A screen drenched in pastel colours, oddly symmetrical compositions that recall childhood dioramas, zany off-kilter characters and obtuse dialogue, yes, it’s time for another Wes Anderson film. Some adore the droll humour, the oblique storylines, the monotone voices and the blank faces staring at the camera that typify his movies. Others, like myself, admire his visual artistry and maverick spirit
Read moreA cast that includes Maggie smith, Kathy Bates and Laura Linney is not a bad start for a film. They appear in the low-key, tear-jerking drama of faith, guilt and redemption, The Miracle Club. Set in a small Irish seaside town in 1967, the film employs a quirky premise to set up the story. Three devout Catholic friends Eileen (Kathy
Read moreThe Barbie movie has been one of the more intriguing events in recent popular culture. The fact that it’s based on a doll designed for pre-tween children but has a trailer with adult humour and ideas, makes this a complex, uncertain and slightly unsettling prospect before the opening titles roll. Is this a cleverly subversive feminist satire of a female
Read moreOppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s biopic of the so called ‘Father of the Atomic Bomb’, J. Robert Oppenheimer, has for some, been one of the most anticipated films of the year, both for its subject matter and because it’s from one of the most compelling and occasionally perplexing filmmakers of recent times. For the most part, this mix of historical epic and
Read moreYou Hurt My Feelings from director Nicole Holofcener (Friends With Money) is a very amiable, low-key, Woody Allen-esque comedy/drama that looks at the white lies couples use to maintain domestic harmony and to keep insecurities at bay and what can happen when these lies are exposed. The film is, to a large extent, built around the wonderful perky charm of
Read moreMovies like The full Monty and Brassed Off have given us a sub-genre: the ‘quirky, warm-hearted, British working-class folks versus corporate meanie’ film. These movies are a little predictable but usually fun and endearing enough that we can comfortably overlook their clichés and simplistic view of working people. That’s mostly the case with the latest addition to the fold, Bank
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