Smoking Causes Coughing
SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING has thin characters, subplots that are never followed up on, and a main plot where the heroes’ actions make no difference: none of that matters because the film is so wildly absurd and entertaining.
Category Archives: Reviews
Asteroid City
ASTEROID CITY’s lasting gift is an emotional resonance that could act as a skeleton key to Anderson’s films, even for those who’ve previously found them cold and unapproachable. Simon Bowie reviews.
Medusa Deluxe
In Tom Hardiman’s audacious whodunnit debut, MEDUSA DELUXE, it’s the hair that is cursed, and a trio of viperous contestants each embody a facet of the Gorgonite sister mythology.
Reality
Adapting from her own play, Tina Satter takes on a Herculean task with REALITY: transforming a stage production into a compelling film, all while continuing to keep the same true information and dialogue of an FBI interrogation transcript.
Master Gardener
As frustratingly stilted as MASTER GARDENER can be, Paul Schrader has still planted the seeds of something curiously mesmerising to watch grow.
Unclenching the Fists
UNCLENCHING THE FISTS explores the struggles of a young woman named Ada, and is a powerful portrayal of the impact of patriarchal structures – societal and familial – on the women within.
Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power
Where perhaps BRAINWASHED may be treading old ground for some of those already versed in basic film theory, Nina Menkes provides a clear platform for further study and highlights the saturation of male power in the film industry: a systemic, toxic culture that needs urgently addressed.
Plan 75
Maturity and an optimistic offer of a more humane solution prevent PLAN 75 from being unbearably bleak. By showing something so terrible, the film is really showing what it so dearly values.
The Blue Caftan
THE BLUE CAFTAN is a film that rewards patience, and Maryam Touzani’s decision to keep the camera lingering on her stars’ bright, pained eyes in intimate moments enhances the emotional connection behind them.
The Astronaut
Nicolas Giraud directs and stars in THE ASTRONAUT (L’ASTRONAUTE), a gentle and beautifully shot film with some ambitious ideas around opening up space exploration and connecting with people on Earth. Although slow, the drama of the climax makes the journey worthwhile. Simon Bowie reviews.