“Scrabble as a motif, order can be created, things can be put right. But you’ve just got to know the rules and be willing to play.” Carl Hunter, director of Sometimes, Always, Never. Film director Carl Hunter used to play in Liverpool band The Farm, part of the soundtrack to my 90s youth – and he was in a… “Sometimes, Always, Never” director Carl Hunter on mods, muzjiks and his Merseyside movie Read More
The Last Tree (Sundance London) 4 stars
Shola Amoo’s second feature is an accomplished and absorbing film, following the teenage Femi as he struggles to create his own identity and sense of place from disparate memories, experiences and expectations. Little confusions, which for teenagers can still loom large, are woven into far more serious choices. There’s a sweet scene when Femi, walking along… The Last Tree (Sundance London) Read More
Animals (Sundance London) 3.5 stars
It’s rare to find a film that combines such huge respect for the gorgeousness and grubbiness of female friendship with such dizzying disrespect for the human liver. They’re connected in this film of course, though I still feel drained just thinking about the sheer quantities of white wine consumed by best friends Laura and Tyler… Animals (Sundance London) Read More
Late Night (Sundance London) 3 stars
When late night chat show host Katherine Newbury is told she’s being replaced, she finally has to face her writers’ room. Literally, as most of the men in there have never even seen her in the flesh before. Those men are all white, and privileged, though not as hirsute as I was expecting. They’re lazy,… Late Night (Sundance London) Read More
Corporate Animals (Sundance London) 3 stars
Imagine The Descent crossed with The Office, but nastier. That’s Corporate Animals. It’s uneven, but often brutally hilarious, as horrible boss Lucy (Demi Moore) forces her key employees into a team-building exercise exploring caves in New Mexico. Always wanting to push her employees on to greatness, even if they don’t want to go, Lucy declines… Corporate Animals (Sundance London) Read More
Giant Little Ones (Canada Now Film Festival) 4 stars
I’m baffled by modern adolescence, and can hardly believe myself that back in the ’80s mine was modern too. Luckily Keith Behrman’s film leaves me with a sense of hope for my own children’s upcoming teen years, which may have more in common with my own than I feared. In Giant Little Ones Behrman, who… Giant Little Ones (Canada Now Film Festival) Read More
Canada Now Film Festival – where, when, what to watch
Bringing the best of new Canadian cinema to the United Kingdom, the annual Canada Now Film Festival returns with a London showcase next week, from 24th to 28th April 2019, followed by a UK cinema tour from 1 July. The festival opens with the London premiere of Keith Behrman’s Giant Little Ones, a powerful coming-of-age drama starring… Canada Now Film Festival – where, when, what to watch Read More
72nd Cannes Film Festival pays tribute to Agnès Varda with official poster
“Like a manifesto, this still photo from the set sums up everything about Agnès Varda: her passion, aplomb, and mischievousness.” Filmmaker Agnès Varda, pioneer of the French new wave movement, died last month aged 90 – and the official poster for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, released today, pays tribute to her. The image is… 72nd Cannes Film Festival pays tribute to Agnès Varda with official poster Read More
London Film Festival (LFF) – What’s It Like As Press?
UPDATE 2019: they’re trialling a new token system to reduce queue times at some of the press screenings once the festival starts. Keep an eye on the Press section of the LFF website, and their emails, for more info. Increasingly, freelance and new critics are using fundraising platforms to help pay for the costs of attending film festivals. But some of… London Film Festival (LFF) – What’s It Like As Press? Read More
London Film Festival Round-Up 2018
I saw some films! I met Jessica Hynes! I saw more films! I interview people! I met Jessica Hynes! And I spent a fortune on rail travelcards to meet Jessica Hynes! The 2018 BFI London Film Festival (LFF) ran from 10-21 October, finishing with me meeting Jessica Hynes, I mean with a red carpet world… London Film Festival Round-Up 2018 Read More
Sometimes Always Never (London Film Festival) 4 stars
*** Read my interview with director Carl Hunter *** Finally, a story about the beautiful game that isn’t boring or dependent on stereotypical ideas of its players. Yes, I’m talking about Scrabble. Set near Liverpool in the North West, director Carl Hunter’s delightful film is witty and moving – and beautifully written by Frank Cottrell Boyce… Sometimes Always Never (London Film Festival) Read More
“The Guilty” Star Jakob Cedergren On The Making Of The Blindsiding Danish Thriller
The Guilty, a nervy, tense Danish thriller set solely in the claustrophobic confines of an emergency dispatcher’s office, is released in the UK on 26 October. Asger Holm is a policeman working on the emergency phones, often dealing with timewasters and fakers – until he receives a call from Iben, a woman who is being… “The Guilty” Star Jakob Cedergren On The Making Of The Blindsiding Danish Thriller Read More