Review Tag Archive
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case – EIFF 2014
Last year I was lucky enough to catch the tale-end of a Toronto exhibit of Ai Weiwei’s work. It was the first time I’d laid eyes on the renowned Chinese artist’s stuff but even then you can see the acidic commentary on the Chinese government clean off the bat. Andreas Johnsen’s insightful documentary proves an […]
Cold in July – EIFF 2014
Jim Mickle is fast proving himself to be a director of particular vision and consistent quality: 2010’s Stakeland and last year’s We Are What We Are both flaunt a gorgeous unity of content and tone. This perfect southern Gothic vibe leaks through into his new feature Cold in July.
Joe – EIFF 2014
Arguably the most impressive proof of a director’s versatility at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, Joe is the latest offering from David Gordon Green. It’s a striking kind of American film, miles away from the dark Gothic Americana of Jim Mickle’s Cold in July but still very much a Deep South film of dusk […]
Honeymoon – EIFF 2014
For the most part, Leigh Janiak’s debut feature is a romantic melodrama in which its newlywed couple grapple with the overwhelming concept of what marriage really is. It’s not long before things begin to go wrong; thin slivers of doubt creep in and the whole film’s central relationship seems hopelessly stranded on the shores of […]
Night Flight – EIFF 2014
Night Flight is the name of an old abandoned gay bar, once covertly operated in an apartment block. Here two young men meet up periodically to discuss gay life in contemporary Korea. As they stand on the roof, chain smoking under a sunset sky, the ominous sounds of the planes overhead and traffic down below […]
Camp Dread – DVD Review
Harrison Smith impressed with his script for 2011’s The Fields, following on from that Camp Dread is his directorial debut.
Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla – DBD 2014
Stuart Simpson’s Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a strange but welcome kind of cathartic character study. Warren (Glenn Maynard) is an ice cream man, he lives alone with his cat and tunes in daily to his favourite soap opera. However, after an awful accident, Warren’s life begins to spiral out of control: he becomes dangerously obsessed […]
Killer Legends – Dead by Dawn 2014
In 2010 Joshua Zeman’s Cropsey investigated the point where folklore and real life merge. Killer Legends builds on Zeman’s fascination with the true-crime origins of urban legends, exploring how such tales are manufactured and perpetuated.
The Strange Colour of Your Bodies Tears – GFF 2014
Following on from their stunning debut feature Amer, Helen Cattet and Bruno Forzani deliver another breath-taking giallo-inspired thriller, pushing the envelope even further in terms of narrative coherency and cinematic beauty.
The Dance of Reality – GFF 2014
Reviewing a film like Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Dance of Reality (La Danza de la Realidad) is a tricky thing. Rarely do films achieve such a level of mind-boggling skill, flaunting an incredible fusion of art and entertainment like nothing you’ve ever seen. The legendary director’s first film in 23 years is an account of his […]