Welcome to ‘Have You Seen….’ a regular column exploring an interesting film that is worthy of greater attention – for good or for ill. The focus is on the underseen, the undersung or the underrated – or just those films you just need to write about. The focus is analysis more than evaluation so, expect … Continue reading Have You Seen… An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)?
Tag: art
The Painted Bird
Part way through this film, we have the scene from which it gets it title. It is a visual metaphor that overhangs the whole film and gives us the best window into the film's message. A man grabs a bird in his hand and he paints it, marking it as different. He lets the bird … Continue reading The Painted Bird
Have You Seen… Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1971/2021)?
Welcome to ‘Have You Seen….’ a regular column exploring an interesting film that is worthy of greater attention – for good or for ill. The focus is on the underseen, the undersung or the underrated – or just those films you just need to write about. The focus is analysis more than evaluation so, expect … Continue reading Have You Seen… Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1971/2021)?
Josep (Review)
Art can do so much, especially when intersecting with reality. It is so tempting, when presenting reality, to slip into the objective and the strictly realist - thinking it adds reality and truth. Of course, none of us experience the world objectively and art that explores reality is at its best when it takes advantage … Continue reading Josep (Review)
Last and First Men (Review)
Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson's debut - and sadly final - film is a fascinating thing. It exists on the installation art side of cinema and is composed of beautiful (primarily) black and white shots of abstract architecture (and other landscapes) that are accompanied by narration from Tilda Swinton. The footage is of real things but the … Continue reading Last and First Men (Review)
Monos (Review)
As a sensory experience, Monos is exceptional; in fact, it is rare to see a debut feature (Alejandro Landes) that is this assured, bold and visually spellbinding. This Lord of the Flies inflected story of child soldiers left alone with a hostage and a cow on a remote mountaintop (in an unspecified South American location, … Continue reading Monos (Review)
The Whalebone Box (Review)
There's something inherently cinematic about a closed box. Open boxes? They aren't interesting. Closed boxes are instant enigmas full of potential, in which the obfuscation is the appeal. The Whalebone Box relies on this appeal and plays nicely with this idea. On its most basic level, this video collage by Andrew Kotting is about taking … Continue reading The Whalebone Box (Review)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (Ghibli: The Netflix Batch)
With Netflix (in most territories) adding the entire Ghibli back catalogue (minus Grave of the Fireflies) over the next three months, it’s the perfect time to either revisit or visit the collection. If revisiting, why not write about them? Great idea. Welcome to ‘Ghibli: The Netflix Batch,’ a collection of essays inspired by each film. … Continue reading Kiki’s Delivery Service (Ghibli: The Netflix Batch)
The Lighthouse (Review)
There are moments of undeniable brilliance in Dave Eggers' second feature. The atmosphere is consistently superb and the performances are outstanding. In addition to this, it's a film of obvious technical brilliance - a brilliance that is complemented by a clear sense of style. However, the Lighthouse does also feel like a purely stylistic exercise. … Continue reading The Lighthouse (Review)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (Review)
With only three films under her directorial belt, Marielle Heller has already become one of the most dependable and interesting names in the business. Consistently, she has shown an ability to make films that enhance and transcend their subject matter - adapting existing sources in fascinating and surprising ways. This trend is perhaps best shown … Continue reading A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (Review)
Assorted Opinions 