Gone with the Wind (1939)Director: Victor Fleming Screenwriter: Sidney Howard Starring: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel “Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered. A civilization gone with the wind…” With the death of Olivia de Havilland leaving no surviving central cast … Read more

The Kid (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin Screenwriter: Charlie Chaplin Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance, Carl Miller, Walter Lynch Issues such as economic inequality, social prejudice and the harsh treatment of women have long been central themes in cinema, but rarely have they been presented with the blend of innocence, wit and emotional warmth … Read more

Black Bear (2020) Director: Lawrence Michael Levine Screenwriter: Lawrence Michael Levine Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Gadon, Christopher Abbott Some films are built to provoke fear of an external threat: horror movies, slashers, or spy thrillers. Black Bear refuses that model. Instead, it mines tension from human flaws and fragile relationships. That inward focus makes the … Read more

Across the Universe (2007) Director: Julie Taymor Screenwriter: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, T.V. Carpio, Martin Luther McCoy ‘The Beatles are comin’, they’re gonna hold your hand’ – Bob Dylan, “Murder Most Foul” (2020) Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe is an ambitious, visually striking musical … Read more

Breach (2020) Director: John Suits Screenwriters: Edward Drake, Corey Large Starring: Bruce Willis, Cody Kearsley, Rachel Nichols, Kassandra Clementi, Johnny Messner There’s a persistent myth that once actors reach a certain stature they only appear in high-quality projects. The reality is messier: budgets, schedules, personal decisions and industry dynamics all shape careers, and big names … Read more

Soul (2020)Directors: Pete Docter, Kemp PowersScreenwriters: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike JonesStarring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett This review considers Pixar’s Soul, a film that arrived at a strange moment for many viewers who first saw it at home. Whether or … Read more

What We Do in the Shadows and the “Man Alone” in New Zealand Cinema In New Zealand film, the figure known as the “man alone” traditionally symbolizes humanity’s struggle to assert control over a harsh natural environment. Over time, this figure has evolved alongside urban growth and changing social identities that no longer cling to … Read more

The Midnight Sky (2020) Director: George Clooney Screenwriter: Mark L. Smith Starring: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, Sophie Rundle, Ethan Peck George Clooney has experience with cinematic space stories, having been involved in high-profile films such as Steven Soderbergh’s 2002 Solaris and Alfonso Cuarón’s acclaimed Gravity … Read more

It will come as no surprise that the UK box office in 2020 fell dramatically compared with previous years. According to the annual Comscore report, total UK box office takings reached just £323 million in 2020. While that sum remains significant, it represents a 76% decline from 2019. For context, the preceding five years each … Read more

Pieces of a Woman (2020) Director: Kornél Mundruczó Screenwriter: Kata Wéber Starring: Vanessa Kirby, Ellen Burstyn, Shia LaBeouf, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Sarah Snook, Molly Parker Grief is a paradox: deeply personal yet universally recognizable. It can make a person feel as if they are nothing more than the scattered fragments of who they used … Read more