Film reviews and more
★★★☆☆ 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 […]
★★★★☆ 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 […]
★★☆☆☆ Guillaume Nicloux’s The Nun (La Religieuse, 2013) is based upon French philosopher, art critic and writer Denis Diderot’s controversial novel of the same name. Previously adapted by Jacques Rivette, whose daringly derogatory adaptation was originally banned by the French […]
★★★★☆ Originally conceived as one 130-minute feature film, Paradise: Hope (2013) sees 60-year-old Austrian director Ulrich Seidl (2007’s Import/Export) complete his trilogy of films inspired by Odon von Horvath’s 1932 play Faith, Hope and Charity. The final chapter in the […]
★★★☆☆ Tackling the sensitive and provocative issue of pornography addiction is a brave move for any director, even more so if it’s your debut feature and one that’s sure to receive heavy scrutiny due to your impressive resume of on-screen […]
★★☆☆☆ Malgoska Szumowska’s In the Name Of (W imie, 2013) is first out the blocks in the race for this year’s Golden Bear prize. An uneven, yet innovative examination of love through the constraints of the Catholic church, Szumowska’s follow […]
★★★★☆ The impressive third feature from Greek director Thanos Anastopoulos, The Daughter (2012) provides an intelligently rendered, gripping drama reflecting the wider issues of Greece’s current financial crisis. When 14-year-old Myrto (Savina Alimani) discovers that her father has mysteriously disappeared, […]
★★★☆☆ Premièring in the Panorama section of this year’s 63rd Berlin Film Festival, A Fold in My Blanket (Chemi sabnis naketsi, 2013) is the debut feature from Georgian filmmaker and former Berlin resident Zaza Rusadze. Ignoring the usual gritty and […]
★★☆☆☆ Lo-fi realist director Matt Porterfield returns to the public eye with third feature and Berlin Film Festival entrant I Used to Be Darker (2013), a sombre and incredibly despondent look at the declining sanctity of traditional family values in […]
★★★☆☆ Opening the 63rd Berlin Film Festival is Grand Jury president Wong Kar-wai’s highly anticipated, years-in-the-making martial arts epic, The Grandmaster (Yi dai zong shi, 2013). Ostensibly a biopic about real-life Wing Chun master Ip Man (Tony Leung), who famously […]
This week sees the curtain rise on the 63rd incarnation of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival (7-17th February). The festival opens in spectacular style with a World Premiere showing of latest offering from this year’s jury president, Wong Kar-wai’s […]