The Teacher’s Lounge
A frog-in-a-kettle study of a societal microcosm under pressure, THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE leaves audiences turning over possible truths and futures for its characters long after the credits roll.
All posts by Carmen Paddock
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Despite its title and the in-your-face delivery of some of its most fevered sections, DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD is not all apathy and ironic resignation. There may not be hope, as such, at its heart, but there is an unending belief in human ingenuity and creativity.
Disco Boy
Carmen Paddock’s review of Disco Boy directed by Giacomo Abbruzzese: “While there might not be especially new ground covered in a narrative capturing the fragmenting psyches of the colonisers and the colonised […] DISCO BOY is a stunning new entry into the canon.”
Occupied City
With its scope, restraint of style, and honesty of content, OCCUPIED CITY is a tremendous achievement in documentary storytelling. Letting the audience form their own connections with past, present, and probable future events avoids pitfalls of over-interpretation.
The Zone of Interest
Even if THE ZONE OF INTEREST does not add nuance or a new perspective to the conversation, its unflinching contrast of the everyday and unspeakable – and, in the final minutes, how we rationalise both in historical memory – lingers long in the mind.
Mean Girls (2024)
Scepticism can be left at the door; with its spark, originality, and excellent performances, MEAN GIRLS (2024) is heartily enjoyable on its own merits.
Tchaikovsky’s Wife
TCHAIKOVSKY’S WIFE becomes stranger and richer on reflection, and with other quasi-historical biopics having recently made waves, it feels well-timed to enter the canon and reexamine a doomed relationship.
Fallen Leaves
Aki Kaurismäki’s first film since 2017 continues with his trademark mix of deadpan humour and social realism in a clear-eyed take on class politics, mobility, and never succumbing to hopelessness.
Is There Anybody Out There?
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? is a cry for solidarity outside the bounds of what society considers normal. Filmmaker Ella Glendining is as exacting and rigorous with her assumptions as she is in challenging others, encouraging an empathetic reflection as the film’s ending scenes roll.
Lie With Me
The events of LIE WITH ME would seem trivial to anyone other than the two concerned parties, and it is the everyday details and bucolic setting that allow character moments to organically emerge.