Renowned for his breadth of research and incisive analysis, Curtis’ documentaries usually focus on an aspect of history, exploring its cultural, social and political impacts.
Read More
All articles filed in Documentary
SUNDANCE REVIEW: ‘Cusp’ (2021) is a Raw, Unobstructed Look at Teenage Girlhood
From bonfires to soccer games, the film meanders with the whims of these girls as they come to navigate the invisible horrors of being a teenage girl.
Read More
REVIEW: ‘The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart’ (2020) Proves Disco Doesn’t Suck
“A joy to watch… [a] documentary not so much concerned with hard historical facts as it is with the brothers as they experienced each other, themselves, and their fame.” How Can You Mend A Broken Heart begins with the quintessential. A pared down, echoey version of “Stayin’ Alive”—probably the Bee Gees song to end all…
Read More
LFF REVIEW- ‘The Reason I Jump’ (2020) is an Essential Documentary on Understanding Autism
Director Jerry Rothwell utilises visuals and sound design with such creativity that it lets the audience directly empathise with the cast.
Read More
LFF REVIEW: ‘Stray’ (2020) is as Soulful and Humane as Anything You’ll See This Year
The absence of deliberate human voice lends a real sense of time and place into a rare window of a world that is, perhaps not a pleasure to experience but is, by the time it finishes, profound and essential.
Read More
REVIEW: ‘Never Be Done: The Richard Glen Lett Story’ (2020) is a Portrait of Addiction and Sobriety
Never Be Done: The Richard Glen Lett Story opens with Lett touring the Vancouver comedy club scene, arguing with the audience, making crude jokes, and refusing to pay his bar tab. He’s been kicked out of almost every establishment in the city and it’s easy to judge him because he comes across as such a hateful person. Richard Lett is an old school Canadian comedian, old school being a kinder description for offensive. He’s brash, loud, and rude, with his personality making it easy to dismiss him. But Never Be Done takes the time to uncover why Lett makes these actions.
Read More
REVIEW: ‘Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story’ (2020) Responds to the Elephant in the Room
It is difficult to reconcile with the documentary’s use of this footage and how it shapes the film’s narrative.
Read More
SUNDANCE LONDON REVIEW: Adolescence and Electioneering Collide in ‘Boys State’ (2020)
Boys State lifts the curtain on one of American’s most interesting political experiments and reveals a story which has somehow remained untold until now.
Read More
FANTASIA 2020 REVIEW: ‘Clapboard Jungle’ (2020) and the Harsh Reality of Independent Filmmaking
“Clapboard Jungle is the quintessential handbook for aspiring filmmakers.” Turning the camera on himself, Justin McConnell’s Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business, chronicles the hardships of navigating the film industry. Utilizing a mixture of talking heads interviews and guerrilla-style vlogging, McConnell explores how difficult it is for independent filmmakers to navigate the business side…
Read More
REVIEW: ‘Mucho Mucho Amor’ (2020) and the Eternal Magnetism of Walter Mercado
At 87 years old, Mercado exudes the same cosmic magnetism that has endeared Latin American audiences to his shows for decades.
Read More