LFF 2017: The Square ****
The Square likes to hold the supposed ‘aspirational’ middle-class Scandinavian lifestyle to account and provoke it in a darkly sinister fashion. Östlund achieves this goal in a beautifully scripted and well-crafted film.
Category: Foreign Language
LFF 2017: Loveless *****
Zvyagintsev’s beautifully-shot Loveless ought to be compulsory viewing for any couple with children going through hard times. Powerful and unforgiving, Loveless is one not to miss.
LFF 2017: Mutafukaz ****
Mutafukaz makes anime more relevant and accessible to a wider audience. Not just a coming-of-age journey for our animated heroes, but one for the anime newcomer
LFF 2017: Sicilian Ghost Story ****
This clever blending of truth and fiction that allows Grassadonia and Piazza to tackle the narrative’s horrors while keeping us entranced and guessing.
LFF 2015: Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) ***
Husson has a powerful first vehicle to drive home with, if not as a critique of modern-day pressures on youth.
LFF 2015: The Brand New Testament ***
Feels like a big box of frogs while breaking religious satirical taboo. It’s very liberating in fact. Even though the finale is a colourful, hallucinogenic one, there just seems to be a missing element.
The Reunion ***
A slow burner on an obvious collision course. It’s very cathartic in nature, a very honest piece of filmmaking…
West (Westen) ****
An intense watch, perpetuated by the hand-held and urgent camerawork at moments. West relies on its strong characters to build the atmosphere and our imagination to fill in the deliberate gaps in their back stories.
Mood Indigo ***
If incredibly imagination alone were the key to a successful film, then writer-director Michel Gondry’s L’écume des jours or Mood Indigo would be a guaranteed box-office smash. It’s like an animated delicacy that ignites the creative juices with every scene, beautifully crafted to help tell a delicate story of loss. However, as much as fans …