Incoming: A Cure For Wellness
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious “wellness centre” at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself …
Blu-Ray Review: Mildred Pierce (Criterion Collection)
Female actors have always had a rough ride in Hollywood. Indeed, until relatively recently opportunities for actresses in leading roles have been few and far between. However, if you look at the Oscar nominations this year, we’re now at a stage where you could argue that it’s the men who are now struggling to keep …
Incoming: The Fits
The Fits is a psychological portrait of 11-year-old Toni—a tomboy assimilating to a tight-knit dance team in Cincinnati’s West End. Enamored by the power and confidence of this strong community of girls, Toni eagerly absorbs routines, masters drills, and even pierces her own ears to fit in. When a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells plagues …
Film Review: Lost In France
Scotland has a long tradition of producing ground-breaking and high quality independent music. Glasgow has usually acted as a focal point for this. Hot on the heels of the likes of The Pastels and Teenage Fanclub, a group of bands sprang up around the Chemikal Underground label. The likes of The Delgados, Mogwai, Bis, Arab …
Incoming: Moonlight
A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighbourhood of Miami. At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and …
Blu-Ray Review: Radio Days
Before the era of moving pictures, and subsequently the television, the wireless (or radio) formed the centrepiece of most family homes. Whilst it remains a popular medium today, it no longer has the same kind of draw it once did. In Radio Days, Woody Allen amasses an ensemble cast to pay tribute to the old-time …
Blu-Ray Review: Memories of Underdevelopment
Cuban cinema has very infrequently made a dent on the world stage. Before the revolution in 1959, it was largely concerned with straightforward melodramas. The ‘Golden age’ of Cuban cinema began shortly after, and lasted for around a decade. Arguably the most prominent director of this time was Tomas Gutierrez Alea. He was an infrequent, …
Blu-Ray Review: Hannah and Her Sisters
Considered by many critics to be his best film, Hannah and Her Sisters is also one of Woody Allen’s greatest Box Office successes. As with much of his work over that period, the irrepressible optimist cast his (then) partner Mia Farrow as one of the leads. Allen himself also features in a supporting role. It …
Blu-Ray Review: A Man For All Seasons
The past decade has seen a huge resurgence in interest in historical drama. This has manifested itself in the literary world with the likes of Philippa Gregory, C.J. Samson and Hilary Mantel releasing a raft of best-selling novels. Along with award-winning shows such as Victoria and The Crown, many of their works have been successfully …
Incoming: The Founder
The unlikely true story of a 52 year old travelling salesman with withering prospects who stumbled upon a burger stand in the middle of nowhere and turned it into the global empire we know today as McDonald’s. The Founder is out in cinemas from Friday.