Aaron Woodley Movies

A taciturn young boy slips off a plane at Pearson and glides by customs agents, effectively forming the connective tissue for this journey through the city of Toronto as he makes his way through a city that still seems decidedly uncertain of its own identity. Aaron Woodley's "Shoelaces" gets things off to a poetic start by telling the tale of two kids who are emboldened to take a late night tour of the Don Valley after dodging a local bully. The second tale, an anti-romance directed by Sook-Yin Lee and entitled "The Brazilian," paints Toronto as a city where it's difficult to make connections, and nearly impossible to sustain them. Things begin to get gritty as a man named Elton attempts to turn over a new leaf while finding that the past isn't easily forgotten in Sudz Sutherland's "Window," and draw to a close in David Weaver's "Lost Boys," a brooding drama that finds an unstable, drug-addicted vagrant pondering how he can be of any help when he spies a suspicious character abducting the wandering boy from the beginning of the film. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Written and directed by Aaron Woodley, Rhinoceros Eyes follows Chep (Michael Pitt), a reclusive prop-factory employee who quite literally lives at his job. Considering that Chep only leaves the funhouse-like factory to watch romantic films at the local movie house and is able to locate even the most obscure of objects from the depths of the prop house, he is regarded among peers as a valuable, if eccentric, asset to the staff. Eventually, Chep develops an infatuation with Fran (Paige Turco), a movie production designer with an uncanny eye for detail and authenticity. As her visits become more frequent, her requests become more bizarre -- including a pair of rhinoceros eyes, an antique Irish wooden prosthetic arm, and a severed index finger -- Chep becomes increasingly determined to procure them for her, and resorts to drastic, oftentimes violent measures. Though the police become involved, Chep's grip on reality continues to deteriorate, and visions of an alter ego constructed of prop-house junk begin to take over his life. The film also features Matt Servitto, Jim Allodi, Victor Ertmanis, and Nadia Litz. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide