Week #15 Faithfully adapted from the 2017 novel of the same name by Andre Aciman. Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name is not only one of the finest coming of age films of a generation. But also one of the most important LGBTQ films of the past twenty years. But how did a small budget film with a relatively unknown actor in …
Week #14 Louis Malles 1987 masterpiece ‘Au Revoir Les Enfants’ is a truly breathtaking exploration of the end of childhood during war. One that shines with natural and unforced performances displaying the innocence of youth in the face of conflict, destruction and hate. Set in a Catholic boarding school in Nazi-occupied France during 1944. Twelve year old Julien (Gaspard Manesse) is …
Week #12 Reflecting the social fears of a cold war still burning with nuclear tension. John Badham’s 80’s teen thriller also foresaw the dangers of artificial intelligence in a newly emerging computer age. Combining a human led cold war stand off with the risk of computer driven intelligence. Ultimately delivering a thriller that has remarkably stood the test of time. …
Being stuck at home during these challenging days isn’t easy. And it can mean 24 hour news becomes a normal part of our Televisual diet. But while important this can also increase a sense of isolation and worry. While also making the day drag as the main news repeats every hour. So why not take a break from world events …
Born in 1986, Shia LaBeouf found fame at young age through stand up comedy and then the Disney Channel. His talent finding worldwide stardom with the 2007 hit Disturbia. However, as with many child actors before him, the journey to this point was far from glamourous. A journey fraught with alcohol, anger and internal struggle. Written by LaBeouf, ‘Honey Boy’ may have changed the …
Week #9 Mommy (2014) French Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan burst onto the public stage in 2009 with his outstanding debut feature I Killed My Mother. His ability to reflect the intensity of family relationships and the emotional disconnect of parents and teenagers jumping from the screen. However, with Mommy this ability to both challenge and engage an audience is amplified …
Week #7 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (2017) Following on from his darkly humorous In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths. Martin McDonagh delivers a film that dovetails the darkest of humour with a psychological examination of human pain and justice. Within a film that delves into the deepest reaches of guilt, family and prejudice in the small town of Ebbing Missouri. …
Week #6 My Own Private Idaho (1991) You may think that a film based around male prostitution would focus on sex. But Gus Van Sant’s 1991 picture does not wrap itself in stereotypical themes of prostitution and sexuality. My Own Private Idaho plays with Shakespeare’s Henry IV part I and II. While placing its central characters into the urban bustle and rural beauty …
Ever since the 18th Century, comics, manga, cartoons and graphic novels have been a part of public storytelling. Taking us to new and existing worlds through art and words. While equally challenging political figures and institutions as they reflect and dissect our human journey. From Japan to Europe and the America’s the use of images in storytelling has a long …
‘Fin de siglo’ What if we had made different decisions as a result of the random meetings, and fleeting love affairs we have had? This is the question posed by writer-director Lucio Castro. His debut feature ‘End of the Century’ focusing on the power of chance encounters and the fear of commitment. The passion for personal freedom often wrapped in …