Patrick Gamble
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DVD Review: ‘Melancholia’
★★★★☆ Lars von Trier’s most accomplished movie since 2003’s Dogville was sadly overshadowed by the controversy this constantly provocative director evoked at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, with the praise it deserved sadly diluted by his remarkably thoughtless remarks. This is a huge shame, as not only does Melancholia (2011) boast an award-winning star turn…
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Film Review: ‘Coriolanus’
★★★☆☆ Coriolanus is of one of William Shakespeare’s most complex plays, making it a rather ambitious adaptation for Ralph Fiennes to choose as his directorial debut. Despite being one of Shakespeare’s lesser known tragedies, its tale of greed and power is certainly strong enough to build the foundations of any film. Starring Jessica Chastain, Vanessa…
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DVD Review: ‘The Interrupters’
★★★★☆ Last month saw the release of the longlist for the forthcoming Best Documentary Oscar at next year’s Academy Awards. Controversy soon followed as it transpired that not only had Asif Kapadia’s remarkable film Senna (2010) been excluded from the list, but so too had Steven James’ critically acclaimed and fascinating 2011 documentary The Interrupters,…
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Film Review: ‘Shame’
★★★★☆ Director Steve McQueen re-unites with Hunger (2008) star Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011), another visually sumptuous exploration of the human struggle between mind and body. Whereas Hunger focused on men’s ability to suppress his natural bodily drives, McQueen’s latest offering finds itself enslaved by natural impulses, painting a fascinating portrait of the inherent sexual…
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Blu-ray Review: ‘Whisper of the Heart’
★★★★☆ Directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s former protégé Yoshifumi Kondo (who sadly died before he could succeed Miyazaki), 1995 film Whisper of the Heart, much like Isao Takahata’s masterpiece Only Yesterday, is a lovingly crafted and well observed story about adolescent self discovery – and to this day remains one of the most remarkable films produced by…
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DVD Review: ‘The Big Picture’
★★★☆☆ The Big Picture (2010) sees director Eric Lartigau attempt to adapt Douglas Kennedy’s US-based novel of the same name within a French setting. Considering the wealth of well-made thrillers to emerge from the French film industry, it seems like the perfect environment in which to tackle Kennedy’s prose. Starring current French heartthrob Romain Duris,…
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DVD Review: ‘In a Better World’
★★★★☆ Ever since capturing last year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, In a Better World (2010) has found its painterly presented tale of morality come under a lot of scrutiny. However, Susanne Bier’s strikingly beautiful film deserves to be viewed separately from the buzz surrounding its prestigious award and be observed for what…
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Special Feature: LSFF9 to be the biggest festival yet
Tomorrow night (6 January) sees the annual London Short Film Festival (LSFF) celebrate its 9th incarnation with a special opening night part at the ICA. Taking place throughout 24 different venues across the capital over the course of 11 days, this year’s festival boasts around 70 various events – each showcasing a variety of cutting-edge,…
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DVD Review: ‘A Lonely Place to Die’
★★★☆☆ Combining the adrenaline-fuelled pursuits of abseiling and mountain climbing with the heart-pounding tension of a horror flavoured thriller, director Julian Gilbey’s A Lonely Place to Die (2011) attempts to meld these exhilarating aspects into an exciting survival drama. Starring Melissa George, Ed Speleers and Sean Harris, A Lonely Place to Die was distinguished enough…
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Film Review: ‘Another Earth’
★★★★☆ Winner of the Special Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, director Mike Cahill’s celestial cinematic voyage Another Earth (2011) is a fantastic example of how science fiction should be used – transcending the spectacle associated with the genre in search of something more metaphysical, whilst commendably remaining firmly based in the roots…