I'm currently studying for an MA in modern literature, and one of my greatest literary shames is that I don't really *get* the popularity of The Great Gatsby. Fair dooze, I read it as a teen and have never really wanted to revisit so maybe all the commentary was lost on me at the time, but Gatsby left me cold.

However, like most people, I was excited to see Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of the jazz age and, like most people,…

Caught this on BBC4 last night, my third viewing and growing into one of my favourite films ever. Love the music, the melodrama, the sets, costumes and the performances.

The finale of this really gets to me. Salieri's crushing guilt at seemingly working Mozart to death, his frustration at his music fading into obscurity and his acceptance of becoming 'the patron saint of mediocrity'. Such a tragic anti-hero. The final flourish of Mozart's horrific, mocking laugh echoing inside Salieri's head…

I'm surprised this was released so long ago, I'd only heard of it because of the current popularity of Lee Pace, but was wary because director "Tarsem" is responsible for one of my personal least favourite films of all time - The Cell, which looked like a early 00's heavy metal video with added J-Lo.

I can gladly say that The Fall is nowhere near as obnoxious as The Cell, but instead hones its (admittedly) striking visual style. Intercutting between…