Loosely inspired by Henry James’ novella The Beast In The Jungle, the beguiling, occasionally disturbing, sometimes funny and at times brain boggling French-Canadian science fiction film, The Beast sits beside Slaughterhouse Five and Cloud Atlas in the ‘fascinating head scratcher’ sub-genre. This is one of those films where characters shift through different realities appearing at different times and in different
Read moreDespite its late arrival in cinemas in 2019, Portrait of A Lady On Fire was one of the most talked about releases of the year. The attention it’s received is in part due to the fact that it’s simply a quality piece of cinema but also because this meditative art house film is about as far as cinema gets from
Read moreEnjoying French actor/ writer/ director Albert Dupontel’s oddball WW1 drama See You Up There is largely dependent on the viewer’s attitude toward the quirkier side of French cinema. Those who enjoy manic behaviour, over-the-top performances, bizarre imagery and general silliness characteristic of French directors like Jean Pierre Jeunet will spoil their trousers over this film. Those who recoil at that
Read moreGaugin is one of the more descriptive titles in recent cinema as it sums up much of this film. This is a dramatisation of the life of famed French post-impressionist artist Paul Gaugin or at least the part he spent in the pacific island of Tahiti painting iconic images of the locals. Set in 1891, the film sees poverty-stricken artist
Read moreThis week on ‘Built For Speed’ we give you the official word on whether the hotly anticipated Blade Runner sequel, ‘Blade Runner:2049’ is any good. We also head back in time to La Belle Époque and take a look at French biopic ‘The Dancer’. On the music front we pay tribute to one of rock’s greatest artists Tom Petty who
Read moreFly Me to the Moon has nothing to do with song popularised by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, in fact that track never appears in the film. This is a quirky French rom-com which unfortunately emphasises the less appealing aspects of French comedies such as zany, manic behaviour and clichéd resolutions rather than the sharp wit, intellectual propositions and rich
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