Berlin
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Before Midnight’ review
★★★★☆ American director Richard Linklater returns to the tale of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) that he began seventeen years ago in Before Sunrise (1995) with 2013’s Before Midnight. Set nine years after the events of Before Sunset (2004), this is an eloquently scripted dissection of a now middle-aged couple’s relationship. Reflective in…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Side Effects’ review
★★★★☆ Reputedly prolific American filmmaker Steven Soderbergh’s final big screen outing, 2013’s Side Effects – starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones – is a compelling thriller exploring the blurred lines between psychopharmacology and the US justice system. Protagonist Emily Taylor’s (Mara) life is an endless cycle of misery and paranoia – each day…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Closed Curtain’ review
★★★☆☆ Despite finding himself under house arrest and banned from filmmaking for ‘committing propaganda against the Iranian government’, resourceful director Jafar Panahi follows his critically acclaimed documentary This Is Not a Film (2011) with Closed Curtain (Parde, 2013) – an existential example of meta-filmmaking disguised as a humanist chamber piece about political repression. Closed Curtain…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Frances Ha’ review
★★★★☆ Shot entirely in black and white, Frances Ha (2012) sees US indie director Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig team up once again after their successful partnership with Greenberg (2010). This time round, Gerwig is integral in the scriptwriting process, creating a delightfully twee, metropolitan fairytale about the difficulties of growing-up when you’re already fully-grown. Frances (Gerwig)…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘The Spirit of ’45’ review
★★★★☆ One of only a handful of high profile British films featuring at this year’s 63rd Berlinale (more’s the pity), Ken Loach returns to the documentary fray this year with The Spirit of ’45 (2013), representing something of a labour of love for its acclaimed director. Exploring Britain’s sociopolitical evolution from the poverty and uncertainty…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Layla Fourie’ review
★★☆☆☆ Swedish/South African director Pia Marais has garnered a small, yet loyal following on the festival circuit thanks to her assured debut The Unpolished (2007) and its confident follow-up At Ellen’s Age (2010). Her third feature, Layla Fourie (2013), thus finds itself in competition for the top Golden Bear prize at this year’s Berlinale. Sadly, this highly…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Vic + Flo Saw a Bear’ review
★★☆☆☆ Denis Côté’s Vic + Flo Saw a Bear ( Vic et Flo ont vu un ours, 2013) is the follow-up to the experimental French Canadian director’s zoo doc, Bestiaire (2012). A detached and ultimately soulless portrayal of the rehabilitating limbo of post-prison reintegration, Côté’s offbeat and darkly comic drama is a near-impenetrable enigma of…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘Fynbos’ review
★★★☆☆ Harry Patramanis’ Fynbos (2012) is an enigmatic parable for modern South Africa’s evolution away from its troubled past. A tense and atmospheric thriller-of-sorts, Patramanis’ assured debut captivates through its hypnotic rhythm, yet remains a strangely unsatisfying experience – a great pity. Stood on a rundown street corner, Meryl (Jessica Haines) disposes of the contents…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘A Single Shot’ review
★★★☆☆ Based on Matthew F. Jones’ dark and atmospheric novel of the same name, David M. Rosenthal’s A Single Shot (2013) finally makes it’s debut at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Staring US actor Sam Rockwell and boasting an enticing supporting cast that includes William H. Macy, Kelly Reilly and Jason Isaacs, A Single Shot…
-
Berlin 2013: ‘For Marx’ review
★★★★☆ A starkly-shot Russian addition to the Berlinale’s Forum section, Svetlana Baskova’s For Marx (Za Marksa, 2013) might not have much cinematic polish, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for with a thorough exploration of geopolitical themes, wrapped in a pithy, compelling drama. A group of hardy steel workers decide to establish an…