The Wild Goose Lake
The Wild Goose Lake is a slow and stoic Chinese gangster thriller that loses its tense grip with a stuttery second act that throws off what is an otherwise engaging feature
BFI FLARE 2020 - Lone Wolf + The Passing
The Lone Wolf and The Passing are two terrifically poignant shorts
BERLINALE 2020 - A l’abordage
A l’abordage is a tranquil but resounding success at exploring the hearts and souls of three dynamic characters in their struggles to evolve and grow
IFFR 2020 - Fidelity
Nigina Sayfullaeva's Fidelity ravages its potential of being an explorative piece of psychological drama
IFFR 2020 - Na-reul cha-ja-jwo (Bring Me Home)
Na-reul cha-ja-jwo (Bring Me Home) continually exposes the viewer to absolute torturous sadism yet with poignancy and brutality that is reflective of the multifaceted darkness of the world
Downhill
Downhill falls and fails at every hurdle, with each element it crafts with soft layers drowning any momentum
La Vérité (The Truth)
The Truth is a well-executed film equivalent of an onion, at least as far as its thematic composition is concerned
BERLINALE 2020 - Anunciaron tormenta (A Storm Was Coming)
The randomness of the presentation, coupled with the difficulty to grasp the subject matter, feels like an injustice to the film’s subject
SXSW 2020 - Dark City Beneath the Beat
TT The Artist's Dark City Beneath the Beat is a visually compelling treat of the heartbeat and expression in Baltimore through its provocative and affectionate citizens
GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020 - Nematoma (Invisible)
Invisible (Nematoma) is a tirelessly grim little tragedy that never finds stable ground
SXSW 2020 - The Donut King
Alice Gu’s The Donut King is a quintessential American story of immigration, ambition, downfall, and donuts
SXSW 2020 - I Used to go Here
Kris Rey's I Used to Go Here is a personal and wonderfully layered tale of self-acceptance and growth
Tyler Perry's A Fall from Grace
A Fall from Grace ultimately only offers entertainment to those who get a good laugh out of fascinatingly bad movies
Rare Beasts
Rare Beasts, is a tremendously intriguing and heartfelt existential crisis that explores gender and societal issues in a gloriously intimate and charismatic feature
IFFR 2020 - Filles de joie (Working Girls)
Filles de joie (Working Girls) ventures captivatingly into social themes, and this is not to be confused with facetious exploitation
BERLINALE 2020 - Semina il vento (Sow the Wind)
A wonderfully curated central performance from Yile Yara Vianello with deep thematic weight, and terrific cinematographer and a subtle telling score from Valerio Camporini, makes for an emotive and engaging drama
Esto no es Berlín (This is Not Berlin)
Despite the trite pastiche of other coming-of-age films that makes up the backbone of This Is Not Berlin, there are spots of brightness to be found
BERLINALE 2020 - Automotive
Automotive is a surprisingly clever documentary which is both structurally and narratively lean
BERLINALE 2020 - Days of Cannibalism
Days of Cannibalism is a dark and terror fuelled drama, expertly crafted in an organic manner of a documentarian eye that reveals the strange and often tragic paths of mankind
BERLINALE 2020 - Pari
Pari is a dark and traumatic modern tragedy on all fronts, but one that showcases a glimmer of hope against racial and gender pressures, with a stunning central performance from Melika Foroutan that speaks volumes through visuals