I think it is safe to say that the seventies bore witness to the greatest decade for cinema. The fifties saw a post-war stagnation, the sixties saw experimentation and a liberation of ideas, and the seventies saw expansion and, as was often the case, a reach for excess. The Hollywood elite lost all semblance of … Continue reading Travelling Through Time: The Best Films of the 1970s
The following twenty films from the 1960s are included in the top 100 on the Sight and Sound critics' list of the Greatest Films of All Time: Black Girl (1965, Ousmane Sembène) (=95) Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Sergio Leone) (=95) The Leopard (1963, Luchino Visconti) (=90) Pierrot le fou (1965, Jean-Luc … Continue reading Travelling Through Time: The Best Films of the 1960s
Anna Christie, an adaptation of a Eugene O’Neill play, was the first big Hollywood release of the 1930s. It starred the Swedish icon Greta Garbo in her first talking role, and it delivered her famous line at the beginning of the film: ‘Gimme a whisky, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy, baby!’ … Continue reading Travelling Through Time: The Best Films of the 1930s
Truth be told, this is not a comprehensive list. I never get to see all the films I want or have been recommended during the year, although I do try and continue to catch up as I move into the new year. For example, many films released in the latter half of 2021 only caught … Continue reading 2022 – Another Year in Film
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022, Film4 Productions / Blueprint Pictures / TSG Entertainment) Featuring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny and Barry Keoghan. Cinematography by Ben Davis. Music by Carter Burwell. Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh. ★★★★ Martin McDonagh hits all the right notes on his return to Ireland and … Continue reading The Two Reviews: The Banshees of Inisherin
The whispers in the morningOf lovers sleeping tightFrom The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush Since time immemorial, many have ruminated on what love is. Stevie Nicks doesn't know what it is but agrees that it's very powerful. Pat Benatar thinks its a battlefield. Todd Rundgren thinks that its the answer. The Beatles told us … Continue reading The Power of Love, Part 2: Broadcast News (1987)
The last few months of 2021 and the opening of 2022 – the festive season or summer in the southern hemisphere – marks the re-emergence of major film releases following the COVID outbreak. While all through 2021 there was a steady release of films, the big-budget blockbusters have been held back until late 2021. A … Continue reading A Summer Selection of Film, Part 1
A love of film never ceases, but an enthusiasm to write about film sometimes wanes. I had intended to write more about the films I watched last year but alas, time got the better of me. And it's not as if there wasn't enough madness to deal with in the world last year. It was … Continue reading 2021 – Another Year in Film
The film year during Covid began with a gawk-inducing attempt by Wonder Woman Gal Gadot to bring sunshine into people’s lives affected by lockdown by assembling a star-studded line-up to collectively sing John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, and it ended with Tom Cruise giving a foul-mouthed tirade to a few people who stood too close to each … Continue reading Film in 2020: Best and Worst in a Year of Few
As is often the case, I don’t always get to see the films I was recommended or wanted to see in the year that they were made and/or released. There are just too many to get to, and anyway, I don’t get paid for reviewing films. I do this stuff for my own pleasure and … Continue reading Film in 2020: Firm Favourites among Last Year’s Late Releases
Momentary Cinema 