As we emerge from the depths of winter, as the snowdrops sink back into the earth, replaced by the heads of daffodils peeping at the spring light, there is a discernible enthusiasm in the air, excitement for what is to come – could it be the Great British Summer? – while North Shields – where… Continue reading Winter Film Viewing
As many of you will know, we have entered the part of the year where mainstream film distributors – after saving up such films for the majority of the year – saturate the market with ‘more intelligent content’ in the race for the Oscars. Of course it is mad to assume that audiences only want… Continue reading Autumn Film Viewing
Followers of this site will already know of my love for Jafar Panahi and the Iranian cinema in general, so it is fairly straightforward that I would find Closed Curtain (Panahi, 2013) appealing in all of its postmodern, metatextual exuberance. It is a film which may seem unintelligible to audiences unaware of the director’s plight… Continue reading Summer Film Viewing
The life and work of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has become a major story in recent years within both global politics and film history. From the ever-evolving accusations of acting against national security and spreading anti-government propaganda by the Iranian state, to the overwhelming support received from the international film community in opposition to his… Continue reading The Circle (Jafar Panahi, 2000)
Here’s my list of the ten best films of the year: Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev) Two Days, One Night (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne)* Boyhood (Richard Linklater) Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh) The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki) Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer) The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson) Starred Up (David Mackenzie) Winter Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) Her… Continue reading 2014: The Year’s Best Films
