This documentary takes us through the life and career of great British artist and living legend David Hockney – considering it spans over 50 years this is quite an achievement. We learn about Hockney’s humble beginnings in Bradford to his life in Hollywood as a renowned artist. Continue reading
film review
Still the Enemy Within
In 1984 the biggest workers union in the country went on strike – the coal miners’ strike was long and bitter and all over the media. From 1979 when she became prime minister Margaret Thatcher had always had a plan to crush the unions and privatise all that the post war Labour government had nationalised; coal being firmly in her sights. Continue reading
Looking is the Original Sin
Inspired by the life of Diane Arbus this is the tale of Anna (Katie Boland) trying to find out who her mother Helene (Maria del Mar) really is. Despite them living together most of the time Anna is aware that her mother is keeping her at arm’s length We start to realise that Helene the photographer is very different from Helene the mother that Anna so desperately wants to get closer to. Continue reading
Stations of the Cross
Maria (Lea Van Acken) is a schoolgirl whose family is a part of a very strict catholic church. In a misguided attempt to help her younger brother she decides to make a sacrifice to God. Continue reading
Romance
I haven’t read 50 Shades (“housewives favourite” acclaim put me right off) or watched Nymphomaniac (promotional “money shots” of its stars made me retch) nor do I watch actual porn. It was with some trepidation therefore that I approached Romance; a film from 1999 that apparently was a giant shocker to the censors due to its alleged blurring of the lines between traditional film and porn. Continue reading
They are all Dead (Todos están muertos)
This is the first feature film from Beatriz Sanchis; based in Madrid she managed to attract some big names from the Latin acting world as far afield as Argentina and Mexico. This is a tale told from the point of view of Pancho (Christian Bernal) a teenager who lives with his ex-pop star Lupe (Elena Anaya) and her mother Paquita (Macarena Garcia). Continue reading
The Word
Lila (Eliza Rycembel) is a schoolgirl in love; but her boyfriend Janek (Mateusz Wieclawek) has betrayed her with another girl. Seeking revenge Lila puts in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped leading to terrifying consequences. Continue reading
Living Dolls
Veteran documentary maker Maureen Judge presents us with a film which follows 5 doll collectors from different places, of different ages and who collect very different dolls. Continue reading
The Quiet Hour
Dakota Blue Richards plays Sarah, a young girl trying to survive in the aftermath of an alien invasion with her blind brother Tom (Jack McMullen). Into their lives comes Jude (Karl Davies) a man looking for sanctuary being chased by a group of pursuers who are after revenge and more. Continue reading
The Supreme Price
If you’re anything like me you have probably never heard of M.K.O. Abiola, the man who won the democratic elections in Nigeria in 1993, (due to the military regime not wanting to give up power was never recognised by them as being president), and you will not have heard of his wife Kudirat (one of M.K.O.’s 4 wives) who upon his post-election imprisonment took over the pro-democracy campaign until she, like her husband, was killed. Continue reading
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