Film Review: In Between
Israeli films which make it as far as the UK, as a rule, tend to fall into two categories. The first, unsurprisingly, is about all aspects of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The second tends to focus on those living outside of the norms of orthodox religion or gender disparity. The latter has been admirably represented of …
Blu-Ray Review: A Fish Called Wanda
It’s arguable that the greatest British post-war comedy came from the minds of the members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Cleese, Idle, Chapman, Palin, Jones and Gilliam transformed the face of comedy forever. However, they were building on the foundations laid during the post-war period. Principally, by the Ealing Comedies. In A Fish Called Wanda, …
Borg Vs McEnroe
It’s the summer of 1980 and Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American, …
Blu-Ray Review Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Along with H.G. Wells, Jules Verne was a pioneer in science fiction writing. Both men were active in the late 19th Century and their books have been widely adapted to film. Due to the expiration of copyright on his work, Verne’s novels were regularly brought to the big screen as part of the huge burst …
Incoming: The Graduation
A plunge into one of the most prestigious film schools, La Fémis in Paris, as acclaimed filmmaker Claire Simon observes the rigorous and demanding application process for the students vying for a highly coveted place. The selection committees are made up of established filmmakers and members of the industry and Simon offers a behind the …
Incoming: The Villainess
Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin) is a trained assassin who takes revenge on the men who murdered her father in a breathtaking opening sequence. After losing consciousness she awakes at the National Intelligence Service who recruit her as an agent to undertake confidential missions. Initially refusing, Sook-hee soon realises it is her only method of escape, until …
Film Review: Kills on Wheels
Assassins come in many shapes and forms, but on film they tend, more often than not, to be single white males. Whether it’s the milk-drinking Jean Reno is Luc Besson’s Léon, the irrepressible Keanu Reeves as John Wick or Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal. However, Hungarian director Attila Till has other ideas. …
Film Review: My Pure Land
It seems like you can’t turn on the World Service nowadays without hearing another horrendous news story from the Indian sub-continent. More often than not, they’re about something horrific that’s happened to women. In areas such as gender parity or women’s rights, there seems to have been little progress since The Partition. Particularly in rural …
Film Review: My Journey Through French Cinema
Whilst most eyes look to Hollywood and American independent films for their inspiration, it’s arguable that the most innovative, influential and important international cinema has actually come from France. The likes of Renoir, Malle, Godard and Truffaut have inspired countless filmmakers, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In My Journey Through French Cinema, …
Incoming: Victoria and Abdul
The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s (Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favour with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her …