Quite simply, Greta Gerwig's Little Women is one of the all time great literary adaptations. This is not only because it's a spectacular film in its own right but because of how well it transfers source material from page to screen. Louisa May Alcott's classic novel has had an impact far larger than the book … Continue reading Little Women (2019) (Review)
Cats (Review)
The core premise of Cats is very relatable: a collection of characters are desperate to escape the world of cats. There is a vague destination they are heading to, but there's no real explanation or justification. The real reason is pure escape, and it's something audiences will truly understand. Cats is utterly bizarre from beginning … Continue reading Cats (Review)
Blinded by the Light (Review)
Music is a powerful thing: it crosses generational boundaries; cultural boundaries and shapes identity. Blinded by the Light is a film all about this - specifically the impact of Bruce Springsteen's music on the child of a Pakistani-immigrant family in Thatcherite Britain. It's an oddly specific premise but it works brilliantly, presenting the theoretically incongruous … Continue reading Blinded by the Light (Review)
Last Christmas (Review)
Some films are better than they have any right to be. Last Christmas is somehow worse than it has any right to be. What should have been an innocuous, disposable piece of fluff is instead truly dire: a film with zero laughs, zero sense and frequent dalliances with offensiveness. Expectations certainly aren't high for clear … Continue reading Last Christmas (Review)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Review)
This is the way Star Wars ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. J. J. Abrams' conclusion to the trilogy is a sparingly charming - but often incoherent - mess of a film. There are high points - Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron and Anthony Daniels' C-3PO consistently deliver and facilitate some lovely moments, … Continue reading Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Review)
Jojo Rabbit (Review)
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Taika Waititi's coming of age comedy set in Nazi Germany (just before the end of the war) about a young Hitler Youth member who likes to hang around with his imaginary friend - who is Adolf Hitler - doesn't quite work. There are moments when things click, but the whole hodge-podge of ideas … Continue reading Jojo Rabbit (Review)
Black Christmas (2019) (Review)
Let's get it out of the way, this Black Christmas reboot is not the Black Christmas you remember. If you are to judge it as a remake of the seminal slasher for '74, prepare to be confused. This female helmed and femalecentric slasher is a different beast. It's set at Christmas; it's about college sorority … Continue reading Black Christmas (2019) (Review)
GUO4 (Review)
As if In Fabric hadn't already established Peter Strickland as one of the most bizarre and challenging directors of the year, along comes his new short film GUO4. GUO4 is part deconstruction of cinema; part male erotica; part exploration of masculinity and part music video - thought the most bizarre music video you'll see (and … Continue reading GUO4 (Review)
Honey Boy (Review)
Weirdly, it's been a good year for quasi-fictional explorations of the conflicted lives of film industry professionals. We've had Joanna Hogg's utterly outstanding The Souvenir, Almodovar's wonderful Pain and Glory and now, with Honey Boy, we have actor Shia LaBeouf exploring how his past has impacted his present. On paper, Honey Boy has all the … Continue reading Honey Boy (Review)
Motherless Brooklyn (Review)
Edward Norton's noir thriller is a film defined by its surface. Luckily, that surface is really rather pretty. Motherless Brooklyn certainly isn't a great movie but it's very handsomely made, with beautiful cinematography, production design and a terrific soundtrack. There's also an entertainingly twisty plot that gives you a fun noir ride. It's a warm … Continue reading Motherless Brooklyn (Review)
Assorted Opinions 