4 stunning-adaptations-of-Shakespeare’s-finest out of 4 My name is Sameer Chhabra and I was, in a completely unofficial capacity, The Ontarion’s chief film critic. I began this column—“The Weekly Scene”—in January 2014, under the guidance of former Arts and Culture Editor Emily Jones. Since then, I’ve reviewed exactly 78 films almost […]
Author: Sameer Chhabra
The Weekly Scene: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
2.5 passable-returns-to-a-far-away-galaxy out of 4 Director Gareth Edwards has devoted quite a bit of press time to explaining that his Rogue One is different from other films in the Star Wars universe, because his film is actually a war movie. According to Edwards, the film is a throwback to movies where […]
The Weekly Scene: La La Land (2016)
4 extraordinary-nostalgic-musical-romances out of 4 If the common cinematic sensibility is that films need to be dark, brooding, and melancholy to truly move an audience, then Damien Chazelle’s sophomore feature La La Land is a challenge to this notion. The story is cheerfully simple to the point of being cliché—indeed, […]
The Weekly Scene: Moana (2016)
3.5 stories-of-progress-and-voyage out of 4 In my review for Disney’s 2013 blockbuster-mega-hit Frozen, I gushed over the many liberties the creative team took with the traditional Disney Princess formula. I spoke highly of the film’s self-aware nature, and the knowing winks at older properties written for audiences from a different […]
The Weekly Scene: The Hateful Eight (2015)
No rating Disregarding this film’s content, disregarding its story, disregarding its characters, and disregarding its acting, this film is worth seeing simply for its sheer visual splendour. Tarantino has always been defined by his adherence to cinematic fundamentals, and much like the talented artist who constantly pushes himself to greater […]
The Weekly Scene: Doctor Strange (2016)
3 majestic-medleys-of-sight-and-sound out of 4 Doctor Strange as a character and Doctor Strange as a film are entities that stand in stark contrast to the so-called norms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a character, the cosmic doctor distinguishes himself from the majority of his colourful counterparts by drawing his […]
The Weekly Scene: Best of Enemies (2015)
4 outstanding-reminders-that-our-media-system-is-broken out of 4 It shouldn’t take much discussion to convince people that American media’s current model for discussing politics is broken. Yet, in spite of their subjects and their audience, directors Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville spend 88 brisk minutes doing just that. Recounting the events surrounding the […]
The Weekly Scene: Young Frankenstein (1974)
3.5 iconic-parodies out of 4 The subtleties that differentiate parody, satire, and homage are often so minute that even a single step to the left or right of a finely drawn line of demarcation can send even the most well-meaning films into the annals of oblivion. It’s easy to lose […]
The Weekly Scene: Hell or High Water (2016)
4 sublime-trips-through-the-American-heartland out of 4 Hell or High Water is as much director David Mackenzie’s project as it is writer Taylor Sheridan’s, but there’s no denying that the latter—who, until Sicario, was best known for acting on television—has hit a creative goldmine of late. In Sicario, Sheridan examined the complex […]
The Weekly Scene: Where to Invade Next (2015)
3 relatively-well-articulated-progressive-theses out of 4 It’s a simple fact of life that there are really only two kinds of people in the world: those who like Michael Moore and those who think he’s a self-obsessed, self-entitled, anti-American lunatic who spews progressive propaganda at every waking turn. In the spirit of […]
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The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.