It’s been a very long time since I read Mary Shelly’s book, though I do remember enjoying it, about a mad scientist who puts a corpse together and gives it life. It’s ripe for adaptation, and it’s first big one – that black-and-white monster relic – is considered a classic. I haven’t seen all adaptations […]
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Marty Mauser, a wily hustler with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
Continue reading “Marty Supreme”
Continuing on with the gala showings at the London Film Festival this year, the next film I decided to go for was The Mastermind. I have a passing familiarity with the work of Kelly Reichardt, I’ve seen a few of them, really liking Meek’s Cutoff and First Cow, but I’m not overtly familiar with her […]
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Greetings again from the darkness. What is true human nature? Is there even such a thing? Are we preprogrammed to do the right thing, or is it our nature to hold grudges, seek revenge, and take advantage of every situation? This superb film from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi explores the topic, and it’s important to […]
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A popular singer anxiously waits for her medical test results in this charming yet reflective drama that remains one of Varda’s best-known works from the French New Wave era.
Continue reading “Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)”
Jennifer Lawrence already had a billion-dollar franchise, an Academy Award, and worldwide acclaim to her name before turning 30. Now fully transitioned into adult roles, Lynne Ramsey’s singular and challenging Die My Love might be the defining performance of Lawrence’s career.
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Nuremberg was a historical drama film featuring the trial of the Nazis at Nuremberg. After the end of World War II, the US government, along with France, USSR and Great Britain, placed the remaining Nazi leaders on trial. This was based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai. The basis of the movie […]
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Quirky imprint A24 released this Peter Strickland opus in the U.S, now screening (Nov 2025) on the BBC iplayer; for fans of his previous ventures post 2009’s Katalin Varga, like Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy, it proved an enticing prospect. While Ben Wheatley’s output has been variable (Rebecca, In The Earth, Free […]
Continue reading “In Fabric”
Colin Farrell brings every bit of his charisma and charm to his latest film, “Ballad of a Small Player”, a perplexing psychological drama that has so much going for it starting with it’s fully committed star. It’s directed by Edward Berger who is coming off of back-to-back Best Picture Oscar nominations for “All Quiet on […]
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The mind of Guillermo del Toro finds creative connections in a powerhouse effort which includes wonders of cinematic imagination unlike any other. From the worlds of Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage, and Pinocchio, he creates new meaning with Frankenstein, one where an emergence of lights evolves, but the political aspects regarding humanistic value fall in the middle. To provide context, this is not your common Halloween-type Frankenstein film. This one has a storyline with emphasis which gives the monster meaning.
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Richard Linklater’s upcoming film, releasing on October 24, 2025, promises an engaging exploration of conversation and character. Set in a bar in 1943, Ethan Hawke portrays Lorenz Hart, reflecting on his struggles while celebrating with Richard Rodgers. With strong performances and thoughtful dialogue, this film offers a unique cinematic experience worth anticipating.
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This story’s eventual happy ending is shown in the first couple of minutes when we see contemporary footage of someone kicking the Italian dictator’s corpse in the head. It is a useful reminder that only change is constant. This new Italian series is currently available on Now TV, that’s the subscription service that you can […]
Continue reading “Mussolini: Son of the Century”
The title of this film comes to mind as concerning in that it implies a parent senses wrongful or disconcerting matters. Thestoryline vibes with housewives’ scenarios going awry discreetly. Mothers’ Instinct tackles the subject matter on an eerie path. It follows the personalities of two friends who are neighbors. In the wake of a devastating event, a series of detrimental consequences are unleashed. Directed by Benoit Delhomme, Mothers’ Instinct is written with an underlying layer […]
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“Pham sinks his teeth in his debut feature with a politic but formulaic blueprint, his own distinct originality has yet to materialize. So whether he could be hailed as a new auteur to be reckoned with, the jury is temporarily out until his next offering, which has its own shell to break.”
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I’m cold, but rowing with this icy current. Embracing The “Wu wei” principle of Taoism.
Continue reading “Engage Intellect (Let Go)”
It’s impossible to find absolute perfection. I don’t care if it’s in the field of medicine, law, mathematics, art or even music. No one is THE ONE. Yet, if you are determined to partake in that hunt, it’s likely you’ll scream with frustration. You might think you’re on to something but still it’s not quite […]
Continue reading “WHIPLASH”
Almodovar’s first English-language feature doesn’t quite strike gold, but Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore give riveting performances as two friends who haven’t seen each other for a long time, exploring themes of mortality and morality.
Continue reading “The Room Next Door”
Rankin’s sophomore feature feels like Kaurismaki meets Kiarostami as his surreal, and at times perplexing tale brings us through a hybrid Canadian-Iranian space marked by quaint shophouses and bustling highways.
Continue reading “Universal Language”
THE HAPPY ENDING, one of those misery-doesn’t-really love-company dramas that usually revolve around married women approaching or arrived at middle age. Written, produced & directed by Richard Brooks in 1969, it gave his wife, actress Jean Simmons, 40, a strong finish to the decade. After the 1960 glories of Elmer Gantry (Brooks directing) and Spartacus, apart […]
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Halina Reijn challenges simplistic morality and puritanical standards about human interaction through this delightfully risqué erotic drama.
Continue reading “Babygirl”
