hate
Civil War
Why Civil War? Alex Garland’s thing as a writer and sometimes director seems to be high-concept, high-quality 5-minutes-into-the-future speculations with problematic endings. 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Annihilation – all are dressed up in nice conceptions, vignettes and visualisations but find
Civil War
Why Civil War? Alex Garland’s thing as a writer and sometimes director seems to be high-concept, high-quality 5-minutes-into-the-future speculations with problematic endings. 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Annihilation – all are dressed up in nice conceptions, vignettes and visualisations but find
Furiosa
Those enamoured of George Miller’s winning way with physical stunts and effects will find some of their dismay at his adoption of CGI for the Max franchise warranted. Others curious to see how his flair for choreography at high speed
Furiosa
Those enamoured of George Miller’s winning way with physical stunts and effects will find some of their dismay at his adoption of CGI for the Max franchise warranted. Others curious to see how his flair for choreography at high speed
The Power of the Dog
A heroic female director lobs a polite grenade into the middle of, or maybe a bit after the middle of, a climate of recrimination about sexual misbehaviour. Is the work championing a cause, or is the cause appropriating and filtering
The Power of the Dog
A heroic female director lobs a polite grenade into the middle of, or maybe a bit after the middle of, a climate of recrimination about sexual misbehaviour. Is the work championing a cause, or is the cause appropriating and filtering
Marriage Story
As a warning to parents about the awfulness of divorce and California divorce law in particular, this is a worthy essay. As an exploration of the many dimensions of pain entailed, it’s also a sterling effort. As an arrow aimed
Marriage Story
As a warning to parents about the awfulness of divorce and California divorce law in particular, this is a worthy essay. As an exploration of the many dimensions of pain entailed, it’s also a sterling effort. As an arrow aimed
Black Panther
Judging by its reception, Black Panther did something right. Cinematically there’s not much to get excited about, but maybe there’s a lot to think about. Black Panther is ridden with cliches and its dialogue is entirely expositional. But underneath this painful
Black Panther
Judging by its reception, Black Panther did something right. Cinematically there’s not much to get excited about, but maybe there’s a lot to think about. Black Panther is ridden with cliches and its dialogue is entirely expositional. But underneath this painful
Elysium
Another film about the rich seeking to purge themselves of the poor, taking their bat and baubles and exclusive health care and going home, or in this case moving to an orbiting space station. It’s a disappointing second outing for
Elysium
Another film about the rich seeking to purge themselves of the poor, taking their bat and baubles and exclusive health care and going home, or in this case moving to an orbiting space station. It’s a disappointing second outing for
The Purge
Extrapolated a few degrees sideways into a parallel future, America has undergone some kind of reboot. The ‘new founding fathers’ have reclaimed the night for freedom, the expression of which is an annual holiday where law and order are suspended
The Purge
Extrapolated a few degrees sideways into a parallel future, America has undergone some kind of reboot. The ‘new founding fathers’ have reclaimed the night for freedom, the expression of which is an annual holiday where law and order are suspended
Chronicle
This found-footage mashup of X-men and Akira is another meeting of low production values and teen movie cliches, the kind where the low budget is a means to break into the mainstream rather than break out. Its premise of alien-artifact-sourced
Chronicle
This found-footage mashup of X-men and Akira is another meeting of low production values and teen movie cliches, the kind where the low budget is a means to break into the mainstream rather than break out. Its premise of alien-artifact-sourced
Play Misty For Me (1971)
A great popcorn-munching, psycho-watching, knife-wielding suburban thriller that precedes and outclasses the bunny boiling Fatal Attraction – ’cause look, back in the day, who drove women crazier, Clint or Michael Douglas? There’s interesting debate to be had on whether it’s
Play Misty For Me (1971)
A great popcorn-munching, psycho-watching, knife-wielding suburban thriller that precedes and outclasses the bunny boiling Fatal Attraction – ’cause look, back in the day, who drove women crazier, Clint or Michael Douglas? There’s interesting debate to be had on whether it’s
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Fincher’s version of this curious fantasy about a young woman serial raped by father figures, first within the family and then by the state. Not quite moving on, she opts for a steamy relationship with her middle aged employer. To
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Fincher’s version of this curious fantasy about a young woman serial raped by father figures, first within the family and then by the state. Not quite moving on, she opts for a steamy relationship with her middle aged employer. To
Blue Valentine
Watch the love die and wonder why. No winners in this study of romantic failure. Unable to recommend this truthful well acted tragedy as its point escaped me. Perhaps what tragedies need to do is establish at the outset that
Blue Valentine
Watch the love die and wonder why. No winners in this study of romantic failure. Unable to recommend this truthful well acted tragedy as its point escaped me. Perhaps what tragedies need to do is establish at the outset that
The Help
Has there been a bad film about the US civil rights movement? The most self critiical nation on earth once again finds its terrible race karma a bottomless wellspring of pungent narrative. Does amply what it sets out to do