Hostile Dimensions
Seasoned found-footage director Graham Hughes puts in the effort with a meagre budget, but a bit of inspired cinematography isn’t enough to detract from unconvincing acting and wooden dialogue.
All posts by Nancy Epton
Red Rooms
The sociopathic protagonist at the core of RED ROOMS builds alienation with a probing camera that constantly looks but never fully reveals the mysteries in its gaze.
Drive at 10: Endurance of the Western
Following just over a decade since its initial release, DRIVE’s cult status continues thanks to its laconic dialogue, striking visuals and pulsing electronic soundtrack. Perhaps the key ingredient to its success, however, lies in its appeal as a Western.
The Last Duel
Dodgy haircuts and questionable accents aren’t enough to dilute the compelling plot of Ridley Scott’s historical epic, THE LAST DUEL, where one woman’s accusation of rape is detailed in a RASHOMON-style structure of passion and deceit.
Focus On: On the Nature of Daylight
When directors need to amplify an emotional moment, On the Nature of Daylight is fast becoming their go-to track. Further, its success has utterly transformed the fortunes of its creator. Nancy Epton discusses Max Richter’s piece.
The Whistlers
Corneliu Porumboiu’s THE WHISTLERS introduces us to the real-life whistling language El Silbo spoken by the film’s characters as betrayal and romance play out against the grand vistas of the Canary Islands.
Color Out of Space
With COLOR OUT OF SPACE Richard Stanley delivers his first feature film for over two decades, and successfully transfers the inscrutable prose of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story to screen.
First Love
Takashi Miike’s latest film retains his eclectic mix of genre, with dark humour, ultraviolence and romance to create a bizarre yet thrilling exploration of love amidst the chaos of gang warfare. Nancy Epton reviews.
Thoughtful Violence in Drive & You Were Never Really Here
Thoughtful violence is created in both DRIVE and YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE through each director’s meticulous attention to detail through music, visual symbolism and tight editing. Nancy Epton on the approach of Lynne Ramsay and Nicolas Winding Refn.