BFI
Blu-Ray Review: Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1
There’s something very persuasive about a traditional ghost story. Tales which may have been initially spoken around a campfire. Passed down from generation to generation. Each country, and regions within those nations, have their own legends and folklore. While these are inherited through word of mouth, they’re often augmented and adapted by the minds of …
Blu-Ray Review: The Draughtsman’s Contract
Of all the British directors of the last 50 years, Peter Greenaway is arguably the most interesting. A painter by training, he brought this art into every inch of his filmmaking. Every shot feels meticulously composed. Celluloid is his canvas. Using landscape and portrait to ensure that each scene is impeccably constructed. Using nature as …
LFF Review: Stonewalling
Last year, the United States Supreme Court essentially repealed Roe vs. Wade, overruling the judgement which gave women the substantive right to have an abortion. While it was a terrible day for Americans, access to women’s reproductive rights has been much more firmly controlled in many parts of the world. In China, the authorities are …
Blu-Ray Review: Burning an Illusion
While Britain, relatively speaking, is a multicultural and diverse nation, this hasn’t always been reflected in popular culture. The experiences of the ‘Windrush generation’, and their children, have only been captured on film fairly recently. Indeed, when Burning an Illusion was released in 1981 it was only the second British film directed by a black …
Blu-ray Review: L’argent
They say money makes the world go round and it’s an undeniable truth that most of our lives are dependent on it, in one way or another. There are the basics such as paying the mortgage/rent, covering the bills and buying food, but we all like our little luxuries. A holiday abroad, a new car …
Blu-Ray Review: Get Carter
Michael Caine was undoubtedly one of the most famous British faces of the 1960s and 1970s. Sporting his iconic ‘NHS specs’, a swagger and a cheeky grin, he starred in a number of films which in many ways epitomised the era. It was in his memorable portrayal of Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File where …
Blu-Ray Review: Pickpocket
Where there are large groups of wealthy people, there will undoubtedly be pickpockets just waiting to relieve them of their money. Although, long gone are the days of people carrying around wads of cash. As cities grew so did poverty. This form of petty larceny became more and more prevalent. Criminals began working together, often …
Film Review: Olga
While the horrific events and war crimes taking place in Ukraine have dominated news channels around the world, this is not a new conflict. Indeed, former President Yanukovych’s botched attempt to force the country towards Putin, sparking the Maidan protests, was the catalyst for the Kremlin starting the war by invading and annexing Crimea in …
Film Review: La Mif
There are almost 2,500 children’s homes in the UK and that figure is on the rise. These institutions play a vital role in bringing up young people when there is no suitable parent or guardian around to take on the responsibility. However, they are critically underfunded, understaffed and riddled with a myriad of issues. Many …
Film Review: The Shop Around the Corner
Jimmy Stewart was one of the most popular film stars of his generation but doesn’t get the plaudits his acting ability so richly deserved. Over a career which spanned five decades, he’s played numerous memorable characters across several genres. Starring in the likes of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Rear Window, Vertigo, The Philadelphia Story, …