★★☆☆☆ American filmmaker Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) begins his latest effort, The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), with a majestic long take, following Ryan Gosling’s tattooed motorcycle stunt rider Luke Glanton as he works his way through a crowded small town fairground towards his assembled fans. Unfortunately, this isn’t quite Continue Reading
★☆☆☆☆ Joseph Kosinski’s dire new sci-fi Oblivion (2013), starring Tom Cruise, was made for an estimated budget of $120 million. Whilst this certainly isn’t the pinnacle of filmmaking excess, the gargantuan sums spent on Hollywood blockbusters are often impossible to justify. Occasionally, however, a movie will have just enough redeeming Continue Reading
★★★★☆ Simon Killer (2012), the second film from Antonio Campos (Afterschool), is a bracing, darkly comic glare into the abyss. Beneath its stylish veneer is pure grit; a tangle of depravity and violence skilfully manipulated by Campos into something mysterious and disorientating. Co-produced by Martha Marcy May Marlene’s Sean Durkin, Continue Reading
On Friday 12 April, the BFI will rerelease Pier Paolo Pasolini’s seminal drama Theorem (1968) to coincide with a retrospective of the director’s films at the BFI Southbank (until 30 April) and in anticipation of a season devoted to British star Terence Stamp (1-27 May), before playing further at venues Continue Reading
One of the most powerful films of the last 20 years, Schindler’s List (1993) tells an extraordinary true story of courage and faith. Director Steven Spielberg personally supervised this brand new high definition restoration of the film from the 35mm original negative, so that viewers can see this powerful story Continue Reading
