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Lynn Shelton knows how to tell a good story. I loved Hump Day (2009) and Your Sister’s Sister (2011) and, like them, Sword of Trust is full of wry humour, great characters and cracking dialogue. Continue reading
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Documentaries like this one aren’t an easy ride. You are dropped into the middle of a cluster of stories with no context, narration nor exposition to help you understand where you are. You have to have the patience to sit back and let the stories unfurl and the characters to worm their way into your heart. Continue reading
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Like God Exists, Her Name is Petruniya, this is a stylish and absorbing tale of a sheep becoming a wolf. Continue reading
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It was worth a shot. This oddball indie film is a tour de force by writer, director and star Jim Cummings. I enjoyed the ride and only felt let down by its denouement that seems to undermine the realities of family violence. Continue reading
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Lyn Ramsey’s (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Morvern Callar) latest grips you in its sweaty fist and doesn’t let up until the final frame. It’s enigmatic, intense and artful, filling each frame with the lumbering presence of Joaquin Phoenix. Continue reading
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This implausible, broadly-comedic romcom surprised me with its deft balance of humour and heart. Continue reading
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Jacques Audriard (Personal Shopper) has created a serviceable yet unremarkable Western that seems to delight in perpetuating well-worn tropes. Continue reading
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This dramatisation by James Franco about the making of the cult classic The Room (2003) should only be watched after attending a midnight screening of the film it explores (the only way to watch it, in my opinion) or perhaps not at all. Continue reading
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This feelgood, cookie cutter movie barely scratches the surface of its topic; racism in the deep south of the US in the 60s. A good example of a white saviour movie, it centres its story firmly and unapologetically on the experiences of a good-hearted, racist white guy. Continue reading
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It’s possible I am a lone reed in not loving the third remake of this quintessential film about the tragedies inherent in fame. A lone reed. Or a heartless wretch. I remained unmoved as Bradley Cooper heroically directs himself into every frame, leaving not enough room for the absorbingly wonderful Lady Gaga. Continue reading
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