Sabu’s Arrested Memory is a weird blend of crime comedy, emotional journey and martial arts movie. None of it really coheres.
Arrested Memory. Frontal Underload.
Festivals
Reviews and dispatches exploring the best new cinema premiering around the world.
The City of the Living Exhumes a Shocking Roman Death
Subverting the usual expectations of true crime, The City of the Living is noticeable for the amount it focusses on the victim of a notorious Roman murder.
The Life of a Feminist Icon
Francesca Archibugi’s Carla Lonzi, a Feminist Story is a touching remembrance of one of Italy’s most trailblazing feminists.
Hats Off to Diane
Un détour par Diane by Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni expertly blurs the boundaries between one woman’s lived experience and another’s emotional life.
Jupiter, Descending
Denis Ménochet lends tremendous gravitas to a Macron-esque president trying to avert nuclear war in Alexandre Smia’s Jupiter, playing in Out Of Competition.
Christianity Clash
Two films at Locarno display how often the practice of Christianity contradicts the principles of kindness and empathy found in the New Testament.
Asphalt Guerrilla. The Paradoxes of AI Punk Filmmaking.
The use of artificial intelligence in Edgar Pêra’s Asphalt Guerrilla may be inspired by good intentions, but it bodes poorly for the future of documentaries.
Dreaming of a 1994 Honda Civic
A modest yet touching documentary, Emil Langballe’s Petrolheads examines addiction, mental illness and the redemptive power of friendship and cars.
Coming of Age, Sicilian-Style
Coming-of-age movies in recent years are usually snoozy; Giovanni Tortorici’s whipsmart funny Ketticè is the wonderful exceptional to that rule.
“The universe doesn’t care about us, it doesn’t even know we’re here” — Axel Bertha on Against Nature
Axel Bertha talks to us about his debut feature Against Nature, casting non-professional actors and being mentored by Carlos Reygadas.