Who knew a life of crime, deception and distrust could look so glamorous? The latest U.S. romantic black comedy to hit our screen, Focus, starring the ever talented Will Smith and relative newcomer Margot Robbie […]
Love is Strange is profoundly authentic
In counterpoint to the torrent of hyper-real romance pictures which hit cinemas on Valentine’s Day, director Ira Sachs has created a profoundly authentic depiction of love and relationships that one hopes won’t be lost to […]
Shaun the Sheep is Baarilliant Fun
Aardman Animations offer a glorious return to form in their most recent feature film. The 85 minute stop-motion animation is a spin-off of their proudest creation; Wallace and Gromit, and is as successful as a […]
Oscars 2015: No Alarms and No Suprises
After months of anticipation and speculation, the Academy Awards are over for another year. There were no big shocks in store on the night, perhaps with the exception of how tedious Neil Patrick Harris was […]
Coherence is extremely low budget and extremely good
Coherence is a testament to how much can be achieved with only a great idea and a group of talented actors. Made on a tiny budget with no special effects and only one location, the […]
Preview – From ‘Drifters’ to ‘Night Mail’: The British Documentary Movement
On Sunday the 15th of March the Hyde Park Picture House, in collaboration with the University’s Centre for World Cinemas, are screening three landmark documentary films from the archive of the British Film Institute. The […]
Ilkley Film Festival – they’ve got everything
It’s Ilkley Film Festival’s second ever year, and they’re really not doing too badly considering how new to the game they are. They’ve managed to get pretty much everything currently in cinemas into the mere […]
Blackhat’s lack of a strong villain leaves it falling flat
For a film dealing with such a contemporary threat, Blackhat feels like it could have been made anytime in the last 25 years. The heroes say little and the villains wield assault rifles whilst riding […]
Fifty Shades of Grey: The Review
Fifty Shades of Grey was always going to be better as a film for the simple reason that the story is told in pictures rather than with words. Specifically, E.L. James’ words, which purport that […]
Selma makes sure it also shows the weaknesses of Martin Luther King
Biopics tend to follow two paths: turn the lives of complex individuals into simplified, crowd pleasing narratives (think Braveheart) or provide an honest portrayal of their subject: flaws intact. Much to its credit, Selma falls […]
Behind the Veil: Sam Taylor- Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey
The notorious bonk buster’s troublesome take on BDSM has got audiences debating the boundary between kink and domestic violence, but the real bondage is all on the director. When it was announced that artist–turned–director Sam […]
Oscar Round-Up: Best Director & Best Picture
What makes the perfect Best Picture winner at the Oscars? If recent history is anything to go by, it’s a film which has once- in -a- generation levels of originality (The Artist), gripping technical proficiency […]