Vice: satirical biopic is as empty as the man it lampoons
Adam McKay, “Vice” (2018) A rather patchy satirical study of the life of former US
Tag: Propaganda Films
Films made with an obvious bias to serve a larger agenda or to mitigate a controversial topic and make it safe for general public consumption.
A sense of Cold War paranoia and self-righteous American exceptionalism in “Espionage Target – You!”
“Espionage Target – You!” (1964) Commissioned by the United States Department of Defense for training
Undercover in Idlib: secret snapshot of jihadi-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria
Jenan Moussa, “Undercover in Idlib” (2017) Presented and narrated by Jenan Moussa, a reporter for
BlacKkKlansman: use of race politics demeans the achievement of a black police officer in exposing the Ku Klux Klan’s evil
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) Filmed as a blaxsploitation-styled comedy drama, this work revolves around a
Those Who Said No: a slickly made and polished film that is less than honest about the politics of the activists it champions
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful
Origins: The Journey of Humankind (Season 1, Episode 3: The Power of Money) – a shallow and confusing enquiry into the historical importance of money
Celso R Garcia, “Origins: The Journey of Humankind (Season 1, Episode 3: The Power of
Eastern European Films | German and German-language Films
The Final Journey: a formulaic road movie about hope and reconciliation in the Ukrainian civil war
Nick Baker-Monteys, “The Final Journey / Leanders Letzte Reise” (2017) The plot may be a
A devious history of chemical and biological weapons on “Secret Science: Chemical and Biological Weapons” that stops short of serious criticism
Tim Usborne, “Secret Science: Chemical and Biological Weapons” (2016) In 2016, the year of its
Loveless: a character study and thriller that criticises Russian society as stagnant, self-absorbed and materialist
Andrei Zvyagintsev, “Loveless” (2017) As with previous films of Andrei Zvyagintsev that I’ve seen, “Loveless”
British Films | French and French-language Films
The Death of Stalin: an unfunny and insulting comedy satire lacking in imagination and original ideas
Armando Iannucci, “The Death of Stalin” (2017) A British-made comedy satire about the death of