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).
Ben Wheatley, “High-Rise” (2015) British author J G Ballard’s novels and short stories are famous for their perceptive originality on the condition of 20th-century humankind and…
Peter Greenaway, “The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover” (1989) Straight away viewers can tell there’s much more simmering away in this story about a…
British Films, Russian and Soviet Films
John Pilger, “Secret World of the US Election: Julian Assange Talks to John Pilger” (RT.com, October 2016) One famous Australian journalist talking to another famous Australian…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Christian Volckman, “Paris 2054: Renaissance” (2006) A glossy animated style of minimal black-and-white presentation, emphasising detail, mood and atmosphere in a future Paris governed by corporations…
British Films, North American Films
Nicholas Roeg, “The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976) For a film with hardly much plot and maybe too much soft-core pornography, “The Man who Fell…
Duncan Jones, “Whistle” (2002) “Moon” director Duncan Jones’ first feature is a 29-minute short that initially looks bland and banal, and moves slowly in its first…
Michael Armstrong, “The Image” (1967) Notable mainly for being singer and sometime actor David Bowie’ first film role, this 14-minute horror short is an eerie surrealist…
Christian Davies, “David Bowie Under Review 1976 – 1979: The Berlin Trilogy” (2006) David Bowie’s death in early January 2016 left behind a considerable artistic legacy…
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…