Film
IFFR Review: Freaks Out
Through the annals of history, people who are viewed as ‘different’, in some way, have never had it easy. Anyone suspected of possessing ‘special powers’ has been singled out and treated like something not quite human. If they happened to live at the ‘right time’, this could have meant being respected as a wise person …
IFFR Review: Assault
While personal achievement is always good, there’s something special about being part of a successful team. The camaraderie. The friendship. And while some tasks are just one-person jobs, bigger challenges often require a team of trained individuals who all bring their individual skills, experience and abilities to the party. Perhaps the most famous cinematic example …
Blu-Ray Review: The Party and The Guests
They say that the pen is mightier than the sword and It’s true that, in the long run, it’s better to win hearts and minds than use intimidation, violence and fear. This is often easier said than done. The last thing oppressive regimes want is freedom of thought or expression. One of the best ways …
Sundance Review: The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future
Considering how much evolution we’ve gone through to get where we are today, it’s more than a little amusing that, as a species, we’re often resistant to change. So, when we’re faced with a major upheaval or challenge, we’re likely to bury our heads in the sand and hope it simply goes away of its …
IFFR Review: The King of Laughter
The early Twentieth century was boom time for theatres and playhouses. The Belle Epoque was in full swing across Europe and economic prosperity was on the rise. Technical and scientific innovations were heralding a whole new age of progress and discovery. Italy was no different and this period in the country’s history was characterised by …
IFFR Review: France
While she’s best known for high profile roles in Blue is the Warmest Colour and as Dr. Madeleine Swann in the Bond films, Léa Seydoux has been working in the industry for the last fifteen years. Collaborating with the likes of Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, Quentin Tarantino and Woody Allen, as well as receiving five …
Glasgow Film Festival Preview
Glasgow Film Festival returns to Scotland’s biggest city between 2-13 March at Glasgow Film Theatre and Cineworld Renfrew Street, as well as partner cinemas across the UK and online. This year the festival will host 10 world premières, 4 European premieres and a whopping 64 UK premières. Diversity is at the heart of the 2022 …
IFFR Review: Barbarian Invasion
Acting has to be the strangest profession. You can spend years of your life pretending to be someone else, to the degree that the general public will assume you are that character in real life. It’s not altogether surprising when this confusion brushes off onto the actors themselves. Obviously, they lead full and active lives …
Blu-Ray Review: Snowtown
Much of Australia is arid, inhospitable and entirely unforgiving country. Twenty percent desert, the majority of the central belt is uninhabitable and yields little or no rewards. It’s this climate which seems to have honed much of its national cinema. A certain no-nonsense brutality and muscularity which dominates the likes of Animal Kingdom, Wake in …
Film Review: In the Strange Pursuit of Laura Durand
Fandom and celebrity obsession in the 1990s looked very different to it does today. There was no social media or online presence. No instant way to discover facts about a star, so ardent fans needed to get their information from print media, radio or TV. That build-up a certain kind of mythos around stars and …