Can I Get A Witness!
(PG) *****
Tough Love!
Talk about an offbeat film. Dark, mysterious and definitely different along comes Can I Get A Witness? On the surface one might think this film has something to do with the courts or police. Not so. Here we have a spooky look at a futuristic society where end of life comes under close scrutiny. Brought here by Mongrel Media and now showing at The Fifth Avenue Cinemas this movie might even be thought of as a wake-up call for a brave new world. Or not.
What a mixed bag. Made with loads of Canadian money and your hard earned tax dollars this movie presents a jaded look at a future where government controls everything – even death. Two young people are thrust into the limelight as greeters of sorts set to help “guide” their clients into a better (?) world. Creepy in the extreme are the final rites visited on various people in this utopian society.
Steady as he goes slick well-mannered Daniel is a mentor of sorts to new assistant trainee Kiah. Kind of believable are the performances of Joel Oulette and Keira Jang who are an unusual couple trying to work with each other as well as others to send them off to a better world. Just how they deal with these patients is spooky and interesting,
Surreal to be sure this movie also is relying on the “star power of Sandra Oh. Definitely offbeat and for acquired tastes Can I Get A Witness is a pretty somber affair and deals with a subject most of us fear. Filmed in Vancouver this film has good creepy performances and takes on rather difficult subject matter that likely won’t have mainstream appeal.
Little Miss Sociopath
(PG) ***
Fraudsters!
Watch out for those small indies! Hot on the heels of Oscar winning surprise winner Anora comes an equally sizzling Little Miss Sociopath. Can lightning strike twice?You never know. Check it out on streaming services in British Columbia such as Amazon, Google Play and YouTube Movies thanks to Access 2 Productions.
At a time when audiences are by and large fed up with superheroes and train wreck dull stories along comes another offbeat lark that may just click with the cinematic minions. Enter into the fray Little Miss Sociopath, otherwise known as one Clementine, who is a hard worker seemingly getting nowhere at a medical office. In an over the top yet captivating performance Jenny Tran lights up the screen as just an ordinary girl who wants to get ahead.
Chances of upward mobility are hard enough for the best of us. So with the aid of an unscrupulous friend the pair latch onto an outlandish get rich scheme. Heaven help anyone who gets in Their way.
Director/writer Miv Evans effectively uses what looks like quite the low budget well and allows her characters to blossom in some very unpredictable ways. Not to be confused with Little Miss Sunshine, this dark comedy lark keeps you on your toes throughout which is one of the most Important factors in any movie’s success. You just don’t know what’s going to happen next in this movie. Fun and flambouyant make Little Miss Sociopath well worth delving into when it reaches streaming services and comes out on DVD and Blu-ray.
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By Robert Waldman
