Hunky Dory Director: Marc Evans Writer: Laurence Coriat If Marc Evans’ Hunky Dory is anything to go by, the long hot summer of 1976 was a lot more exciting in South Wales than in North London. My memories are mainly of drought warnings, parched lawns and Bjorn Borg winning Wimbledon. But this movie about a …
The Bird (L’Oiseau) Written by Yves Caumon Directed by Yves Caumon 2011, France A decade ago Sandrine Kiberlain starred in Claude Miller’s thriller Alias Betty, as the bereaved mother at the centre of a bizarre kidnap plot. Her character in Yves Caumon’s The Bird has also lost a child, but this is a very different …
The Awakening Written and Directed by Nick Murphy Starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West & Imelda Staunton UK, 2011 No, the horror remake strand hasn’t reached out to encompass the 1980 Charlton Heston horror The Awakening, where an archaeologist has a spot of bother with a mummy’s spirit possessing his daughter, with this debut feature writer / director Nick Murphy is instead …
“Unflinching and unconscionable, Cold Fish is a black comedy with an obsidian pitch, a queer balancing act of outrageous humor and fathomless gore.” Cold Fish Directed by Sion Sono Starring Mitsuru Fukkoshi, Hikari Kajiwara, Denden, Megumi Kagurazaka, Asuka Kurosawa Written by Sion Sono 2010, Japan Fans of transgressive cinema were overjoyed to see Sion Sono’s latest atrocity appear on the …
Abel Director: Diego Luna Written by Diego Luna & Augusto Mendoza Mexico, 2010 Director Diego Luna’s beguiling comedy drama about a strange Mexican boy throws up many more questions than answers. For a while it appears that young Abel might be both catatonic and possessed of telekinetic powers – such is the effect of his …
127 Hours Directed by Danny Boyle Starring James Franco, Treat Williams Tense? Anxious? Claustrophobic? Whatever you do, don’t think a trip to the cinema will alleviate these ailments as the last few weeks has seen a morbid fixation on a lingering demise, whether it be death by suffocation (Buried), death by refrigeration (Frozen), or in …
“Black Swan is an elegant, impeccably designed film in both form and content that should delicately pirouette into many cineastes’ films-of-the-year list.” Black Swan Directed by Darren Aronofsky Written by Mark Heyman Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell & Barbara Hershey USA, 2010 In his new psychological musical Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky has delivered …
Catfish Directors by Henry Joost, Ariel Shulman 2010, USA Mild spoilers follow. Catfish has had a lot of hype over the past few months, with a tantalizing trailer that managed to give nothing away but hinted at a dark twist and a finale that would possibly dip its toes into full-on horror. Now it’s been …
“John Sayles latest film is a humanistic, suspenseful historical drama with a modern resonance, an essential addition to fans of mature, adult cinema.” Amigo Directed by John Sayles Written by John Sayles USA, 2010 Hands up if you’ve heard of the US invasion of the Philippines in 1900? No? Me neither. This obscured historical conflict …
“Initially appearing quite lightweight, Tabloid’s comedic pulse masks a faintly disturbing treatise on the gutter press…” Tabloid Directed by Errol Morris In his new film Tabloid, acclaimed documentarian Errol Morris turns his intellect to a seemingly frivolous subject, especially given his previous works’ predilection for scrutinizing cold war architects and battlefield torturers, as well as …
Room In Rome Directed by Julio Medem A remake of the 2005 Chilean film En La Cama, Room in Rome is the latest film from esteemed director Julio Medem (Lovers of the Arctic Circle, Sex and Lucia) and stars Elena Anaya (Hierro, Mesrine, Sex and Lucia) and Natasha Yarovenko. Boiled down to it’s simplest elements, …
“Where Let The Right One In was beguiling, Let Me In is brittle and snaps in its final movements, but Reeves cast and crew have talent to spare and one hopes that they stalk fresher prey the next time round.” Let Me In Directed by Matt Reeves A palpable roar of disapproval was emitted from …
THE 54TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL The program for the 54th BFI London Film Festival was announced last month and as ever, the prestigious European gala will screen a diverse selection of highly anticipated films by both established and emerging talent from around the world. As ever the festival will showcase a particularly strong vein of indigenous films including Opening and Closing Night Galas …