A love story set in the 18th century about Marianne, a painter, and the aristocratic Heloïse, whose pre-wedding portrait she has been commissioned to paint. Heloïse, unwilling to marry, has consistently refused to sit – so Marianne paints her secretly, having been introduced as a hired companion. Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a… Portrait of a Lady on Fire Read More
The King 3 stars
Henry V’s Chief Justice, William Gascoigne (Sean Harris), puts the realities of kingship best to the young English monarch: “Promise must be fulfilled. Promise must never be an end in itself.” He’s not showing much promise when we first see Prince Hal; his father Henry IV is still on the throne, and Hal is a… The King Read More
The Hustle 2 stars
Did I feel some affinity with Josephine and Penny’s conned victims after watching The Hustle? Partly. Though it’s not like I wasn’t warned, with a wave of terrible reviews out ahead of my own cinema visit. The Hustle is a bad film but a great con, where you know you’re being scammed every step of… The Hustle Read More
Redoubtable 3.5 stars
I wouldn’t exactly say that Redoubtable is set to the backdrop of the 1968 Paris unrest. The revolutionary fervour that swept the city in May that year is used more as a prop for Jean-Luc Godard in particular scenes, and like the director himself the film pops in and out of marches, stone throwing and… Redoubtable Read More
Deciphering The Making Of Short Film The Code With Director Patrick Ryder
Award-winning director Patrick Ryder’s latest short film is The Code, a World War 2 drama set in the forests of France shortly before the events of Dunkirk. It follows brothers Will (Kevin Leslie) and Eddie (Jacob Anderton) and their friend Tommy (Robert Dukes), separated from the rest of their regiment and desperate to get to… Deciphering The Making Of Short Film The Code With Director Patrick Ryder Read More
A Woman’s Life 4 stars
“What good are the flowers if the fruit does not ripen?” asks Jeanne (Judith Chemla) to herself early on, little knowing that this will pretty much sum up her own existence, 30 years hence. A life not even half-lived, yet alone well-lived. This film from director Stéphane Brizé, based on Guy de Maupassant’s late 19th century… A Woman’s Life Read More
Faces Places 4.5 stars
Charming, eye-opening, and consistently hilarious, this photographic road trip through a series of French villages by two new friends, the 88 year old director Agnès Varda and 33 year old JR, a hipster artist known for his enormous photographs pasted onto huge outdoor backdrops, highlights the changes to rural life and how people of all… Faces Places Read More
Dunkirk 5 stars
If there’s one thing war films have taught me it’s that conflicts are long periods of quiet boredom interspersed with flashes of horrific fighting, injuries and death. Dunkirk isn’t boring but it is a film that feels remarkably quiet, which is odd as though there is little dialogue there is music everywhere, along with screeching bombs… Dunkirk Read More