In a cinematic landscape where nearly every mainstream film is a remake, reboot, re-imagining or sequel, or an adaptation or true-life story, independent cinema constantly comes to the rescue, creating fascinating and original stories. One such film is Captain Fantastic, one of the most bizarrely wonderful little films I’ve seen in a while, and proof…
Category: Drama
Things to Come (2016)
Is there any doubt that Isabelle Huppert might just be the greatest actress in the world? Never before has there been such an extraordinary actress, capable of being so incredibly complex and layered. She has been having quite the year, with Paul Verhoeven’s Elle bringing Huppert to a higher level of fame in the English-speaking…
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Who doesn’t love a good period drama? Certainly, the epitome of period drama has to come from Jane Austen adaptation – there have been many, and whether they are good or bad, they are still selfishly enjoyable and a lot of fun to watch. They’re not too serious, and luckily they are usually very well-made….
The Girl on the Train (2016)
The Girl on the Train is the silliest movie I’ve seen all year. I also, in a very strange way, really enjoyed it. It was a campy, ridiculously overblown and often very pompous mess of a film, and for that, it is truly very enjoyable. To be honest, I really doubt any of us really…
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
There is a moment towards the end of The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta) where our two protagonists get on a boat and sail down a river. In front of them, on the island they just departed, stand dozens of lepers, all waving towards these two men. It is single-handedly the most heartbreakingly emotional moment…
Margaret (2011)
Many people seem to have so many differing opinions on what is the greatest film of the 21st century – and the BBC recently bestowed that honour upon Mulholland Drive, a high point (perhaps the highest point) in the career of David Lynch. One film that has been tossed around as being one of the…
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
I am not someone who thinks that any film adaptation of a book is superior to its source material, but I am also not someone who vilifies the practice. I do think there are some truly extraordinary cinematic adaptation of great books (such as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, which border on being…
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Full disclosure – Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette, also The Bicycle Thief) was the first film I watched this year – that is nearly nine months ago. The reason I am writing this review so late is simply because I couldn’t muster up the courage to do so – how do you write a review…
Queen of Earth (2015)
From the very first moment in Queen of Earth, you are instantly captivated. It begins in a very unconventional manner – Catherine (Elisabeth Moss) sits, an emotional wreck, screaming and weeping at her boyfriend who is about to leave her. We are not given any context or explanation, but the camera stays on her as…
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
Cinema is meant to tell stories, and very often those stories are rather far-fetched or fantastical and are not rooted in reality. It is thus the responsibility of independent cinema to tell the stories that mainstream cinema refuses to. Independent films show a different side to society very often and often venture into taboo territories….
