Feb 2011
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Film Review: Winter’s Bone [dir. Debra Granik; 2010]
Insular communities often make compelling subjects for films, but the greatness of Winter’s Bone comes from much more than just a fortuitous choice of context. Set in the USA’s unforgiving Ozark mountains, it tracks a young woman’s attempt to keep a roof over her family’s head which, because of prior events, means confronting the local equivalent of the Mafia. Featuring… Continue reading
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Film Review: I Am Love / Io Sono L’Amore [dir. Luca Guadagnino; 2009]
It features a scene in which an extra-marital affair is brought to light by a bowl of soup (no, I’m not kidding), but that’s about as original as things get in I Am Love, an over-wrought examination of the relationships between the various members of a wealthy Milanese family. The link between food and sensuality… Continue reading
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Film Review: True Grit [dir. Ethan & Joel Coen; 2010]
I’m not a great fan of westerns, but what I do appreciate is a good story, well told. That’s why the Coen brothers’ version of True Grit gets a firm thumbs up from me. By toning down their characteristic quirkiness, they’ve made room for the elegant simplicity of the plot, which sees a 14-year old girl… Continue reading
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Leave The Service
Almost 100 RAF trainee pilots have been told that they will have to leave the service. Apparently, the funding’s dried up and the number of new recruits has had to be cut. Add them to the list of youngsters with nothing to do. Watch as UK society continues to sink. The cynical side of me… Continue reading
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Film Review: Brighton Rock [dir. Rowan Joffe; 2010]
I suppose this new adaptation of Graham Greene’s 30s novel deserves some credit for having ambitious intentions. It shifts the action to the early 60s, thereby placing it against the backdrop of the Mods and Rockers conflicts. It features heightened, starkly lit visuals. And it attempts to draw intense performances from its actors. But somehow, the disparate elements… Continue reading
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Film Review: Never Let Me Go [dir. Mark Romanek; 2010]
A great deal has already been written and said about the difficulties of adapting a piece of literature for the screen. The consensus appears to be that if you loved the book, you’re almost certainly going to be disappointed with the film. So it was with a considerable sense of relief – and a fair… Continue reading
About Me
I am a writer and award-winning perfume critic currently living in the south of England and working on a novel. For my perfume-related writing, please visit Persolaise.com.
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DARIUSH ALAVI 