Tag: Drama
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The Last Five Years.
Opening with the end of a romance, The Last Five Years spends its time travelling back through the relationship we now know to be over. Nothing is chronological as we spring from raunchy Summer dates to proposals to domestic spats. Don’t expect The Last Five Years to deliver any type of profound commentary on relationships and human intimacy; it…
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Suite Française.
Based on the 2004 novel of the same name, Suite Française is the story of a French woman’s love affair with a Nazi lieutenant during the German occupation of France. As well as its central romance, the film also looks at the lives of several members of a small village and the strains placed upon them…
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Whiplash.
Blood, sweat and tears are ever present in Damien Chazelle’s raucous drama about a painstaking search for genius. The innovative camera movements and invasive shots allow us to experience the anguish of every drum beat and each cymbal clash – making Whiplash the most satisfying movie I’ve seen in months. Nominated for five Academy Awards,…
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Nightcrawler.
As Dan Gilroy’s cinematic debut opens, our protagonist is stealing metal fencing – only to be interrupted and questioned by an officer. We will never know what happened to the man who confronts our lead character, Lou Bloom, in the opening moments of Nightcrawler. The only glaring clue as to his fate is clasped around Bloom’s…
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The Judge.
When charismatic lawyer Hank Palmer learns of his mother’s passing, he finds himself back in the town in which he grew up. Hank seems haunted by the town’s simplistic nature and its lack of change. He has happy memories of this place but they are overshadowed by his broken relationship with his father. Hank has…
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Another Woman.
It’s my strong belief that Woody Allen’s work is at its best when he is doing two particular things – engaging in philosophical debate and writing for women. His masterful 1988 feature, Another Woman, shows glimmers of philosophy but primarily demonstrates just how well Allen knows women and their complexities. To enhance his insight into the female…
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Boyhood.
Richard Linklater’s Boyhood has been 12 years in the making. Following the little, and sometimes seemingly insignificant, moments that make up one boy’s journey into adulthood, this is a film with a unique spirit and ambition. Shot in a staggering 39 days, over 12 years and with a particular cast, Boyhood travels across time in an original and…
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Rebel Without a Cause.
James Dean only made 3 films before his death at age 24. East of Eden came out in early 1955, half a year before its star died in a car crash. A month after his death, his second film was released, followed by his last, Giant, in 1956. With the tragedy of his death still looming and his portrayal…
Hannah McHaffie 