In the UK Sense and Sensibility has a U rating – suitable for all – which is the equivalent of an American G rating. For a movie about the romantic choices of two adult sisters this is an incredible achievement, even if it’s an adaption of a Jane Austen novel. …
In 1789, Ben Franklin famously wrote that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” The Uprising, set 400 years before the American statesman put ink to paper, sure has an awful lot of both. It’s a story about the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt in …
Lydia Tár is a b*tch. That’s what a student calls Cate Blanchett’s Lydia, the sociopathic lead of Todd Field’s visceral psychological thriller Tár. They’re not wrong. She is the sort of damaged soul that has hit the heights of her conducting profession, who flies so close to the sun and …
Everybody knows the greatest thing about Wes Anderson’s movies is their sense of style. Style is the tool he uses to bring lightness to dark and complex subjects such as grief, the creeping threat of fascism and being an insufferable young person. The staging and blocking, the centering of images, …
Edgar Wright, acclaimed cult director of Baby Driver and Hot Fuzz fame, directs Last Night In Soho with a breezy smoothness, but this vibrant, pulpy horror is disappointingly toothless. In contemporary Cornwall, naive and fresh faced 18 year old Eloise ‘Ellie’ Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) is standing in her room. Fashion …
One of the best films ever made is Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It had a lot of comedic elements throughout, and it balanced comedy with bits of humanity. The 1987 film features a bitter man who becomes worn down emotionally by an incessantly friendly traveler. As the movie unfolds, the …
Nosferatu may be a renowned film for its experimental Expressionism techniques, unsettling settings examining the Occult and its controversial backstory, which led to all copies of the original 1922 silent film by F.W. Murnau being destroyed due to copyright infringement of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Ensuing restoration efforts resulted in …
There are few institutions in this world that are more heavily regarded and reviled in equal measure than the Catholic church. From the sects of religious devotees that populate social pockets of the world to their portrayal in modern media that places them in the spotlight for heinous acts of …
I consider biographies – better known as biopics – to be one of the most challenging narrative types to adapt for the big screen. From the inevitable bias towards the usually eponymous person, especially if the production involves family members, to the common trap of only telling what best serves …
Amy Winehouse was arguably one of the greatest singers of the 21st century. Her remarkable voice, combined with her ability to tap into emotional authenticity, made her a force to be reckoned with in the modern music scene. At 27 years old, she left this world far too soon, leaving …
Surviving high school is no easy task, a sentiment that many of us can empathize with. Some thrived in high school, living at the top of the food chain, but it can be grueling if you’re not popular in some respect. Day in, day out, different day, same…well, you get …
2023 has been a phenomenal year for movies. From big studio blockbusters to extraordinary indie movies, this year has seen brave new voices taking center stage. If movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer encouraged movie-goers to go to cinema halls in large numbers, small-budget gems such as Past Lives, The Holdovers, and Talk to Me turned out to …
Most movies have “a thing.” There is an essential element or characteristic that makes a particular film greater than others. Scarcely, films excel because of their specific lack of “a thing.” Such is the case with Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers. Payne’s usual brand of worldly cynicism is on full display, but instead …