The issue of belief and the attitudes to how children are brought up comes under scrutiny in Fjord, this year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival. Cristian Mungiu’s complex moral dilemma deals with a tough subject while delivering strong performances, particularly from its two leads, and capturing the beauty of Norway and the…
Tag: drama
La Bola Negra
There is a lot of buzz around the Spanish drama La Bola Negra, especially after its directors, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, won the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes. Often, when this happens, you find yourself not connecting with a film or even going the opposite direction. Thankfully, the buzz is true, and…
Wild Horse Nine
I was listening to an introduction to Wild Horse Nine, where the presenter discussed the connection between Martin McDonagh and The Coen Brothers. Having watched this excellent comedy thriller, I can understand what he was saying. McDonagh, who gave us the brilliant In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin, has…
Digger
Looking back at cinema history, the 1970s were one of the most interesting periods, thanks to studios giving directors more control, which is why so many films from that decade are incredible. Then Heaven’s Gate came along and destroyed a studio, and the doors shut on the auteurs and their control. Now it seems the…
The Social Reckoning
Many regard The Social Network as one of the best films of the 21st century. The story of Facebook’s creation is respected for its performances, Aaron Sorkin’s first-rate script, and David Fincher’s cinematic direction. Now, 16 years later, Sorkin returns to Facebook and takes the reins as director, with a film that might not have…
Verity
There is a moment in Verity when a character says she doesn’t read books you can buy at an airport. I could just as easily say the same about movies based on books you can buy at an airport. These pulp thrillers based on bestsellers have become hugely popular over the years (The Housemaid, The…
Heart Of The Beast
Movies that involve dogs usually give me shivers. They are often sickly sentimental with an obvious full-on emotional ending, or just plain annoying. Cujo was an exception, but that was a dog with rabies, and Channing Tatum’s 2022 Dog managed to avoid the usual potholes. Now we have Heart of the Beast, a survival movie…
Bad Apples
A few months back there was a film released called Good Boy, which starred Stephen Graham as a man who kidnaps a criminal, chains him up in his cellar and tries to rehibilitate him. Now we get Bad Apples, a film that follows similar lines, except this time it’s a primary school teacher and an…
Practical Magic 2
Practical Magic was a minor hit back in 1997 and while a strong cast, wasn’t that memorable. In fact, before visiting the sequel, I had to revisit and watch the original. It’s a fairly sweet natured tale of witches that made more of an impact when it hit home entertainment than in the cinema. Now,…
Pressure
Many movies have covered the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944, most notably The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan. Yet we have never had a movie about the seaborne invasion told from a weatherman’s point of view until now. Pressure is the true story of how General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the decision of…
The Dog Stars
Sir Ridley Scott has always been a highly respected director, and his films always generate a certain amount of excitement, although the quality of his movies has been, in the most polite way, hit-or-miss. Starting out strong with The Duellists, Alien, and Blade Runner, there are some films that equal those now classics (Gladiator, Thelma…
Coyote Vs Acme
Some films are never sure things, even after they’re completed. Coyote Vs Acme is one such film. Made back in 2023, it was shelved by Warner Bros Discovery as a tax write-off. However, Ketchup Entertainment managed to buy the rights and saved the film from never being seen, and we can thank them for doing…
