B.J. Novak’s new anthology series “The Premise” is something of a hot-button “Black Mirror,” in that it takes different major topics and explores them over 30 minutes with twisty, sometimes funny narratives. But while the similarities to that Netflix hit are evident, the excitement of “The Premise” is in how it seems to create its own…

At a time when social distancing measures are being implemented to battle the Delta variant, Jonathan Butterell’s jubilant musical, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” is the cinematic equivalent of a sorely needed hug. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Jenny Popplewell’s documentary, “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16,” which followed British teen Jamie Campbell as he…

How we handle intense situations wherein life and death are on the line is an unexpected theme of this year’s TIFF in three excellent docs about pressure cookers that led to loss of life. Two are obvious partners, stories of a half-century ago that also say something about conflict resolution of the modern era. The…

Near the beginning of “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” an off-camera make-up artist gently suggests that singer/puppeteer/televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) remove her iconic, one might even say garish, cosmetics. She wipes off her lipstick but the dark lip-liner remains. She explains that it is permanent. Like her eye-liner and eyebrows, it is tattooed…

What is “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”? Michael Showalter adapts the documentary of the same name, the 2000 work that entertainingly reshaped the legacy of a woman often derided for her reliance on make-up and accused of bilking her loyal supporters. But that film exists. Why remake it as a showy dramedy? I’m not sure…