Cake
Directed by Nisha Ganatra

By Travis Mackenzie Hoover

Why is it that “chick flicks” are always worse to women than “guy movies,” and in the guise of “you go girl” empowerment? This would-be comedy pretends to be sympathetic to the pushing-30 single woman, here embodied by a travel writer named Pippa (Heather Graham) who suddenly has to replace her ailing father as the editor of a wedding magazine. But though it lets her air her grievances against the culture of marriage guilt, it becomes increasingly obvious that she’s afraid to feel and just needs someone to share her… blah, blah, blah.

To this end, the film enlists uptight co-worker Ian (David Sutcliffe), who seems to have been chosen for knowing her better than herself (i.e., by acting like a supercilious jerk). That the perpetrators of this fantasy are women boggle the mind, as it takes every horrible stereotype about single women and puts them on a gilded pedestal, but thankfully they’re also so cosmically inept that they fail to sell the deal.

Though the filmmakers imagine themselves to be deathlessly hip with their futons and Baudrillard references, they make the gang on Sex and the City look like the Algonquin Round Table with outrageously lame jokes and stumblebum comic timing. This is one of those movies where you can identify the token lesbian by the fact that she has short hair, or gauge the maturity of a character by the fact that they like antiques. It’s a series of ludicrous clichés masquerading as the plain truth that’s only funny when it’s trying not to be.

I can’t imagine who would buy this crock, but the fact that it exists is a sad statement on how far movies still have to go. (TVA)

Water - Dir. by Deepa Mehta
Nearly ten years after her 1996 film Fire received raves at the Toronto International Film Festival, Deepa Mehta, the Toronto-based Indian filmmaker, completes her “elemental trilogy” (Earth followed in1998) with the long awaited Water. ...Read More
Aeon Flux - Dir. by Karyn Kusama
Bee Season - Dir. by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
C.R.A.Z.Y. - Dir. by Jean-Marc Vallée
Capote - Dir. by Bennett Miller
Derailed - Dir. by Mikael Håfström
Desolation Sound - Dir. by Scott Weber
Domino - Dir. by Tony Scott
Doom - Dir. by Andrzej Bartkowiak
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - Dir. by Jim Sheridan
In the Mix - Dir. by Ron Underwood
Jarhead - Dir. by Sam Mendes
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - Dir. by Shane Black
Manners of Dying - Dir. by Jeremy Peter Allen
Perfect Crime - Dir. by Alex de la Iglesia
Pride And Prejudice - Dir. by Joe Wright
Protocols of Zion - Dir. by Marc Levin
Shopgirl - Dir. by Anand Tucker
The Dark Hours - Dir. by Paul Fox
The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico - Dir. by Michael Mabbott
The Squid and the Whale - Dir. by Noah Baumbach
Thieves of Innocence - Dir. by Paul Arcand
Ushpizin - Dir. by Gidi Dar
Yours, Mine and Ours - Dir. by Raja Gosnell
Zathura - Dir. by Jon Favreau
So, picture this: the thinking person's Southern rock band that combine the funk of New Orleans, the musical skills of jazz fusion pioneers Weather Report and the sweetest singing and songwriting this side of Lucinda Williams. Well, that about sums up Little Feat, circa 1977, when this concert was f... Full Review
On his second album, Unbalance, 2562 continues to fuse genres and theories about rhythmic persuasion. Less atmospheric than his highly acclaimed avant-dub-step debut, this new disc further showcases 2562's unerring sense of swing. Though he denies any intentional influences from Africa... Full Review
Gurpreet "The Tabla Guy" Chana combines a deep knowledge of Indian classical music and a lifetime of Canadian musical experiences into a unique approach to percussion. He is both a spellbinding solo performer and a consummate collaborator. Raised in Hamilton, now residing in Toronto, Chana's tabla education began at age three. He relates a time-honoured musical starting point, albeit with specific cultural resonance.... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the November 2005 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Questionnaire  •  Research  •  Technology  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  What I Play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues