In 1988, Chile held a referendum to decide whether dictator Augusto Pinochet should stay in power. For one month, both sides could express their views in daily 15-minute TV slots. Pablo Larraín’s new feature, No, stars Gael García Bernal as adman René Saavedra, who is asked to lead the ‘No’ campaign. When he first meets [...]
Audiences and critics alike seem to have a soft spot for nostalgia of late: witness the superlative praise lavished on “The Artist” (2011), which did little more than copy silent films of the past. The overwhelming response to Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” (2011) is also hard to explain as anything but nostalgia. Owen Wilson [...]
The BFI London Film Festival 2012 starts tomorrow, and if you haven’t bought tickets yet, it’s not too late. There are still tickets left for many films, including the ones reviewed here. While neither of the following films is a masterpiece, both are engaging, and you’ll leave the cinema feeling you’ve seen something a little [...]
This week, a film that was a wonderful surprise rather than the big disappointment that was “Moonrise Kingdom.” I went to see Julie Delpy’s “2 Days in New York” on a whim: the employee at the ticket desk at the Odeon Covent Garden actually tried to talk me out of it. She thought I would [...]
When you ask people in the industry what makes a good film, one of the most common answers is ‘a good story’. This is what is missing in most of Wes Anderson’s films. I remember watching other audience members walk out of “The Life Aquatic” early on, just as I was getting my teeth into [...]
It hits you from the washed-out pink opening credits with their muted soundtrack: Whit Stilman’s “Damsels in Distress” is like an 80s teen movie on tranquilizers. You feel concern for a director trapped in another era, from his aesthetic and storyline to the central clique of characters. The female protagonists in “Damsels“ are all named [...]
“Extraterrestrial” Director: Nacho Vigalondo Writer: Nacho Vigalondo Starring: Michelle Jenner, Carlos Areces, Julián Villagrán “Extraterrestrial” is a movie I’ve been excited about for a while, in part because of how it was marketed – the small, almost invisible glimpses of the alien ships in the posters, and the creative viral marketing aspect to it all. [...]
“Cinema Six” Directors: Mark Potts, Cole Selix Writers: Mark Potts, Cole Selix Starring: John Merriman, Mark Potts and Brand Rackley “Cinema Six” is the definition of average, which is strange considering it was probably the most pumped film at the festival. You couldn’t walk an inch in the press lounge without stepping on one of [...]
After the last two weeks’ blogs on highlights of Toulouse’s Cinélatino film festival, this week will conclude with a selection of films which, in my opinion, should be avoided at all costs. First of all, Alejo Franzetti’s The Destruction of the Ruling Order (La Destrucción del orden vigente), which wanted to be a thriller/murder mystery. [...]
Two of cinema’s key advantages as a medium are its mastery of space and time, and its impression of reality. These two traits are not necessarily related: after all, in reality we often find ourselves stuck in one space for hours on end. Unlike theatre, though, cinema offers the possibility to change location frequently, and [...]
Why did we watch ‘Amour?’
Short and SwedeNo: Too Good at Recreating the 80s
Lawrence of Arabia: Deserving of its Place in the Sun
Top 10 of 2012
Sound of My Voice (2012)
The Master (2012)
‘Village at the End of the World’: Help Wanted?
‘Eat Sleep Die’: Asking for a little more
From Senegal to Saudi Arabia: Girls working for change
