Curzon Artificial Eye
Film Review: 120 Beats Per Minute
Since being clinically observed for the first time in 1981, AIDS has been one of the most aggressive and stigmatised diseases to blight the world. Whilst now largely under control in the Developed World, it’s still terrorising poorer nations; including much of Africa. However, it cut through the homosexual community like a plague in the …
Film Review: I Am Not a Witch
Colonialism hasn’t exactly left large swathes of Africa in a great position. If we weren’t stripping countries of natural resources or forcing populations into slavery, we were educating the natives to follow the worst tenets of our prejudiced societies. And whilst the Catholic church did their best to convert ‘the savages’ with their own brand …
Film Review: Insyriated
With the civil war in Syria gradually approaching its endgame, there’s going to be a huge amount of work to do in terms of rebuilding both the infrastructure and a fragmented society. Riven with conflicts, both with the Assad government and daesh, it’s likely to be a slow process. The crisis has been covered extensively …
Film Review: Berlin Syndrome
There a few things more frightening than the thought of being held captive. All alone and your life in the hands of a deranged psychopath. Cinema has revelled and revolted in this sub-genre. These films range from the disgusting (Hostel), the bizarre (Salo, Black Snake Moan), the terrifying (Audition), to the tremendous (Misery). Berlin Syndrome, …
Blu-Ray Review: Rivers and Tides
Whilst many of today’s artists shun watercolours and oils in favour of more modern materials, there’s something rather magical about nature captured on canvas. Landscapes of trees, mountains or rivers can bring a little piece of the countryside into a home. British artist Andy Goldsworthy has an entirely different approach to his work. Rivers and …
Film Review: Lost In France
Scotland has a long tradition of producing ground-breaking and high quality independent music. Glasgow has usually acted as a focal point for this. Hot on the heels of the likes of The Pastels and Teenage Fanclub, a group of bands sprang up around the Chemikal Underground label. The likes of The Delgados, Mogwai, Bis, Arab …
Blu-Ray Review: The Unknown Girl
Since the inception of cinema, film-makers have used the medium as a way of highlighting social issues and driving social consciousness. However, it’s in times of great change or crisis where this becomes more prevalent. We’re living in politically and socially turbulent times, and as the success of I, Daniel Blake goes to show there’s …
Blu-Ray Review: Black Orpheus (Criterion Collection)
When Black Orpheus won the Palme d’Or in 1959 ahead of the likes of 400 Blows and Hiroshima Mon Amour, it was a surprise to the say the least. In retrospect, it was an entirely foolish decision. However, Marcel Camus’ film was arguably the first to really showcase Rio’s Carnival and introduced bossa nova to …
Film Review: Endless Poetry
Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of a kind. There’s simply no other film-maker quite like him. Whilst his films range from the obtuse to the downright impenetrable, the Chilean has a unique aesthetic eye and lyrical style. Endless Poetry is the second of Jodorowsky’s five planned cinematic memoirs. Following on from The Dance of Reality, the …
Film Review: Through the Wall
The most important thing in a woman’s life is marriage. Well, it is for ultra-Orthodox Jews. It’s often as much about social acceptance as love and companionship. There’s no Tinder or Match.com in the Hasidic community. Instead, there’s a reliance on marriage brokers for those struggling to find ‘the one’. Rama Burshtein’s previous film, Fill …