10 Movies That Were Better than the Book
“The book was better.” We’ve all heard it. Many of …
Movies
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is a decent Batman film with a Superman problem
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Written by: Chris Terrio …
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‘Die Another Day’ flounders amidst bare faced stupidity
Die Another Day Directed by Lee Tamahori Written by Neal …
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‘Spectre’ is an entertaining and bombastic swan song for Daniel Craig’s James Bond
Spectre Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth Directed …
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BFI London Film Festival 2015 – ‘Son Of Saul’
Auschwitz, Autumn, 1944. Saul Ausländer (Géza Röhrig) is a Hungarian-Jewish prisoner and member of the Sonderkommando, one of the cursed work gangs selected by the Nazi genocide machine to assist in the industrial slaughter of undesirables and perceived enemies of their genocidal regime.
LFF 2015: ‘Evolution’ is as mysterious as it is beautiful and a masterclass in tone and restraint
It is difficult to discuss Evolution without giving away a lot of its surprises. Needless-to-say, Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s masterful film (only her second in a decade) is disturbing, beautiful and restrained. Mysterious from beginning to end, the film challenges and intrigues, reaching down inside to grab hold of something within us all that is ancient and primordial, engaging on a level that exists within not only a collective imagination but our collective biology
LFF 2015: ‘Rattle the Cage’ is a tightly wound thriller that almost falls apart in its final moments
One often wonders what they would be capable of if their life depended on it. Would you take charge, delegate responsibility but do your part, or would you completely break down and cower in the corner? Would you be able to think clearly enough to find a solution to the problem or would your emotions be too overpowering?
LFF 2015: ‘Under Electric Clouds’ envisages a Russia of the near future struggling with the legacy of its Soviet forebears
In 2013, renowned Russian filmmaker Alexey German died before he could complete his astonishing final film Hard to Be a God which, after being completed by his wife, screenwriter Svetlana Karmalita, and his son Alexey German Jnr, screened at last year’s London Film Festival.
LFF 2015: ‘Ruined Heart: Another Love Story between a Criminal and a Whore’
A quick search of the film Ruined Heart: Another Love Story between a Criminal and a Whore reveals that it is an expanded version of a 2012 short by Filipino poet Khavn De La Cruz (known simply as KHAVN) and that pretty much explains the feature’s shortcomings in a nutshell.
LFF 2015: ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’ is the greatest yakuza vampire movie ever made
Yakuza Apocalypse is the greatest yakuza vampire movie ever made. It also appears to be the only yakuza vampire movie ever made, and if Miike’s surreal, violent, hilarious and unashamedly bonkers film is anything to go by, it will probably be the last.
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Hitchcock/Truffaut’ essential viewing for true cinephiles
Hitchcock/Truffat Written by Kent Jones and Serge Toubiana Directed by …
LFF 2015: ‘The Club’ finds moments of grace and meaning amongst the sinful and depraved
Director Pablo Larraín is known for his extremely fascinating social commentaries about his native Chile. Most famously, he tackled the Pinochet regime and its legacy with his trilogy comprising Tony Manero, Post-Mortem and No. With The Club, Larraín looks at Catholicism, another major Chilean institution, and the abuses of power that can occur within the priesthood.
LFF 2015: ‘The Corpse of Anna Fritz’ is a surprisingly tame necrophilia thriller
The objectification of women and the ravenous consumption of celebrity culture are some of the very clear themes that inform the narrative of The Corpse of Anna Fritz, the debut feature of Spanish director Hèctor Hernández Vicens.
LFF 2015: ‘Mountains May Depart’ is a partly gripping relationship drama that overstays its welcome
Following the brilliant A Touch of Sin, auteur and Chinese master Jia Zhangke returns with a similarly structured, yet more narratively linked, portrait of China in the new millennium. Mountains May Depart is two-thirds of a gripping relationship drama that captures not only a China in constant flux, but also the universality of human experience.
LFF 2015: ‘Bone Tomahawk’ is a character-driven Western with a horror spin that engages despite its languid pace
To describe Bone Tomahawk as a “horror-Western” is good shorthand, but could be a little misleading. The film indeed has horror elements but novelist turned screenwriter/director S. Craig Zahler seems more interested in spending time with his four main protagonists as they travel across country, letting their different personalities and world views, and the harshness of the terrain, challenge them on their journey
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Assassination’ brings the Tarantino touch to an important period of South Korean history
Assassination is pure entertainment. Director Choi Dong-hoon pulls together an astonishing group of talent both in front and behind the camera to portray a story close to South Korea’s heart with humour, pathos, gorgeous cinematography and a series of impressively bombastic action scenes to create one of the most exciting adventure films in recent years.
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Suffragette’ impactfully chronicles a long, hard struggle
Suffragette Written by Abi Morgan Directed by Sarah Gavron UK, …
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Parabellum’ offers a minimalist take on the Apocalypse
Parabellum Written by Ana Godoy, Esteban Prado and Lukas Valenta Rinner …
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BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Lucifer’ is a hypnotic and satirical reflection on faith
Faith is such a tenuous concept that it’s hard to believe that it has the strength that it does. The act of believing in the existence or the potential of a supreme being despite any earthly evidence or causation should be treated with suspicion or disdain right from the outset.
BFI London Film Festival: ‘Gold Coast’ is a problematic colonialism drama
Stories about slavery can be a tricky proposition, especially if your story is from the Caucasian point of view, because there is a delicate balance to be struck when considering the protagonist’s actions and motivations.