After Love film review: A captivating story of grief June 3, 2021 Many independent dramas deal with the subject of grieving, a topic too sombre for commercial films but one that remains pertinent to everyone. However, Aleem Khan’s debut feature takes an unusual route to tell its story even for a film outside of the mainstream. Joanna Scanlan stars as Mary, a British woman converted to Islam [...]
Dream Horse review: A sentimental underdog story about a horse June 2, 2021 For nearly thirty years, British film has specialised in a certain type of underdog comedy. Stories about people from small, usually downtrodden towns reaching for their dreams and achieving the impossible (it also helps if it’s vaguely inspired by a true story). In the 90s films including The Full Monty and Brassed Off set a [...]
A Quiet Place Part II review: Horror sequel well worth the wait June 2, 2021 Along with Peter Rabbit 2 and No Time To Die, A Quiet Place II was one of the movies that signalled cinemas would be uniquely impacted by the events of the last year. We’re still waiting on Bond, but Peter Rabbit 2 arrived recently to a rapturous reception from audiences (slightly less so from critics). [...]
Black tie, white noise: let’s make summer the new party season June 1, 2021 With the last restrictions of the pandemic due to be lifted in mere weeks, we all deserve to celebrate. We think of the run-up to Christmas as the typical ‘party season’, but Yuletide seems a long way off. Let’s claim this summer for celebrations, and burst out of lockdown with a grateful song in our [...]
Where to watch Euro 2020 in London: Top beer gardens May 29, 2021 After a mad, harrowing year, it seems difficult to believe that Euro 2021 is mere weeks away – and that the biggest games will be taking place in London. For fans without tickets to the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 11 July, watching at the pub looks set to be a game of [...]
The return of DocHouse: A docu-cinema’s rise from lockdown May 28, 2021 Today sees the return of The Bertha DocHouse, the UK’s first and only cinema devoted entirely to documentaries. The 56-seat cinema is housed at Curzon Bloomsbury, formerly known as The Renoir, in the area’s Brunswick Centre. Historically a monument to obscure independent storytelling, DocHouse’s presence continues that tradition by highlighting a genre many now associate [...]
Ben Whishaw goes off the deep end in tense debut feature Surge May 27, 2021 Debut features from new directors are exciting prospects. They can be unfiltered, rough and ready works that jump out of the screen and smack you across the face. They can also be derivative junk whose name you forget before the credits have even rolled. For Aneil Karis, an award-winning short filmmaker, Surge falls firmly into [...]
First Cow movie review – pure cinematic moo-phoria May 27, 2021 For European fans of independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, it’s been a long wait for the director’s first film since 2016’s Certain Women. Released at the beginning of March 2020 in the US, we’ve had to wait over a year longer because… well, you know why. Nevertheless, First Cow is a pleasant period piece that is [...]
Cruella is a fabulous origin story for Disney’s most enduring villain May 26, 2021 “Cruella de Vil, Cruella de Vil, if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will…”. This ditty in Disney’s 1961 animation 101 Dalmations leaves little room for nuance as it introduced one of its most enduring villains. Whether hand drawn, or in the form of Glenn Glose’s 90s portrayals, Cruella de Vil is a narcissistic, [...]
Vanquish film review – a dreadful John Wick knock off May 26, 2021 There are certain stars that draw a reaction when they become involved in a project. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman is one of those names, with the Shawshank Redemption and Bruce Almighty star’s gravitas lending something to any film he appears in. Sadly, all the prestige in the world can’t save his latest action-thriller, Vanquish. Ruby [...]