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A Christmas-themed zombie musical set in a British high school? I couldn’t buy my ticket fast enough and John McPhail’s endearing comedy, packed with just the right amount of gore and catchy tunes, didn’t disappoint. Continue reading
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There is something to be said for a film that left me left me wanting to go home and make clothes. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary about fashion enfant terrible Lee (Alexander) McQueen is equal parts inspiring and devastating. Continue reading
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This serviceable dramatisation of the life of author Mary Shelley (Elle Fanning) satisfies as much as it disappoints. Feeling a bit like a made-for-TV movie, director Haifaa al-Mansour (Wadjda) paints by numbers, giving us a long succession of plot points with a good dose of high emotion but little drama. Continue reading
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This thoroughly enjoyable biopic tells the story of celebrated and notorious French writer Colette and her struggle for recognition. Directed by Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice 2014), Colette has the feel of a lush, British period drama, with well-drawn characters, gorgeous costuming and a pace that never feels rushed. Continue reading
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Pretty much all I knew about Matangi a.k.a. Maya Arulpragasm a.k.a. M.I.A. is the song Bad Girls. The anthem to girls doing whatever they want has a killer video clip of stunt drivers in the Middle East and M.I.A. resplendent in shades and gold chains. I now know there is so much more to her than this song and her Grammy and Oscar nominations. Continue reading
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British TV director Michael Pearce does a more than decent job with his first feature. Like the best of British crime dramas, it takes its time to build the characters and the premise, has some top-notch actors, makes good use of the Jersey landscape and genuinely keeps you guessing right up until the end. Continue reading
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This one was a last minute swap when I couldn’t face racing to Hoyts to be potentially disappointed by Robert Pattinson in the farcical, some say feminist western Damsel. That’s one of those films that can be a delight or a travesty and I didn’t feel like risking it. Dark River was a good choice. Directed by Clio Barnard it’s a dark and brooding tale of abuse as seen through the eyes of a survivor. Continue reading
