Presence
PRESENCE may be destined to simply be another formally experimental work for Soderbergh, but there is enough compelling drama and character work that it deserves more consideration than that.
Category Archives: Reviews
The Fire Inside
The tropes of the [sports] genre in THE FIRE INSIDE feel like routine cinematic shadowboxing, but the introspective third act is an unexpected uppercut.
Hard Truths
Mike Leigh’s first film in six years is one of his most poignant and arresting dramas. HARD TRUTHS is nothing less than immaculate in its construction and is bound to resonate deeply with British audiences living in a post-Covid world. During a BFI Q&A, Leigh explained that it was never meant to be interpreted as … Continue reading Hard Truths
Nickel Boys
NICKEL BOYS is a towering achievement from a filmmaker long preoccupied with the documentary artform, an inventive and painful tale of systemic and all-too-close racism that reminds us cinema isn’t solely defined by what it’s about, but also by how it’s made.
Vermiglio
Although VERMIGLIO may be too gentle to impact viewers, the film is a beautiful neorealist throwback that shows the power of detailed, naturalistic characterisation.
William Tell
The first feature film adaptation of William Tell’s story since 1960 feels more like farce than fable. Left behind in the wake of its shortcomings is a film where the craft doesn’t match the potential of its material.
Nosferatu
This edition of NOSFERATU is often visually remarkable, but falters in communicating the paralysis borne of fear and desire and is content to menacingly nibble around the edges rather than sink its teeth in.
Babygirl
BABYGIRL is festive family fun in the least traditional sense. Finding levity and grace in human weakness and the messiness of navigating human desire and dynamics, the film gives generational acting talents a phenomenal showcase that will ignite conversation, not offer the final word.
All We Imagine As Light
Making for an incredibly rich viewing experience, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT is a skilful fusion of organic social realism with a poetic, personal and often impressionistic approach.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT threatens to prioritise style and depravity over substance, but perhaps that excess is the critique. While the new version does not elevate the material to masterpiece status, McDowell’s fearless turn and the curiosity of an unsanitised release make this worth watching.