Now this is a bit different from the things I usually write about. Euphoria isn’t a film, but it is probably one of the best TV shows depicting the struggles of youth I’ve ever seen. And while it is more like hyper-realism, this series does explore a lot of the multitude of emotions that teenagers and young adults go through. From drug abuse, to first … Continue reading Euphoria (Sam Levinson, 2019)
Call Me by Your Name is a beautiful film. And beautiful is perhaps the best way I can describe it, the setting, the characters and just the entrancing way it is filmed. It is so intimate in everything that it does that it is hard to see it as anything but complete truth. There is something about this movie that made me fall so in … Continue reading Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017)
Without spoiling too much, the most incredible thing about this film is the almost impossible way in which Jojo Rabbit disrupts the comedy with devastating realness. You are taken on the story of a young boy called Jojo, and the development of his relationship with his imaginary friend and hero, Hitler. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, this has to be one of the best … Continue reading Jojo Rabbit (Taika Waititi, 2019)
The very core of this film is the exploration of the connection between a boy and his father, introducing the highs and (extreme) lows of their relationship. Written by and based on Shia LaBeouf’s childhood, we see a young boy living in Los Angeles trying to break into Hollywood with the help of his father. To Otis his father is his chaperone, and to James … Continue reading Honey Boy (Alma Har’el, 2019)
Knives Out is one of the most twisty turny films I have ever had the pleasure to watch. The very structure of it leads the audience on a path of fabulous confusion that makes you doubt if it was even a ‘Who Done It’ in the first place. It is about the suicide/suspected murder of Harlan Thrombey, a wealthy mystery writer, and the various suspects … Continue reading Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019)
The epic piece of cinema that is Carl Theodor Dreyer’s ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ is attributed as one of the most influential and famous silent films ever. Not only is it a story of infamous truth, it was a truly experimental and astounding film of its time. The use of close-ups primarily creates a disorientating and intense portrayal of the trial, as Mark … Continue reading The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
This cinematic piece was outstanding in its cinematography and casting… there could not have been a better choice than De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci. This powerhouse trio that completely took over the screen in such a way that made the audience empathise completely with the corrupt nature of their characters. While I thought these three were clearly the spectacle of the film, there was another … Continue reading The Irishman (Marin Scorsese, 2019)
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a breath-taking film that is very unique to any I’ve seen before. The reality of this film mingles with fantasy creating a real world where anything is possible. Zak and Tyler embark on an unlikely adventure to find the ‘Saltwater Redneck,’ a wrestling champion and more importantly Zak’s hero. And yet the most important thing they find is their relationship … Continue reading The Peanut Butter Falcon (Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, 2019)
It’s hard not to look at ‘Joker’ within the realms of social politics. However, it is not inherently political, but more a character based film. Arthur Fleck (the Joker) played brilliantly by Joaquin Phoenix, is a troubled man, quite obviously. He is burdened by so much in his life that it is hard not to enjoy the cinematic violence. As this is not revenge, this … Continue reading Joker (Todd Phillips, 2019)
Mary Shelley, directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour is an incredible ‘proto-feminist’ film about hardship, loneliness and grief, but also the happiness and hopefulness of what this misery can bring us. The inspirational yet demonising Percy Shelley, the force of nature that is Claire Clairmont, and of course the spectacular being that is Mary Shelley. A woman shown by Al-Mansour to be so strong, so powerful yet … Continue reading Mary Shelley (Haifaa Al-Mansour, 2018)
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