From it’s whimsical name to it’s awkwardly stylish mise en scène, Licorice Pizza should feel like a sweet and poignant dip into growing up in the 70s. Then why does it feel so creepy?
Continue readingLicorice Pizza (2021)
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The Northman (2022)
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Robert Eggars (The Lighthouse (2019), The Witch (2015)) gives us toxic masculinity writ large without a shred of irony or insight.
Continue readingBeginning (დასაწყისი) (2020)
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Note to self – if they liken a film to the work of Michael Haneke, you are probably not going to love it. Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili’s first feature borrows heavily from Haneke’s handbook, with extended scenes of our protagonist lying on the ground pretending to be dead or sitting in a chair.
Continue readingDudes (1987)
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Image via miff.com.au
The 80s weren’t a great time for female characters in teen cinema. Continue reading
Loving Vincent (2017)
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Image via http://www.cinemaclock.com
Like an episode of Midsomer Murders but painted, this misguided commodification of the art of Vincent Van Gogh is devoid of any real exploration of the artist or his art. Proudly stating upfront that each frame has been hand painted, the gimmick is at first intriguing but soon becomes a distraction. It can’t hide the insubstantial plot, dodgy accents and lack of drama. Continue reading
Passengers (2016)
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Image via http://www.washingtonpost.com
Passengers is a neat example of how female characters are stereotyped in Hollywood films. With only four named characters of substance, it’s not surprisingly that only one is female, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence). Her role is to meet the romantic and sexual needs of the hero, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), and to provide a framework for the essential goodness and heroism of his masculinity by personifying the worst of archetypal femininity. If you plan on seeing this film, and I wouldn’t rush out to do so, perhaps read no further. I won’t give away any plot points that aren’t obvious from the outset but I will probably say enough about the characters that you have a pretty good idea of the entire film. So, spoilers. Continue reading
Bad-ass Women: Tomb Raider vs Resident Evil
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Image via http://www.leviathyn.com
Who makes the best action hero, Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) or Alice (Mila Jovovich) in Resident Evil (2002)? Made a year apart and both based on female protagonists in popular video games, this week we watched both for some vicarious bad-ass women thrills. Continue reading
Ballerina (2016)
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Image via teaser-trailer.com
You know how there are some great animated movies that are a joy to watch for kids and adults alike? Ballerina is not one of them. I was dragged to see it by my 10-year-old daughter as it looked like it was, at least, a story about a plucky girl with self-determination. When we emerged two hours later, my daughter declared, “There was just so much wrong with it!” Continue reading
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
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Image via http://www.straitstimes.com
The Impossible (2012)
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Image via athenacinema.com
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