at a crossroads. Ambitionless, when she isn't binge eating, she's hopping in the car to check the mail… from the mailbox at the end of her driveway.
She is at odds with her sister and son, but when she falls into a diabetic coma, her life comes into focus. She finds motivation in conversations with Tom Longboat (Asivak Koostachin), an Iroquois icon and long-distance runner who won the Boston marathon in 1907, and died 50 years before Beck was born.
Whether Longboat is a spirit or a hallucination, he provides her with the inspiration she needs to change her life and try something new, such as marathon running.
"Run Woman Run" does a great job of blending the comedy and drama, the spiritual and the physical, in a story that is specific in its setting, but universal in its themes of embracing change, and making better life choices.
Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins creates a vivid, small-town world for her characters. It's a place where Beck's dreams have gone to die, but it's also a community that will ultimately support her when she begins a new chapter in life.
Filled with heart and hope, "Run Woman Run" may not have worked so well if the actors weren't so strong. Hebert is relatable and wonderful, and brings Beck’s arc to life. I don't know anyone who would drive to the end of the driveway to get the mail, but she made me believe people like that are out there.
"Run Woman Run" is a lighthearted film with serious messages of recovery from residential school trauma, self-discovery and the erasure of Indigenous languages. It doesn't shy away from the big topics, but at its heart, it is an underdog story about overcoming obstacles and believing in yourself.
Thomas Antony Olajide as Dezi in "Learn to Swim." (Samantha Falco, Courtesy of Mongrel Media)
In "Learn to Swim," a new film about memories and music, now playing in theatres, first time feature filmmaker Thyrone Tommy tells the story as though he was creating a jazz riff. The love story may be familiar, but he bends the notes just enough to create something new.
The story of gifted sax player Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) is told on a broken timeline. His past affair with singer Selma (Emma Ferreira) is shot in warm, welcoming colours as the two create music and fall in love. Interspersed are colder, harder scenes from Dezi's present day. Bitter and alone, he is isolated from the world, unable to play music because of a jaw infection.
It is a study of Dezi's relationships -- with Selma, others around him, and his connection to music. Like real life, those relationships are often messy and chaotic, but even as the disparate parts of Dezi's story threaten to become obtuse, Tommy brings the story back into focus as the sax player's pain becomes a common thread between the two timelines.
"Learn to Swim" is a simple story told in a way that adds depth and complexity. Dezi is an interesting character, talented and troubled, yet still, often sympathetic. Olajide brings him to life in a quietly powerful performance that emphasizes not only the character's talent, but the love and loss that shaped his creativity.
Ferreira is an effective foil, but never loses sight of what makes Selma tick.
However, the real star here is Tommy. He and co-writer Marni Van Dyk create a story palette to paint a portrait of love, loss and beautiful music. It is a very promising feature debut, one that expertly balances performance and feel, just like the best jazz.
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.