Small Things Like These may highlight a vital decades-long human rights abuse but is sadly let down by its derivative imitation of Terence Davies’ best work.
Small Things Like These. Faux Terence Davies
Tag: Competition
Empty Nets. Empty Catch.
Love fights the forces of economics and corruption in the underwhelming Iranian drama Empty Nets — live from Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
About Dry Grasses. Toxic Masculinity Classes.
Turkish auteur Nilge Bilge Ceylan returns with another long study of a toxic intellectual with the brilliant, Anatolian-set, About Dry Grasses.
The Kids are Not Alright in Russian Found-Footage Doc Manifesto
Found-footage documentary Manifesto is both a startling, necessary film but also a disturbing one, calling into question filmmaking ethics in a fascist state.
goEast Film Festival Day Three: Resilient Faces in Broken Places
A Kazakh Western, a Serbian mining town and a Russian village on the edge of war teach us about the importance of resilience on day three of goEast.
Christian Petzold Changes Pace with the Breezy Relationship Drama Afire
A perfect cast and a breezy tone, intermingling with moments of horror and danger, characterise Afire, a more low-key effort from Christian Petzold.
Bad Living and Living Bad at Berlinale 2023: Four Enigmatic Hours of Maternal Misery
Haughty mothers haunt a draughty hotel in João Canijo’s Bad Living and Living Bad, playing in both Competition and Encounters at the Berlinale 2023.
You Have to Try Very Hard to Appreciate Angela Schanelec’s Music
Despite a fine flair for creating aesthetically pleasing images, Music is a thoroughly singular filmmaking experience hard to genuinely love.
Yes, Past Lives Is as Good as They Say
Usually Sundance-hype films are overheated and underwhelming. The sly, smart Past Lives is a brilliant exception to the rule.
Tótem Piercingly Asks If Love is Enough
A family celebration provides the setting for a haunting coming-of-age tale, courtesy of auteur to watch, Lila Avilés. Golden Bear winner?