“We’re a Work in Progress, We’re Not Fixed” – David Byrne’s American Utopia (LFF Review)

Posted by Tom Beasley - October 15, 2020

David Byrne is the deity we never knew we needed. In Spike Lee's filmed version of the former Talking Heads frontman's show American Utopia, the 68-year-old morphs in front of the audience's eyes into a white-haired, barefoot Messiah in a steel-grey suit. He is surrounded by an ethereal glow as he performs Once in a

“My Name Is Carroll Shelby… And I Build Race Cars” – Le Mans ’66 (BFI London Film Festival Review)

Posted by Tom Beasley - October 9, 2019

Every grandmother in the UK, without fail, will receive a DVD of the new Downton Abbey movie for their next birthday. Every dad, meanwhile, should probably familiarise themselves with the basic plot of Le Mans '66 – known elsewhere in the world as Ford v Ferrari – before the disc lands in their laps next

“We Are The Descendants Of Dinosaurs” – Öndög (BFI London Film Festival Review)

Posted by Tom Beasley - October 9, 2019

It's often damning with the faintest of praise when a reviewer begins by discussing the visual quality of the film. That's not so with Öndög, which is one of the most artful and striking movies of this year's BFI London Film Festival – even if it's not one of the most narratively exciting. Chinese auteur

“This Is A Very Special Breed” – Little Joe (BFI London Film Festival Review)

Posted by Tom Beasley - October 9, 2019

The BFI London Film Festival often serves as a delightful celebration of British talent on the big screen. It's rare, however, that the talent in question includes former Butlins Redcoat and best buddy to Ant and Dec: Stephen Mulhern. This is the wonderful world of Jessica Hausner's Little Joe, in which the Austrian filmmaker translates

Music is the blood and the venom – Vox Lux (Film Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - May 3, 2019

Sometimes someone’s story is far more interesting and valuable than what they create. In the case of Celeste, its all about the singer rather than her songs. Named as a 20th Century portrait, this doesn’t explore what it means to be in the last century but merely when its set. The story of Celeste, of

VH Top Ten Films of the Year – No. 7) Sorry To Bother You

Posted by KatieHogan - December 7, 2018

Ever wondered what would happen if you could change your voice to be more appealing to those on the other end of the phone? That is just one element to Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You, the Sundance hit. A comedy that poses questions about the state of living, what art can be AND what

The topic of conversation – Girl (London Film Festival Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - October 18, 2018

Transgender men and women have been the topic of conversation for some time. Concerning rights and commenting on how they are portrayed, especially in the media. Pushing all this aside, Girl is an intermittent portrait of a girl who wants to dance and be the girl she is. Lara is fifteen, a ballet dancer and

“Pent up anger is released with every punch” – The Fight (London Film Festival Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - October 17, 2018

Bullying is a subject rarely tackled from the point of view of the bully. Stories about people growing up and coming to terms with what they did at school and realisation that they were in the wrong is usually framed as characters with delusion and they never really get over what happened when they were

The Haunted Thread – In Fabric (London Film Festival Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - October 17, 2018

An intriguing story about a haunted garment that causes destruction and death to whoever wears it sounds like it could be this year’s Rubber but with a Peter Strickland twist that won’t be to everyone’s taste. With an enticing sale on at Dentley & Soper’s Trusted Department Store, bank clerk Shelia buys a red dress

“Rarely a happy moment” – Joy (London Film Festival Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - October 16, 2018

The need and want for a better life is something everyone craves. Some will do almost anything for what they believe is a better. But after getting to where you want to be, sometimes it’s hard to admit, the grass is always greener. Director Sudabeh Mortezai focuses on the sex trafficking in Europe, a never-ending