Tag: Film Festival
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Sunshine Superman.
Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man meets James Marsh’s Man on Wire in this triumphant documentary about one man with one intense passion for throwing himself off of cliffs; the art of BASE jumping. For Carl Boenish, sky-diving just wasn’t enough of a thrill. His passion for heights and adrenaline enabled him to carve out a career in…
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The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.
There are always two sides to every story. Stanley Nelson’s latest documentary explores the rise and fall of The Black Panthers during the civil rights movement; the tyranny they faced, the controversy they caused and the fires they equally stifled and started. This is, of course a film about hideous levels of racism that were…
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Manglehorn.
An unsettling study of one man’s loneliness, in the wake of his many mistakes, Manglehorn is the uncertain but occasionally gripping new Al Pacino movie. Director David Gordon Green doesn’t manage to maintain the tenacity or conviction he showed at last year’s Edinburgh Film Festival with Joe. Still, developing greatly from his Pineapple Express days, Green…
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Scrum.
The Olympics, The Paralympics, Wimbledon; we all recognise that sport unites. In a thick haze of testosterone and adrenaline, Poppy Stockell’s Scrum documents sportsmanship and unity in a whole new light. Meet the Sydney Convicts, rugby champions and devotees. The film’s USP? Well, these athletes are not just hard-core sportsmen, but a diverse bunch of homosexuals.…
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Welcome to Me.
Kristen Wiig’s performance in The Skeleton Twins mesmerised me at last year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. She returns this year in Welcome to Me – a satirical comedy about the narcissism of American daytime television culture by director Shira Piven. Maintaining a constant absurdity but also delighting with some serious straight-faced, dry wit, Welcome to Me is a…
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Best of Enemies.
On several occasions in 1968, two profound intellectuals came together to debate and discuss the social and political issues of the time. Televised nationally, these ferocious encounters quickly became explosive verbal battles. In one corner, Gore Vidal – prolific American writer who associated with left-wing politics and broke down sexual taboos in his controversial but…
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Maggie.
Henry Hobson’s debut Maggie is an indie zombie-drama about an unshakeable bond between a father and daughter. We first meet Midwest farmer Wade as he’s searching for his oldest child. Once reunited we quickly learn that he’s been looking for her for a fortnight. His efforts to bring his daughter home pay off, but only temporarily.…
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Love and Mercy.
A musical biopic with a twist, Love and Mercy portrays The Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson at two different points in his life. A younger Wilson (played by the terrific Paul Dano) struggles to lead the band in an agreed direction. Trying to create great, innovative music whilst dealing with signs of concerning mental health problems…
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Amy.
As so many had to be with the singer herself, be patient with Amy. Spanning over two hours, Asif Kapadia’s new documentary explores the life and career of jazz singer Amy Winehouse. Incorporating archive footage, home movies and voice-over interviews with those entangled in her life, Amy focussed on the talent and troubles that consumed the…
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The Look of Silence.
When I first watched Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing I didn’t know how to process it. Repeat viewings haven’t helped. Although there is much to admire about his initial documentation of the remaining killers from the Indonesian genocide of the 1960s, I was left unsettled by the fantasy and surreal approach to a harrowing…
Hannah McHaffie 