Curzon Artificial Eye
Film Review: Apples
Hot on the heels of the 2008 financial crisis and spearheaded by Yorgos Lanthimos’s Dogtooth, the Greek ‘weird wave’ has been one of the more unlikely cinematic movements of the 21st century. Whilst the Athenian has been its most successful cog in the new wave, he is by no means alone. Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Attenburg …
Film Review: Quo Vadis, Aida?
The United Nations (UN) was formed after the end of World War II, established on the principles of maintaining international peace and security, mutual cooperation and harmonizing relations across members states. One of the organisation’s most high-profile responsibilities is providing peacekeeping forces in conflict zones around the world. However, it has received criticism for inaction …
Film Review: Memories of Murder
When Parasite won the Best Film at the 2020 Academy Awards, it became the first non-English language film to perform this feat. However, director Bong Joon-ho has been thrilling audiences for twenty years since his feature debut, Barking Dogs Never Bite. Snowpiercer, Okja, Mother and The Host have wowed festival audiences and indie film fans. …
LFF Review: So Long, My Son
When the Communist Party decided to relax the one-child policy in 2013, and subsequently changed the national family planning to two children per couple, it marked the end of a controversial and disquieting era in China’s history. Whilst adherence to the law sometimes depended on where you lived and your economic position, it has caused …
LFF Review: The Whistlers
The Romanian new wave is arguably the most interesting current movement in modern cinema. Of those directors working under this banner, Corneliu Porumboiu is possibly the most interesting. With award-winning films such as 12:08 East of Bucharest and The Treasure, he has wowed audiences on the festival circuit. His new film, The Whistlers, is his …
Film Review: The Souvenir
Joanna Hogg is undoubtedly one of the most unusual and singular voices working in British cinema today. Her work resides in the world she knows. A world of privilege, art and wealth. Whilst this approach is undeniably refreshing, it has come in for criticism. However, her work to date, Unrelated, Archipelago and Exhibition, demonstrate an …
Film Review: Foxtrot
Since the Partition of Palestine in 1947 in order to create a Jewish State, tensions have been high within the region. Whilst most film-makers focus on the conflict or the plight of the Palestinians, the impact on ordinary Israelis rarely gets any coverage outside of Israel. When children turn 18 they are conscripted into the …
Film Review: The Workshop
Anyone reaching adulthood in 2018 finds themselves in a strange and scary place. The world has been raped and pillaged by previous generations. Environment collapse, rampant capitalism, severe inequalities, racial tensions, high unemployment, fake news, online bullying – the list is endless. Many find themselves with limited job prospects and little chance of ever owning …
Film Review: The Seagull
Russia has a rich and diverse history when it comes to literature and the arts. One of the greatest playwrights to hail from the ‘motherland’ is Anton Chekhov. His greatest works are considered to be The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Seagull. However, after the negative reaction to the premiere of the …
Film Review: The Guardians
Whilst terrible acts are perpetrated in the name of war, there are often equally heinous events which take place in its shadow. France is a country which is no stranger to guerre. Indeed, throughout history (and even before it was officially one nation) our Gallic cousins seem to have been almost continually involved in one …