At a certain point in Schrader's latest, a character flatly makes a joke about how he's read the book Poker for Dummies. Schrader has seemingly also read this book and has adapted it into a feature film, and then shoved in a subplot about US government run torture facilities. Clearly, he thinks he has created … Continue reading The Card Counter (Review)
In Front of Your Face (Review)
The films of Hong Sang-soo allow the past to exist in the present. Almost all of them explore an aftermath, following an incident rather than including it and instead focusing on the incidental that happens in its wake. In Front of Your Face fits into this but also exists as a precursor: the key event … Continue reading In Front of Your Face (Review)
House of Gucci (Review)
There are two films in House of Gucci. One, the better one, is an excellently acted relationship drama helmed by Lady Gaga and Adam Driver. The other is a complete trainwreck, but a hilarious one; it is this bizarre buddy comedy that follows Jared Leto and Al Pacino as they try to out overact each … Continue reading House of Gucci (Review)
Benedetta (Review)
I'm glad that cinemas showing Benedetta are already being protested outside of. It is wonderful that Paul Verhoeven, who has made some of my favourite films, can still make a film that causes such a visceral reaction. Alas, it would be much more satisfying if Verhoeven had made a film that justified getting even slightly … Continue reading Benedetta (Review)
The Last Duel (Review)
There's no denying that The Last Duel is an ambitious film. Here, Scott and his crew tell a fascinating historical story through a Rashomon style structure (three distinct chapters cover much of the same story but from different perspectives). It is an interesting choice, clearly setting it apart from your conventional period drama; however, the … Continue reading The Last Duel (Review)
Last Night in Soho (Review)
Glamorous facades hide horrible truths. This is the central, and repeated thrust, of Last Night in Soho: a film about a first year fashion student (Eloise, played by Thomasin McKenzie) who comes to London with a head full of '60s aesthetics (and a pull to the past), before getting too much of what she wished … Continue reading Last Night in Soho (Review)
Spencer (Review)
From the very start, Pablo Larraín's Princess Diana movie steps outside of the realm of biopic. An opening statement tells us the film is a fable, one based on a true tragedy (its words), but a fable none the less. This lets the viewer know that we are entering the realm of the symbolic, a … Continue reading Spencer (Review)
Titane (Review)
I distinctly remember being stunned by the trailer for Julia Ducournau's Titane. It was hardly surprising, really, her debut feature, Raw, is one of my all-time favourite films. My prevailing feeling from Titane's trailer was one of wonder: how could this staggering barrage of imagery all fit into one film? Unfortunately, this reaction turned out … Continue reading Titane (Review)
Dune (Review)
Let's get this out of the way first: Denis Villeneuve's Dune is actually Dune Part One. This is the first chapter in a story that is reliant on a conclusion, a fact that makes this film more difficult to independently evaluate. As a teaser for later Dune, this film is a huge success. I left … Continue reading Dune (Review)
Halloween Kills (Review)
Michael Myers is back again, again... Again. It's the premise that launched countless Halloween sequels, you know that guy we defeated in the last movie, well, what if it turned out we didn't? So, The Shape, The Boogeyman, evil incarnate, the occasional brother to Laurie Strode and sometimes subject of the Thorn Rune (bring back … Continue reading Halloween Kills (Review)
Assorted Opinions 