As I stumbled out of the cinema, wandering dizzily through the shopping centre, I couldn't quite fathom whether I'd liked Man of Steel. Isn't that a strange thing, to not be sure whether you've enjoyed something? I guess, really, it means I didn't. Maybe the confusion comes because it's such a big, loud, bombastic blockbuster, doing all the big, loud, bombastic blockbuster stuff without actually providing any of the entertainment you'd expect of a big, loud, bombastic blockbuster. I think…

Review from Next Projection

After many years of hardy service, grandfather’s axe had to have its worn blade replaced, its shiny new counterpart returning the tool to its original vitality and power. Years later still, the weathered handle, splintered and frayed from usage, was exchanged for a sturdy new shaft. Each of its parts replaced, does what we now call “grandfather’s axe” have any legitimate claim to that title? Does that object still exist despite, superficially at least, no longer…

Certain films you love because they touch you personally. Others you love because they tell a story so gripping you feel part of it yourself. Some you love for their part in shaping you as a cinephile, even as a person. Then there are the handful of films you love simply because you must love: because they represent so bold an authorial vision, so striking a view of the world, so wholly unique a perspective on life through cinema, that…

Why do I hold Werckmeister Harmonies aloft as the greatest film I have ever seen? A huge part of it, admittedly, and the thing that makes me think it will remain my favourite film to the day I die, is its profound personal relevance. I first saw the film about 5 years ago now, at a time when my interest in cinema was in the very very earliest stages of blossoming. It blew me away. Takes that long, images that…