Year: 1999 Director: Jamie Babbit Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duvall, Melanie Lynskey When I first saw and enthusiastically responded to Desiree Akhavan's fervent take-down of queer conversion therapy The Miseducation of Cameron Post, I had neither seen nor heard of Jamie Babbit's 1999 satirical masterclass But I'm A Cheerleader. Which is not to say I … Continue reading Why I Love… #135: But I’m a Cheerleader
Director: Ben Wheatley Stars: Ellora Torchia, Joel Fry, Hayley Squires From one extreme to the other; those keeping an eye on the timeline here at The Lost Highway Hotel will note this is the second review of the day following Jon M Chu's In the Heights. It's a swift move from all-singing all-dancing to Ben Wheatley's … Continue reading Review: In the Earth
Director: Jon M Chu Stars: Leslie Grace, Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera The New York neighbourhood of Washington Heights - situated just off the Hudson river - is a melting pot of Latin American families, here spotlighted in Jon M Chu's musical based on the stage show from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Chu - who a … Continue reading Review: In the Heights
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson Stars: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Hirona Yamazaki I've never played a Monster Hunter game and couldn't tell you a thing about them. Thing is, when it comes to Paul W. S. Anderson adapting a video game to the big screen (something he has a habit of doing), it rarely really … Continue reading Review: Monster Hunter
Year: 1971 Director: Ted Kotcheff Stars: Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty With much of the UK currently enjoying our annual summer sun (known as a nice weekend in other countries), I've been thinking about movies that reflect or express a sense of heat and hotness. I'm terrible in hot weather. I get grouchy, I … Continue reading Why I Love… #134: Wake in Fright
Director: Aleem Khan Stars: Joanna Scanlan, Nathalie Richard, Talid Ariss Actor Nasser Memarzia barely appears in After Love, but his character - Ahmed - is present in every scene. A Pakistani immigrant married to a white British woman Mary/Fahina (Joanna Scanlan), Ahmed lives a transitory life thanks to his work, which sees him spending as much … Continue reading Review: After Love
Director: Emma Seligman Stars: Rachel Sennott, Fred Melamed, Polly Draper Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby (which I choose to believe is named as such in a nod of respect to '70s Pam Grier action flick Sheba, Baby) arrives via MUBI in the UK on a promising wave of praise; praise that is (yes!) absolutely deserved. Seligman's debut … Continue reading Review: Shiva Baby
Director: Florian Zeller Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Imogen Poots, Olivia Colman Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) would be so much more at ease if he knew where his watch was. Time is a great solidifier, you see. We take it for granted, but when you know when you are then the rest all tends to fall into place. … Continue reading Review: The Father
Director: Ilya Naishuller Stars: RZA, Connie Nielsen, Bob Odenkirk I'm currently under siege from a nudist junkie wannabe-DJ next-door neighbour in his late 40s who insists on playing loud '90s dance music at all hours, often for up to 12 hours at a time. Just recently, this has included a 10-day jag of consecutive all-night … Continue reading Review: Nobody
Year: 1999 Director: Steven Soderbergh Stars: Terence Stamp, Luis Guzmán, Peter Fonda Time has revealed Joss Whedon as a less than admirable source of influence, but I do have to tip my hat to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator for leading me to - I'll say it - Steven Soderbergh's finest. Back around the turn … Continue reading Why I Love… #133: The Limey
Director: Karim Kassem Stars: Karim Kassem, Zeinab Hind Khadra, Lyne Ramadan For a new generation of global filmmakers, the lines that separate drama and documentary have become a fertile ground for experimentation and play. One might feel cautious; that the fidelity of the truth might have become watered down after Trump and everything else. But … Continue reading Viewfinder: Only the Winds
