At the heart of this adaptation of August Wilson’s stage play are two phenomenal performances. Viola Davis stars as the titular Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman (whose tragic death hangs heavy over this film, his final film) as jazz trumpeter Levee. Boseman is just outstanding here, his performance is loud and powerful, but marked by … Continue reading Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Review)
Category: Films
Soul (Review)
There is a lot going on in Pixar’s Soul, which is somewhat of a problem. It is an ambitious film with existential aspirations which, to an extent, go unfulfilled and weigh things down. The very heart of this film, its soul perhaps, is touching and charming; it is just that there is too much surrounding … Continue reading Soul (Review)
Wolfwalkers (Review)
To begin with, Wolfwakers seems overtly familiar. We are in a medieval fantasy world in which a tyrannical ruler is trying to destroy nature (the surrounding woodlands) to extend their rule and nature is fighting back, in this film in the form of routine wolf attacks. It is a man versus nature setup, an overt … Continue reading Wolfwalkers (Review)
So You Want to Be a Christmas Movie Hipster: Pretentious Christmas Films to Talk About Instead of Die Hard
Tis the season, the season where everybody wants to tell you that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and that their favourite Christmas movie is Die Hard. So, let’s get it out of the way: Die Hard is a Christmas movie and is a great movie, but this is hardly a hot take. The issue … Continue reading So You Want to Be a Christmas Movie Hipster: Pretentious Christmas Films to Talk About Instead of Die Hard
Time (Review)
Most critiques of the criminal justice system focus on how it lets down the innocent. This documentary, Time, focuses instead on how it mistreat the guilty, and is a stronger critique because of this. In a way, this is similar to Kieslowski’s masterpiece (one of his many) A Short Film About Killing, where showing how … Continue reading Time (Review)
The Woman Who Ran (Review)
Few films represent the complexity of everyday human interactions as well as Hong Sang-soo’s The Woman Who Ran. It is a film that asks a lot from its viewer but one that rewards in the process, presenting an effortlessly real but deeply cerebral portrait of everyday life. This is a narrative-light film, we follow Gam-hee … Continue reading The Woman Who Ran (Review)
Lynn + Lucy (Review)
To a great extent, Lynn + Lucy is defined by what what you do not see, focusing instead on aftermath and assumption. Some of this is shown in small ways: focusing on a central character while you hear an argument from offscreen or showing insulting graffiti on somebody’s house, as they enter it, without showing … Continue reading Lynn + Lucy (Review)
African Apocalypse (Review)
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is used as the impetus into an exploration of the ongoing effects of colonialism in Niger in this excellent documentary. Where many historians, and public figures, relegate colonialism to the comfortable past - pushed back as far as possible despite its actual proximity to the present - this documentary focuses on … Continue reading African Apocalypse (Review)
Education (Small Axe) (Review)
The final chapter of McQueen’s Small Axe begins and ends with footage of space - specifically evoking space exploration. It is such a potent symbol: synonymous with potential, achievement, hope and the future. This, and other aspects, allow Education to speak beyond itself - in subtle ways. It is a perfectly composed period piece, one … Continue reading Education (Small Axe) (Review)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (Review)
Over 36 years ago, Talking Heads teamed up with acclaimed director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) to produce Stop Making Sense. This masterpiece is not only frequently viewed as the best concert film of all time, it is also one of the highlights of 20th Century cinema. Now, in 2020, the ex-frontman of … Continue reading David Byrne’s American Utopia (Review)
Assorted Opinions 