Whatever the hell Martin Scorcese’s been smoking these days, I’m not having any of it. Spouting untruths like a proclaimer of gospels, he righteously preaches “Cinema is gone!”, after which millions of over-stressed celluloid fanatics faint in unison. Who doesn’t love Marty, he’s a messiah of cinema, but to erroneously claim that great filmmaking have long forsaken our parched […]
No year is complete without a supervillain. And no, I’m not talking about Scott Rudin or North Korea. In this annus mirabilis in cinema, no one else has royally fucked-up the movie experience quite as viciously as Harvey Weinstein. If you’ve been paying attention for the last twelve months, a handful of high-profile films barely […]
The genre of the undead, bloodsucking night-prowlers has long been buried into the grave of senseless mediocrity, no thanks to the patronising saga of teen romance, one which shall not be named in this blog, responsible for giving vampires a bad name. Since then, there have been a few attempts of resurrection over the last […]
Western society be damned if Bong Joon-Ho’s originally unblemished, un-Weinsteined version of his apocalyptic sci-fi opus Snowpiercer doesn’t make it to cinemas. Harvey ‘Scissorhands’ Weinstein, as we now brand him, may have trimmed a reported 20-minute cut and an additional expository narration at the film’s prologue, but the South Korean director’s official cut as he […]
Consider it quite appropriate that the Berlinale has chosen Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel to open the city’s film festival this year. It’s a gorgeously realised movie in thrall of filmmaking itself – an elaborately structured, highly cine-literate comedy that dazzlingly weaves not just one but three interlocking narratives, spanning across decades and shifting […]
For those who follow this little film blog, you would’ve known by now that I have quite a thing for film festivals. There are no other events in my annual calendar (heck, not even Christmas or my own birthday) that get me buzzing with supercharged excitement than festivals of the cinematic kind. Not only do […]
Set to hopefully warm up the freezing balls of Berlin early next year, Wes Anderson’s latest coterie of quirks, shenanigans and unparalleled cinematographic symmetry The Grand Budapest Hotel has been chosen to open the 64th Berlin Film Festival, which launches on the 6th of February. I don’t know about you, but I’m eagerly anticipating this. I […]
Yes. Jim Jarmusch’s new one is a vampire comedy. Fresh from Cannes and London film festivals, the marketing team for Only Lovers Left Alive (groovy title, by the way) has now unveiled the first trailer for this bizarrely romantic and deliciously dark and deadpan gem that’s swiftly becoming a cult vampire favourite. The reason being, […]
Wes Anderson’s seventh feature is infused with almost featherweight childhood nostalgia, but don’t let that deceive you. Moonrise Kingdom is a heartfelt, albeit whimsical, paean to the caprices of first love, longing and youthful escapism told in meticulous cinematic detail and style unrivalled by any director of his league. It’s also wonderfully, coolly idiosyncratic.
There’s no other director in cinemalandia who does quirky better than Wes Anderson. The man probably consumes ‘quirk’ for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then enjoys a bit of whimsy for afters. His latest cinematic dish Moonrise Kingdom looks like from the Signature Anderson Menu – yellow palettes, idiosyncratic humour, slow motion, groovy French soundtrack, childhood brouhaha and Bill Murray. Just don’t expect Anderson to make gritty cinéma vérité – this guy sticks to his own style like superglue to a wall. Which makes him just wonderful.
A chilling take on a very unsettling tale of beleaguered motherhood and parental torment. Ramsay’s vision opts for a bold, raw aesthetic that brilliantly eschews common book-to-screen tropes. Plus Swinton is so fucking terrific. And you’ll never listen to Buddy Holly’s ‘Every Day’ the same way again.
