Kaine Levy’s period drama Farewell Waltz honours a historical man: Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British Army during the First World War, at a time when it was illegal for black people to hold positions above white people. Levy has adapted the story so that the protagonist in the film, Charles, is… Continue reading Farewell Waltz: Romance As A Tribute To A Historical Figure In Black History
Category: Reviews
The Devil’s Son: Mind-Boggling, Rich Magical Fable
From its opening line of Once Upon A Time… to illustrator Ben Judd’s colourful universe, or the vastness of the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley in California where this Mexican-based, Spanish language movie is filmed, everything about The Devil’s Son leaves one feeling overwhelmed with its richness in storytelling. A Mexican fable that dabbles… Continue reading The Devil’s Son: Mind-Boggling, Rich Magical Fable
It Felt Good: Laugh Along In The Face Of Horror
It Felt Good features a kind of comedy that is so bizarre, it is borderline surreal. Writer-Director William Nicol stars as the protagonist, an auditioning actor barraged with the demands of his profession, some ethical and some not quite. And a bit of the latter is even self-inflicted. Everyday anxiety, mild performance anxiety, and a… Continue reading It Felt Good: Laugh Along In The Face Of Horror
January 14th: Another Story That Bolsters The #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Written and directed by La’Chris Jordan, January 14th is a 14:43 minutes short filmed in the memory of Philando Divall Castile (16th July, 1983-6th July, 2016). An honest mistake, a circumstantial tragedy, and a mourning partner, that sums up the film, but leaving with it a barrage of questions and bitter anger in one’s mouth.… Continue reading January 14th: Another Story That Bolsters The #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Before: A Case Of Quarantine Paranoia
Director Gabriele Rossi quietly places the mirror in front of us and leaves the room. Forcing us to face our reality, that although we are all enduring collectively, is being coped with individually. The COVID-19 pandemic that has us all in its grip, is the setting of Before, an 8-minute short that explores the life… Continue reading Before: A Case Of Quarantine Paranoia
Grievances: Suspenseful Thriller That Plays On Addiction
As he steps out of the Patient’s Transfer Entrance of the Hahnemann University Hospital, the Philadelphia skyline casts a sombre hue. Brandon (Lenny Grossman) is staggering out, his stance a dead giveaway to his state of mind. Siddharth Jha’s Grievances is a psychological drama and it delves into the depths of human weakness, both self-inflicted… Continue reading Grievances: Suspenseful Thriller That Plays On Addiction
Secret Child: The Possible Perils Of Shiny New Father Figures
Yewweng Ho’s Secret Child (co-written by Yewweng Ho, Sam Hoare and Gordon Lewis) bears more than a passing resemblance to 2015’s Brooklyn: both set in the 1950s and both feature Fiona Glascott in key roles. But of course, the signature manicured 1950s look is the first thing that sticks out to signal kinship. Set in… Continue reading Secret Child: The Possible Perils Of Shiny New Father Figures
Father By Law: Portrait Of A Fractured Family
Parents grow up too. It only takes a glance, sometimes a few tears, at worst a tragedy, but certainly it’s not just the children who grow up. In writer-director Maria De Sanctis’s 18:06-minute film, Father By Law, it is the daughter’s wedding that sets the stage for this: the familial reconciliation that comes expectedly, but… Continue reading Father By Law: Portrait Of A Fractured Family
Hóng Bāo: The Frightening Quality Of Resignation
Hóng Bāo, named after a traditional monetary gift among the Chinese, traces the roots of that money for one family and the personal cost it has for the earner. Writers-Directors Tanya Jade and Aaron Moss’ treatment makes the characters empathizable but unquestionably chilling. It opens with a tense strain of music, followed by a conversation… Continue reading Hóng Bāo: The Frightening Quality Of Resignation
Monster: Facing Two Monsters At Once
The pilot of Rahul Nath’s Monster opens with a three-minute-long take, languidly establishing the character of one of its antagonists. There are two. And there is a good cop. Its opening scene begins after the unnamed man (Manoj Mathew) has already killed his latest victim, which as we see from his souvenirs, is the third… Continue reading Monster: Facing Two Monsters At Once