There is no place in Italy as beautiful and as filled with diverse culture as the southern Italian island of Sicily. And yet no place has been abused more — by wars, invasions and more recently, pollution — the latter pointed out hauntingly by filmmakers François-Xavier Destors and Alfonso Pinto in their impressive ode to this modern “wasteland.”
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'Bella' -- a review
In her important, must-watch documentary ‘Bella’, filmmaker Bridget Murnane proves that you can’t keep a good woman down.
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'High & Low: John Galliano' London review
There are so many layers to filmmaker Kevin Macdonald’s film that it would take more than a few hundred words to get to them all. At the core of this stunning must-watch documentary is a fashion hero turned antihero who could be a poster child for explaining our current times.
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Masculinity, fashion and biker culture decoded : Jeff Nichols' 'The Bikeriders' examined
Apart from the great look of the film and the immediate immersion for the viewer into the late 1960’s biker culture of the American midwest, ‘The Bikeriders’ also offers insight into masculine insecurities and strengths and in the process, becomes yet another favorite Jeff Nichols work of seventh art.
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'Saltburn' by Emerald Fennell opens the BFI London Film Festival, with a twist
The film is exactly what is needed to encourage audiences to watch more cinema in the theaters, and amazingly enough, it is an Amazon MGM Studios production — proving that streamers do know it best if given the chance to do their thing.
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'Maestro' -- A personal review
Once the absurd discourse about Bradley Cooper’s nose will have finally quieted down, those who have been lucky enough to have watched ‘Maestro’ on the big screen will realize they’ve witnessed a masterpiece.
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'Backstage' - Venice review
At the start of ‘Backstage’, the first feature directorial collaboration between Moroccan filmmaker Khalil Benkirane and Tunisian star Afef Ben Mahmoud, the unthinkable happens. And we, the audience, are along for the ride of a lifetime.
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'Bye Bye Tiberias' review: A personal tribute to a global cause
Lina Soualem’s touchingly personal documentary should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand the Palestinian struggle, and the true emotional toll of an entire people’s displacement.
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Reviewing David Fincher's 'The Killer' without giving too much away...
Starring the magnificently contained Michael Fassbender as the unnamed hitman, this is one film that must be viewed without any previous knowledge of its story and possibly on a cool Fall evening, with a shot of premium whiskey nearby. But you’ll have to see for yourself why that is.
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Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Poor Things' Venice review
There are incredible Things to be said about the production value of the latest Lanthimos oeuvre, and there are beautiful Things in the film, but for me personally it was not all good Things for ‘Poor Things’.
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The vampire wore sneakers: 'El Conde' Venice Review
Once again, Pablo Larrain proves he is one of the smartest filmmakers around, but never once does he talk down to us, his audience. And this dictator vampire romp in B&W is just what this writer needed to kick off the festival in style.
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'Nezouh' -- Venice 2022 review
Soudade Kaadan's film is a fable of two women and the men who love them (well, one man and one boy really) and the power and magic that love carries with it. From the MIME.news archives.
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Jiří Havelka's 'The Owners' is a brilliant cinematic metaphor for democracy gone wrong
Don’t let the title of this review lead you to believe that this is some highly educational, dull drama, as the debut feature from the Czech theater director, playwright, actor and presenter proves irreverent and hilarious as well as poignant— and, most importantly, is a must watch!
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"The cognitive dissonance required to be a woman under patriarchy," as Barbie says...
Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' review
If you watch one film this summer, make it ‘Oppenheimer’.
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Art from Disney Pixar’s Elemental used with permission
Disney's 'Elemental' review
We can probably all remember the first Disney film we ever watched….
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Why Mario Martone's 'Somebody Down There Likes Me' is a must-watch for all world cinema lovers
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the birth of the late Massimo Troisi, Martone puts together a documentary homage to a man who changed the landscape of Italian cinema and also influenced filmmakers from the MENA with his groundbreaking vision and irreverent works of art.
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'A Cooler Climate' review
In typical James Ivory style, which we have come to know and love in the beautiful films he has been a part of throughout his career, much of the story of this moving documentary is written between the lines.
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A doc that feels like a thriller: talking to Shlomi Elkabetz about 'Black Notebooks: Ronit'
More than just an homage to a beautiful, inimitable woman, Shlomi Elkabetz's film about his sister and collaborator Ronit is a journey to the heart of cinema and a fantastic treasure hunt which, if followed through, brings us to the perfect depth of our human connection.
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Say "Yup" to 'Nope' - a review
Ultimately, Jordan Peele's film is about connections, knowing when to turn our gaze away from things we aren't meant to be seeing, and humor -- lots and lots of humor.
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