NYFF REVIEW: “The Only Thing Spookier Than the Undead is the White Male Gaze” – ‘Zombi Child’ (2019)

By: Katarina Docalovich
Festivals, Film, Reviews, Leave a Comment on NYFF REVIEW: “The Only Thing Spookier Than the Undead is the White Male Gaze” – ‘Zombi Child’ (2019)

“Seeing the girls as larger, abstract ideas instead of as human beings weighs down the overall film.” In 1960s Haiti, a man named Clairvius Narcisse was said to have been poisoned and brought back from the dead as a zombie in order to be put to work as a slave on a plantation by a…

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LFF REVIEW: “Sentimental and contemplative of long-term relationships” – ‘Marriage Story’ (2019)

By: Emily Gett
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“Adam Driver is phenomenal, a presence on screen.” Marriage Story (2019), directed by Noah Baumbach, is a tale of the break-up between small-time theatre director Charlie (Adam Driver), and his actress wife Nicole (Scarlett Johansson). The two wish to divorce amicably, but when Nicole takes their son to LA to live with her mother, complications…

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LFF REVIEW: “Not the beautiful and mysterious creature it wants to be” – Little Joe (2019)

By: Rahul Patel
Festivals, Film, Reviews, Leave a Comment on LFF REVIEW: “Not the beautiful and mysterious creature it wants to be” – Little Joe (2019)

“Bold ideas with boring execution.” The mint-green lab coats donned by the botanists in Little Joe immediately create a sense of unease. This ever so slight change in the universally recognisable and authoritative white lab coat gives the impression that this lab-experiment-gone-wrong story will be somewhat different from its genre kin. But you would be…

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On Unbecoming a Hero: Why and How ‘Ad Astra’ Resembles The Odyssey

By: Derek Sharp
Essay, FilmLeave a Comment on On Unbecoming a Hero: Why and How ‘Ad Astra’ Resembles The Odyssey

Midway through Ad Astra, Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride boards a ship to Mars. When they see his name on the manifest, the crew asks if he is that Roy McBride. He says he is and they celebrate; they’re honored to transport the son of a hero, the son of the greatest astronaut there ever was.…

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LFF REVIEW: “A Jigsaw That Was Always Meant to be Together” – ‘The House of Us’ (2019)

By: Georgia Davis
Festivals, Film, Reviews, Leave a Comment on LFF REVIEW: “A Jigsaw That Was Always Meant to be Together” – ‘The House of Us’ (2019)

“A testament to young talent which is only bound to grow with time.” From South Korean writer/director Gaeun Yoon comes House of Us, a story of three young girls finding solace from the disparities of their home lives. Together they create a bond that cannot be broken, delving into mischief and laughter to hide the…

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LFF REVIEW: “A quiet, bittersweet gem” – ‘Monsoon’ (2019)

By: Ben Taylor
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“Shy efforts to build connections with the world around him feel tender and real” Hong Khaou’s second feature opens with an overhead shot of a traffic junction in Ho Chi Minh City. Hundreds of cars, bikes and scooters approach from multiple directions, pushing forward and giving way as they negotiate the road together. It’s a…

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Falling into Place: Balance, Power, and ‘Suspiria’ (2018)

By: Ariana Martinez
Essay, Film, Leave a Comment on Falling into Place: Balance, Power, and ‘Suspiria’ (2018)

“Movement is never mute” is a quote from the 2018 film Suspiria, a “reimagining” of the 1977 film of the same name. Many are quick to associate the film with the iconic shot of Dakota Johnson with a gaping hole in her chest. However, the film’s subtext also provides a visceral experience as it touches…

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LFF REVIEW: “Dramatic, Powerful, and Relevant” – ‘Rose Plays Julie’ (2019)

By: joelwhitaker96
Festivals, Film, Reviews, Leave a Comment on LFF REVIEW: “Dramatic, Powerful, and Relevant” – ‘Rose Plays Julie’ (2019)

★★★★★ “Beautiful, resonant, the culmination of their work.” When we first meet Rose (Ann Skelly), she is faceless. Much like Anna Karina in Vivre Sa Vie, she begins her story shrouded in mystery, through narration she slowly peels away at her own mystery. She wants to meet her birth mother, Ellen (Orla Brady), but Ellen’s…

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LFF REVIEW: “You may be watching through your fingers” – ‘Monos’ (2019)

By: Ben Taylor
Festivals, Film, Reviews, Leave a Comment on LFF REVIEW: “You may be watching through your fingers” – ‘Monos’ (2019)

“A portrait of the legacy which violent acts leave behind.” A group of adolescent soldiers, dubbed the monos (monkeys), are sequestered on the peak of an ancient mountain miles from Colombian civilization. They are part of a larger paramilitary cause named The Organization, but their paths intersect only briefly with their more experienced comrades.  For…

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LFF REVIEW: “A quirky and wonderful chemistry” – ‘Our Ladies’ (2019)

By: Emily Maskell
Festivals, Film, Reviews, , Leave a Comment on LFF REVIEW: “A quirky and wonderful chemistry” – ‘Our Ladies’ (2019)

“Living in the moment, with a disregard for the future, the group continues on their all-day bender leaving empty bottles behind at every stop.” With matching tartan skirts and knee-high grey socks, Our Ladies walks hand in hand with the small-town girl hitting the big city. Five young women are fed up with the strict rules of…

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