★★★☆☆ A man sits alone in a room with a notepad and begins to scribble down his own voiceover. He only writes on one page and seems to always be starting at the top. His thoughts will be meticulous and he will show a certain expertise. When he’s finished writing he will place the pen on the table, neatly aligned with the pad.
★★☆☆☆ Bereavement, mental health, the threadbare US social welfare system and homelessness are the heavy topics that British-born director Deborah Richards tackles in her debut feature. Unfortunately, their worthy but superficial and somewhat incoherent presentation means that Move Me No Mountain is an emotionally and thematically inert experience.
★★★☆☆ Sometimes, it’s tough being really skilled at one thing in particular. Having flown out the blocks with two supremely good, bonafide hit horror films (Hereditary, Midsommar), writer and director Ari Aster had to make a departure to avoid being pigeon-holed as a genre specialist.
★★★★★ Combining dramatic re-creation with musical performances, Ireland’s foreign-language Oscar entry Song of Granite is a lyrical paean to Gaelic culture and the ability of music to colour the distance between the past and present. In 2012, Pat Collins received...
★★★☆☆ The phrase “Do you know who I am?” takes on a new meaning in Sonia Kronlund’s The Prince of Nothingwood, an idiosyncratic documentary revealing an unseen side to Afghan life and culture. For though a global audience may have...
★★★☆☆ Jennifer Peedom’s Mountain contains some truly breathtaking imagery, but it reduces the sublime wonders of the peaks to mere daredevilry. In this collaboration between Peedom – whose previous Bafta-nominated effort Sherpa explored similar territory – and the Australian Chamber...
★★★★☆ Set across three decades and two continents, Mountains May Depart is an affecting and ambitious tale of social upheaval in modern day China. The opening sequence of Jia Zhangke’s Mountains May Depart shows an energetic young crowd bopping along...
Tallinn’s Black Nights Film Festival returned to the Estonian capital for its 21st instalment from 17 November – 3 December. Unlike some other A-list European festivals, the chilly darkness provides the perfect excuse to settle in and enjoy a wealth...
★★★★★ Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s films defined British cinema in the 1940s and 1950s, which were both artistically and commercially successful. In 1946 and at the height of their powers, Powell and Pressburger wrote and directed A Matter of...
★★★★★ Ai Weiwei might be best known for his sculptures and installations, but with Human Flow he has created a masterpiece that truly captures the humanity at the heart of the global refugee crisis. Many films try to represent big...
From the big screen to an even bigger stage, films have been making their way into our theatres for decades. This said, not all films would be as entertaining when under artificial lighting. The stage adaptation of Blade Runner, for...
Where would Hollywood be without the humble reboot? It seems that every month brings a blast from the past, repackaged for a new generation to sink its teeth into. The film industry loves to bet on a winning formula, and...
★★★☆☆ A crime caper, set amongst the racial tensions of 1950s suburban America, this earnest satire is fun, but ultimately feels a bit thin and fails to give any weight to the politics it hints at. With a script originally...
★★★★☆ Brakes is a bittersweet, raw comedy about love, sex, and relationships, with stellar performances from its large ensemble cast. Brakes starts off seemingly as an emotional drama, tying together nine dysfunctional couples in the process of splitting apart. Split...
★★★☆☆ Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is on a school bus with her friends when an invisible force rips off the top of the bus, severing all but Mitsuko in half. Running away in terror, she suddenly finds herself dressed in a...