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…
Downside Up: a sweet comedy about acceptance risks patronising its actors and Down syndrome people
Peter Ghesquiere, “Downside Up” (2016) A sweet-natured film exploring concepts of normality and difference by turning them upside down, “Downside Up” may unintentionally get up quite…
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…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Australia’s Natural Gas Dilemma: an example of domestic scarcity amidst natural abundance
“Australia’s Natural Gas Dilemma” (Asianometry, 26 September 2022) Despite being the world’s leading natural gas exporter, exporting US$25 billions’ worth of LNG to Asia, Australia also…
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…
Italian and Italian-language Films
The Recycling Man: a peep at a future police-state dystopia and its manipulation of vulnerable citizens
Carlo Ballauri, “The Recycling Man” (2020) A very surprising little short, “The Recycling Man” takes place in a future dystopian police state in which children are…
French and French-language Films
The Egypt Code Breakers: a fascinating documentary on the deciphering of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics
Jacques Plaisant, “The Egypt Code Breakers” (2022) A fascinating tale in itself, told in a mix of animated sequences and live action interviews with archivists and…
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…