Tag: Review
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Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami.
An intensely observational documentary, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami is Sophie Fiennes’ ambitious exploration of the icon and the enigma that is Grace Jones. Combining striking stage performances with more intimate footage of Jones in hotel rooms, dressing rooms and in her native home of Jamaica, Sophie Fiennes’ bold approach to her equally bold subject creates a…
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The Snowman.
Michael Fassbender’s Harry Hole is something of a mosaic of all the cliched film noir detectives that cinema has constructed and brought to our screens in the last century. Isolated by his alcoholism, he longs for a new case he can sink his teeth into; to distract him from his lost love and lonely existence.…
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Weinstein: Hollywood’s Manipulative Elephant in the Hotel Room.
Actor, Rose McGowan – accuses Weinstein of rape. I sign off every entry here with a line that refers to a ‘beloved film industry’ but today that’s hard to write. Following the brave statements and revelations from a small number of actresses, there is now a vast and seemingly endless stream of accusations emerging against…
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Daphne.
An isolated young woman who fills the lonely hours with vodka and strangers, Daphne is a very difficult protagonist to like. She dodges her mother’s calls and has evident chemistry with her married boss. She short changes the take away delivery guy and verbally abuses the security men who remove her from clubs when she’s…
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mother!
Cinema is full of unwelcome guests and domestic intruders, from that unexpected knock on the door to the uncomfortable sense of anxiety caused by someone overstaying their welcome. Michael Haneke’s Funny Games is perhaps the most obvious example of this; two young men dressed in white enquiring about borrowing some eggs but who possess much…
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Patti Cake$
It’s been a really strong few months for directorial debuts with the likes of Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River and Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country. There is also Geremy Jasper’s Patti Cake$ to throw into the mix – a boisterous, expressive tale of aspiration to escape the hand one is dealt. Patricia works nights in a boozy karaoke bar,…
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God’s Own Country.
Since its critically acclaimed world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January 2017, Francis Lee’s debut feature God’s Own Country has been highly anticipated across the UK. Finally landing in our cinemas this month, it has proved itself to be a popular and deserving independent hit. Johnny is tied to working tirelessly on his family farm where…
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Wind River.
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A Ghost Story.
If you’ve seen any coverage or marketing for David Lowery’s A Ghost Story then it is likely you’ve come across the captivating image above. With an aesthetic reminiscent of Tarkovsky’s Stalker, this image captures what is equally haunting and beautiful about the film as a whole. Following his sudden death, a young man finds himself trapped and isolated…
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Final Portrait.
I have made a recent effort to write more specifically about the work of women and people of colour, both behind and in front of the camera. A rather chaotic few days and a refurbishment at my local cinema left me with only a film by and about a white man to watch and review…
Hannah McHaffie 