Thunderbird Releasing
Film Review: The Kindergarten Teacher
In a career which has often been overshadowed by her brother, Maggie Gyllenhaal seems to have found her opportunities limited. Despite this, when juicy roles come around she grabs them with both hands. Her first big break came in Steven Shainberg’s Secretary, where she wowed opposite James Spader. She was also fantastic in Crazy Heart, …
Film Review: The Heiresses
In the history of South American cinema, Paraguay has traditionally been merely a footnote. However, the 21st century has seen an upturn in fortunes. Whilst this has been a slow and gradual process, today it’s not that uncommon to stumble across the country’s output at a film festival. Remarkable given it was only in 2015 …
Film Review: Racer and the Jailbird
When it comes to countries with rich cinematic histories, Belgium has never really ranked as a heavyweight. Indeed, much of the best output to come from that portion of the Low Countries has been courtesy of the Dardenne brothers (The Kid with a Bike, Daens, The Promise, Two Days, One Night etc). They’re not the …
DVD Review: Song of Granite
Ireland is a country steeped in a long and fertile history of traditions, culture and storytelling. It has produced some of the most inspiring, creative and talented artists. Integral to all this is the Irish language. Traditionally, stories were passed from one generation to the next through storytelling and song. Whilst many of the customs …
Film Review: Sweet Country
Hollywood has showed a renewed energy and vigour towards exposing the harsh cruelties of the slave trade over the past few years. 12 Years a Slave, Django Unchained and Mudbound, have all found success both critically and at the box office. However, the spotlight on the plight of those in bondage under colonial rule is …
Blu-ray Review: Brimstone
Whilst in many ways the Old West was a lawless place, that didn’t mean to say that a lot of people didn’t hold fast to religion. As you’d expect in a such a wild and unforgiving place, the (fire)brand of Christianity favoured was that of Hellfire and damnation. In Westerns, preachers are not always benevolent, …
DVD Review: The King’s Choice
Whilst most of us will have at least a vague appreciation of the main events which affected our own countries during World War II, the picture is different when we look farther afield. In the UK, most of our knowledge revolves around the Western Front; but almost entirely France, Belgium and neighbouring countries. The role …
Blu-Ray Review: Una
The allegations against Harvey Weinstein have opened up a whole Pandora’s Box of historical abuse and sexual assault. If (decent) men have become aware of anything in 2017, it should be the sheer scale of the problem. Physical and verbal abuse is something that women have to live with every day. There’s often a power …
Film Review: Jupiter’s Moon
There’s been no bigger news story, around the world, this decade than the continuing refugee crisis. It is a social and political issue which has been covered extensively by documentary film-makers, most effectively by Ai Weiwei in Human Flow, Gianfranco Rosi in Lost at Sea and Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez in After Spring. In …
Film Review: Thelma
Witchcraft is not merely a concept that began in Salem in the late 17th century. The first mention of it comes in the Old Testament, Indeed, the church played a pivotal role in bringing it into popular culture. The term ‘witch’ being used as a way of disparaging those women who don’t conform or who …