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.
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.”
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
The tonal unevenness of Lola Quivoron’s feature debut RODEO may hinder greatness, but the ride is electric. Carmen Paddock reviews.
