Followers of Jia Zhangke’s filmic output might be surprised by his latest offering. His body of work is known for its blending of fact with fiction and its combination of understated social commentary and humanist philosophy. As such, the unflinchingly violent A Touch of Sin may, at first glance, seem somewhat incongruous. Drawn from four Read More
Dido Elizabeth Belle is a paradox: she is both a black woman and a member of the 18th century aristocracy. The mere image of her elicits a double-take; we are not accustomed to seeing women of colour in such opulent period dress; it goes against our sense of historical accuracy and the understood precepts of Read More
On the 5th of May 1993, in rural Arkansas, three eight-year-old boys disappeared, their bodies found, naked and bound, in a local creek the following day. Despite a lack of physical evidence, in 1994, three local teenagers were convicted of the murders, which were said to be the work of a satanic cult. Extensively documented, Read More
As the title suggests, Fading Gigolo is perhaps as exciting as a waning escort can be. While the story line of a male escort may interest those relishing role-reversals in cinema, what we get from John Turturro is a pseudo-classic era Woody Allen film with neither the wit nor the complexity such films are praised Read More
Days of Future Past is a much needed game changer for the X-Men franchise. After director Bryan Singer’s departure from the pre-production of X3 (2006), the series seemed to lose its way somewhat until it was revitalised by Matthew Vaughn’s prequel film, X-Men: First Class in 2011. Future Past is a better film than First Read More
The past few months have seen a surge in high-profile persons, including Nobel Prize-winning economists, calling to end the global ‘War on Drugs’, especially in the US. With marijuana decriminalisation laws and promises to curb high incarceration numbers, it is easy to forget the daily savagery that exists in neighbouring Mexico. Heli is a tragic Read More
Reviews for Philippe Claudel’s slow-burning psychological drama have been mixed at best, many critics seemingly being unable to overlook the conceptual similarities it bears to Michael Haneke’s Cache of 2005. It’s true that the films share a star in Daniel Auteuil and both are premised on the delivery of anonymous and increasingly sinister gifts to Read More
As a cineaste, it can be easy to take Ken Loach for granted. Since his return to more commercial filmmaking in 1990 he has produced eighteen features. This is an impressive feat for any director, but in an age in which European funding is so precarious it is nothing short of a miracle. What is Read More
Family life and the consequences of war collide in director Erik Poppe’s A Thousand Times Good Night – as war photographer Rebecca (Juliette Binoche) struggles to acclimatize to family life following a brush with death whilst photographing a suicide bomber’s mission in Kabul. Rebecca travels in to the city with the bomber before panicking and Read More
After a rather mixed career in screenwriting, ranging from the multi-award-winning The Wings of the Dove (1997) to the abysmal 47 Ronin (2013), Hossein Amini makes his directorial debut in this decent thriller. Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name, The Two Faces of January blends elements of Greek mythology with a neo-noir Read More