Curated perspectives on contemporary cinema, from emerging voices to established auteurs.
This environmental thriller draws more from Greta Thunberg's activism than Erin Brockovich's drama, presenting itself as a rallying cry for the post-Climate Strike era, disguised within the most unassuming of protagonists.
Building upon the momentum of 2023, when female-driven narratives like Wonder Woman and Lady Bird achieved remarkable critical and commercial success, acclaimed filmmaker Jaclyn Bethany presents a compelling exploration where the essence of femininity takes center stage.
While curators present this Royal Academy exhibition as a dialogue between Michelangelo and Bill Viola, the pairing inevitably creates a competitive dynamic in which Viola appears destined to fall short. The introduction works overtime to justify itself, insisting that the show illuminates their shared ground rather than positioning Viola as a contemporary heir to the Renaissance master.
As someone born in Russia, I typically approach Western interpretations of my homeland with healthy skepticism. These productions often raise questions about authenticity—whether the cast attempts Russian accents or maintains their natural speech patterns, and most crucially, whether they capture the ineffable character of Russian life.
Greta Gerwig's inaugural feature as director proves to be an unqualified triumph. Garnering five significant Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, the film has received widespread critical praise alongside independent cinema contemporaries such as Call Me by Your Name. Previously recognized for her spirited performances in partner Noah Baumbach's Francis Ha and Mistress America, this marks Gerwig's emergence as a directorial force.
Director Andrea Arnold addressed concerns about the film's length in Vogue, stating she makes no apologies for its duration and welcomes viewers taking intermittent breaks. The narrative eschews conventional plot structure, yet rather than overstaying its welcome, the experience proves thoroughly absorbing throughout its extended runtime.
This film challenges viewers in Allen's characteristic manner—light and self-deprecating, yet unlikely to provoke outright laughter. The humor operates with restraint, always edging toward something more melancholic, an elusive undercurrent difficult to articulate. The opening sequence presents an elegant soirée bathed in sophisticated blue lighting.
Throughout the past year, Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals has been celebrated as a masterwork, with the director himself hailed as a modern Hitchcock. While the film offers engaging entertainment supported by strong performances and solid writing, the direction feels somewhat conventional—leaving one wishing for a bolder artistic vision, perhaps from someone like Lynne Ramsay.
The Store at 180 Strand defies expectations suggested by its prestigious central London location. Rather than presenting as a refined exhibition venue, it occupies a stripped-down Brutalist concrete structure sharing premises with a multi-storey car park. As The Hayward Gallery's North Bank satellite space, this otherwise vacant industrial environment has undergone remarkable transformation.
Certain truths demand oblique expression. This principle applies not to everyday admissions—borrowing a friend's book or explaining financial difficulties to parents—which require simple directness. Rather, it concerns those vast human truths that resist tidy encapsulation in neat phrases. These profound realities, like conceptions of the divine, exceed the capacity of straightforward language.
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos constructs a world nearly identical to our own, save for one crucial difference: romantic relationships fall under state regulation, and solitude constitutes a criminal offense. Within days of marital dissolution or spousal death, individuals find themselves confined to a hotel—overseen by the disturbingly composed Olivia Colman—where they must secure a partner within forty-five days.
True to its title, water manifests throughout Luca Guadagnino's film in myriad forms. Refugees emerge from the Mediterranean; a secluded rock pool offers respite during a mountain hike; a carafe gets emptied during a hungover morning. Characters engage through playful splashing, swimming competitions, and lakeside recreation. Tilda Swinton portrays a convalescing rock vocalist.
Argentine filmmaker Gaspar Noé, known for controversial works Irreversible and Into the Void, delivers this tale of romantic dissolution. The film's abundance of explicit sexual content and graphic imagery has generated significant controversy. The narrative follows the intensely physical relationship between Parisian artist Electra and Murphy, an American filmmaker.
This adaptation chronicles the wartime experiences of brilliant author Vera Brittain during the First World War. Her narrative commences as she defies societal expectations by pursuing studies at Oxford University during an era when women remained ineligible for formal degrees. Romance blossoms with her brother's companion Roland through exchanges of poetic correspondence and fleeting encounters before tragedy intervenes.
The Guardian aptly describes this establishment as a cathedral of eccentricity—an impossibly dazzling backdrop for this whimsical narrative of larceny and homicide. From the deteriorating spa where Jude Law bathes fully spectacled to the cavernous crimson dining hall, every element of production design achieves perfection.
Sundance Festival laureate Drake Doremus presents an unflinchingly honest portrayal of profound, inconvenient passion. The narrative transcends boundaries of age and convention to achieve remarkable purity and raw emotional power. An English student, portrayed by Felicity Jones, arrives in America seeking escape from overwhelming grief.