Robot Dreams
The magnitude of pathos acheived by ROBOT DREAMS without dialogue while being a visual and witty delight is a miraculous achievement.
All posts by Connor Lightbody
Arze: Mira Shaib interview
Mira Shaib’s feature film debut, ARZE, chronicles the story of Lebanese mother Arzé (Diamand Abou Abboud) as she searches for a stolen motorcycle on the streets of sectarian Beirut.
Black Dog
George Jaques’s BLACK DOG shows a lack of confidence in storytelling, but his next film can be great should the choices be bolder and more confident.
Elaha
When ELAHA channels anger into something pensive, the film’s power is amplified, evolving from didactic frustration to something evocative and immensely powerful.
Last Swim
The British indie film scene has always had an eye for generational talent. From Oscar-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor, who got acclaim in Stephen Frears’ indie DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, to Hollywood starlet Emily Blunt in Paweł Pawlikowski’s MY SUMMER OF LOVE, there is a recurrence of British indie films finding gems. In Sasha Nathwani’s sun-soaked tale of … Continue reading Last Swim
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is ugly, prosaic, and dull, pandering to an audience willing to be spoon-fed lines that they once recognised and moves as gracefully as its geriatric lead.
Ng Choon Ping & Sam Freeman on Femme
Ng Choon Ping and Sam Freeman spoke about their Safdie brother references in FEMME, the implications behind the giant lion tattoos embossed on George MacKay, and how vital it was to have an intimacy coordinator on set.
Ken Loach & Paul Laverty: The Old Oak
“Telling stories of the working class means you can incorporate them as full characters with complexities and humour and struggles and sadness and joy and all the rest of it that make them human and not stereotypes or cliches. One thing you never see is their strength.” At the North-East premiere of THE OLD OAK, writer Paul Laverty sat down to chat about the film, while director Loach spoke over a video call.
Anatomy of a Fall
A competent, intriguing drama like this gaining award traction feels more symptomatic of it being the kind of good film that is now a rare occurrence within the film zeitgeist, rather than one that feels like it will be remembered after the award cycle.
The Royal Hotel
With THE ROYAL HOTEL, Kitty Green has once again shown that she can strike a perfectly pitched tone, knowing exactly how she wants to escalate tension, whether it be from female powerlessness at the hands of predatory executives or the roaring, blistering diatribe spat from the drunk mouth of an average man.