Tag: film
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Badlands.
Terrence Malick’s debut tells the story of fifteen year old Holly who falls in love with ‘James Dean lookalike’ Kit. Whilst Holly dryly narrates us through their tale, we watch the couple run away from home and venture out across America, killing anyone who stands in their way. Based on a true case, Badlands has darker dimensions…
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Last Days.
I mean, talk about a yawn-fest. Last Days is one of the most dull and uninteresting films I have ever seen. I’m familiar with Van Sant’s style so I was prepared for long scenes of “not much really happening” but Last Days takes this to an unbearable level. This is Gus Van Sant’s depiction of the final days of…
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Saving Mr. Banks.
Disney’s own retelling of one of Disney’s own retellings, Saving Mr. Banks is a light and charming film that is full of character and the occasional emotional moment. On the surface the film tells the story of the tense collaboration between Walt Disney and his team and P. L. Travers, the author and creator of Mary Poppins,…
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Blue Is The Warmest Colour.
I have only read a handful of negative reviews of the 2013 Palme d’Or winning Blue Is The Warmest Colour. This french film has had a glorious reception and has remained one of the most discussed and anticipated films of the year. The film tells the story of Adele, a confused and vulnerable student. When we…
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Jesus Camp.
Regardless of the highly obvious position taken by the makers of Jesus Camp, I found myself getting increasingly angry about the subject at the heart of this film. This documentary looks at a particular American Christian summer camp on which young and, most importantly, highly impressionable children learn about the importance of dying for Christ and preparing…
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Edinburgh: November.
My third month in Edinburgh has gone even faster than the first two. These last weeks before I return home for the Christmas period have been filled with essay related stress and occasional moments of self doubt. Luckily, I have been visited by several close friends who have encouraged me and helped to put things…
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Revolutionary Road.
Richard Yates’ Eleven Kinds of Loneliness is one of my favourite books. A collection of short stories that depict eleven different isolated individuals, the book captures the alienation of the late forties and fifties. From housewives trapped in their suburban prisons, to children separated in the playground by their differences, it deals with poisonous atmospheres and psychological…
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MUBI: Conclusion.
It’s been nearly three months since I began using the on-line streaming website MUBI. Now that I’ve spent a good amount of time getting to know the site, this seems like an appropriate point to start discussing my experiences with it. I did an introductory article on this website back in September – you can read…
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Downfall.
The story goes like this…Traudl Junge, Hitler’s personal secretary during the last two years of his life, was interviewed for the documentary Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary in 2002. After hearing of the documentary’s warm reception and critical success Junge died of cancer in the early hours of the next day. Mere hours before her death, she is…
Hannah McHaffie 