Thelma & Louise: a tale of freedom and independence found and misused with devastating consequences
Ridley Scott, “Thelma & Louise” (1991) Two best friends – one a waitress whose musician boyfriend frequently leaves her on her own when he goes on…
North American Films
Reviews of films made in Canada and United States including all films made by Hollywood.
In Captivity: freedom versus slave comfort and security in a future dystopian hell
Michael Koerbel, “In Captivity” (2011) Superficially in the style of a “Truman Show” situation comedy, this short film is an amusing riff on what a future…
Together Forever: maudlin romance tragedy becomes a tale of murderous greed and a revenge vendetta
Rebecca C Scott, “Together Forever” (2022) A well-made film, driven almost entirely by its characters’ dialogue, turns what could have been a maudlin romance tragedy into…
The Rebellious Colony of Mali: an introduction into the geopolitics of western Africa
Carlton Meyer, “The Rebellious Colony of Mali” (Tales of the American Empire, 14 October 2022) A handy introduction into the geopolitics of western Africa and why…
An appealing heroine stuck in an unoriginal plot in “Alita: Battle Angel”
Robert Rodriguez, “Alita: Battle Angel” (2019) Based on Japanese manga artist Yukito Kishiro’s cyberpunk “Battle Angel Alita” series, this film works as both an origin story…
Laboratory Conditions: tight little mystery film with an unexpected horror twist
Jocelyn Stamat, “Laboratory Conditions” (2017) A very tight little film with an unexpected twist, “Laboratory Conditions” initially presents as a crime or murder mystery starting in…
Batman Begins: lengthy superhero origin film juggling psychology study and action
Christopher Nolan, “Batman Begins” (2005) I admit that getting to watch this film in its entirety took ages – I was put off by its length…
British Films, North American Films
See How They Run: a light-hearted comedy mystery crime caper plays with crime genre elements to question the notion of authenticity
Tom George, “See How They Run” (2022) Here is a fun and light-hearted comedy mystery crime caper which pays homage to Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” and…
Pelosi’s Power: a glowing hagiography with nothing significant to say
Michael Kirk, “Pelosi’s Power” (2022) Purporting to be an examination of the career and legacy of US Congress representative Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the…
Afro Algorithms: a film on hidden biases in technologies shoots itself in the foot
Anatola Araba Pabst, “Afro Algorithms” (2022) Here comes a very well-made 3D animated short that urges viewers to consider carefully how technologies like Artificial Intelligence and…