Jan 2019
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2019 Film Reviews – 6: Vice [dir. Adam McKay; 2018]
We quite often hear the complaint that ‘worthy’ films preach to the converted; Ken Loach’s output is perhaps the first that comes to mind in this regard. So why am I not excited by the possibility that the irreverent, genre-morphing style of Vice might be the very thing that gets through to audiences who wouldn’t… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 5: Mary Queen Of Scots [dir. Josie Rourke; 2018]
If we accept the premise that historical films reveal more about the present than about the period in which they’re set, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mary Queen Of Scots is a comprehensive – if somewhat heavy-handed – encapsulation of this era of gender fluidity, sharpened misogyny and the #MeToo movement. Indeed, Josie Rourke’s… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 4: Roma [dir. Alfonso Cuarón; 2018]
I suppose we should be grateful that the rise and rise of Netflix – and the consequent absence of most of its films at our cinemas – has coincided with significant improvements in home viewing technology. If nothing else, Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma was a superb workout for the speed of my broadband connection and, more… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 3: Colette [dir. Wash Westmoreland; 2018]
Wash Westmoreland’s Colette – focussing mainly on the first marriage of the celebrated French writer – is one of those all-too-common pieces of work that tell a fascinating story in doggedly pedestrian fashion. The performances may be fine (Keira Knightley holds the whole together very well) and the evocation of the period is mostly convincing… Continue reading
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2019 Film Review – 2: Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word [dir. Wim Wenders; 2018]
One wonders what promises were made by Wim Wenders and his team to persuade the Vatican to grant them access to Pope Francis. Or maybe they were just charmed by what is admittedly a winning smile and a compelling warmth. Whatever happened behind the scenes, Wenders has created an unsubtle, largely interview-led documentary which systematically… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 1: The Favourite [dir. Yorgos Lanthimos; 2018]
It’s probably safe to say that Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite is worth seeing merely on the basis that it raises so many questions and thwarts simplistic interpretations. Charting a brief period in the life of Queen Anne – and focussing exclusively on the attempts of two women (played by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) to… Continue reading
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Time To Start Again?
In 2011, I successfully met my self-imposed challenge of posting one-paragraph reviews of every movie I watched during the year. Since then, my online writing has moved in a different direction (see here) and I’ve published next to nothing on this blog. However, some instinct in me is growing more persistent and telling me to… 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 