Reviews / 21.10.2018

Whenever we're presented with a film depicting the events surrounding a true-life terrorist attack, one has to ask if there is a greater purpose in making such a piece of cinema. Is this merely exploitation or is there something more to it? Through this kind of film, we may learn of acts of heroism and sacrifice not found in the headlines covering the incident or better understand how the event itself actually unfolded. Some examples of this genre do nothing more than recreating a moment in history few...

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Reviews / 19.10.2018

Once a mainstay of Hollywood, the Western genre seemingly faded away in the late 1960s. In the last few decades, several filmmakers have made concerted efforts to keep the tales of the wild, wild west alive, in both traditional and non-traditional ways. Working very much in the former, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the latest from writer/director duo Joel and Ethan Coen, is a six-part anthology with all the black humour, brutal violence, and gorgeous imagery we've come to expect from the Coen Brothers. Cinema purists may ponder if this can...

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Reviews / 18.10.2018

When it comes to Hollywood remakes, you'd think rehashing a piece of cinema that's already been done three times before would be a colossal waste of time. Many were likely sneering at the thought of the fourth version of A Star Is Born, a film that has seen incarnations in 1937, 1954, and 1976. Plenty were also rolling their eyes when this latest version was delayed from May to October, with the hope of an awards season push. Writer/director (and actor and producer and songwriter) Bradley Cooper has...

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Reviews / 17.10.2018

The world of cinema loves to tackle the devastating effects of substance addiction. The life and times of a drug addict provide weighty fodder for any potential screenplay, particularly those which also seek to portray an addict's loved ones, as they watch helplessly from the sidelines. In writer/director Felix van Groeningen's compelling but frustrating Beautiful Boy, the tale is mostly told from the perspective of a beleaguered father, rather than the titular addict himself. It's a curious twist on this all-too-familiar tale, and one likely being lived by thousands of...

2 Likes
Reviews / 16.10.2018

It's always hard to say goodbye to a legend. When Robert Redford announced The Old Man & the Gun would be his final acting performance (although he's since slightly backed away from this comment), there were plenty who didn't want to see him go. Redford has been a stalwart of cinema for almost six decades now, and he's still giving us stellar work at the age of 82. But, if he is to stick to his word and this is to be his farewell, he's going out on a charming...

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Reviews / 15.10.2018

In 2014, The Babadook marked the impressive arrival of actress turned writer/director Jennifer Kent. With her dazzling debut, Kent terrified audiences with one of the most original horror films in years. To call her follow-up "highly anticipated" would be an understatement. On paper, The Nightingale is a clear departure from the horror genre found in Kent's debut. But, make no mistake, this is a film that will still horrify an audience, albeit in an entirely different way. With its unflinching depiction of savage violence against women and Australia's indigenous people, The Nightingale is...

3 Likes
Reviews / 14.10.2018

A filmmaker at the top of his craft. An autobiographical narrative featuring the people, language, and locales of his homeland, all captured in mesmerising black-and-white cinematography. A simple yet powerful familial story where ordinary moments somehow become entirely extraordinary. An ineffaceable homage to Mexico City in the 1970s. This is Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, one of the year's most stunning achievements in cinema. When crafted by an expert, the simplest tales often become the most powerful and affecting. This rings especially true of Cuarón's latest masterwork.  There's little grandeur here. In its...

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Reviews / 11.10.2018

One by one, a group of seemingly innocent strangers arrive at a deserted location. Each harbours their own scandalous secrets and personal motivations for being in this particular spot at this particular time. None are what they seem. Some are good. Most are bad. One is very bad. And over the next two-and-a-half hours, all will slowly be revealed. No, we're not talking about The Hateful Eight. It's the deliciously entertaining but exhaustively long Bad Times at the El Royale, the second feature film from writer/director Drew Goddard, which (for better or worse)...

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Reviews / 10.10.2018

Two years ago, director Damien Chazelle took us to the stars with La La Land, waltzing off with an Academy Award for Best Director (and Best Picture for 2 and a half minutes). With First Man, he's quite literally taking us to the moon and back, and a whole host of Oscars could very easily be trailing behind. With Chazelle at the helm and Ryan Gosling behind the wheel, the tale of NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 mission to place a man on the moon is one we all know the outcome of....

2 Likes
Reviews / 08.10.2018

Name a beloved horror movie icon and it's highly likely their reputation has been slaughtered by a neverending wave of disappointing sequels. Freddy. Jason. Leatherface. Chucky. They've all exhausted their welcome and become more laughable than terrifying. Then there's Michael Myers, the babysitter murdering, William Shatner mask-wearing, knife-wielding psychopath. Since his debut in 1978's seminal classic Halloween, the serial slasher has been seen in seven awful sequels, a disappointing 2007 reboot and its even more disappointing sequel. When you've already attempted a reboot once before, that's the end of...

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