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)
Tag: 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)
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)
No Time to Die (Review)
As time pushes forward, the relevance of Bond is always questioned. These are films firmly rooted in the past, with a back catalogue full of dated moments but also old fashioned charm. The Craig era of Bond (as it now truly is an era) has been a process of answering that question, of trying to … Continue reading No Time to Die (Review)
Luca (Review)
A beautifully light tale from Pixar brings us back to a refreshing simplicity, but lacks the courage of its convictions. The animation is wonderful, the evocation of coastal Italy is sublime. It’s a summer vacation of a film, complete with an undercurrent of romance. Alas, this romance never comes to fruition. A promising queer story … Continue reading Luca (Review)
Old (Review)
The new divisive film from M. Night Shyamalan is divisive purely because it is an M. Night Shymalan movie. Few other filmmakers have the arguable gift to force viewers to find positives in their films, especially as evidence to the contrary keeps accruing. This film is very Shyamalan to the extent it could not come … Continue reading Old (Review)
Heard She Got Married (Review)
For a certain kind of person, a new Motern movie is a big event. This very independent outfit, in which a troupe of actors make low-budget movies, usually scrappy horror films that are actually goofy comedies, for the love of creating. At the heart of this is Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh (the director of … Continue reading Heard She Got Married (Review)
Prisoners of the Ghostland (Review)
As a feat of production design, Prisoners of the Ghostland is really impressive. The film has a really enticing aesthetic, think Japanese Mad Max but also Wild West iconography. This unique world of the film is supposed to be a multicultural blend, mirroring this being Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono's first primarily English language film. We … Continue reading Prisoners of the Ghostland (Review)
Candyman (2021) (Review)
A good horror movie gravitates around a strong central metaphor. With the original Candyman, the premise leads to a lot of wider symbolic opportunity: an evergreen centre that can be applied in multiple ways and in different contexts. Nia DaCosta's reboot, and semi-sequel, takes full advantage of this. In fact, it gets lost in taking … Continue reading Candyman (2021) (Review)
Assorted Opinions 