Reviews / 15.02.2021

In a case of unfortunate timing, Robin Wright's directorial debut feature, Land, arrives at a time when another film of a similar nature has been eating up awards season and generating tremendous Oscar buzz. Both feature women-of-a-certain-age essentially turning their back on civilisation. Both are running from their grief after a terrible loss. And both feature spectacular cinematography that showcases the gorgeousness of the wilderness. By virtue of unavoidable comparison, Land can't hold a candle to something like Chloé Zhao's contemplative masterpiece Nomadland. A film that feels painfully familiar...

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Reviews / 08.02.2021

As we've now learnt, Apple Studios has set a new Sundance record by purchasing Sian Heder's gorgeous delight Coda for $25 million. While that is a staggering sum of cash for an independent film, CODA is worth every damn penny and will prove a huge coup for Apple as a drawcard for its struggling streaming service, Apple TV+. A rousing crowd-pleaser that will surely find an adoring audience later this year, CODA leans heavily into its well-worn formula to deliver a charming heartwarmer that's good for the soul. Led...

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Awards Season, Reviews / 04.02.2021

Even the non-religious are aware of the infamous betrayal of messiah-figure Jesus Christ at the hands of his trusted disciple and eventual saboteur Judas Iscariot. His name has become since synonymous with those who would treasonously sell-out a friend for their own personal benefit. In other words, it's not a moniker you'd be proud to have attached to your name. The biblical tale is the perfect analogy for the tragic true story of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton and the treacherous FBI informant who infiltrated the...

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Reviews / 01.02.2021

When a film is accompanied by a warning about its level of gore, you have a certain expectation something truly wicked is on the horizon, especially when it features in Sundance's infamous Midnight program. While co-writer/director Prano Bailey-Bond's Censor is a film that pays deep homage to the UK's wave of "video nasties" of the 1980s, it isn't quite nasty enough to truly call itself an example of the cult genre. Those seeking lashings of gore and violence may find this one a tad disappointing and that pre-screening...

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Awards Season, Opinion, Reviews / 08.01.2021

It's been said many times before and I'm sure you don't need reminding 2020 was an absolute dumpster fire of a year. For those of us in the world of films, it was a year filled with cinema closures, film festival cancellations, and release date delays. We watched helplessly as practically every major release was punted to 2021. When you're a film critic who predominantly focuses on reviewing new release films, it was a terrifying prospect to watch months of scheduled writing content vanish in the blink of...

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Awards Season, Reviews / 27.12.2020

While its heydey may have ended some six decades ago, the Western genre refuses to truly die. They may not exactly light up the box office (remember that?), but Westerns can still be event films, particularly when one of the world's most beloved actors dips his toe into the genre for the very first time. Sure, it's a style of film that's unlikely to thrill the masses, but there's a classic charm to something like Paul Greengrass' sprawling Western epic News of the World that we could use...

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Awards Season, Reviews / 23.12.2020

American cinema has its daring heroes and its dastardly villains, but the most interesting films often focus on those folks simply living an unextraordinary life. The quest to achieve the American Dream forms a central conceit of many of these films, but what of those who've chosen a different path? It's here in this underrepresented cinematic world that auteur-in-the-making Chloé Zhao lays her scene. Amongst the ghosts and ruins of the American Dream lies Nomadland, a stunning portrait of a subculture cinema has yet to touch. As writer, director,...

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Awards Season, Reviews / 21.12.2020

One of the biggest tragedies of all the cinematic casualties of 2020 is the difficult fact Soul will stand as the first Pixar film to not receive a theatrical release. As will undoubtedly be the case for many of you, Soul will sadly be the first Pixar release this film critic does not see inside a cinema. The bitter disappointment is only compounded by the realisation this film is easily their most visually ambitious and experimental to date and deserved to be seen on the big screen. But this...

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Reviews / 20.12.2020

Back in 2017, the DC Extended Universe was in shambles after the critically-maligned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad left a bitter taste of disappointment in many mouths. Expectations were far from high for the next chapter in the franchise. Yet, Wonder Woman proved to be the breath of fresh air the DCEU desperately needed. Tremendously entertaining and overflowing with a surprising amount of heart, Wonder Woman was a total game-changer in numerous ways. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was greenlit within a year. But superhero sequels are...

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Awards Season, Reviews / 18.12.2020

In the gloomy days following the tragic, unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman in late August, there was one ray of light that gave the world some comfort; Boseman would still grace our screens in one final film. That performance has finally arrived. And what a tremendous swan song it proves to be. As a cocky, hotshot trumpet player with a heavy chip on his shoulder, Boseman's last performance will indeed stand as his greatest. A dazzling showcase for two powerhouse performances from Boseman and a typically commanding Viola Davis,...

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