Film
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 …
LFF Review: Another Round
Mads Mikkelsen is an actor who will be familiar to UK audiences. Whilst he’s appeared in a number of huge Hollywood films, including Rogue One and Doctor Strange, it’s on the small screen for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter for which he’s most renowned. However, the Danish actor’s best work is in his domestic cinema. …
LFF Review: One Man and His Shoes
When the Chicago Bulls picked a talented young Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft, little did they know what effect the titan would have on the sport. However, whilst he was undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation, the University of North Carolina graduate’s meteoric rise to fame was to a large …
LFF Review: Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
In today’s world of gastropubs and artisanal gin bars, it’s easy to forget the role these establishments have played for hundreds of years of human history. The bar, pub, inn, tavern, whatever you want to call it, has served many purposes. They’ve been community hubs, places for friends to meet, meeting house for clubs and …
LFF Review – Rose: A Love Story
What would you do for love? Just how far would you go? It’s a question which has fascinated and troubled writers and storytellers for hundreds of years. If you look to the core of most stories, the ‘l’ word will almost always be there. Whether that’s through the sphere of romance, friendship or family. It’s …
Film Review: Being a Human Person
In the film industry, there is no one quite like Roy Andersson. The Swedish director has the most distinct and unique voice in modern cinema. There are few, if any, filmmakers whose work is so instantly recognisable and so consistently surprising. He has been a part of the independent film furniture since he swept the …