Full review, and explanation of the lack of rating, here (on The Twin Geeks).
Excerpt:
This is why Art Kabuki exists, a state of emergency means kabuki cannot be played to an audience but that does not mean kabuki cannot still happen. However, art without an audience is an odd proposition. Theatre only comes to life when it is both performed and received; with no audience it becomes like the proverbial tree in a forest, falling with nobody around to…
I revisited this, basking in the glory of Titane's victory - which I cannot wait to see.
I also wrote this article on it for TheTwinGeeks.com.
Here is a brief extract from the larger piece:
'[...] But Raw is not a hopeless or nihilistic work – nor a cruel one. It is always aware of the metaphor. It is always aware of its status as a coming of age film. Cannibalism is just a combative way of showing losing oneself,…
An utterly fascinating film that will be talked about on Wednesday’s Ranking the Monsters podcast (a The Twin Geeks production), alongside Bong Joon-ho’s The Host.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever fine podcasts are found.
Let’s get this out of the way: Space Jam 2 is a mess. It is an unnecessary, repetitive and cynical sequel to an already – let’s be honest – not very good film. It is lessened by a limp performance from LeBron James (though he’s arguably less bad than Michael Jordan in the first); an incredibly dull first thirty minutes and overwhelming doses of nonsense. However, in spite of all rational critique, it is also – and I barely know…
Satoshi Kon's films are ones of momentum. Narratives barrel forwards with a focus on energy, pace and increasing visual creativity. As strange as it sounds, his works - most notably this and Paprika - can feel like side-scrolling video games: the sense of always running forwards to something new and never looking back.
To that extent, it therefore makes sense that this is a film about narrative momentum. It is literally about the love of the chase - the joy…
I will always appreciate that Cassavetes does something different. There is a a raw, anti-cinema (as a mainstream construct) sensibility to his work: it operates on different rhythms and at a different register. Everything feels sporadic, natural even, there is an urgency to the way it is shot: utilitarian compositions with a stripped back feel. It is all about showing people, conversations and conflict. The use of focus highlights people, always forcing your attention to somebody in a frame to…
