biography

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS: How Cruel Men Are
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS: How Cruel Men Are

Mary Queen of Scots has no shortage of talent in front of the camera to make it one of this year’s most overlooked but satisfactory films.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES: A Blunt Look At Today’s Politics
DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES: A Blunt Look At Today’s Politics

The Story of Roger Ailes may be straightforward and a bit lacking in stylistic direction, but it’s a rather necessary look at one man’s life to help understand today’s politics.

WELCOME TO MARWEN: Zemeckis By Way Of Doll Horror

Welcome to Marwen is an unfortunately shallow endeavor, with trite dialogue and a saccahrine portrait of very serious issues.

VICE: Brilliant Bale Gives Dick Some Heart
VICE: Brilliant Bale Gives Dick Some Heart

Adam McKay’s Vice is at its best when it mixes information with entertainment and leaves out all of the preaching.

ON HER SHOULDERS: Inherently Powerful Documentary Exposes Wrongheaded Media Portrayal
ON HER SHOULDERS: Powerful Documentary Exposes Wrongheaded Media Portrayal

The life story of activist Nadia Murad is told in On Her Shoulders with a lack of sensationalism, focusing more on her cause than the tragedy.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is a Must See for Welles Devotees and No One Else
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND: A Must See For Welles Devotees & No One Else

If you don’t care about Orson Welles, The Other Side of the Winf does not stand up well enough on its own to be worth your time.

Tokyo International Film Festival: THE MANGA MASTER: The Anatomy Of A Disappointing Biopic

The Manga Master takes a potentially interesting subject, and transforms his life into the stuff of biopic cliche.

STAN & OLLIE: A Dignified Ode To Hollywood’s Favourite Block-Heads

For all its superficiality, there’s a warmth to Coogan and Reilly’s central partnership in Stan & Ollie that – all stiltedness noted – deserves the faint smile it leaves you with.

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?: Melissa McCarthy's Best Performance Yet
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?: Melissa McCarthy’s Best Performance Yet

A wry, bittersweet but profoundly affecting cinematic experience, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is an astonishing examination of loneliness and detachment.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: Fearless Freddie Gets A Bland Makeover
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: Fearless Freddie Gets A Bland Makeover

Bohemian Rhapsody provides casual fans with some raucous concert re-enactments, but those seeking insight into the band’s and particularly Mercury’s history should look elsewhere.

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD: A Colossal Achievement Of Preserving History Through Film
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD: A Colossal Achievement Of Preserving History Through Film

They Shall Not Grow Old is a major monument for our memory of the British soldiers who fought in WW1 and an enormous step forward in depicting history through cinema.

RODIN: Another Genius Antihero Biopic Lacking the Imagination Of Its Subject

Rodin portrays its titular character as a fiery genius who is much better interacting with lumps of clay than he is with human beings. For an artist biopic, this is both predictable and exhausting.

THE FRONT RUNNER: Scandal on the Road to the White House
THE FRONT RUNNER: Scandal On The Road To The White House

When the USA is safely within the next Democratic term of office, expect The Front Runner to be looked back upon more fondly; it’s mightily enjoyable political entertainment.

Screenplays With Unconventional Connections Part 2
Screenplays With Unconventional Connections Part 2

In the second of this series, we look at the screenplays of Citizen Kane and Velvet Goldmine, examining how the two stories share similar DNA.

Film Fest 919: GREEN BOOK: Friendship & Prejudice On A Journey Through The Deep South
Film Fest 919: GREEN BOOK: Friendship & Prejudice On A Journey Through The Deep South

Green Book is cinematic comfort food, equipped with witty performances and the aura of social importance, yet undistinguishable from the tons of other polite Oscar dramas that came before it.