Month: September 2013
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Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
When you do an internet image search for “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” the majority of photographs that appear are just like the one above. Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck interlocked as the two lead characters; their heads as close as possible to one another as the infatuated couple, Ruth and Bob. The montage of images…
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Blue Jasmine.
It is no secret that Woody Allen is my favourite. The reason I love cinema and the reason I believe in good characters and great writing; Allen’s work is always a comfort and a pleasure. Making a new film every year, there is one opportunity, annually, to sit in a cinema and witness a new…
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Purple Noon.
René Clément’s slick suspense thriller Plein Soleil, translated as Purple Noon, is bubbling over with attitude and terror. We first meet Tom Ripley on the streets of Italy, laughing and chatting with friend Philippe Greenleaf. We soon learn that Ripley is being paid by Greenleaf’s father to try and persuade Philippe to return home to the United States…
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The Moo Man.
Stephen Hook has named each individual dairy cow that he owns. With only seventy cows, all named and known, Stephen Hook is an unusual and incredibly unique dairy farmer. The Moo Man explores Hook’s caring attitude towards dairy farming and his passion for his animals and the way that they are treated. Stephen’s farm remains…
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The Way Way Back.
We all remember the summer holidays that seemed to last forever; the uncertainty of what lies around the corner after months of freedom from school and normal childhood, or adolescent, routine. The Way Way Back captures the summer vacation in a more depressing way, demonstrating the strain placed upon family life when you are suddenly forced to…
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Upstream Colour.
After undergoing the most severe, personal and destructive theft imaginable, Kris must attempt to re-build her life. She seems to find herself drawn to Jeff, who has also undergone some severe life changes due to his personal, out-of-control actions. Both individuals become somewhat addicted to one another and before long they struggle as their identities…
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What Maisie Knew.
When Susanna and Beale divorce their daughter Maisie becomes a weapon, a trophy and a tool. The custody battle for Maisie damages and changes Maisie’s daily routine. Things become even more complicated with each parent’s new relationships. As the new partners are drawn into the charming world of Maisie, as well as the poisonous atmospheres that…
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This Is Spinal Tap.
Rob Reiner is responsible for some of the greatest American comedies of the nineteen eighties. When Harry Met Sally put a new and exciting spin on the romantic comedy and The Princess Bride approached family adventure in a fresh and intelligent way. Misery and Stand By Me demonstrate his skill as a director of serious…
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MUBI.
In a day and age where Netflix and Lovefilm are looking set to be the future of cinema home-viewing, I am here to provide a rather exciting and arty alternative: MUBI. One of the most popular legal ways to view films in the home is by paying a set subscription fee to companies such as Netflix in…
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Rescue Dawn.
Werner Herzog’s Little Dieter Needs to Fly is quite possibly my favourite documentary. Venturing into the Vietnamese jungle, Herzog accompanies the war veteran Dieter Dengler who we witness re-living, physically and geographically, his experiences of torture, cruelty and imprisonment at the hands of the Vietcong. The film focuses on Dengler’s reactions to his memories and…
Hannah McHaffie 