Film Review: A Call to Spy
It should go without saying, but when it comes to wars, terrorism and conflicts intelligence is key. Good intel is often the difference between victory or defeat. The difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of people. The role Bletchley Park played in the Allies winning World War II is well-documented, but the …
Film Review: Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins
The state of politics across the world is probably at its most lamentable levels since World War II. To say that it’s a profession which is currently attracting intellectuals would be like saying that fish have dire need of more hats. However, not far behind is the noble journalist; a mix of untalented grafter and …
Film Review: Dog Soldiers
There was a period during the first decade of the new century that Neil Marshall was the great hope of British genre cinema. With the release of The Descent back in 2005 it seemed like he could do no wrong and Hollywood beckoned. However, the relative disappointment of his follow ups, Doomsday and Centurion, meant …
Film Review: Honest Thief
Liam Neeson is not a man you want to get on the wrong side of. Despite being almost seventy, the Northern Irish actor seems to attract trouble. If Eastern Europeans aren’t kidnapping his wife or daughter then he’s stopping terrorists, wrestling wolves or snowplowing his way to revenge. Over the last decade he has become …
Film Review – Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful
There are many kinds of artists and there are many kinds of photographers, but there are few who pushed the limits of acceptability quite like Helmut Newton. The German-Australian visual pioneer became famous for his provocative and sexually charged photography, which graced the pages of magazines such of Vogue. His work was controversial and debate …
Film Review: Mafia Inc.
The Cosa Nostra, or the Sicilian mafia, can trace their routes back to the 19th century. From those shoots have sprouted numerous crime families, or syndicates. These early organisations were initially formed to provide protection, but nowadays their focus is often on drug trafficking and other more profitable ventures. Whilst their operations have traditionally been …
LFF Review: Notturno
Gianfranco Rosi is a filmmaker whose focus has squarely been on the underdog. Whether that’s migrants searching for a new home or squatters living on the fringes. The Italian documentarian has the unique accolade of winning the two highest awards at Venice and Berlin. However, it was undoubtedly his 2016 film Fire at Sea, which …
LFF Review: Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares)
Hundreds of people die every year trying to make the journey north across the US/Mexican border. It’s a journey which is fraught with danger and the odds of successfully avoiding the authorities and safely crossing to America are stacked against you. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of people find themselves detained by the US Border Patrol …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Filmmaker’s House
Documentaries, probably more than any other genre, span a large spectrum of different elements and sub-genres. Whether that’s in how the film itself is made or the rationale behind its creation. Arguably the most contentious of these is the hybrid documentary or docufiction. A combination of fiction and non-fiction. What makes this style of filmmaking …
Blu-Ray Review: Eraserhead
There aren’t many film directors who are truly one of a kind. David Lynch sits firmly in this camp. Whilst you often hear something described as ‘Lynchian’, it almost always isn’t. Heck, how many people in the film industry have got their own adjective? Whilst Twin Peaks remains his opus, every film he’s made in …