A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Reviews of films from the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales).
Sarah Gavron, “Suffragette” (2015) Of the recent plethora of British historical drama movies, Gavron’s film “Suffragette” is one flick that tries to be two things to…
British Films, East African Films
Fernando Meirelles, “The Constant Gardener” (2005) Based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, this film combines elements of the spy thriller…
British Films, Russian and Soviet Films
George Galloway and Gayatri Pertiwi, “Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway (Episode 86)” (RT.com, August 2015) Perhaps the best thing that former UK Labour Party leader…
Andrew Lachman, “Michael Mosley: The Truth About Meat” (2014) Second in a series of documentaries hosted and narrated by BBC science presenter Michael Mosley, this episode…
Alex Garland, “Ex_Machina” (2015) At first glance, Alex Garland’s directorial debut flim “Ex Machina” looks like the total triumph of style over substance but like its…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Roman Polanski, “Tess” (1979) Closely based on the original Thomas Hardy novel “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”, which serves as an indictment of Christian religious hypocrisy, male…
British Films, North American Films
Kenneth Branagh, “Cinderella” (2015) Being a Disney production, this live-action version of the tale as Disney tells it can only go so far in its reinterpretation…
BBC News Interview with President Bashar al Assad (9 February 2015) For an example of grace under pressure, I think few people can acquit themselves as…
James Marsh, “The Theory of Everything” (2014) Despite the title, this biopic about English cosmologist Stephen Hawking is less about his work and its importance to…
British Films, North American Films
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game” (2014) One of a slew of historical films from the UK depicting hitherto unknown or unfamiliar aspects of Britain’s role in…