“Be careful what you wish for. But be certain what you pray for.” Frederic prays for his penance — possibly rashly, it turns out. This first feature from director-actor-writer Mark O’Brien is a dark chiller about a burdened man who feels the wrath of a vengeful God, after he and his wife are visited by… All is not black and white in new trailer for The Righteous Read More
Pig 5 stars
A man’s truffle pig is stolen and he travels into the city to find it. Pig‘s titular pig is an adorable old ham. When she’s happy she snorts like an old man laughing at his own jokes, while the river tumbles and twigs crackle around her; when she’s taken you can hear her shrieking in… Pig Read More
Promising Young Woman: the end
Cassie plots the denouement to her own story, and though he knows the risk she’s taking, for her it’s worth it. Without Nina, Cassie sees herself as half a person (she wears a chain with half a pendant on it, while Nina had the other half). Cassie knows she might well die, and that her… Promising Young Woman: the end Read More
Pieces Of A Woman: the final bit of the jigsaw
Warning: very spoilery about the end of the film – if you want to read my review instead, it’s here. Pieces Of A Woman is about Martha navigating her grief when her baby dies, and part of that is about her regaining control after the birth. Births are often unpredictable but she had tried to… Pieces Of A Woman: the final bit of the jigsaw Read More
Pieces Of A Woman 3.5 stars
When Martha and Sean’s baby dies shortly after her home birth, the months that follow see relationships around her fracture as Martha tries to navigate her grief. When Martha goes into labour, she and her husband Sean find their chosen midwife stuck with another birthing mother. They’re sent Eva instead, an unexpected development but not… Pieces Of A Woman Read More
The Secret Garden 2.5 stars
An orphaned girl discovers a magical garden hidden at her strict uncle’s estate. I was underwhelmed by The Secret Garden but not the secret garden. The film feels soulless, its magic and reality uneasy (flower)bedfellows; while the garden is a gorgeously tangled, artfully curated wilderness housing everything a child, kept captive by an adult world… The Secret Garden Read More
Love Sarah 2 stars
A young woman wishes to fulfill her mother’s dream of opening her own bakery in Notting Hill, London. To do this, she enlists the help of an old friend and her grandmother. My main thought after watching Love Sarah was to hope there would be an accompanying recipe booklet. The cakes look delicious: billowing cream,… Love Sarah Read More
Mizuko (short film) Short Film 4 stars
In Japan, there is a special way to mourn an abortion. Mizuko (Water Child) is a short animated documentary film inspired by these Buddhist traditions. For a film that tackles such a sensitive subject, and through so many different styles, Mizuko feels very calming, a soothing ripple washing over us even as it encourages us… Mizuko (short film) Read More
The Aeronauts 4 stars
A period drama about the weather really is peak British filmmaking. Corsets and barometers – what could be better? And they get to change the world. Set in 1862, this is an exhilarating journey up, up and away; with breathtaking action and a thoughtful central relationship between a doer and a thinker, as balloon pilot… The Aeronauts Read More
Replicas 1.5 stars
There’s something pleasingly pointed about a man jokingly claimed to be immortal starring in a movie about creating a form of immortality. Sci-fi cloning film Replicas was also co-produced by Keanu Reeves, whose youthful visage and apparent appearances in portraiture through the ages baffles many who apparently can’t tell the difference between two men with dark… Replicas Read More
Amaurosis trailer: no longer unseen
A shocking family event, a strange new friend who may or may not be all he seems, and an isolated Lake District location – all the elements are there in indie thriller Amaurosis. Previously released in the UK with the title The Unseen, this is an effective and eerie film about the effects of grief…. Amaurosis trailer: no longer unseen Read More
Greta 3 stars
WARNING: Spoilery if you haven’t seen the trailer I’ve categorised this as a comedy thriller, as aspects of it – Isabelle Huppert’s lusciously frenzied performance, a gleefully hideous injury (in close-up!), the shriekingly signalling music – position it like that, though the rest of the cast play it straight and there aren’t any jokes as… Greta Read More