‘Wake in fright’ directed by Canadian director Ted Kotcheff’s film is considered a masterpiece for its innovative, daring storyline, psychological focus and exceptional visual imagery [1]. The film premiered in Cannes in 1971 to great critical acclaim, but in its homeland of Australia (where the film was set), it was poorly received. […]
Category: Film and Media
Taxi Ride To Eternity: Review of ‘Dry, Hot Summers’,
Taxi ride to eternity: Review of ‘Dry, hot summers’, Directed by Sherif El Bendary Egypt, Germany, 2015, 4* Premiered at Dubai International Film Festival, December 2015, and due to screen at Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in February 2016 Available to view on major TV channels, and to buy DVDs in late 2016 Traditional teaching in medical […]
Ayesha Ahmad: Spirituality in Conflict
This is a story about spirituality in conflict. As with all stories, there are two sides to the tale. There is, on one side, the battle to find and keep the spirit during conflict, when lives and worlds and families and homes are falling apart and disappearing. On the other side, there is the spirituality […]
Khalid Ali: Ageing (dis)gracefully from Camden pavements to Swiss resorts
Review of “The lady in the van” directed by Nicholas Hytner, UK release 13th November 2015, and “Youth” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, UK release January 2016 “The lady in the van” and “Youth” that recently premièred at the London Film Festival (LFF) in October 2015 are two great films about “senior citizens” in two completely […]
Patients’, doctors’ and nurses’ stories at the London Film Festival (7-18 October 2015)
‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’ Patients’, doctors’ and nurses’ stories at the London Film Festival (7-18 October 2015) October is the time of the year when the London Film Festival (LFF) http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff brings the best of British and World cinema to film lovers in London. Screening 238 fiction and documentary feature films, the […]
‘The Messenger’ directed by David Blair (2015)
The Messenger follows Jack (Robert Sheehan), the titular protagonist, who delivers messages from the ghosts of the recently-deceased to their bereaved loved ones. Only he can see those ghosts. Following the murder of a prominent war correspondent Mark (Alex Wyndham), Mark’s ghost tasks Jack with giving his wife an important message. Despite a premise that is […]
Film Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”, USA 2015 Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon In UK cinemas now American cinema has always been fascinated by stories of cancer in young people; Love story, USA 1970, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Story_(1970_film), 50/50 (USA, 2011) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50/50_(2011_film), and more recently “The fault in our stars, USA 2014” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fault_in_Our_Stars_(film). The first feature film from […]
Film Review: The Maggie (1954) directed by Alexander Mackendrick
As part of the British Film Institute- BFI’s Britain on Film Project (www.bfi.org.uk/britain-on-film), the Maggie, (1954), one of the most endearing comedies made by Ealing Studios, has been digitized and re-released online and on DVD. […]
Film Review: Inside Out
This year’s summer release by Pixar Animation Studios, Inside Out, follows the inner workings of the mind of Riley, an 11-year-old girl from Minnesota, as her life is suddenly turned upside down when her family moves to San Francisco. This film has already received great acclaim at Cannes Film Festival 2015 for its heartfelt relatable […]
Film Review: Mediterranea
Lambert Wilson, actor and musician, Master of Ceremonies of Cannes Film Festival 2014, said “The world is written in an incomprehensible language, but cinema translates it for us universally. Without its guiding light, each person would remain in isolated darkness”. Exactly a year later in May 2015, an Italian film “Mediterranea” directed by Jonas […]