Blake Backlash on the Bond film that’s better suited to Boxing Day than a Bank Holiday. Continue reading Merry Christmas, Mr Bond
Category Archives: British Film
No Rose Withers
Yesterday was Googie Withers’ 100th birthday. Blake Backlash celebrated by rewatching two of her films
Kes
As Ken Loach’s Cannes-garlanded I, Daniel Blake continues to draw audiences and make headlines, Masters of Cinema bring us a timely Blu-ray revival (in the shops today) of Loach’s beloved second film. Indy Datta runs the rule.
Departure
Sarah Slade looks at a beautiful retread of an old theme.
There isn’t much that is new about Departure. An English family rattle around their French holiday home, replete with colour-washed walls, Le Creuset everything and a lovely collection of china. An enigmatic stranger appears and there is a sexual awakening. Everybody goes home, wiser, sadder and ready to face the future. It’s a theme that has been explored in many ways, by many film makers over many years. You could even say that middle-class angst in Aude is quite a safe topic for first-time director Andrew Steggall, but that would detract from what is a rather beautiful, sensitively acted film. Continue reading Departure
Ctrl+Alt+Action
Phil Concannon watches Late Shift and ponders the idea of the interactive movie and watching with your phone switched on.
Sunset Song
Blake Backlash watches Terence Davies’ adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel and remembers reading the book in school. He compares the endings – so there are spoilers.
Brief Encounter Revisited
Next week sees the re-release of one of big softy Ron Swanson‘s all-time favourite films – David Lean’s Brief Encounter – as part of the BFI’s new Love season. Hankies at the ready.
Mostly Under Milk Wood
Kevin Allen’s new film of Dylan Thomas’s beloved radio play is in cinemas this week. Your reviewer is theTramp.
To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and-rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea.
A box full of stars
Blake Backlash celebrates the 160th birthday of William Friese-Greene by looking inside The Magic Box.
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday is rereleased today – Sarah Slade looks at its evocation of the changing face of London
MostlyFilm 