If Indiana Jones was a rock star instead of a movie character, the Dial of Destiny – the latest and last movie in the franchise – would be his farewell tour. The chops are still there, but the cracks are showing and the pace is a bit off. The ageing headliner is perhaps upstaged by…
Set in the English coastal town of Margate during the turbulent early 1980s, Empire of Light is a sensitive romantic drama. Hilary (Olivia Colman) is manager of the local cinema, the Empire, situated across from the beach. She gets along well with her fellow workers, who include projectionist Norman (Toby Jones) and the diplomatic Neil…
If you’ve heard of the slow cinema movement, Kelly Reichardt could be considered its high priest. Her exacting, often dramatically beautiful films are the antithesis of, say, modern superhero movies. Often set on the American frontier, her work features long static shots and minimal dialogue. And Reichart’s new film, First Cow, follows much the same…
The French comedy/drama Normandy Nude tells of a town of struggling farmers who prepare to pose nude for a photo shoot. If this brief synopsis makes it seem like a Gallic variation on both The Full Monty and Calendar Girls, you wouldn’t be far off the mark. The film is set in a small farming community….
Charlize Theron’s character is put through the wringer as the Berlin Wall comes down in Atomic Blonde. This stylish and violent spy thriller is based on a graphic novel series, The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Sam Hart. The screenplay is by Kurt Johnstad and directed by David Leitch (John Wick). It’s 1989 in Germany. The Berlin…
