I know Joanna Scanlan mainly as the hapless Terri Coverley in The Thick of It. However this role could not be more different as Scanlan plays a recently widowed woman who finds out her late husband had been leading a double life, with a French woman across the English channel. It's a subtle and nuanced turn from Scanlan in the role that sees her life torn asunder, and her faith tested the more she finds out about her husband's other…
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Thieves 1996
Part of this year's Deneuvember 2021 - Our Favourite Season viewing.
Fractured across several viewpoints and timelines, a story of thieves, of family, of philosophy and of love. The non-linear timeline works well, allowing parts of each character to be revealed, although not completely so that there is still enough mystery the sustain the narrative. While criminals may seem like the centre of the film, it isn't what interests André Téchiné - he would rather follow the intersecting loves, whether…
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Pariah 2011
A coming of age and coming out in this moving, beautiful debut feature from Dee Rees - young Alike is a star student but also struggling to find full expression of her burgeoning sexuality, especially to her conservative parents. Rees treats her characters with delicacy and avoids stereotypes while also allowing Alike to be herself and in charge of her destiny. On top of which, this film is poetically photographed, light dancing in small spaces and illuminating expressions. Having seen this, I can't wait to finally watch Mudbound.
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The Wagoner 1963
The cruelty of a life that has divided those that have, and those that haven't. This was in Senegal nearly 60 years ago but shows how little we have progressed as a society since then.
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What Keeps You Alive 2018
Imagine the most brainless characters and then make them more stupid, just for cheap thrills. To a certain extent, the filmmaker takes his audience to be just as brainless. On the plus side, it's nicely shot and definitely passes the Bechdel test. So there's that.
