Dark Waters
Despite the real-life resolution to the case, DARK WATERS is not a triumphalist film and goes to great lengths to show its story is merely a battle in an overwhelming war. Jim Ross reviews.
Category Archives: Reviews
Blood On Her Name
BLOOD ON HER NAME deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Jeremy Saulnier’s BLUE RUIN and indeed Jordan Peele’s GET OUT as a bloody melodrama made by a new director expertly flexing his movie muscles. Andrew Nickolds reviews.
Sin Señas Particulares
A visually stunning first feature from director Fernanda Valadez, SIN SEÑAS PARTICULARES is a beautifully shot story of a maternal odyssey of loss. Jim Ross reviews the 2020 Sundance selection.
Wildland
WILDLAND is a slow but compelling film that dissects the complexities between family loyalty and the faux-tender inevitabilities the still familial criminal world. Elle Haywood reviews.
My Salinger Year
Quaint and charming, MY SALINGER YEAR (directed by Philippe Falardeau) is a fitting and enjoyable opening to the 70th Berlinale. Set in New York in 1995, the story takes us through Joanna’s (Margaret Qualley) time at a literary agency after fleeing her academic pursuits at Berkeley. With an air of innocence and ambition, Joanna winds … Continue reading My Salinger Year
Rag Doll
What RAG DOLL has done is bring to the surface the potential of reforming and evolving a relatively restrictive niche genre that could lead to a brand new glimpse into the unexplored world of female MMA.
Vai
A sprawling and ambitious project involving nine female filmmakers from the South Pacific region, VAI is a superb achievement. The film manages to communicate the essence of common experiences whilst retaining cultural specificity. That the collection achieves this with a visual vibrancy and tonal coherence makes it all the more remarkable. The film’s team describe … Continue reading Vai
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.
Miss Americana
Among its moments of raw vulnerability, and focus on Swift’s personal growth narrative, the biggest takeaway of MISS AMERICANA is its passionate encouragement of young people: to use their voices. Courtney Ibbotson on the Sundance selection.
Alive
Jimmy Olsson frames and directs the character of Viktoria in ALIVE in a way which empowers her and conveys her charisma and humour with a realist subtlety and restraint.