A free-wheeling, three-part riot of formal invention, Víctor Iriarte’s excellent debut is at once aesthetically rigorous and politically pointed.
The Freewheeling Spirit of Bolaño Is Excellently Channelled in Foremost By Night
Tag: Film
Sidonie In Japan. Translation, Adrift
Sidonie In Japan is a classic example of a fine actress phoning it in, wasting Huppert’s talents in a generic, unconvincing cross-cultural examination of grief.
Stolen Just Keeps Getting Better
Indian movie Stolen levels up scene after scene, moving from a tense, whodunnit to a full-blown, white-knuckle thriller — live from Venice Film Festival.
Chuck Chuck Baby. I Said Maybe!
A not-quite musical filled with loveliness and laughs, Chuck Chuck Baby is the operatic soap opera I never knew I needed — live from Edinburgh Film Festival.
Stepne Ploddingly Trudges Through Ukraine’s Tragic Past
Dull visuals and an unengaging plot make Ukrainian village tale Stepne, playing in competition, an enervating watch — live from Locarno Film Festival.
The Vanishing Soldier. Israel Smoulders.
The Vanishing Soldier uses its picarasque, free-wheeling form to investigate the complexities and paradoxes of modern Isreal — to mixed results.
Animal Oozes with Summertime Sadness
The pitfalls of always providing entertainment are perfectly probed in Animal, Sofia Exarchou’s excellent sophomore film.
A Song Sung Blue Is Not The Warmest Colour
A Song Sung Blue has every shade of blue you can hope for. But perhaps gorgeous aesthetics can only get you so far. Playing at Directors’ Fortnight.
Marguerite’s Theorem Cracks Under Its Own Formula
Marguerite’s Theorem is proof that making movies about maths only works when you’re willing to forego generic filmmaking formulas.
ACID Cannes 2023 — Searching For Happiness
The Cannes ACID section focusses on normal lives in independent films, celebrating perspectives often overlooked in bigger programmes.