Ashgrove
ASHGROVE boldly takes on heady questions and deftly intertwines the personal with the global in an intensely relatable way for anyone living through the ongoing global pandemic and slow destruction of Earth through climate change.
Category Archives: Reviews
Freaks Out
There is never a shortage of World War II-adjacent films, but Gabriele Mainetti’s latest feature gives a sentimental superhero makeover to the well-trodden narrative of infiltrating the Nazis.
Please Baby Please
Does Please Baby Please break new ground? Possibly not. Does it entertain, thrill, and captivate continually, using its cast of familiar character faces to great effect? Absolutely. Kramer’s vision is a raucous delight that will grow on every rewatch.
The Fam
Steph Brown reviews Fred Baillif’s THE FAM (LA MIF), an emotionally charged drama diving into the turbulent world of a residential home for girls. Baillif’s past experience in social care, and the use of a non-professional cast who channel their own experiences and vulnerabilities adds empathy and authenticity to the stories on screen.
Life of Crime 1984-2020
In the opening minutes of Jon Alpert’s real-time biographical documentary, Jon stays with two men who are preparing a burglary in broad daylight on a main street in Newark, New Jersey. The tools are unloaded, the car prepared for a fast getaway, and smiles and jokes bounce between the two soon-to-be thieves. When asked what … Continue reading Life of Crime 1984-2020
Kinorama – Beyond the Walls of the Real
Without the all-encompassing, state-of-the-art picture that one would find in a properly equipped cinema, the cracks in KINORAMA – BEYOND THE WALLS OF THE REAL show.
Ida Lupino: Gentlemen and Miss Lupino
While perhaps little more than a glorified introduction to one of the 20th century’s great filmmaking talents, IDA LUPINO: GENTLEMEN AND MISS LUPINO is built with love. In a world where, once again, studio dominance seems all-pervasive, one hopes Lupino’s thoughtful, challenging pictures find an audience.
Resurrection
Although the story develops inconsistently, a captivating trauma-laced performance from Rebecca Hall and a confidently creepy supporting one from Tim Roth combines with an intense atmosphere in Andrew Semans’ feature to create a gripping horror story.
Don’t Look Up
Although DON’T LOOK UP is undoubtedly sharper than Adam McKay’s previous political feature, VICE, the same smugness and cocksure piety blunt the more incisive moments, just as many performances are pitched more for caricature than satire.
Ailey
AILEY continually returns to the creative process even as it melds performance, archival footage, and interviews to celebrate and interrogate the life and work of revolutionary choreographer Alvin Ailey.