Bait

Bait UK (2019) Dir. Mark Jenkin New versus old, progress versus tradition - a battle for the ages that will rage on as we continue to evolve as people and a society. The big difference here however is that quite often there is no real right or wrong as both have their merits; it’s finding …

Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko)

Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko) (Cert 12A) Japan (2019) Dir. Makoto Shinkai Okay so we all know that with great power comes great responsibility but what is less discussed is when the sacrifices for having that power are arguably greater than the power itself. Perish the thought, but maybe it isn’t worth having after …

Never Look Away (Werk ohne Autor)

Never Look Away (Werk ohne Autor) Germany (2018) Dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck So, what is art? Is it simply drawing nice pictures, or creating something abstract with profound meaning? Or is it expressing something truthful or powerfully political? For most people it is probably the sum of all these parts as much as any …

The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built Denmark (2018) Dir. Lars von Trier What makes a serial killer the way they are? It’s probably fair to say the last filmmaker we would want to ponder this question and put his musings on film is Lars von Trier, but he has never cared what people think of him …

Svaha: The Sixth Finger

Svaha: The Sixth Finger Korea (2019) Dir. Jang Jae-Hyun Extreme religious doctrine can be scary for of us those on the outside of it, but as religion is not a singular concept, conflicting opinions as to whose God is the one true deity and which teachings are the right ones can also be dangerous among …

Shanghai Dreams (Qing hong)

Shanghai Dreams (Qing hong) China (2005) Dir. Wang Xiaoshuai Parents only want the best for their children, as they should, which is something children should be grateful for, but children also deserve the chance to grow up and live a life with some independence. When parental desire overrides that of the child, it creates a …

Blu-Ray Review – Black Angel

Black Angel (Cert 12) 1 Disc Blu-ray (Distributor: Arrow Academy) Running Time: 81 minutes approx. Innocent until proven guilty - isn’t that the maxim applied to a case where the culpability regarding a serious act or a crime is concerned? That’s the idea anyway. Of course, one has to hope that the police have done …

Anohana – The Flower We Saw That Day

Anohana - The Flower We Saw That Day (Cert 12) 2 Discs Blu-ray (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 256 minutes approx. “Friendship never ends” I never thought I’d be quoting those philosophical giants the Spice Girls but in this case they do have a point. It’s not always true but some friendships can last a lifetime, …

Sunset (Napszállta)

Sunset (Napszállta) Hungary (2018) Dir. László Nemes It is important to know where we come from as people and as such, we are fully entitled to want to embrace our heritage. Modern genealogy research is likely to reveal hidden secrets about one’s family but this is historical and it’s too late to do anything about …

The Saga Of Tanya The Evil: The Complete Series

The Saga Of Tanya The Evil: The Complete Series (Cert 15) 2 Discs DVD/Blu-ray (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 285 minutes approx. When one thinks of great military/war heroes, every country will have their own yet it is practically guaranteed any name proffered will be male. You can almost picture them - rugged features, thick …