May 2019
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2019 Film Reviews – 32: Amazing Grace [dir. Alan Elliott & Sydney Pollack; 2018]
Aside from the impassioned music and Aretha Franklin’s unquestionably powerful vocal skills (although personally, I can take R&B warbling only in small doses) what’s most remarkable about this footage of the recording of the much-lauded, 1972 Amazing Grace album is the casualness of the whole set up. Franklin herself wanders on with little fanfare. The… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 31: High Life [dir. Claire Denis; 2018]
There’s a great deal I could write about Claire Denis’ first English-language film, but the one-para rule must be obeyed, so suffice it to say that High Life effortlessly earns a place in the canon of thoughtful, elliptical sci-fi movies such as 2001, Solaris and Blade-Runner. Aside from some almost laughably clunky exposition at the… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 30: Unhung Hero [dir. Brian Spitz; 2013]
In 2013, after struggling comedian Patrick Moote had his very public marriage proposal turned down on the basis that his girlfriend found his penis too small (yes, really) he decided to draw inspiration from the situation and embark on a study of phallic proportions. The result is this documentary, which sees him interacting with porn… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 29: Vertigo [dir. Alfred Hitchcock; 1958]
![2019 Film Reviews – 29: Vertigo [dir. Alfred Hitchcock; 1958]](https://dariushalavi.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/73d37-dariushalavi_vertigo_may19.jpg?w=400)
There really isn’t anything one can say about Vertigo that hasn’t already been said, but watching it again with someone who’d never seen it before, I was particularly struck by the cruelty of the James Stewart character towards the end of the story, as he ‘rediscovers’ Kim Novak and tries to force her into the… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 28: Western [dir. Valeska Grisebach; 2017]
This quiet, unassuming tale of a manual labourer from Germany feeling increasingly at home while working in a sleepy Bulgarian village comes with much critical acclaim, chiefly for its examination of masculinity and conflict. And while there’s no doubt that it features many admirable accomplishments – not least Meinhard Neumann’s understated central performance and the… Continue reading
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2019 Film Reviews – 27: Mission: Impossible – Fallout [dir. Christopher McQuarrie; 2018]
Having missed several entries in the series, I can’t make an educated assessment of how Fallout rates in the Mission: Impossible canon. But I do know that it doesn’t come close to eliciting the devilish, lip-smacking enjoyment I felt when watching Brian De Palma’s version from 1996. Yes, the plot centres on all the usual… 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 