My Favourite Films of 2023

There are two sections: New in 2023 (new releases, festival films, etc) Older films discovered for the first time Films are listed alphabetically within each section. 1. New in 2023 (new releases, festival films, etc) 20 Days in Mariupol [Mstyslav Chernov, 2023, Ukraine] “20 Days in Mariupol” is one of the most painful films I …

My Favourite Films of 2022

There are two sections: New in 2022 (new releases, festival films, etc) Older films discovered for the first time Films are listed alphabetically within each section. 1. New in 2022 (new releases, festival films, etc) Aftersun [Charlotte Wells, 2022, UK, US] Incredibly impressive: subtle, atmospheric, immersive. One of the stand-out films of the year. A …

Interview with Joanna Hogg

Photo: Toby Miller Recently I had the opportunity to interview British filmmaker Joanna Hogg, someone I greatly admire. She was incredibly generous with her time, genuinely engaged and thoughtful in her answers, and patient with my questioning. A lovely, inspiring woman. The full transcript of that interview has been published in Take One and is reproduced …

Mark Cousins’ “The Story of Film”

This week's TimeOut (12-18 April) gives an ecstatic review of the Mark Cousins' monumental and quite wonderful film/TV series, The Story of Film, which is about to be released on DVD. Tom Huddleston writes:- The indisputable cinematic high point of last year didn't happen anywhere near a cinema - it took place on TV, quietly, …

Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

My short review published online in One Hundred Words Magazine [no longer available]:- Nuri Bilge Ceylan is one of the most gifted directors in the world; Once Upon A Time In Anatolia is his latest magnificent creation. What seems a simple police procedural is in fact a fascinating, intricate character study and philosophical essay, full …

Attenberg

One of the things I love about Sight and Sound magazine is that you can get two different perspectives on a film within the same edition. In the Oct 2011 publication Attenberg is described by Lisa Mullen as follows:- A simple summary of the plot makes the film sound like the demented hybrid of a …