REVIEW: Tove (2021)
Tove often feels less like a biopic about Tove Jansson’s career and more like a study of the Finnish art world in the 1940s. Eeva Putro’s screenplay is largely concerned with the conflict between the comforts of traditional family values and commercial art and the…
REVIEW: Edge of the World (2021)
It should probably be a general rule at this point: if you’re going to make a film set in 19th century Asia with a white protagonist, tread carefully. Edge of the World tells the surprising true story of an Englishman who would become the first…
REVIEW: Cliff Walkers (2021)
In 1931, Japan invaded China in what is now known as the Second Sino-Japanese war. In the north east of the country, Chinese Manchuria became the puppet state of Manchukuo. With help from both the USSR (as it was then known) and the United States,…
REVIEW: The Good Traitor (2021)
World War II is the source of countless fascinating dramatic stories. But it doesn’t necessarily follow that every true story from World War II needs to be made into a film. Diplomatic relations don’t always have a dramatic impact that sets the hearts and minds…
REVIEW: Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
I recently watched an interview with director Shaka King, talking about what defines his latest film Judas and the Black Messiah – history. It’s a great point of reference when placed in context. The stories we’re frequently exposed to, are stories we’ve grown accustomed to….
REVIEW: Passing (Sundance 2021)
Black and white films have been making something of a comeback recently – even just looking at Netflix – there has been Roma (2018), Mank (2020), The Forty Year Old Version (2020) and Malcolm & Marie (2021). Elsewhere, we’ve had Beats (2019), Bait (2019), The…
REVIEW: Dear Comrades (2021)
Veteran filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky (writer of the iconic Andrei Rublev and a renowned director now in his seventh decade as a filmmaker) brings a devastating reflection on loss and rage with the awards contender Dear Comrades. The film is a re-enactment of the hushed-up Novocherkassk massacre…
