Christos Nikou’s second feature doesn’t quite reach memorable comic and painful heights, but does have something to say about modernity’s continual perversion of the human experience and the need to dissect, categorise, and package it. Romance is far from dead, but FINGERNAILS takes a forlorn look at what might kill it.
An awkward narrative transition, combined with a plurality of readings, could indicate a messy and unfocused story, but Riz Ahmed’s performance and the consistent tone created by director Michael Pearce ensure ENCOUNTER remains a captivating experience.
Bassam Tariq’s feature fiction debut is a wonderful showcase for Riz Ahmed’s versatility as a performer and an engaging explosion of energy about heritage, identity, and the clashing cultural expression of both.
Jacques Audiard might have tailored a slightly ill-fitting suit of great materials, but inside is an enjoyable yarn and captivating characters. Jim Ross reviews at Glasgow Film Festival.
News media satire NIGHTCRAWLER makes an antihero out of a sociopathic supernerd, writes Andrew Nickolds.
Very loosely based on Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, Michael Winterbottom’s TRISHNA transposes the tragic romance to the vibrant, racy setting of India.
