Opening this weekend at Vancity Theatre: The second feature from Trap Street director Vivian Qu, Angels Wear White – a hard-hitting expose of establishment corruption that resonates deeply with the #metoo movement; a complex crime thriller from Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) about a defence lawyer who doesn’t believe his client’s confession of murder in The Third Murder; and a gentle, contemplative portrait of the legendary Japanese composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Read on to find out what the critics had to say, then drop in to see the film and make up your own mind!
Angels Wear White
July 27 – July 31
“Propulsive and naturalistic without ever being exploitative, Qu’s second feature sticks close to the emotional weather patterns of her story’s troubled, escape-seeking girls, like a gumshoe whose nose is for complexities, not answers… In its perceptions and mood, Angels Wear White plays like acutely serious female noir.” – Robert Abele, LA Times
“…it adds an extra level of resonance to this hard-hitting drama that shows how such misbehavior is not limited to the corridors of power in the usual places but can even be found in the sleepy little seashore resort town in China where this particular film takes place.” – Peter Sobczynski, Roger Ebert
“There’s nothing heavenly here, but it’s well worth watching.” – Indie Wire
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Third Murder
July 27 – August 2
“What initially comes on like a genre exercise soon develops into a metaphysical examination of objective truth and the power that narratives have to shape and sometimes distort the world around us.” – Michael Leader, Sight & Sound
“A captivating puzzle.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Koreeda transforms his simple premise into a powerful, intricately constructed meditation on the mysteries of the heart, the elusiveness of truth and the injustices of the Japanese justice system, in which the scales are tipped in favor of the prosecution.” – Mark Schilling, The Japan Times
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
July 28 – August 5
“By the end, you will feel as if you not only understand Ryuichi Sakamoto intellectually, but also share a sense of the excitement he feels when discovering just the right match of sounds. ” -Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
“Schible, using a minimum of elements, makes deceptively light work of it, but CODA’s impact lingers hours, even days after the credits roll.” – Emily Yoshida, Vulture
“This is a documentary that rejects every behind-the-scenes cliché around, and stands as an immensely moving and inspiring piece of cinema in its own right.” – Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph
95% on Rotten Tomatoes
VIFF Blog 