Author: Romina Florencia Arrieta

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Arts

Life: A movie which feeds off a classic story

Life draws upon the same tropes as other science fiction classics such as Alien

The latest science fiction thriller to hit theatres sucks the life out of a great concept

Space is beautiful, mysterious and, sometimes, deadly. In Life, directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, what was supposed to be the greatest discovery ever soon turns into a deadly fight for survival.

Life takes place in the International Space Station (ISS). When a probe from Mars brings back a soil sample from the Red Planet, the crew discovers a hitchhiker: a single cell contained in the soil. It is the first evidence of extraterrestrial life.

After the ground-breaking discovery, the scientists start conducting experiments on the organism, reviving it from its dormant state. They are fascinated by what this new life form could mean for the advancement of science and, of course, their careers.

Due to their eagerness to discover more about the physiology of this extraterrestrial being, they ignore scientific protocol. This lack of prudence puts the lives of the scientists in terrible danger, as their specimen, nicknamed Calvin, starts growing larger and larger. A series of gruesome and stomach-turning gore scenes follow, as the extraterrestrial entity proves to be a ruthless killing machine, hunting its prey one by one. The crew must try to survive in the limited space of the ISS while outrunning the alien that is trying to outsmart them at every turn. The surviving crew must not only try to escape, but also prevent Calvin from following them to Earth—where the potential for destruction is unfathomable.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is.  Aside from some superficial differences, Life’s plot exactly matches that of of Ridley Scott’s magnum opus, Alien—a film that revolutionized the science fiction thriller genre. Anyone who has seen Alien can predict how Life will unfold.

Jump scares and killings can be seen coming from a mile away—especially due to the suspenseful music which plays before every gory scene. Moreover, some scenes are too disgusting, lasting several minutes and making for a very uncomfortable watch.

The film has difficulty keeping a realistic tone. Calvin is too smart, too fast, making the story too unrealistic. It took a matter of hours for the single-celled organism to develop and grow into a dangerous, blood-thirsty predator. But more than that, it mapped out the entire ISS layout straight away. Despite its shortcomings in the storyline, the ending is spectacular and redeems the film.

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Ghost in the Shell: A visually stunning adaptation

Rupert Sanders’ take on the cult anime is both faithful and entertaining

Taking place in a futuristic dystopia where the line between biology and technology has all but vanished, Ghost in the Shell brings big-time thrills and stunning cinematography to the big screen.

The film, directed by Rupert Sanders, is an ode to the 90s Japanese anime of the same name, and stars Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek and Takeshi Kitano.

The movie revolves around Major Mira Killian (Johansson), a robot with the brain of a human saved from a terrorist attack. Though the robotic enhancement of human limbs and organs has existed in this world for several years, Major is the first complete cyborg—a weaponized human enhanced to be the perfect soldier. Her existence is the result of the cooperation between the Japanese government and Hanka Robotics, the world’s leading developer of augmentative technology.

Major’s purpose is to serve as the government’s special law enforcement agent in the hopes of overcoming terrorist plots. When someone starts killing Hanka’s executives, Major is instructed to find the perpetrator.

As she starts working on the case, Major uncovers compromising information about Hanka, as well as the truth of what happened to her human body. The film dwells on the moral complexities of fusing technology and human bodies.

The more she uncovers about her past, the more Major battles with existential questions and her place in society. She is neither fully human—shown by her inability to feel physical pain—nor fully robot.

When the creation of an American adaptation of Ghost in the Shell was first announced, both fans and critics were worried about the project, especially considering how white actors were cast for the leading roles, bringing on accusations of whitewashing. However, Sanders’ take on the beloved franchise has succeeded against all odds to be a faithful and entertaining adaptation of the original cult classic.

The movie is visually stunning, and every shot is framed with calculated expertise. The visuals are reminiscent of the anime’s futuristic style. The robotic components humans use to enhance their bodies look unsettling, resembling torture devices more than limbs.

There is a creepy tone maintained throughout the film, which leaves the viewer at the edge of their seat. The film explores themes of individuality, humanity and privacy through Major’s quest to find herself as well as the killer on the loose. Ghost in the Shell is a beautifully complex and haunting movie worth watching.

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Power Rangers: A nostalgic film without the original’s charm

The first Power Rangers film in 20 years takes itself too seriously

Over the past few years, nostalgia has taken over the film industry. The TV shows and movies millennials grew up with in the 90s and late 80s have been adapted and revamped for a new generation of moviegoers, as well as the original fans who never sold their VHS cassettes.

This new trend in cinema has led to inconsistent results, from hits such as the much-loved live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, to misses such as the hardly watchable Jem and the Holograms, both released last year.

This wave of adaptations and reboots shows no signs of stopping, as Beauty and the Beast had great box-office results during its release last week. This film was quickly followed by Power Rangers, another film riding the wave of 90s nostalgia.

The last Power Rangers movie dates back 20 years, and therefore, this latest installment devotes its first half to explaining the origin story of the main characters to benefit the general public who is not familiar with the storyline. The Power Rangers are a group of rowdy teenagers who come together to form an unlikely team. They have to learn to work together and embrace their differences to fight a supernatural villain. During their quest to become great fighters, they learn to overcome the obstacles they face in their lives. The characters have a good sense of humour, and the actors have great chemistry as a unit.  Moreover, Elizabeth Banks’ performance as Rita Repulsa is extremely enjoyable as she completely loses herself in the character to become a campy supervillain.

The set of teenage characters resembles The Breakfast Club formula of having a character who encompasses a different stereotype. There is a cheerleader, a football star and even the “new girl.” This dates the film terribly, as screenwriters have not used this writing trope seriously in a while. What is surprising about this movie is the lack of action scenes, as the first two thirds are character-driven. The main issue with the lack of action sequences is that a Power Rangers movie shouldn’t take itself seriously.

The directors missed an opportunity by not embracing how ridiculous the original TV series was. By taking itself too seriously, the film loses its flavour. Even if there are a few fight scenes, they are poorly executed and the visuals are not aesthetically pleasing. There is a problem with the film’s tone, as its serious approach does not mesh with its cartoon-inspired fight scenes.

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Kong: Skull Island is a new take on an old tale

The latest entry in King Kong’s filmography is full of beautiful and gory entertainment

King Kong is one of the most iconic movie monsters, appearing in eight films since his introduction to the silver screen in 1933’s King Kong. His impact is still felt in film—the scene when Kong climbs the Empire State Building has been remade and parodied countless times.

Nevertheless, Kong has come crashing back into theatres with director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island, an oddball in a monster-saturated market. There appeared to be no real demand for a new Kong film, especially since there has been no appearance of the character since 2005’s King Kong. But the film may well have revived the old sense of wonder at this true king of the jungle.

The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, and is set during the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Jackson) and his troops are called upon to escort an expedition to the newly-discovered Skull Island, a primeval Eden where anything seems possible.

As the war is reaching its peak, there is a race to control this new, untapped island between the Americans and the Russians, both after the valuable resources that might be present. Except, unbeknownst to either party, something big is defending the island. As Packard’s troops enter the island’s airspace, their helicopters are attacked by a 100-foot-tall gorilla in a memorizing action sequence. King Kong grabs helicopters and smashes them against each other, killing half of the crew. The survivors are now scattered around the island without any means to escape.

The film is visually stunning and shot on 70-millimetre film, a practice which is gaining popularity, as it allows filmmakers to create highly-contrasted images. There are a lot of vibrant colours, and the movie seems to be stylistically influenced by 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road’s  action sequences. The directors make the most of the film’s 1970s setting by choosing a musical score of classic rock songs which set a humorous tone.

The film creates a real sense of danger, as some of the main characters are killed off in an unexpected and often gut-wrenching ways. The movie opted for a realistic, more horror-oriented approach to King Kong.

Kong: Skull Island is a film for monster movie fanatics who have been disappointed by the family-friendly approach of movies like Jurassic World and Pacific Rim.

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The irrelevance of the best picture winner

Not winning a Best Picture at The Oscars is inconsequential in the long run

Last week’s Oscar ceremony proved to one of the most eventful in the Academy’s history. The night was a collection of great TV moments, including Auli’i Cravalho from Disney’s Moana being hit over the head by a backup dancer’s prop during her performance, and Denzel Washington marrying two tourists.

It was one of the rare award ceremonies that managed to keep my attention throughout its three-hour runtime. However, the broadcast ended abruptly after one of the greatest mistakes ever made at the Oscars: the wrong movie was called as the winner of Best Picture—the most prestigious honour in the cinematic industry.

The Best Picture winner is always one which creates friction and frustration amongst movie enthusiasts and the public. Often, more culturally-relevant films are snubbed, with the award going to a forgettable and generic film which will be forgotten in a couple of years, such as last year when Spotlight won instead of Mad Max: Fury Road. Several of the most popular and revered directors in cinematic history, such as Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick have never won a Best Picture award.

The Best Picture winner is selected by a voting system including all the members of the Academy, composed of over 6,000 individuals. The membership status is obtained by invitation or by winning an Academy Award. Therefore, any previous actor or director who won an Oscar during their career is eligible to vote for the Best Picture winner. Hence, the system can quickly become biased as the members can cast their votes for their friends and colleagues. Moreover, cinema is a subjective topic, making the result open for discussion and debate.

In order to win the Best Picture award, a film must be able to reach a larger audience, and must appeal to the majority of the Academy’s members. This explains how movies which tend to push the boundaries of cinema, or are targeted at a niche audience are not likely to win an award at the ceremony. Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest thriller, Neon Demon, whose cinematography mirrors La La Land’s in terms of precision and astonishing shots, did not get nominated for any category. A reason for this might be because it dealt with sensitive and shocking topics, such as cannibalism, pedophilia and necrophilia, therefore narrowing its mass appeal. There is also a tendency to avoid mainstream releases like superhero movies—they are often overlooked by the Academy’s members due to their escapist and sometimes childish nature.

Even though the mix-up which occurred during the announcement of this year’s Best Picture category was an entertaining moment, the outcome does not truly matter in the long term. Both Moonlight and La La Land were incredible films that equally deserved the award. But what makes a film stand the test of time is not necessarily the number of awards it brings in, but the impact it has on the collective consciousness of the audience.

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A Cure for Wellness: Style over substance

Gore Verbinski’s latest horror film is nice to look at, but lacks interest

Gore Verbinski’s latest film, A Cure For Wellness, falls into the trap of focusing so much energy on making the film look pretty, that it’s not interesting.

The film was written by Justin Haythe and stars Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs and Mia Goth. It is set in a surreal “wellness centre” located in the remote Swiss Alps. Lockhart (DeHaan), an ambitious Wall Street broker and the epitome of the movie banker cliché, must leave his busy life in New York to retrieve his company’s CEO from this secluded location after receiving a strange letter from him.

As one would imagine, there is something amiss in this hospital, as all the patients seem to be under the influence of a mind-controlling substance. As the plot advances, weird and sometimes downright ridiculous situations unfold as our protagonist looks for his business partner and, consequently, a reason to leave this unsettling place.

The main issue with this film is its lack of effective pacing and editing. The movie drags for 150 minutes and the audience can feel every second of its runtime. Nothing happens for several scenes, and the biggest scares come from the perpetual nudity of the senior patients. Suspense-building music is used in a very frustrating manner. One scene uses a 30-second musical build-up to reveal a lipstick, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sheer lack of competence from the film’s director.

Moreover, most of the film’s twists were revealed in its trailers, aside from one disturbing and unnecessary incestual subplot. There is little to no explanation for this awkward narrative device, which ends with the most unpleasant sex scene I’ve had to watch in recent memory. There is a feeling of hatred towards the viewer, and the director seems to be playing a sadistic game with his audience.

The only good aspect of the film is its artistic direction—the sets are interesting and showcase compelling visuals. Despite the loathing I have for this cinematic mess, I must recommend it for those who love poorly-executed and overly-pretentious vanity projects, as some scenes in this flick have to be experienced just for the sake of “it’s so bad it’s good” entertainment. I, on the other hand, prefer my viewing experience to be devoid of such sadomasochistic elements.

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Arts

The Founder: Looking at the rise of the golden arches

An insider’s look at the man behind McDonald’s and his swerving path to success

Starbucks, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s—have you ever wondered how these franchises made it to the top? How rich people made their money?

In The Founder, director John Lee Hancock looks at how McDonald’s became the worldwide phenomenon it is today, through the story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton). He is the man who was instrumental in building the hamburger empire.

The film, based on Kroc’s memoir, Grinding it Out, was written by Robert Siegel, and gives insider information about the making of one of the most successful companies the world has ever seen.

Keaton portrays Kroc in a sophisticated, yet honest manner—after all, the man was incredibly flawed. Kroc is an individual whose shortcomings are evident in his actions: he simply wouldn’t take no for an answer. His firm character became infamous and shattered his business partnerships. He was the type of man you would trust with your finances, but wouldn’t trust as a friend.

In some aspects, he was even more detestable than The Wolf of Wall Street’s Jordan Belfort. Kroc didn’t do drugs or host impressive parties. Rather, he had an incredible lack of empathy—more harmful than any addiction could have been. Though his morality was questionable, his enduring motivation can seem inspiring to anyone going through hardship.

The strength of the movie lies in its sense of realism. There are no antagonists or protagonists, just events that unfold and characters who react. The story of the creation of fast-food is fascinating—it has become omnipresent, and the film gives us a voyeuristic look at how it became so entrenched.

The Founder is a captivating film that portrays one of the most important business models in history. It tells the story as it is, including the backstabbing, the questionable business deals and the blurring of ethical lines.

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Julieta: Almodovar’s magnum opus

Spanish filmmaker spins tale of motherly love, lost love, and spurned love

Watching foreign films can sometimes feel intimidating because of their experimental nature and art-house feel often associated with them—it’s an unfamiliar feeling for Western viewers used to Hollywood blockbusters.

But not all foreign films are three-hour-long experimental features that are understood only by the director.

Julieta, Pedro Almodovar’s latest film, is a good place to start dabbling in non-American cinematography. Released last week, Julieta is the Spanish filmmaker’s 20th feature, and stars Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte as older and younger versions of the film’s protagonist, Julieta. It was submitted to the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

Julieta follows the usual Almodovar format of a female protagonist in the middle of an emotional/nervous breakdown induced by uncontrollable external circumstances.

The film begins with Julieta meeting a woman who informs her that her daughter is married, has three children and is living in Switzerland. Julieta, who hasn’t seen her daughter in 12 years, is taken aback by this sudden news. The reasons for their estrangement remain unknown to the viewer. This encounter forces Julieta to adjust her previous plans of moving from Madrid to Portugal with her boyfriend Lorenzo. Instead, she chooses to embark on a search for her daughter.

The film is fast-paced, and the first 10 minutes leave little room for the viewer to breathe. Julieta’s breakdown is sudden and intense. This is reflected through the cinematographic techniques used, such as jump cuts and rushed dialogue. As the film progresses, the overall tone slows down as the film transitions into a flashback. Julieta starts writing to her daughter, explaining how she met, and eventually lost her father. What unfolds is a tragic tale of a woman who lost everything because of circumstances that were out of her control.

In the end, Julieta finally lets go of the grievances between her and her daughter, and heads to Switzerland with Lorenzo.

Julieta is also a story of women competing against each other in order to attain ever-higher ‘ideal’ levels in society. The female characters hate each other and continuously try to outdo one another to impress the men in their lives. This bleak image of relationships in the modern era has been explored by several directors, but Almodovar adds his own quirky and sarcastic flavour to it.

The film also explores the grieving process a mother goes through after the disappearance of her child. It is a heart-breaking film streaked with instances of humour that can be appreciated by a wide audience.

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Fences: A wonderful work of adaptation

Denzel Washington stars as flawed father Troy Maxson

Denzel Washington stars in and produces one of this year’s best films

Oscar season is in full bloom and moviegoers have been spoiled this year with an extensive list of great films. Among such movies are runaway successes like La La Land and Moonlight. However, some of the other great Academy Award contenders can easily be overlooked. Naturally, one can’t watch every single nominated movie in theaters as it would be a time-consuming and, let’s face it, expensive endeavor.

However, Fences, an adaptation of the play of the same name, is one movie worth the time and money. The script was originally written by the American playwright August Wilson and won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a hard-working African-American man living in 1950s Pittsburgh. His aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player were dashed due to his age and ethnicity. To cope with his unfulfilled dreams, he drinks excessively. Troy is married to his loving wife, Rose (Viola Davis) whom he has a son with. Troy often becomes distant and aggressive for seemingly no justifiable reason. He also has a complicated relationship with his son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), and often belittles him and his goals. Washington portrays this character as an authoritative figure with an unpredictable nature. As well, Davis gives one of the best performances of her career.

The dialogue between Troy and Cory is dry and conveys the disconnect in their relationship and the different outlooks they have. Cory is being scouted by college football recruiters, and has a chance at playing in the NFL. Troy is dismissive of this, as he believes the barriers that prevented him from playing major-league baseball are still rampant, and will hamper his son’s success. The audience becomes increasingly aware of this unsolved dispute throughout the film, as the tension between the characters reaches a culminant point that leaves the audience bewildered.

Even though Troy has the traits of the perfect antagonistic character, Washington’s on-screen charisma makes him compelling, and the viewer can’t help but feel sorry for his circumstances. It is made apparent as the film progresses that he has had a difficult life. Moreover, he is unaware of his abusive behaviour or his drinking problem.

Fences is a character-driven movie with a musical score that makes the action on screen seem more realistic. The first 30 minutes might seem slow for the average moviegoer, however, it builds up to a climatic ending which is more than worth the wait. Fences is a wonderful adaption of the original play and remains loyal to the difficult subject matter of addiction and abuse.

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Superhero Fatigue: The fine line between innovation and saturation

Superhero movies might be all the rage now, with several more movies planned for the next few years. But how long will this golden age of superhero movie last?

Superhero films are all the rage with audiences, but how long can this golden age last?

Superheroes have flooded our screens, be it in record-setting, box-office blockbusters like The Avengers or beloved Netflix original series, such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

But why did comic book characters become so omnipresent? There has been a paradigm shift in the entertainment industry, and this trend seems here to stay, as Doctor Strange’s success has hinted at.  Despite their continuous popularity, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and tired of the sheer amount of superhero-related content being produced on a regular basis. How did Hollywood become so obsessed with caped crusaders?

According to Lance Ulanoff, editor-at-large and chief correspondent at Mashable, an entertainment company, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) was the first film to catapult the superhero genre into mainstream entertainment. Despite being incredibly popular upon its release, the film has aged poorly, as the visuals and storyline that were so revolutionary at the time now feel cliché and outdated.

However, in 2008, The Dark Knight and Iron Man gave the superhero genre the momentum it needed to become the next big thing in Hollywood. Both movies impressed fans and critics alike—Heath Ledger was even awarded a postmortem Academy Award for his portrayal of the Joker.

The incredible success of both films gave their production companies, DC and Marvel, the indication that a cinematic universe featuring their iconic characters would be well-received by audiences. Fast forward a few years and several films later, and the drawback of these expanding universes is that they are becoming increasingly hard to keep up with. What with the series offered on Netflix and the constant introduction of new heroes, it is no longer feasible to see only one superhero movie a year and still be in the loop when it comes to the superhero genre.

With the growth of the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, the concern is that the extensive story connecting cities, countries and worlds in these universes will collapse under its own weight. With each addition to the franchises, the studios will have to jump through more and more hoops and push the boundaries of creativity in order to keep audiences interested.

According to Business Insider, Marvel and DC are projected to release 24 superhero films within the next five years. It might prove impossible to sustain a high-quality output within such extreme production conditions. It will be interesting to see how the studios reinvigorate the genre while sticking to the source content, and whether fans will cling to the franchise or gradually flock to the next big thing. Just like westerns, musicals and film noir, all of these genres had their golden ages followed by a slow decline—so, too, will the superhero genre.

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The rare case of a seemingly justified sequel

RENTON (Ewan McGregor), SPUD (Ewen Bremner), SICK BOY (Jonny Lee Miller) BEGBIE (Robert Carlyle)

The trailer for the T2:Trainspotting sequel has fans and critics jumping for joy

Heroin consumption is a bleak topic. One would be pressed to find a single positive aspect of opioid consumption, as it is known to destroy lives and relationships. That’s what makes Trainspotting (1996) such a memorable film—it explores the topic of heroin addiction with a weirdly realistic sense of humour. The characters realize the futility of their habit and make fun of each other’s horrible life choices. However, the movie is still a sincere story of the void created by drugs. The film has developed a cult following due to its great script and highly-effective editing.

It is worth mentioning the film only lasts 90 minutes and concludes with an open-ended scene. This abrupt ending leaves the viewer wanting more, and rightly so. The movie was based on a then-unfinished series of books written by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh.  The book’s sequel, Porno, was published in 2002—almost a decade after the first installment. The cinematic sequel to Trainspotting will be loosely based on this second book and will explore the unorthodox topic of porn-addiction and vices.

However, Trainspotting was released 20 years ago, which makes its scheduled January 2017 sequel seem unnecessary for those who haven’t seen the original. According to Mohamad Hassan Bassal, a film studies student at Concordia, the movie industry is filled with reboots and remakes which often come much too late for them to be justified. For instance, Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to the blockbuster hit Alice in Wonderland, proved to be a massive box office and critique failure, one of the reasons being the film was released six years after the original. This delay hurt the film’s ticket sales and the sequel seemed unjustified by fans and critics who found the film devoid of the charm of the first movie. Therefore, it is understandable for fans of Trainspotting to be weary of the upcoming sequel only being a cheap attempt at using nostalgia to lure people into the theater.

Despite these negative speculations, the trailer for T2: Trainspotting, which was released last week, has considerably increased interest in the story’s continuation. The trailer showcases the original cast, including big names such as Ewan McGregor, whose role in Trainspotting catapulted him to Hollywood stardom. The trailer does not reveal specific plot points but instead proves to have kept the overall feel of the original. The famous “choose life” speech, which has been endlessly quoted by cinema fans, is given a modern spin as the narrator tells the audience to “choose Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and hope that someone, somewhere cares.”

The trailer is full of little nods to fans of the original, as it uses locations and songs from the first film. As the film has not been released yet, only time will tell if producer Danny Boyle will be able to capture lightning in a bottle for the second time.

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2010 G20: A dark moment in Canadian history

Lucius Dechausay's short documentary, Kettle, showcases footage from the mass arrests at the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit

Protesters who were held hostage by the Toronto police share their story in new documentary

The 2010 Toronto G20 summit will forever be remembered as a sad moment in Canadian history. According to the Toronto Star, the event marks the largest mass arrest in Canada, as over 1,100 people were detained. The majority of these individuals were never charged, since there was no valid reason to warrant their arrest. It is a moment most Canadians would like to forget, as it projected an overwhelmingly negative image of our police force onto the international stage. At Cinema Politica’s latest screening, filmmaker Lucius Dechausay’s short documentary, Kettle, showcases footage from the protest and interviews with people who were detained by Toronto police.

What is shocking is how mundane the initial protest was. There were just a group of people standing in an intersection protesting the G20 summit. According to Terra Dafoe, one of the protestors, the atmosphere was quiet and rather calm. It was a spur-of-the-moment demonstration. After a couple of minutes of peaceful protesting, a large crowd of police officers advanced on the group, banging on their shields. What ensued was the kettling, a term used to describe the cops’ technique of boxing in a large group of people, both protesters and bystanders.

The documentary shows footage of those who were left standing in the heavy rain without proper clothes or shelter. Since the event took place in June, some protesters were wearing tank tops and flip-flops and were not given any blankets. Erin Macpherson, one of the protesters interviewed in the film, joined the voluntary line-up for arrest, thinking she would at least be able to escape the cold weather by surrendering herself to the police. Instead, she was handcuffed and left standing in the rain for hours while waiting to be processed.

A lot of those who were held in the kettle were not involved in the protest. Some were only walking home from work, some were kids enjoying a day downtown or mothers running errands. They were people in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Some were detained for 24 hours, simply because they were standing on a public street.

One of the main reasons the situation got so out of hand was the clear miscommunication between protesters and police. There was no warning to disperse nor any use of crowd dispersing equipment. Law enforcement officers were waiting for instructions from Supt. Mark Fenton, who instructed his team to arrest every person caught in the kettle. Fenton latter publicly apologized for the mass arrest order, as it “demonstrated a lack of understanding to the right to protest.” In 2015, The Toronto Star reported that Fenton was convicted on two counts of unlawful arrest and one count of discreditable conduct relating to two incidents of kettling.

This documentary reminds us why we can’t allow ourselves to shove critical moments in our history under the rug. We owe it to those who were affected by the mass arrest at the G20 summit to determine why such an embarrassing situation was allowed to unfold. Even though Kettle is uncomfortable to watch, it conveys the shortcomings of our police system.

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