I had a few concerns about Martin McDonagh’s follow up to In Bruges. Both the title and trailer (and poster) suggest one of those soul-deadening black comedies that sprung up in the wake of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction back in the mid-90s. Tarantino’s extraordinary success had a corrosive effect on the US indie scene, spawning dozens of rancid, unfunny movies with guys in suits shooting from the hip and… Read More »
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LFF 2012 Review: Laurence Anyways
No-one shoots beautiful, ‘troubled’ people with great hair (in slow-motion, to electronica) quite like Xavier Dolan. For this and other affectations, the young Quebec auteur inspires devotion and derision in equal measure. Incredibly he’s only 23 years old, yet Laurence Anyways is his third feature and another Cannes prize-winner. The most exciting young filmmaker in the world today? Possibly. A great director? No, not yet, but this is a major… Read More »
Festival round-up: Doha Tribeca Film Festival 2012
Now in its fourth year, the Doha Tribeca Film Festival is both an eight-day international movie event and a celebration of the year-round work of the region’s film institute, which is engaged in an ambitious mission to build a sustainable industry through nurturing local talent. Fortunate enough to attend this year and, having already seen many of the festivals glossier, high-profile US and other world cinema entries, I set about… Read More »
Disaster on the screen: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
IT’S part three of my look at films that have failed to set the box office alight. After focusing on the abomination that is Battlefield Earth and the brilliance of John Carter, I turn my attention to a film – and a director – famous for being as odd as it is entertaining. TERRY GILLIAM has always been a director with a grand vision. His films rarely have the look… Read More »
The Critical List : David Lean
With a special 50th Anniversary Lawrence of Arabia Blu-Ray out this week and a restored cut of the timeless epic being given a cinematic re-release later this month, it seemed like an opportune time to take a glance back at the work of legendary English director, David Lean. Lean was brought up by very strict Quaker parents and wasn’t even allowed to watch movies until he was an adult. Once… Read More »
Review: Up There
Zam Salim’s directorial feature debut delivers a not altogether comforting prophecy, suggesting that the afterlife at worst may in fact be an extension of the ordinariness of life itself. Salim’s narrative choice of the ordinary over the fantastical however, affords him the opportunity to create what is a creative, humorous, and what may even be a very British take on the afterlife. Up There tells the story of departed soul… Read More »
DVD Review – Friends With Kids
Friends with Kids promises big laughs, with a top comedy cast. And while there were some extraordinarily outrageous moments where I genuinely almost wet myself, I couldn’t help but feel a bit let down with the altogether mediocre and predictable ending worthy of a Jennifer Lopez performance. It’s is a fairly daring film that explores behind the scenes of friendships and what happens once kids start to arrive on the… Read More »
LFF – The Final Word: Antonio Campos and Brady Corbet
LFF The Final Word: Antonio Campos and Brady Corbet. High up in the penthouse of the Mayfair Hotel, I had the opportunity to sit down with director Antonio Campos and star Brady Corbet, following what can only be described as an entertaining question and answer session in the BFI’s NFT1 the night before. I spoke to them about the importance of creative inspiration, questioned the necessity of a sympathetic protagonist,… Read More »
Blu-Ray Review: My Neighbour Totoro
Mei (Chika Sakamoto) and Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) are two sisters who move with their father to a new home so they can be closer to their ill mother who has taken up residency in a nearby hospital. One day, Mei ventures into a nearby forest where she encounters a magical creature Totoro, who has adventures with the two girls and helps them in an hour of need. Studio Ghibli is a name… Read More »
LFF – The Final Word: Florian Habicht
The LFF Final Word feature continues as we turn our focus on documentary and fictional narrative filmmaker Florian Habicht, who’s creative and boundary blurring romantic comedy Love Story was screened in this year’s ‘Laugh’ category. Love Story stands out as a highly creative romantic comedy. Was it in anyway a response to mainstream romantic comedies and romantic dramas that have a tendency to be formulaic? I often love watching films… Read More »
