Director: Lars Von Trier Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Stacy Martin When it was announced soon after the release of Melancholia that Lars Von Trier's next film would be entitled Nymphomaniac, I probably let out an audible sigh. A weary sigh. Now, let me explain myself a little bit. I'm a fan of Von Trier's work - that …
Review: Her
Director: Spike Jonze Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is recently separated from his wife of several years, Catherine (Rooney Mara). They grew up together, and, as flashbacks suggest, were very much soul mates. But things changed and now Theodore is alone. He is a sensitive, introverted man. He works …
Why I Love… #63: Repulsion
Year: 1965 Director: Roman Polanski Stars: Catherine Deneuve (Carol), Ian Hendry (Michael), John Fraser (Colin), Yvonne Furneaux (Helen), Patrick Wymark (Landlord) Genre: Thriller / Horror With its initial credits drifting over the surface of Catherine Deneuve's wide unblinking eye, Roman Polanski's Repulsion proclaims its intention as a horror film exploring an interior world, the world behind …
Review: Dallas Buyers Club
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée Stars: Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto Matthew McConaughey's phoenix-like rise over the past 18 months has been one of the most heartening sights in recent Hollywood history. Though his early work was spotted with moments of greatness, the doldrums that followed had him written-off in many eyes, despite odd flashes of …
Review: RoboCop (2014)
Director: José Padilha Stars: Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton In the early stages of José Padilha's RoboCop reboot we are introduced to a man who has lost both of his arms. Gary Oldman's Dr Dennett Norton has fashioned for him two robotic replacements, operated via impulses from the brain. The man formerly played Spanish guitar, …
Review: Inside Llewyn Davis
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Stars: Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan "Life's dealt me some bum cards, or maybe I just haven't played 'em right," so says ever-self-deprecating narrator Ed Crane in The Man Who Wasn't There, one of the Coen Brothers' several masterpieces. It's a line that feels fitting to a few of their …