‘I, Tonya’ Review

I, Tonya begins by stating it is ‘based on irony-free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly’, and the multiple perspectives this provides, combined with a snappy script and darkly comic sensibility, makes I, Tonya a blast of a film that entertains, whilst also humanising the figure at its heart. Whilst…

‘The Mercy’ Review

The first, and bigger, of two Donald Crowhurst films set to be released by Studiocanal in the coming weeks has arrived. It is an assured and affecting stab at the tragic tale, if one that plays it a little safe. Based on the true story of the amateur sailor’s attempt at the Golden Globe race…

BAFTAs 2018

Last night, the most prestigious awards in the British film industry were handed out in a show full of speeches characterised by Time’s Up, unsurprising winners, and a sweep of awards for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The biggest winner of the night, Three Billboards began by claiming the Best British Film award, and went…

BAFTAs 2018: Predictions and Opinions

Disclaimer: Frustratingly, there are still a few nominated films that haven’t been released in the UK yet, so I’ll be basing my predictions for those more off of the general consensus  The biggest night in the British film calendar is now only a day away, and the anticipation is reaching fever pitch. It is one…

‘The Shape of Water’ Review

Arriving with an impressive 13 Oscar nominations, Guillermo del Toro brings us another fantastical tale, one featuring an amphibian man, that, despite its other-worldly qualities, is a deeply human tale of love. It is pure cinematic magic. Set in the 1960s, during the Cold War, the film follows Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute woman who…

‘The Oscars Shouldn’t Be Political’

After last year’s ceremony deeply influenced by the Trump era, and this year’s awards circuit being completely characterised by Time’s Up and MeToo, the run up to the Oscars has prompted the usual ‘I don’t want your politics’, ‘awards shows shouldn’t be political’, and the general notion that those in the film industry shouldn’t be…

‘Phantom Thread’ Review

The latest from Paul Thomas Anderson is hard to categorise. Yes, it is a period piece, it is a romance, but it is also, in some sense, a comedy of psychological games that eventually pushes its characters to the verge of absurdity. It is an entrancing and intriguing piece, prepared to challenge its audience. Set…

90 Years of Disappointing Statistics

2018 marks the 90th Oscars, and, as would be expected, there is a lot of focus on that fact, both from within the Academy, and from outside observers. Sadly, despite the many celebratory events and posts on social media, the emphasis on 90 years, also places emphasis on the discrimination and lack of diversity the film…

DVDs of the Month: January

This January brings around some of the smash hits of last year’s end of Summer season, as well as a couple of gems that might have flown under your radar. Detroit Kathryn Bigelow’s dramatization of the horrific events at the Algiers Motel during the Detroit riots is a gripping and rage-inducing affair, that sadly tells…